One week after the festival ended, life in the palace returned to its usual rhythm.
As always, Vergil and Freya trained together in the palace training grounds. Their seven children were present as well, either watching or practicing their own techniques.
Nearby, Risa had recently developed an interest in swordsmanship. She began training under Mina's guidance, carefully repeating each movement with focus.
At another part of the training hall, Yuna, who had already grown comfortable with palace life, practiced magic with Aria and Cloe.
After finishing one round of training, Risa and Yuna paused to watch Vergil and Freya spar.
Their duel was incredibly intense.
Blades flashed so quickly that their movements blurred.
Risa blinked in disbelief.
"…I can't even follow their movements."
She narrowed her eyes.
"It's like they're disappearing."
Mina chuckled slightly.
"That's normal."
She rested her training sword on her shoulder.
"You're watching my parents fight. Their speed isn't something ordinary eyes can track."
She added casually,
"Besides, Father was the one who trained Mother in the first place."
Cloe, who had just finished her magical training session with Aria, walked over and joined the conversation.
"Not just swordsmanship," Cloe said with a small grin.
"Father even taught me elemental magic."
Sylvy approached as well, wiping sweat from her forehead after finishing her training session with Kazumi.
She pointed toward the center of the training hall where Vergil and Freya continued their duel.
"Look closely."
Risa squinted.
"What is it?"
"They're using Shadow Cross combat style right now," Sylvy explained.
Risa tilted her head.
"But… they're not using daggers."
Sylvy nodded.
"Exactly."
"They're using katars instead."
At that exact moment, the doors to the training hall opened.
Ashcroft walked in briskly.
"Everyone, please stop your training."
The room immediately quieted.
Ashcroft looked directly at Vergil and Freya.
"Emperor Shiroi requests everyone to gather in the meeting room immediately."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Arc Wizard Alexhandra and Anastasya have arrived."
Vergil and Freya immediately stopped their sparring match.
Vergil lowered his katar and glanced toward Freya.
"Well… that sounds important."
Freya nodded.
"Let's not keep Shiroi waiting."
Vergil turned toward the others.
"Everyone, head to the meeting room."
Without wasting time, the entire group began moving toward the palace conference chamber.
Inside the meeting room, Arc Wizard Alexhandra and Anastasya were already seated. Kurogami sat quietly beside Lord Draven, while Vergil, Freya, and their children took their places.
The doors swung open as Shiroi strode in with Ashcroft, heading straight for the whiteboard. The bold heading Project D2-A and the scribbled notes from the previous meeting still covered the surface. Shiroi tapped the board.
"The Dungeon construction project is officially resuming," Shiroi announced to the room. "I need an update. How far along are our preparations?"
Vergil raised a hand. "The dungeon maps are completely finished. Excuse me for a moment, I'll go grab them."
As Vergil opened the door to step out, a massive figure blocked the way. It was a knight towering twice Vergil's height, clad in gleaming silver mechanical armor adorned with striking, elaborate ornaments. Vergil greeted the behemoth warmly.
"Chapter Master Asura," Shiroi said, acknowledging the knight. "Your timing is perfect."
The heavy armor whirred and clanked as Asura stepped fully into the room. "Apologies for the slight delay," Asura's deep voice rumbled. "The 8th Grey Knight Chapter has been fully mobilizing to assist the Marines and the Imperial Space Navy."
"Change of plans," Shiroi said flatly. "The 8th Chapter has a new assignment. We are going to need every single one of your personnel."
Asura inclined his massive head. "We stand ready for whatever task you require."
Moments later, Vergil returned, his arms full of heavy parchment. He unrolled the sprawling dungeon maps across the table. Each layer was entirely distinct, yet the grids were ingeniously designed to interconnect, allowing entire sections to shift and randomize seamlessly.
Yuna studied the intricate designs. "I can ask the Six Spirit Lords to assist in the physical construction of these levels," she offered. "However, the initial result won't be as polished as these blueprints. It will be rough."
"Rough?" Vergil asked. "You mean like natural caves?"
Yuna nodded. "Exactly. We will likely need specialized tools—or specific magic—to carve out the rock and refine the caverns into a proper dungeon structure."
Risa raised a hand, her curiosity piqued. "Uncle Vergil, do you have a specific theme planned for each floor?"
Vergil smiled calmly, tracing a finger over the first parchment. "The first five floors will act as a natural habitat for wild beasts. Floors six through ten will transition into an undead zombie zone. For eleven through fifteen, I envision a dense wilderness biome crawling with insect-type monsters. Floors sixteen through twenty will bring back higher-tier undead."
"And after that?" Risa pressed.
Vergil paused, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "Floors twenty-one to sixty-five will simulate the sprawling exterior of a massive castle. And the final descent—floors sixty-six to seventy—will be the castle's inner sanctum."
Arc Wizard Alexhandra turned to Anastasya. "What do you think of Vergil's proposal?"
"It's a fascinating layout," Anastasya murmured, eyes fixed on the map. "Especially if the final boss of the dungeon is a Demon King, or at least a monster of catastrophic power."
Kurogami, who had been just joining the meeting take his seat beside Lord Draven, and spoke up. His voice easily cut through the chatter.
"That can be arranged," Kurogami said smoothly. "But it will take time. Monsters of a 'Demon Lord' caliber in the Demon Realm are territorial rulers. They have their own domains and direct responsibilities to me. Plucking one out to sit in a dungeon requires... negotiation."
Shiroi shifted focus from the maps to Arc Wizard Alexhandra and Anastasya. "What is the status of the infrastructure? I need confirmation on the control center, the mining operations, the armories, and the tailoring workshops. Have the storage vaults, laboratories, and the monsters' living and training quarters been finalized?"
"Everything is fully operational," Alexhandra replied smoothly. "We have even established the Mother Slime. She is already producing the scavenger slimes needed to... clean up the remains of any adventurers who don't survive."
Shiroi gave a satisfied nod.
"And my request?" Vergil asked.
"Taken care of, Prince Vergil," the Arc Wizard answered. "We have engineered a separate broodmother specifically for the slime variants you asked for. Their reproduction rate mirrors that of the scavenger slimes."
"Excellent," Vergil said, gesturing to the map of the upper levels. "Those slimes, along with lesser beasts like Horn Bunnies, Blade Bunnies, and other small monsters, will populate the first five floors leading up to the vanguard boss."
Risa raised her hand again, a slight frown on her face. "Aren't you worried about overhunting? If adventurers farm those upper floors constantly, won't the population be wiped out?"
Yuna murmured in agreement. "Beast-type monsters are particularly vulnerable to rapid extinction in closed environments."
A confident smile touched the Arc Wizard's lips. "I've implemented the same management system used in the Arudi Dungeon. Furthermore, thanks to the technology provided by the Kainaldia Empire, a population collapse won't be an issue."
Vergil leaned forward to elaborate. "Rabbit-class monsters breed exponentially, and their genetic makeup is incredibly robust. They can interbreed within their own warrens without any genetic degradation. Except..." He trailed off, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
Freya glanced at her husband. "Except what?"
It was Mina who answered. "Except if crossbreeding occurs between different sub-species," she explained. "Even if they are both technically rabbits, a Horn Bunny mating with a Blade Bunny will yield... unpredictable mutations."
Lira nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly. Which is why I'd like to suggest placing natural predators on floors four and five. We need beasts specifically designed to hunt the rabbits to keep their numbers in check."
Lord Draven nodded in approval. "A sound strategy. It ensures a self-sustaining ecosystem. The cycle of predator and prey keeps the dungeon's internal food chain active, ensuring the surviving monsters remain sharp and dangerous."
Shiroi tapped the table, bringing the discussion full circle. "And that active, shifting ecosystem is exactly why I authorized lending the Kainaldia cloning technology to Alexhandra in the first place."
Kurogami leaned forward, his sharp gaze sweeping the room. "What about the rest of the monster demographics? The Arudi Dungeon utilized local tribes of kobolds and goblins. However, since the goblin race has formally integrated as citizens of the Kainaldia Empire, using them as dungeon fodder presents a rather severe conflict of interest."
"An astute observation," Arc Wizard Alexhandra said, unfazed. "Which is why we are not using true goblins. We have developed a line of disposable goblins. Furthermore, with Lira's assistance, we have successfully synthesized a Goblin King seed."
Vergil looked at Lira with an approving smile. "Excellent work, Lira."
Lira waved off the praise, gesturing to the woman beside her. "Mina was the one who proposed the biological framework. I simply implemented her theories."
Risa leaned in, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait. What exactly is a disposable goblin?"
"They aren't born naturally," Shiroi explained, taking over the floor. "They are cultivated. Grown, much like crops. Whenever an adventurer strikes down one of these disposable variants, the body rapidly degrades and leaves behind a specialized seed. That seed effectively 'replants' itself in the dungeon to grow a replacement."
Alexhandra nodded. "I have already stationed a garrison of golems on the designated goblin floors to manage the cultivation process and guard the area."
"To be absolutely clear," Shiroi added, his tone turning serious, "the Goblin King acting as the floor boss will be a direct subordinate summoned from the Demon Lord's domain. It has zero biological or political ties to the goblin citizens or adventurers living in our Empire. They are entirely separate entities."
"And to ensure absolute safety," Lira chimed in, "we genetically locked the disposable variants. They cannot level up or evolve under any circumstances."
Risa and Yuna both nodded, the uneasy tension leaving their shoulders.
Lord Draven crossed his arms, shifting the conversation to logistics. "Have the spatial dimensions for the dungeon entrance and internal architecture been calculated?"
"Down to the centimeter," the Arc Wizard assured him. "We factored in the standard height of the Grey Knights—all of whom stand at a towering 2.6 meters. The corridors and chambers are wide enough to accommodate their massive frames, allow for large-scale squad combat, and provide sufficient airspace for flying monsters to maneuver."
Shiroi clapped his hands together, the sound echoing sharply in the room. "Well then. Now that the logistics are settled, shall we begin construction with everyone present?"
Risa blinked. "What do you mean, 'everyone present'?"
Vergil chuckled, rolling up the blueprints. "He means Shiroi intends to get his hands dirty on the construction site, alongside myself and Bromir."
Just then, the meeting room doors opened again. Aeka hurried inside, ushering Valkrieya in alongside her.
"Apologies for the delay," Aeka said, out of breath. "I brought Valkrieya to join the briefing."
Shiroi grinned at the new arrivals. "Perfect timing. Our entire dungeon construction crew is finally assembled."
Anastasya looked thoughtfully at the group gathered around the table. "I have to ask... do you think the 'Miracle of Arudi Dungeon' can happen again here?"
Yuna tilted her head. "The Miracle of Arudi? What is that?"
Aeka smiled as she took her seat. "It's a legend among the Dungeon Manager. After the Spirits finished carving out the raw caverns and corridors of the Arudi Dungeon, Big Brother Vergil and Big Brother Dante stepped in. They argue who can finish the dungeon first out of sibling rivalry, they finished outfitting the entire dungeon—every corridor and room, and structure—in a single day."
Around the table, Shiroi, Lord Draven, and Arc Wizard Alexhandra all nodded in solemn agreement. It wasn't just a legend; they had been there to witness it and result is draw.
Shiroi turned his attention to Chapter Master Asura. "Are the transport aircraft ready?"
Asura inclined his massive, helmeted head. "Several of the Grey Knights' Eagleplane Transports are prepped and waiting on the tarmac. Their cloaking devices are fully operational."
"Good. Let's move," Shiroi said.
He led the group out of the meeting room and deep into the restricted zones of the palace, eventually arriving at a secret military facility hollowed out of the mountain itself. Risa and Yuna, who had never been granted access to this classified sector, stared in absolute awe. The cavernous hangar was filled with massive, strange "iron birds" resting silently in the dim light, looking sleek and dangerous.
Aeka noticed their wide eyes and leaned in close. "This is the Kainaldia Empire's most heavily guarded military technology," she murmured. "With this fleet, if Emperor Shiroi gave the order, an entire kingdom could be conquered in a single night—perhaps even a single day."
Chapter Master Asura gestured toward the open ramp of the nearest transport, inviting the Emperor and his entourage inside.
As the group boarded the Eagleplane, Shiroi personally walked over to help Risa and Yuna figure out their heavy harness seatbelts. Vergil, Freya, and Aeka, however, didn't even bother taking a seat; they stood casually in the center of the troop bay, their balance perfect.
"Set a course for the mountain range near the newly established western village," Shiroi ordered the cockpit.
Arc Wizard Alexhandra stepped forward to feed the exact coordinates of the dungeon entrance into the navigation console. With a deep, thrumming hum that vibrated through the floorboards, the Eagleplane initiated a vertical takeoff. It lifted smoothly from the hangar before surging forward into the sky.
Vergil and Freya remained completely unfazed by the sudden shift in gravity. Sylvy, who had buckled into the seat beside Risa and Yuna, glanced over at the two stunned girls.
"First time riding an Eagleplane?" Sylvy asked.
Risa and Yuna nodded numbly.
Sylvy smiled. "You'll get used to it. You will probably be riding them a lot from now on. They are vastly faster than traveling on horseback, and completely invisible from the ground."
The flight was astonishingly brief. After only a few minutes in the air, Alexhandra pointed out the designated drop zone. The Eagleplane descended, landing heavily in a secluded clearing several kilometers away from the western village. The bay doors hissed open, and the group stepped out into the wilderness, Bromir and Hilda is already waiting.
Arc Wizard Alexhandra turned to Bromir and Hilda. "It is time for the dungeon to begin its operational phase. The entire management crew is present."
Valkrieya tilted her head, blinking in confusion. "Crew? What crew?"
Aeka let out a long sigh. "You weren't listening at all on the way to the palace, were you? You were too busy enjoying your snacks. We are the crew, Valkrieya. We are going to be the ones managing this dungeon."
Realization dawned on Valkrieya's face, quickly followed by a fierce, excited grin. "Oh, right! I can't wait to fight the monsters. You said there's a training room where any injury, no matter how severe, heals instantly, right?"
Vergil dragged a hand down his face, releasing a heavy, tired exhale. "You and Takano are exactly alike," he muttered. "Absolute battle maniacs."
Before Valkrieya could argue, Bromir and Hilda initiated a mass teleportation spell. The hangar vanished, instantly replaced by the expansive, high-tech interior of the dungeon's primary control room. A massive command table dominated the center of the space, surrounded by sleek seating and walls lined with dozens of dormant magic mirrors.
"It has been a long time since I've stood in a dungeon control room," Vergil remarked, looking around with a hint of nostalgia.
"All preparations are complete," the Arc Wizard announced. "The golems are on standby, ready to begin their labor."
Valkrieya's eyes practically sparkled at the word. "Golems?" Aeka immediately grabbed her arm. "They are the primary workforce for the dungeon's upkeep. Do not go down there and beat them up just for fun."
Chuckling, Alexhandra beckoned the group forward. "Follow me, please. We are heading to the Dungeon Core room. Anastasya, remain here and prepare the surveillance feeds."
Shiroi and the rest of the entourage followed the Arc Wizard deeper into the facility, eventually stepping into a vast chamber illuminated by the pulsing glow of five colossal magical crystals.
Vergil whistled lowly. "A dungeon of Project D2-A's caliber certainly requires a massive power source."
"Exactly," Alexhandra agreed. "Which is why I designed these Dungeon Cores to be self-sustaining. They are engineered to automatically siphon and recharge using the ambient mana from the surrounding environment."
Aeka stepped closer to the crystals, her brow furrowed in technical scrutiny. "Can they genuinely achieve a full recharge? The Mana Vibration Harmonization technique required for that is notoriously difficult to stabilize."
"I have perfected the technique," the Arc Wizard said with a proud smile.
Immediately, Aria and Cloe shot their hands into the air. "Teach us!" they said in unison.
Alexhandra laughed, the sound echoing in the crystal cavern. "With pleasure, girls. But first, there is one last stop."
She led them down a secure corridor, stopping before a heavy, reinforced door. After disabling a complex array of high-level security wards, she ushered the group into a chamber cloaked in pitch darkness.
Yuna gasped softly, her senses immediately picking up on a familiar, ethereal pressure. "This feeling... Arc Wizard, how is it possible that you connected a physical, earthly location directly to a fragment of the Spirit Realm?"
"I have a companion spirit of my own," Alexhandra explained gently. "Though I admit, I rarely summon them."
Yuna nodded in quiet understanding and closed her eyes, centering her focus.
"Uncle Vergil," Shiroi said softly. "The maps."
Vergil simply snapped his fingers. In a flash of light, the heavy stack of dungeon blueprints materialized directly into his waiting hand.
Suddenly, the dark room flared with brilliant, prismatic light. Five figures manifested before them, glowing with immense power. They were breathtaking, yet distinctly humanoid in their appearance.
The Arc Wizard stumbled back in shock. "What...? The elemental spirits I usually work with are formless, shifting masses of pure energy. They don't look like humans."
Yuna opened her eyes, smiling warmly at the glowing figures. "That is because these five are not mere spirits. They are the Elemental Spirit Lords—the absolute rulers of all elemental spirits."
Alexhandra stared at Yuna in absolute bewilderment. "How... how do you even know that? How did you summon them?"
Shiroi wrapped an arm around Yuna's waist, pulling her close with a very smug grin. "Because my second bride-to-be happens to be the Princess of Spirits. It's only natural that the highest Lords of the Spirit Realm would answer her call."
The five Elemental Spirit Lords immediately dropped to one knee before Yuna.
"Our dear niece," they murmured in perfect, echoing unison.
Yuna smiled warmly at them. "It is time to fulfill my mother's request."
The Earth Spirit Lord rose and stepped forward. "Leave the physical construction of the dungeon to us."
Vergil handed over the thick stack of blueprints he had drafted. "The layout follows a strict pattern," he explained, pointing to the diagrams. "Five procedural labyrinth levels, followed by a vanguard boss chamber. After the boss, there is a designated safe room—an empty transition zone for adventurers to rest. From there, the sixth floor begins, and the pattern repeats all the way down to the deepest stratum."
"Furthermore," Vergil added, "the individual rooms on each floor are designed to shift randomly while maintaining their spatial connections to the adjacent corridors."
The Earth Spirit Lord nodded slowly, their eyes glowing as they committed the complex designs to memory. In an instant, a flawless magical copy of the blueprints manifested in their hands. "We will integrate these schematics directly into the Dungeon Core. The Core itself will need to supply the ambient mana to sustain the shifting architecture."
"How long will the complete excavation take?" the Arc Wizard asked.
"Approximately one full day," the Earth Spirit Lord replied. "We must ensure the atmospheric conditions, line of sight, and ambient lighting are perfectly calibrated for each internal biome."
Shiroi, Vergil, and Alexhandra bowed their heads in deep gratitude.
Stepping back into the physical realm, the Arc Wizard guided the group toward the primary Dungeon Core. "Prince Vergil, if you please. Insert the original maps into the central crystal. This will sync the physical design with the Core, allowing us to manipulate the shifting rooms directly from the control room."
Vergil stepped up to the massive, pulsing crystal and fed the blueprints into its light, inserting them one by one in precise descending order.
Just as the final map was absorbed, Anastasya's voice crackled through the chamber via a magical broadcast. "All preliminary preparations are complete! Floors 1A and 1B are fully constructed. Floors 2A and 2B are at fifty percent completion. By the time the inspection team reaches the third stratum, it will be halfway done as well."
"Excellent progress," the Arc Wizard noted with satisfaction. "Let us proceed to the Monster Hall. I want all golem units to report there immediately."
The group relocated to a sprawling, cavernous hall designed as a sanctuary and staging ground for the dungeon's inhabitants. Kurogami looked around, clearly impressed by the sheer scale and comfort of the facility.
"The monster quarters are ninety percent complete," Alexhandra explained, gesturing to the vast living spaces. "We are simply waiting to finalize the specific environmental needs of the various species before adding the finishing touches."
Suddenly, the floor vibrated as the dungeon's workforce arrived. Ranks upon ranks of golems marched rigidly into the hall, snapping crisp, unified salutes. Every single one of them was tiny—none standing taller than Vergil's knees.
Valkrieya's eyes went wide with battle-lust. She lunged forward, fully intending to fight them.
Aeka instantly tackled her, locking the battle-crazed warrior in a desperate grapple on the floor. "They are the workforce, Valkrieya!" Aeka hissed, straining to hold her back. "They are not punching bags!"
Ignoring the wrestling match beside him, Shiroi stepped up to inspect the massive assembly of tiny golems. "Fifteen thousand units in total, divided into specialized divisions. Let's do a roll call. Mining division?"
Five hundred golems, each holding a miniature pickaxe, immediately raised their hands.
"Blacksmithing and weapon forging?" Shiroi called out.
Another five hundred golems, equipped with tiny hammers and anvils, raised their hands.
Aeka, still actively wrestling Valkrieya to the floor, panted out, "What about the Mother Slime handlers?"
One hundred and fifty golems carrying specialized containment swords saluted.
"Goblin cultivation and agricultural division?" Shiroi asked.
Two hundred golems holding farming implements raised their hands.
Anastasya walked into the hall, joining the group as the roll call finished. "The remaining units are assigned to logistics, maintenance, and internal security," she reported.
Risa squinted at Anastasya, noticing a sleek, metallic device secured over her ear. "What is that?"
Anastasya tapped the device. "This is our internal communication network for the management crew. It also acts as a real-time translator for monster dialects. Many monsters cannot speak human languages, but they possess high comprehension. This bridges the gap so we can give them direct orders."
She handed out a device to each member of the crew, gently helping Risa and Yuna fit theirs over their ears.
Vergil tapped his earpiece. "Mic check. Testing, one, two."
"Reading you loud and clear," Aeka replied over the comms, finally managing to pin Valkrieya down.
"A word of caution," Anastasya added with a wry smile. "These comms are linked directly to the main control room, and the channel is shared. So please, speak one at a time, and try not to clutter the frequency unless you actually need assistance."