[The Abyssal Academy - The Outer Gates]
The ground shook beneath the weight of ten thousand marching monsters.
The freezing rain had stopped, replaced by a dense, suffocating fog that rolled down the mountainside. Emerging from the mist was the largest unified army the dark factions had ever assembled.
Goblins riding dire-wolves, venomous Naga from Serpent's Peak, and cloaked human assassins from the Rogue Guilds. They had surrounded the Abyssal Academy. But they weren't carrying siege ladders or battering rams.
They were carrying picket signs.
DOWN WITH THE PANTHEON MONOPOLY! STOP UNFAIR SAFETY INSPECTIONS!
Standing at the front of the horde were the three leaders of the newly formed "Independent Dungeon Union" (IDU): The Goblin King, the Serpent Queen, and the Grandmaster of Rogues.
Up in the Security Control Room, Princess Ignis stared at the monitors, her demonic tail thrashing. "Ten thousand of them. If they rush the gates, the turnstiles will break. We don't have enough Chimera security to hold them back."
"They aren't here to fight, Ignis," Victor Thorne took a slow sip of his black coffee, his midnight-blue suit immaculate. "They are here to strike. This is an organized labor dispute."
Elara, clutching her clipboard, looked terrified. "The Goblin King is demanding you recall Inspector Vance immediately. He says if you don't agree to a Collective Bargaining treaty, they will blockade the mountain. No adventurers will ever reach us."
"A blockade disrupts the supply chain," Seraphina noted coldly, adjusting her glasses. "Shall I authorize the shareholders to deploy lethal force?"
"No," Victor snapped his gold pocket watch shut. "If we massacre ten thousand unionized workers, we invite an antitrust lawsuit from the Continental High Council. It's terrible for PR. We will handle this in the boardroom."
Victor pressed the intercom button, his Tycoon's Aura projecting over the academy's PA system, booming across the foggy courtyard.
"Leaders of the Independent Dungeon Union," Victor's voice was smooth, devoid of any fear. "The Pantheon Group recognizes your right to collective bargaining. I invite the three of you into my office for formal mediation. Leave your armies at the gate."
Outside, the Goblin King sneered, a wicked, toothy grin spreading across his green face. He looked at the Serpent Queen. "The human is terrified of our numbers! He's begging for a treaty!"
"Don't get cocky," the Serpent Queen hissed, her scales rattling. "We demand a fifty-fifty split of all Paladin loot, and absolute immunity from his safety inspector. Nothing less."
The three leaders marched proudly through the glowing neon turnstiles, fully believing they had just cornered the most ruthless Tycoon on the continent.
Up in the control room, Victor turned away from the monitors.
"Seraphina," Victor adjusted his cuffs. "Prepare three non-disclosure agreements. And fetch the checkbook. It's time for some union busting."