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The Tower's main lounge was a circular room on the fifth floor with comfortable seating and a wall of crystalline screens showing every floor of the dungeon below. Thanatos sat in a high-backed chair, a plate of what the goblins called "fried monster meat" balanced on one armrest. Rimuru bounced on the seat beside him, somehow managing to eat despite being a slime.
On the screens, two groups of elite warriors moved through the dungeon's third floor.
The Red Order team moved in tight formation. Touka led from the center, her Ukaku kagune deployed but held in reserve while five Blood Orc elites surrounded her in a diamond pattern. When skeletons emerged from the walls, the formation shifted fluidly—front guards blocking with their Rinkaku kagune while the rear attacked through the gaps. Coordinated, efficient, professional.
The Black Order team moved differently. Benimaru blazed through the opposition with black flames coating his four Rinkaku tentacles, each member operating semi-independently but covering each other's blindspots. Hakurou's blade-kagune cut through undead with surgical precision. Shion simply smashed everything in her path. Soei flickered in and out of shadows, eliminating stragglers.
"It's like watching two completely different philosophies of combat," Rimuru observed, reaching for another piece of fried meat. "Red Order is all about teamwork and formation. Black Order is individual skill amplified by loose coordination."
"Mmm." Thanatos's eyes tracked Touka's movements. She hadn't deployed her full kagune once. Every encounter, she held back, letting her subordinates take point while she commanded from the center. "Touka's being too conservative."
"She's being smart," Rimuru countered. "She's the commander. She needs to preserve energy in case of unexpected threats and maintain awareness of the whole battlefield."
"She's sabotaging her potential." Thanatos's tone sharpened. "Look at her. She's holding back to match the power level of her subordinates. Bringing herself down to their level instead of pushing them to rise to hers."
On screen, a cluster of zombies emerged from a side passage. Touka started to deploy her Azure Burial Wings, then stopped and instead used basic blood magic to eliminate them. The attack was effective but nowhere near her actual capability.
Thanatos set down his plate. "She's a Disaster-class entity approaching Catastrophe-rank. She should be obliterating these floors. Instead she's playing support role for soldiers who are significantly weaker than her."
"That's not fair," Rimuru said. "The other Blood Orcs are strong, but they're not named. They don't have her advantages. She can't just abandon formation and go berserk—she's responsible for keeping her team alive."
"Then make them stronger." Thanatos stood and walked to the screens, studying the combat more closely. "Geld is the only one even close to her level. The rest are dragging her down."
"So what do you suggest? Name all of them?"
"No. Give them a way to grow on their own." Thanatos turned to Rimuru. "Great Sage, theoretical question. Can the dungeon award experience points for defeated monsters? Actual measurable growth distributed to those who kill dungeon entities?"
[Analyzing... Theoretically possible. Would require retrofitting the dungeon core to capture defeated monster essences and redistribute them as concentrated magicule packets. Implementation difficulty: High. Magicule cost: Substantial.]
Rimuru's gelatinous form rippled with sudden interest. "Wait. Experience points? Like in a video game?"
"Exactly like a video game. Kill monsters, gain power. The more you fight, the stronger you become." Thanatos began pacing. "If we can implement that system, the Red Order can train here and actually grow to match Touka's level instead of remaining static."
"That's... actually brilliant." Rimuru bounced excitedly. "And if you're adding game mechanics, why stop at experience points? Add loot drops too. Magicule crystals, rare materials, equipment. We have a trade agreement with the Dwarf Kingdom now—they're desperate for high-quality magicule crystals. This dungeon could generate tradeable resources."
Thanatos stopped pacing. "Great Sage, feasibility analysis."
[Experience point system: Feasible with modification to dungeon core energy distribution]
[Loot generation system: Feasible using compressed magicules crystallized into various elemental types]
[Combined implementation time: 4-6 days]
[Warning: Experience point system will require significant leyline energy. Current single leyline may prove insufficient for sustained operation.]
"Resource problem," Thanatos muttered. "The leyline under the tower isn't enough."
"What about the other leylines?" Rimuru asked. "The Jura Forest has multiple convergence points across the territory. If you could tap into the network instead of just one node—"
"I'd have access to the entire forest's natural magicule generation." Thanatos's eyes gleamed. "Great Sage, how many leyline nodes exist in our territory?"
[Scanning... Eight major leyline convergence points detected across Thane's claimed territory. Current tower utilizes one. Connecting to all eight would increase available magicule generation by approximately 740%.]
"Do it. No—first, let me handle the preliminary work." Thanatos looked at Rimuru. "I need you to coordinate with the Dwarf Kingdom. Get samples of different elemental magicule crystals—fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, darkness, light. Whatever they have available. I'll use those as templates for the loot generation system."
"On it. How long will you need?"
"A week. Maybe two." Thanatos pulled up a mental map of the leyline network. "Connecting to that many convergence points simultaneously is going to require complete focus. I'll be in the Underworld the entire time."
On the screens, the Red Order and Black Order had both reached the ninth floor. Benimaru's team had a slight lead, moving through a chamber filled with wraiths with aggressive efficiency.
"Who do you think will win?" Rimuru asked.
"Black Order," Thanatos said immediately. "Individual power beats coordination when the power gap is large enough."
Twenty minutes later, the Black Order emerged from the ninth floor stairwell while the Red Order was still clearing wraith clusters. Benimaru raised his fist in victory.
"Called it." Thanatos closed the screens with a gesture. "Suspend dungeon operations until the retrofit is complete. I don't want anyone inside while I'm modifying the core structure."
Touka stood at attention in Thanatos's workshop, her expression carefully neutral. She knew this wasn't going to be pleasant.
"You held back," Thanatos said without preamble. "The entire dive, you operated at maybe thirty percent capacity."
"I was commanding my team, Master Ken. I needed to—"
"You needed to demonstrate proper combat capability. Instead you acted as a support unit for soldiers significantly below your power level." Thanatos's tone was cold, clinical. "Do you know what happens when a commander is too weak to protect their subordinates? They die. All of them. Do you know what happens when a commander is so much stronger than their subordinates that she has to hold back constantly? She stagnates. Stops growing. Becomes a liability."
Touka's jaw tightened. "I was trying to build cohesion—"
"You were trying not to outshine your own soldiers. That's not leadership, that's cowardice." Thanatos turned away from her, dismissing her with body language alone. "I'm modifying the dungeon to include experience-based growth systems. When it reopens, your Red Order will train there until they're strong enough that you don't have to coddle them. Until then, you're on patrol duty. Dismissed."
Touka stood there for a moment, something like hurt crossing her features before she locked it down. "Yes, Master Ken."
She left without another word.
Thanatos didn't watch her go. He had work to do and emotional considerations were a distraction.
Still, something in his chest tightened slightly at the cold way he'd delivered that assessment.
He ignored it.
[Experience point retrofit calculations complete. Problem identified.]
Thanatos looked up from his notes. "What problem?"
[The experience point system functions by capturing the magicule essence of defeated dungeon monsters and redistributing it to those who earned the kill. However, this creates a net magicule drain on the system. Monsters respawn using leyline energy, but that energy is then extracted and distributed to dungeon users. Over time, this will deplete even a robust leyline.]
"Which brings us back to the network connection plan." Thanatos stood. "Inform Rimuru I'll be unavailable for one to two weeks. I'm connecting the tower to all eight leyline nodes across Thane's territory."
[Warning: This operation carries significant risk. Maintaining conscious control over eight simultaneous leyline connections while preventing magicule overflow or cascade failure will require 100% of Master's concentration. Any lapse could result in catastrophic magical backlash.]
"Noted. Begin preparation protocols."
Thanatos descended into the Underworld dimension, materializing before his cracked throne. The death energy streams flowing from every fracture had multiplied since the dungeon creation, each one now connected to both creature deaths and dungeon monster spawning.
He sat on the throne and felt it merge with his consciousness. His awareness expanded outward, following the leyline beneath the tower, feeling its pulse and flow.
Then he pushed further.
The leyline network appeared in his mind like a glowing web across the Jura Forest. Eight major convergence points, each one a node of concentrated magicule generation. Currently independent, each feeding into the forest's natural magical ecosystem.
Thanatos reached for the nearest node—a convergence point fifteen miles northeast of Thane.
The connection was like grabbing a high-voltage wire. Magicules flooded into him, wild and chaotic, fighting his control. He forced his will through it, imposing order, creating a pathway back to the tower and throne.
One connection established.
[Leyline Node 1: Connected. Magicule flow: Stable. Master's concentration required: 12%]
Seven more to go.
Thanatos reached for the second node.
The effort multiplied exponentially. Controlling two independent magicule streams simultaneously while preventing them from interfering with each other required intense focus. His awareness split, tracking both flows, maintaining both connections.
[Leyline Node 2: Connected. Total concentration required: 31%]
Third node. The strain was building, his consciousness stretched thin across multiple connection points. Sweat that didn't exist in the Underworld dimension would have been pouring down his face.
[Leyline Node 3: Connected. Total concentration required: 58%]
He'd been at this for four days. Four days of absolute focus, barely aware of anything outside the leyline connections. Rimuru had reported in twice through their pact bond—Thane was functioning normally, the Dwarf Kingdom samples had arrived, everything was proceeding smoothly.
Thanatos had acknowledged the reports and returned to his work.
Fourth node. His mind was burning with the effort. Three percent concentration left for anything else.
Then it hit him.
A flood of souls. Hundreds of them simultaneously, pouring into the Underworld from a concentrated location in the northeastern forest. Not the gradual trickle of natural deaths—this was combat. A slaughter.
Thanatos almost lost his grip on the leylines. His concentration wavered, the fourth node connection flickering.
[Warning: External disturbance detected. Massive soul influx from coordinates—]
He was about to force his attention back to the leylines when he felt it.
Touka.
Through their blood connection, through the naming bond that linked them, he felt her pull on his power. Not a request—an instinctive draw, the kind that happened when a subordinate was in mortal danger and their body automatically reached for any resource to survive.
She was fighting something. Something strong enough to push her to the point of desperation.
[Analysis: Touka is engaged in combat with entity classification: Demon Lord-class. Power differential: Extreme. Probability of survival without intervention: 4.2%]
Thanatos's attention split three ways—leylines, Underworld, and Touka's battle. He couldn't afford to lose focus on the connections. But he also couldn't afford to lose Touka.
He smiled, despite everything.
There was his answer. Touka fighting all-out, finally using her full potential.
"Great Sage, open power transfer to Touka. Give her whatever she's asking for."
[Warning: This will significantly strain Master's available magicules while maintaining leyline connections—]
"Do it."
The blood bond flared. Power flooded through it toward Touka—death energy, magicules, raw life force. Not enough to fight for her, but enough to let her fight properly.
Through the connection, Thanatos felt her kagune deploy fully. Felt her Azure Burial Wings spread. Felt her go from defensive survival mode to actual combat capability.
Good.
"Rimuru," Thanatos sent through the pact bond, his mental voice strained. "Northeast forest, twenty-three miles from Thane. Touka's engaged with a Demon Lord-class entity. Take the Black Order. Benimaru, Hakurou, and Soei minimum. Observation and support only unless absolutely necessary."
"A Demon Lord? Which one?"
"Unknown. Go find out. And Rimuru?" Thanatos's smile widened slightly. "Enjoy the show. Touka's about to demonstrate what she's actually capable of when she stops holding back."
He cut the connection and returned full attention to the leylines, the fourth node connection stabilizing.
In the northeastern forest, Touka faced a Demon Lord with the full weight of Thanatos's power backing her.
And Thanatos sat on his throne in the Underworld, juggling eight leyline connections while feeding power to his subordinate, wondering idly if this was what it felt like to be a proper ruler.
Probably not. Proper rulers didn't conduct magical engineering projects while their generals fought Demon Lords.
But then, he'd never claimed to be proper.
The fourth leyline node locked into place.
[Connection stable. Four nodes secured. Proceeding to node five...]
Four more to go.
And in the forest, Touka's battle was just beginning.