Chapter 403: We, Are, Never, Alone!

After the great battle on the thirtieth floor, William, Ian, and Wendy, entered the room where the Dungeon Core was located. 

This was not the first time that William had seen a dungeon core because he had already dealt with two during the Dungeon Outbreak months ago. 

Following Takam's orders, he pressed the Ring of Conquest against the Dungeon Core of the Goblin Crypt. The core glowed brightly and illuminated the entire room. William closed his eyes because the brightness was too much for his eyes.

When the light receded, he found himself face to face with a man who seemed to be in his mid-twenties. The man had red-hair, and silver-gray eyes that seemed to be looking straight at him.

William was about to say something, but the man had beaten him into it.

"Welcome my son, or my daughter," the man said with a smile. "Forgive me, but I have no idea if you are a boy or a girl. All I know is that, if you are seeing me right now then you are definitely my child and Arwen's."

The corner of the man's lips raised a little as if he was fondly remembering his beloved. William's heart was beating wildly inside his chest. His initial suspicion about this dungeon expedition had finally become a reality. 

"I am your father," the red-haired man declared. "Maxwell Von Ainsworth, the one and only Dungeon Conqueror in the entire world of Hestia."

There was a brief pose before Maxwell continued his explanation. 

"As you may have already guessed, this is just a recorded message that I have left inside the Ring of Conquest," Maxwell explained. "The reason why I did this is simple. I want you to inherit my powers and become the new Dungeon Conqueror.

"I don't know how old you are right now, but since you are seeing this recorded message now means only one thing. You are strong enough to meet the requirements to become my rightful successor. There can only be one Dungeon Conqueror at any given time, but I found a way to bypass this rule."

Maxwell smiled mischievously as he winked at William. 

Seeing his father's playful behavior made William feel that the two of them would definitely get along if they were to meet in real life. Along with this realization, the Half-Elf felt sad because of the missed opportunity of being able to live as a whole family with his mother and father.

"I have transferred my power as the Dungeon Conqueror inside the Ring of Conquest, which has prevented anyone from acquiring this rare profession," Maxwell stated. "And now, I will bestow this hard-sought profession onto you. Although it isn't much, this is the only thing that I can give to you as your father.

"The Goblin Crypt was the very first dungeon that I ever explored when I was young and foolish. Have you met the Goblin Shaman? That bastard sure plays dirty!" Maxwell chuckled. "When I finally reached the twentieth floor and beat the Boss Monster, I came face to face with the Dungeon Core."

Maxwell crossed his arms over his chest as his expression became serious. 

"The moment I touched the Dungeon Core was the same moment that my life changed forever," Maxwell said. "That was when I acquired the power of the Dungeon Conqueror. However, I didn't have the strength, or the qualifications, to conquer the Goblin Crypt at that time. Because of this, I left my mark on the Dungeon Core before leaving the dungeon."

"Many years have passed since then, and I had forgotten to return and recapture the first dungeon that I had cleared. Instead, I captured other dungeons and they became part of my power. Fortunately, I forgot about the Goblin Crypt at the time, because, if not, I would not be able to give you this opportunity."

Maxwell raised his hand and the ring on William's hand glowed brightly. William felt an incredible surge of power enveloped his entire body before a series of notifications appeared on his Status Page.

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< Ding! >

< Congratulations! You have acquired a Unique Prestige Class! >

< Prestige Class: Dungeon Conqueror >

-- Host has acquired skill "Dungeon Conqueror".

-- Host has acquired skill "Dungeon Management".

-- Host has learned the skill "Dungeon Search" 

-- Host had acquired the title "Dungeon Master."

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< Dungeon Conqueror >

-- A unique profession that allows its bearer the ability to subjugate, manipulate, and control the dungeons that they have conquered.

-- Thousands of years ago, there was a Dungeon that had a hundred floors and went by the name Ascalon. It was a dungeon where Dragon Type Monsters spawned, and was also considered to be Humanity's greatest adversary during the Dark Era of Mankind.

-- The Strongest Heroes of that time worked hand in hand in order to conquer the dungeon. One of these Heroes became the first Dungeon Conqueror.

-- Whenever the Dungeon Conqueror dies, the power he possessed will disperse into the world and look for its next successor. 

--Only one Dungeon Conqueror can exist at any given time.

-----

< Dungeon Conqueror >

-- Allows the ability to conquer a dungeon and make it a part of your power.

-- Requirements: Beat the Last Boss of the Dungeon and absorb the Dungeon Core.

< Dungeon Management >

-- Allows the Dungeon Conqueror to manage any dungeon that he has conquered.

< Dungeon Search >

-- Teleport to one random dungeon anywhere in the world of Hestia.

-- Once this skill is activated, the Dungeon Conqueror could no longer use it unless they conquered the Dungeon that had been randomly chosen.

----

< Dungeon Master >

"I come as one, but I stand in the tens of thousands!"

-- Adds an additional 50 points to all stats.

-- Increase the spawn rate of Dungeon Monsters by 20%

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William took deep breaths as he reigned in the new power that he had acquired from his father. Maxwell simply stood still as if he was already expecting this to happen. Five minutes later, the red-headed man continued his explanation.

"Congratulations, you are now a Dungeon Conqueror," Maxwell said, his voice laced with pride. "As expected of my child."

Maxwell clapped his hands as if to praise William for a job well done. Half a minute later, he stopped clapping and a teasing smile appeared on his handsome face.

"Your first Dungeon is the Goblin Crypt, but it is only the beginning. Unfortunately, you won't be able to conquer another dungeon because of the limitations that I have placed in the Ring of Conquest. In order to break this limit, you need to travel to the Central Continent. Once you're there, one of my acquaintances will come find you.

"You don't need to look for him, because he will immediately sense your presence once you step into the lands where the true powers in this world congregate. He may not appear right away, because he is a stubborn bastard, but rest assured he will appear when he has determined that you have met the next requirement as Dungeon Conqueror."

Maxwell's image started to fade and William reached out his hand unconsciously in order to touch his father, whom he was seeing for the first time in his life.

"My Child, I don't know what kind of challenges you will have in the future, or the enemies you have to face, but know this," Maxwell said as William's hand passed through his body. "A Dungeon Conqueror never fights alone. We, Are, Never, Alone!"

Maxwell's powerful voice reverberated as his projection faded completely. However, there was one final message that reached William's ears as the pure-white-world crumbled into pieces.

"I come as one, but I stand in the tens of thousands!"