Chapter 92: Release

The factories were once again at full capacity and growing more numerous as raw ores and items were fed to them in systematically arranged conveyer belts.

The ambient mana density in the dungeon was constantly increasing as the output of the mana shaft continued to climb as the flora Styx planted in the giant base cavern below the shaft spread their roots deeper and begun maturing.

A new unforeseen problem cropped up within the shafts though. As the mana density increased, the blood crystal bees could no longer enter the area to pollenate flowers and create honey from the incredibly mana rich nectar.

Styx's avatar was just as effective at absorbing mana as his core was, so even he felt like he was suffocating when he was down there.

His natural mana absorption speed had been approximately one mana point every minute, increasing to one point every 27 seconds at its highest point.

When he stepped into the base of the mana shaft, this immediately skyrocketed to a staggering 53 points every second.

In order to solve this, Styx first designed and created an insulated cast iron suit, as cast iron was not very mana conductive and would block most of it. It first needed to be completely sealed, meaning it also needed its own life support system.

Mana still leaked in slowly, especially from the seals in the joints, but a greater issue was that cast iron was incredibly heavy. While the girls and many other residents could wear one due to their strength, the bees couldn't fly with a small cast iron suit protecting them.

Scrapping the idea, Styx shifted and created a mana repelling bracelet. It followed the same principle as the barrier rings within the mana shaft, but instead of containing the mana within, it was inverted to keep mana outside.

Instead of feeding off the ambient mana though, this bracelet was powered by the user themselves, although there was a slot for an emergency mana gemstone to be placed in alongside proper attribute filtering arrays carved into it.

These bracelets where lightweight and could be powered by the wearer or a small quartz mana gem for a limited period. The bees had very small individual mana pools, so Styx had specially produced bands that they wore around their abdomens and would be powered by a mix of ambient mana along with their own. This allowed them to survive in the heavily mana rich zone for about 10 minutes at a time.

Aura had taken a deep liking to both the mana rich shaft base and the mana potent honey that only she could eat undiluted. Styx had labelled the honey at a mana content of 5.7 StSc, otherwise known as the Styx Score.

For reference, standard rice in this fantasy world held a rating of 1.4 and was safe for everyone to eat. Styx's mana rice held an equivalent score of 2.7, being a little over ten times as mana potent. This honey, at 5.7, was almost exactly 1,000 times more potent than the mana rice.

~~~~~

⠀

Styx had Rebecca accompanying him today. The duchess' daughter had been secluding herself as of late and he wanted to prevent her becoming a complete introvert.

She had been lively and curious about everything at the beginning, but had been developing a sense of paranoia ever since.

"Young mistress, I want you to play with the kids today," Styx leaned over and whispered into the large breasted blonde's ear, his long dark hair dangling straight down.

"…Do I have to?" Rebecca asked, remembering her interaction with the young dark elf girl known as Piri the other day.

"Yes."

Styx wrapped his arm around Rebecca's waist and pulled her into his grasp. The duchess' daughter yelped in surprise but oddly didn't try to escape his embrace.

Her freedom was guaranteed the moment the Duke fulfilled his side of the bargain between them. Duchess Euklid had also visited the town outside the dungeon in a heavy handed fashion to demand to see her daughter, only to be forced away each time.

Styx had every intention of honoring this part of the bargain, but the condition of her when she was released was never guaranteed. Rather than harming her though, Styx had been building up his relations with her.

He leant over her and softly whispered in her ear.

"Do you want to be the same as everyone else? To see what they see, to hear what they hear, to fit in?"

"…"

Rebecca didn't respond, her mind currently in turmoil as to what to do. Her brain was telling her to escape, but her heart was telling her to stay in this position just a little bit longer.

"Relax," Styx said as he placed one finger under her chin and raised her face up.

He leaned in and placed his lips over hers, her body trembling in his arms at the same time. Styx extended his mana tendrils and probed her body.

Her defenses were completely down and those tendrils slipped inside and filled up her mana network. She felt like she was within the most comforting hug she had ever felt while Styx wasted no time and planted a small piece of himself in her head.

The duchess' daughter seemed to come to her senses though and she shoved Styx away, causing his avatar to cough for breath. Her fierce resistance also violently forced out his mana tendrils and left him in the pain of closing his fingers in a door.

"It's already too late, young mistress."

Rebecca's eyes went wide as she panicked at the voice that sounded directly in her mind. Her vision was also infiltrated as all the mana in the air, flowing through the mana lines underground and radiating from the dungeon residents all around her.

She backed into a wall as Styx leaned over her, brushing her hair out of her face.

"You should just accept that you are already mine."

~~~~~

⠀

Duke Ashburn hadn't spared any expenses and had people working around the clock to build a road leading to the dungeon, the agreed upon trade route.

It was completed and the Duke alongside Duchess Euklid arranged themselves outside the dungeon trading town along with an armed force of 500 city guards ready to attack should Styx renege on their deal, even if it meant the duchess' daughter were to become a casualty.

Duke Ashburn was unsure whether he had been walking the correct path as he could see the dungeon was rapidly spreading above ground in the forest.

Traders bargained with elves and tiger beastmen in charge of the stores in this town. Strange and exotic monsters that they had never seen before lurked in the shadows with crimson eyes glaring out into the visitors.

"Duke Ashburn," Earl Vermonte bon Housen commented while looking down his nose as the group from the Royal Academy of Research and Technology joined their force.

"Earl Housen, why are you still here?"

"Research, but that is complete now."

"So, you will be returning to my city then?"

"Just to collect the remaining of my belongings. Should this dungeon have been less of a high priority research target, I would not stay out in the outlands for this long."

The duke snorted and ignored the pompous noble from central, instead focusing on the dungeon entrance where a small group of individuals emerged, including the elusive dungeon lord and Monster Lord residing within the dungeon.

"Becca!" Duchess Euklid cried out and vanished from the spot, raising a cloud of dust and cracking the ground as she abruptly arrived before her daughter.

Rebecca was in perfect health by all appearances. She had a new set of clothes on which were made with impeccable skill from high quality cloth.

"…Mom."

Despite her clean appearances, the duchess could naturally tell there were some changes in her daughter from being in captivity for so long.

"It's okay now, let's go home."

~~~~~

⠀

Back at Duke Ashburn's mansion in the heart of Lagoon Porter City, Rebecca Euklid sat before a giant window and watched the crimson sunset over the horizon, a sight she hadn't seen in what felt like years.

Her mother, Duke and Duchess Ashburn, Gabralter, and her two compatriots, Lora and Dare, sat around her making sure she was okay.

"That dungeon lord didn't harm you, did he?" Lora, the blonde baron with silver phoenix makeup in the corners of her eyes asked while also nervously insinuating darker events. "You weren't force to… you know… help make monsters?"

Rebecca thought of her time in the dungeon and expertly hid her expression when thinking of her interactions with Styx over the past several days when he stole her first kiss and several more.

"No, none of those."

Duchess Euklid pushed a tray of small cakes and biscuits to her daughter and also asked, "Where were you being kept? They didn't just lock you in a small cell, did they?"

"No, I had my own home and was free to walk around."

"So you saw everything in the dungeon."

Rebecca was nervous but described various locations. Standing off to the side of the room, Earl Housen sat with a notepad and jotted down notes on their conversation, especially the layout and life within the dungeon.

Several facts that Rebecca didn't mention were that Styx was the dungeon itself, not just a dungeon lord, and that a piece of him was in her. Firstly, she didn't know how to bring it up and explain it, while secondly, she was deeply embarrassed because she allowed it to happen.

"There is one other thing that has been decided during your… absence."

"…What is it?"

"We have confirmed the wedding between you and Gabralter."

At Duchess Euklid's declaration, a silence fell over the room. Rebecca forcefully nodded her head while the duke's son grimaced and looked away.

Whilst Rebecca had been in full support of wedding him to help her mother and create a protective net over their territory, her heart was more disturbed now.

Dare hugged Rebecca's arm affectionately and congratulated her while wishing her the best, but the duchess' daughter could only think about Styx's words which rung in her mind

'You should just accept that you are already mine.'