Dungeon Builder's Harem Book 03 Ch. 40

"I've been thinking about something my father said," Halia said. "It's been itching at me all week, and I think I finally know why."

"Okay, why?" I asked, stepping over the elevator. The red dots of the adventurers were moving deeper in the labyrinth. A group of satyrs and wildhounds prepared an ambush. They were at the door to the Lightning Pillar Room, almost done with the first level of the labyrinth. They had gotten there fast for going so carefully.

"Maybe later," Halia said. "How are they at the Lightning Pillar Room?" asked Halia. "Did they go straight there?"

I asked Smerta and she confirmed it.

"I definitely need to change the layout again," I muttered. "Survivors must be making maps, figuring out routes and where the defenses lay."

The ambush happened. The satyrs and wildhounds charged in as their rogue worked on unlocking the door to the Lightning Pillar room. The oozes dropped down on the party. Red dots and blue dots merged. Feya and Smerta's blue dots were lurking around the corners, close enough to help, but not engaging.

It was over fast. My Level 1 Monster Girls didn't stand much of a chance.

Smerta was already coordinating the forces in the second labyrinth as the party entered the Lightning Pillar Room. The traps started discharging. But they must have been ready for the electric damage, too.

"They're well prepared, Lord Leo," Smerta said.

"Can't you do a better showing than this?" Crystal asked, my older sister using a mocking tone.

"Don't make me come up there and spank that frozen ass red," Smerta said. "Bear's dick, I'll do it."

"Crystal, now's not the time for you to flirt with Smerta," I said, my voice stern.

"Yeah, yeah," Crystal said. "Just need to bleed out some energy. I would love to be out there. We could just attack them. All of us here. We'd mop the floor with them."

"Your brother doesn't like fighting with normal humans and the other races of this world," Mom said, her voice loving.

"And letting your monster girls kill them makes it any better?" Crystal asked. "They're still dying."

"They can always realize that they are in over their heads," I said. "That's the point of the dungeon. To wear them down and convince them to leave. To try something easier. It's supposed to get harder for them. If I wanted them dead, I would just force them into a large room full of all my monster girls and massacre them."

"A few dungeon builders have done that," said Halia. "Dangerous. Very, very dangerous. If the adventurers get desperate, they'll bring in an army. There are more of them out there than there are monster girls in here."

I gave a slow nod as they moved into the Second Labyrinth. It didn't go well. The defenders of the second labyrinth were much like the entry hallway. Werebears and basilisks, whom the adventurers were ready for. The arachnes must have made some difference. The fighting was fierce. Smerta and Feya joined it.

One blue dot was missing, but the other six were still there at the end of that. Smerta passed on vital information. The party had two mages, a cleric, a rogue, a paladin, and two warriors. One of the warriors had died, but their mages were effective and the cleric a strong healer. The paladin and the two warriors were skilled fighters. They used the tunnels effectively with shields to protect their squishy spell casters.

"They're going towards the Overgrown Room," I muttered. "Look. Not making any wrong turns. They know the fastest way to the second floor. How many groups make it back out after getting this far?"

"Not many," muttered Halia. "Maybe this is my father's work. He might have prepped them. Or shared his knowledge."

"Prepped them?" I glanced at her. "What if he comes in after them? Using them to mop his way in."

"I don't think that's what his next move is going to be." Halia bit her lip, looking worried.

"What is it?" Mrs. Lucina asked, her voice gentle and motherly.

"Yeah, I'm real curious," Nina Naughty asked. The devil porn star had her arms folded beneath her large breasts, a serious look on her face.

"Time to tell us what you've figured out, Halia," Maya said.

Hagane pushed up her glasses, looking ready to take in information. All of them were. Even Garnet was bouncing on the balls of her feet, her red wings fluttering behind her while her black pigtails swayed about her face.

"My father said all who support the dungeon builder will be destroyed," Halia said. "And I don't think he was talking about me and Fara."

I frowned, listening to the quetzalcoatls and the unicorns defending the Overgrown Room. Vast swaths of plants were being destroyed. Fire magic unleashed against it. My mind, though, was focused on what Halia said.

"He's going for Astovin?" I asked, my stomach twisting.

"I think so," Halia said. "That creature wasn't my father. He was animated by Darkness. He was cold and angry. It might be his form, maybe they ripped his soul out of paradise, I don't know. "Something awful happened to him. It twisted him. Astovin is his home. Our family has lived there for generations. He has kin there, but you noticed he had no problem trying to kill me."

"Fuck," I muttered. Astovin had become more and more on my side. I had helped them. Protected them. "Fuck, that's not good."

I glanced down at the map. The red dots were moving through the Overgrown Room. From there, they would have a straight shot at the Darkness Room and the stairs to level 2. I glanced up at the ceiling, feeling this group of six progressing. They must be angry to have lost one of their own.

"Where is Fara?" I asked, looking around and not seeing the elf.

"She's in her study, Director," Nina said. The devil had been working with the scholar.

"Fetch her," I said. "We need to start planning Astovin's defense."

"Now?" Maya asked. "If you haven't noticed, we got an adventuring party slaughtering their way through the dungeon."

"They're not my father," Halia said. "They're strong, prepared, but they will not survive getting past the Third Labyrinth."

"You're confident," Maya said. "I'm worried. This is the strongest party that's ever attacked us, Leo. They're equipped to defeat us. They are high level. We're becoming threats to the world. We have to figure out how to stop them, then redesign our defenses."

"He's coming for Astovin," I said. "We need to be ready. This party is a distraction. They're too well-prepped. They know our defenses far better than they should. Anguin sent them. He wants me panicked even more. I can feel it."

"Are you sure?" Maya asked. My Undine took my arm and pressed against me. "I'm scared that more parties will come knowing just how to navigate the labyrinth. We should be redesigning it."

"Yeah," I said, my stomach twisting with this nervous worry. The party was almost at the Darkness Room. Once more, they didn't make a wrong turn in the labyrinth. "I feel it, too. The fear. It pulls at me, but... That's what he wants."

"Never give your enemy what he asks for," Hagane said. "When they are driving you to do something, you must find a way to thwart it. To do the unpredictable. If his next plan is to attack Astovin, then he wants us distracted. Wants you focused on changing your defenses. Then he will take out our supply line while we're reacting to having such a well-prepped party attack us. Further, this will demoralize the people of the area. Turn any who might sympathize with us wholly against us. He wants us weakened. He's afraid of us."

"He slaughtered the entire dungeon," Maya gasped. "Why would he be afraid?"

"My big brother hurt him," Garnet said. "Forced him to retreat. You better believe he's afraid. Kweh, heh, heh, he's going to want to turn the entire world against us. Hit us where he has the advantage. This is only the start."

"They've paused outside the Darkness Room," reported Crystal. "What are they doing?"

"Prepping," I muttered. "They'll be readying lightning resistance and casting spells for light. They'll spring across the bridge instead of moving slowly. The will o' wisps won't be as effective then. Orcs and Ghosts, I want you to hit them the moment they step out of there. Ghosts, come at them from the floor and ceiling. I want you to hit the mages first."

"Yes, Dark Lord Leo," Duhot whispered, the ghost's voice haunting even over telepathy.

"We're going to fuck them up," said Zobens. "Finally, we get to have some fun."

Nina returned with Fara. The elf's ears were twitching. "The attack is still going on. Is it serious?"

"Do you have any maps of Astovin?" I asked her. "Good ones. I need to start planning its defenses. I'm expanding my dungeon beneath the village. I want to be able to protect it."

"From what?" the elf asked.

"Anguin."

"For you, Lord Leo!" Zobens roared in my mind.

"LORD LEO!" the other four orcs roared.

I glanced at the map to see their blue dots slamming into the adventurers as they came out the door. The warrior and paladin were at the lead, meeting the attack hitting them from the north and south. Then the ghosts' blue dots merged in with the middle of the party, overlapping the red dots.

It was soundless, even bloodless, here. I didn't want to think about how the ghosts killed. One of the red dots in the middle winked out. Then Zobens died. Slepkavi followed. One of the fighters died next. Another red dot in the middle vanished. The mages down. Two of the ghosts vanished. The cleric's work?

But that didn't matter. With one defender down, the orcs were pressing in. Soon, it was down to one dot surrounded by the others. The ghosts swarmed in, their blue dots merging over the red one. I could imagine the adventurer screaming.

And then my dungeon was free of intruders.

"I'll get to work on ideas on how to defend Astovin," said Fara.

I nodded and thrust my spear at Maya. "I have to get to work. Need to get our girls back on their feet. How long do you think we have before your father attacks Astovin?"

"No idea," Halia said, following me as I marched out of the throne room. "It could come at any time."

"Fuck," I muttered.