Chapter 442 (1/2)

It was another boss’s room. Rather than resembling the long hallway of the siren, this was the typical arena-style room complete with columns and the room to move around. That didn’t necessarily mean that a battle was the condition for defeating this room. After all, Terra also appeared in a similar room but used questions to entice us. However, as far as dungeons go, her situation was odd and a bit unconventional. Then again, I was beginning to realize that there was no such thing as a conventional dungeon since every single one seemed to have its own quirks.

“Who dares try to pass my room?” A voice booms out from the dark.

The pair of us cautiously raise our weapons, looking around, but the boss is hiding and we don’t see him at all. After waiting for a moment, the voice booms out again.

“I said, identify yourself!” The voice causes the columns to shake and dust to rain down from the high ceiling.

I finally step forward. “I am Deek, Hero of Chalm, Lord of the Wilderness, Keeper of the… um.. women…”

I blushed as I said that last part. I ran out of titles quickly. I was trying to be impressive and terrifying. Rather than upset, the girls were all looking at me with flattering looks. I knew enough by now to know they liked being referred to as my women. I’d definitely have to work on my titles later.

“Deek… is it?” The voice sounds contemplative. “Another lord…”

“Who are you?” I demand back, trying to keep the conversation going.

I preferred the talking over the fighting for my life. The dungeons I had defeated, after all, didn’t come from physical prowess. If it came to defeating dungeons by force of strength, I would have died four times over. There would have been no way for me to defeat the final bosses of any of these dungeons without the special circumstances involved.

Mina’s dungeon was young and I had a strong affinity using White Mage. Karr’s Dungeon I cheated using DP, and also had a strong affinity. Even then, both were defeated by causing the final boss to surrender. Shao similarly would have won in her crazed state if I hadn’t caused some kind of weird mind-meld state. Don’t even mention Terra’s Dungeon, which had been weakened to the state of near destruction and then still required the help of an entire troop of bandits. In short, after all this time, I had never truly fought a dungeon in normal circumstances.

“I am nothing… and I am everything. I am whatever I choose to be. Tell me, Hero of Chalm, what form do you wish for me to take?”

“You mean… like a giant marshmallow man?”