{Inside the cave base with the security team}

When the security team went to set up the upgrades for the new security systems, the team discovered that David was working with the pervert Randolph. The two men are currently out on the loose. Judging by their speech about getting supplies and capturing women, the security team thinks that the two men didn’t go off too far. Unfortunately, after the guys made their escape they went invisible, it's kind of hard to tell where they went…

In the security room, there was Joshua, Robert, and Erica. Who act as the main security personnel. Among them were Erica's siblings and Joshua's harem.

“Are there any updates yet?'' Robert asked.

“No bro, there are several movements around the area but I’m unsure… It could be just the wind or other people are using powers to set them off. Even I have telekinesis so I don’t know how we can find them.” James, Erika’s older brother said with a stern look. He was normally cheerful. However, these two perverts are trying to have their way with his people, and he's not “cool” with any of that! The man had big curly hair almost like an afro. He had several piercings and tattoos on his body.

“It’s fine brother, we'll find and stop their evil deeds.” Tamara, Erica’s younger sister said. She had a soft voice along with her child-like face. Unlike her other siblings, she didn’t like violence at all… While her sister Erica wrestled and fought like a boy with their brothers. Tamara liked to do girly things, cook, clean, you name it. She preferred to stay out of trouble as well. The only reason why she’s here inside the security room, was because her family believes she would be an easy target. The perverts suggest that they were trying to capture easy pickings.

“You would think finding them would be easier with all these motion sensors…” Joshua added.

The team placed motion sensors, night vision, and small security bots roaming around. With limited materials to craft things, they stretched throughout the forest as much as they could.

“How are your people doing, Erica?” Robert asked.

“They are doing fine for now, yo. All the men are scared of losing their women, the women are scared of losing their children, but all are fine, ya.” Erica looked uneasy with the situation. She studied the camera screens to see if she could find any small movement. “My father has ordered all of them to go back to the village for protection, but over half of us don’t have any abilities. I thought it would be smarter to combine our forces here… So we didn’t tell them to leave yet, yo.”

“We have placed several security bots inside and outside of the facilities near this cave base. Our people are now hiding so this should be fine. Also, there are several powerful people inside of that building.” Robert reassured her.

Robert had accepted his girlfriend's people as his own because she asked him to. Erica sees Robert, Venus, and Joshua as her family now, and she would like mutual treatment from them.

Sophie and Eileithyia tried their best to stay out of the security team's way, but Sophie decided to ask Erica something.

“I’ve been meaning to ask this, does your village have a name?” Sophie wondered.

“No, we actually don’t, yo. It’s a long story… We don’t even have a real village, ya.” Erica said.

“Please tell me. I don’t want to sit here in silence or talk of impending danger. Can't you tell me a story?” Sophie pouted.

“It’s fine, and I’ll tell ya.” Tamara smiled.

Tamara didn’t say ya or yo as much like her sister Erica, but just like many young people of the town, she said it every now and then.

“Long ago we came from a faraway kingdom before my time. The King had sent his army to control this area. No one knew why, nor did anyone question the king. The King just decided to send more than 1000 men to maintain this area. Days turned to months, that turned to years. All the army knew was the king demanded this land to be held for some unknown reason. They were forced to stay here without any orders or commands to come back home. Eventually, the army started dying off because of countless monster attacks. There are scary creatures out there and they didn’t like their home to be invaded… The King sent the soldiers wives and prostitutes to satisfy the men to stay here. Children grew, the men and women grew older. The army eventually decided to make a home here… To this very day, we are still living in an army camp. We have no Lords, no Ladies, just orders to hold this valley…” Tamara explained.

“Wow… That sucks! Is the King a fucking idiot?!” Robert jeered.

“We don't know. Most people suspect he was looking for something. Some believe that it had to do with the demon door and Silver Coin.” James said.

“Who is Silver Coin?” Sophie asked.

“Honestly, we don’t know. The only thing we know of her is, she showed up one day and challenged everyone to go through the door. This dragon everyone is talking about is new. We didn't know about the door being some type of dungeon either, that information is also new. They told us the door would send us to hell. It’s literally called the demon door, at least that is what they told us…” Tamara said.

“Like my boss Venus, I don’t believe any bullshit I am told. I believe we will get to the bottom of all this nonsense of lies. Things just don't add up to me.” Robert said.

“I have a question. Why hasn't everyone gone back to the kingdom?” Eileithyia asked.

“And say what? Hey King, we would like to disobey your orders and rejoin the Kingdom, that’s cool, right? Thanks!” James fake laughed.

“You could at least try…” Sophie said.

“I don’t know where you are from but that doesn’t work here. If the king tells you to do something, he expects it to happen.” James said.

“Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were people who tried. For generations, it was like this… So many wives have left due to the danger, they didn't return and never wrote a letter back. Men have also left the camp before. None has returned. Either the King cleaned up his dirty secrets or we are truly in Death Valley. The only visitors we get are people who came out of this cave." Tamara said.

"Death Valley? Do they really call it that?" Joshua asked.

"Well… No… But I do…" Tamara sounded sad about it. "I was born here… So even if the King does call the camp back, I won't be able to go inside any of the towns or city's walls. I’m not a citizen of the kingdom. Only the older generation would be called back. Also, I'm the daughter of a prostitute… Most of my generation are…"

"I personally don't care about that. We don't have a King is the way I choose to see it, and that is a good thing. Also, the Kingdom hasn't done anything for us, so why cry over it? Hmm?" James shrugged. "Can we please move this conversation to the task at hand? We have perverts to stop."

"Yes, about that… Do we know how far their abilities go? What do we know of them?" Tamara asked.

"Not much really. We know they are not new to sharing powers. They have fire, invisibility, and have an understanding of using the powers. It's possible they also know how to use others' powers as well." Robert said.

Eileithyia doesn't like asking anyone for help, so she bit back her pride. "How do I receive my own abilities? I want to learn something useful to protect my sister."

"Actually, I would like to learn that as well. Sister, how did you learn?" Tamara asked.

"Venus was the one who helped me, yo. She basically said I had it all along, ya." Erica said.

"Huh? That makes no sense to me…" Tamara responded. "If we had it all along, then we should have it now, right?"

"To be honest, I don’t fully understand it either. We are still trying to figure it out, yo." Erica said. "The best way to explain it is like this, the power is who you are inside, yo."

"That makes even less sense... I hope you know that…" Eileithyia retorted.

"Let me try to explain. For me, I professionally have a knowledge of coding, so my main power revolves over that." Joshua said.

"Okay...? And what if I had multiple jobs? Do I receive powers from all of them?" Eileithyia asked.

"I don’t think it works like that. It has to be something you are passionate about." Robert said.

"As a writer, I can make pens… These 'powers' are not very useful if you ask me…" Sophie said.

"I don’t think that was your exact 'power'. We believe some people have been borrowing and sharing powers without realizing it. Venus was one of those people. She thought her real power was x-ray but she stole it without knowing." Robert said.

"Wait! So you can steal powers?! I can take Joshua’s power of coding?" Sophie asked.

"No, it doesn’t work like that either. Just taking his power is not enough. In fact, just taking the power can cause a power backlash." Robert said.

"I’m confused… How does borrowing or sharing actually work then?" Sophie wondered.

"Hmm, I'll explain it this way, let’s say you have the talent to paint something. This makes you a painter, therefore that is your talent. As that is your talent, no one can take that away from you, not really anyway. With that being said, you can teach someone how to paint. Although they may or may not be able to do it as well as you, you can pass your talent to that person." Robert started. "Do you remember a man named Luther? He has the ability to run at high speeds. He has this power because he was a track star in his past. If I were to try and use his power, I would receive a really bad power backlash due to me not being a runner."

"We have discovered that combos work better if you and your sharing partner have similar experiences and talents as you do." Joshua helped explain. "Robert and I know about computers and machinery, so we work quite well due to our knowledge."

"Ah! So you're saying I can combo with anything revolving around something physical? I used to be a runner in High School, maybe I can train to match Luther's speed, that's easy." Eileithyia said the last part with a cocky grin.

"Sure, but when you share, do it with caution and expect some consequences, especially physical powers. Although, mental powers could be a whole lot worse when you think about it. In other words, if you don't know anything about coding, then don't try the power. In some way that can be said with you normally learning things as well." Robert said.

"Honestly, I think you should find your own power first. That way you'll have a better understanding of who you are when trying to share something new," Joshua added.

"Okay, fine. How do I get started on my own power?" Eileithyia asked.

"Hmmm… I suspect you’ll be a powerhouse if your sister is involved." Robert said.

"Huh?! My sister?! What does she have to do with 'MY' power?! I don’t get it!" Eileithyia said with a suspicious glance at Robert. “I don’t like people involving my sister in some dangerous shit!”

“Ah, yo! I see what ya mean, Robert. I agree, ya. Her powers are definitely connected to her sister, ya!” Erica nodded.

"Wait! Do you guys plan on harassing her?! I won’t let you! I will protect her! If any of you even think about putting her in danger or dare to lay a fucking hand on her! I'll send that person to hell before she's harmed!" Eileithyia scolded, daring anyone to challenge her.

The room fell silent until Joshua decided to say something.

“Umm… Let’s table this discussion for later. I too don't want Sophie in danger… But in any case, everyone, let's take a break from any more conversation for now. I will take Eileithyia and Sophie to help them… I want to decrease any conflict as much as I can…" Joshua said in hopes of keeping everyone from arguing.

"Fine! I would rather not get any powers at all if my sister needs to get hurt to acquire it!" Eileithyia hissed.

Without regarding the others anymore, Eileithyia took Sophie's hand and stormed out the door. They didn’t even say goodbye…

Robert walked to Joshua and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulders with sympathy.

“Wow, buddy. She’s so intense. Are you sure you're gonna be alright, Joshua?” Robert wondered.

“…That is unforeseen…” Joshua sighed. 

________

In front of the giant demon door, three men emerged when Eileithyia and Sophie walked from the security room.

Eileithyia regarded Bernard, Mikey, and Jo.

“You guys are finally back? Where is Venus? I thought she was with you.” Eileithyia asked them.

“She’ll be out in a minute. She is in the changing room, putting her uniform back on." Bernard said.

Demaree the dragon floated down. “Yes! That is my bad! I didn’t realize you humans may need some privacy before and after you go into my dungeon! I will for now give you a chance to get dressed for the occasion!”

"I see, well, in any case, how did it go?" Eileithyia asked. Honestly… She didn’t care for the answer… Nor did she want to do ‘small talk’… But she was upset right now. She wanted to kill time until Venus came out.

"I believe it went smoothly." Bernard shrugged.

He wasn't much of a talker and he saw she didn't really want to listen either, so they all just stood there waiting for Venus.

With a flash, Venus appeared out of the big door with her uniform on. Venus regarded her surroundings to see the group before her.

"Eileithyia? Hey! Did you come over here to greet us? That’s sweet of you!" Venus smiled.

Venus was in a good mood because she had a good dungeon run and she can’t wait to get to her new boons! She was happy until Eileithyia went into details of what transpired while she’s away... 

Venus learned about the invisible duo. She never did like David, but she hoped that he would at least try…. Eileithyia then told her about her personal concerns as well…

"My sister is in danger! You have to do something! What are your plans?!" Eileithyia exclaimed.

"I know how you feel but please listen. There are a lot of things 'I have to do!" Venus frowned. "I would like to take this one step at a time. The first plan is to delegate. I am confident in my security team or whoever they added to handle the jobs, but I plan to have a head team member. I already have other responsibilities. You are right to think it's my responsibility to make sure this doesn’t happen again, but this is bigger than me. I'll talk to the Bossman to have a police-like force, a full security team, and an army if need be."

"Okay, but what about my sist-"

"Eileithyia! I know! I'm sorry but I can't concern myself with separate individuals! I don’t want to get into it but there are people with scary powers! I don’t want you to think that I’m ignoring your cry for help. However, I'm against things I absolutely can not ignore! That IS my top priority as of now!"

"Fine… Then I will handle her myself…" Eileithyia said coldly, then turned her back to Venus.

"Ummm… You have already placed armor on her, why the hell do you need us anyway?" Venus called out to Eileithyia.

Eileithyia turned her head back to regard Venus.

"What? What the fuck do you mean?"

"Wait! You didn’t notice the glowing armor you have on her?! She has big freakin wings, a helmet, and everything! It looks completely ridiculous on her by the way!"

Eileithyia studied her sister, she was confused. Sophie stared at herself, equally confused as her sister.

Venus glanced towards the guys.

“Huh?! Am I the only one who sees this shit?!” Venus yelled, perplexed.

“No, I see it too. The armor has spikes on it. Looks quite dangerous if you ask me." Bernard said.

"And heavy," Mikey added.

"Are you people fucking mad?! There is no fucking armor on her! She is completely unprotected! And I don't appreciate you people making fun of me! It’s not 'OKAY"! I simply wanted you to do something! I can't believe you're going to leave her completely defenseless when there are creeps out there! Am I the only one who can protect her?!" Eileithyia yelled. "You know what... Everyone, just stay out of our way! Come, Sophie, let’s go! We don’t need them! We won't bother them anymore!"

"Huh?! What are you talking about?! All we are saying is that you are already protecting her with that bright-ass armor you have on her! We literally see your energy pouring onto her! She has big ass spikes! Are you really this oblivious that you have been protecting her since I emerged from the dungeon?! When I first came out, I thought that’s what you were gonna talk to me about! You finally discovered your true powers! But now you’re saying that you haven't even realized you're protecting her as we speak?!" Venus said.

Eileithyia regarded Sophie again.

'Why is she lying to me?! I don't see any fucking armor! I'm not fucking blind! I have always been protecting her my entire life! No one will help me! Only I can keep her safe! They don't even see she needs help! Well, fuck them! Fuck them all!!!' Eileithyia thought.

"Ouch! Hey! It's so fucking bright! Chill out with your powers, Eileithyia!” Venus hissed.

Bernard stood in front of Venus to shield her from the intense light as he looked at his lover.

“Don’t worry, I got you! Just look at me.” Bernard said.

Venus stared at Bernard. He looked like a god among men. The dazzling glow from Sophie was directly behind him, and the shine gave Bernard an ethereal appearance. ‘He was so beautiful!’ At least that was what Venus thought anyway.

“Why do you keep saying things that make me want to bone you?! You know I like it, don't you?" Venus smirked.

Bernard chuckled.

"It’s a gift," he smirked back.

"Oh, you're so bad! Stop it!" Venus giggled with a playful smack on his shoulder.

Eileithyia scowled. "Can you two get a room?!"

Venus giggled some more. "Fine! We will!"

"Eileithyia, Sophie! Come over here please! Venus and her team are drained from their troubles. Let's not worry them right now!" Joshua called out in a soft voice. He was still loud enough for them to hear him though.

Joshua doesn’t like to boss people around but he doesn’t want to unnecessarily bother someone if he can avoid it…

"Joshua! Does my sister have armor on her?!" Eileithyia yelled.

"She does," he said. "I don’t think it bothers me though."

"Wait! Are you saying I had this fucking power this whole time?! Why didn’t you fucking tell me?!"

"Because you just received it. I think it was the talk we had prior. Maybe explaining it to you triggered something within you. It was that way for me as well." Joshua said.

"Technically, that's how everyone learned their powers," Venus added. "Maybe the trigger is something that gives us a way to find ourselves."

"Oh, okay smart asses! Then how come I can’t see my sister's armor?!" Eileithyia frowned.

"You've been protecting Sophie her whole life, right? So what if that is part of your power, you placing armor on her without realizing it, I mean." Joshua said thoughtfully.

"What?! That makes no fucking sense, Joshua! Stop talking out of your fucking ass!" Eileithyia yelled.

"Or maybe she won't see the armor because she chooses not to! She literally doesn’t understand that she’s already protected! Maybe her obliviousness truly IS a part of her powers! It makes sense to me!" Venus yelled.

"Oh, shut the fuck up, slut!" Eileithyia retorted.

"What?! Fuck you bitch! I'm trying to help you!" Venus snapped.

"Umm… Eileithyia… you want to go practice your power? Maybe you can train yourself to see the armor. That would put your mind at ease, right?" Joshua tried to calm the situation.

Eileithyia fake smiled. "Yes, let's do that!"

Without saying 'thank you' or 'sorry', Eileithyia took Joshua and her sister away. The trio departed to their room.

Meanwhile, the adventuring group watched from a distance. Sophie's shiny ass armor was gone at this point. It was so fucking bright, but now, the group was able to watch the two girls and guy walk away.

"Wow! That was crazy intense! If a foe saw that armor, they wouldn’t wanna mess with Sophie…" Venus said.

"Yes… But my question is, how can her sister move with those spikes? They were literally collapsing upon themselves." Mikey said.

"I'm not sure… It didn't look physical. It's more of a mental thing. It's weird they didn’t see it." Bernard said.

"Which is funny because I thought she already saw it! I mean, I have personally seen a small shine every now and then. It happens when she is angry. But I had no idea she was unaware. That's why I never mentioned it before…" Venus shrugged. "Anyway, enough about that. Demaree? Are you still there?!"

"Yes, I'm here!" Demaree reappeared towards Venus. ”I didn't know if you needed more time to work out your situation or not... I have no problem holding off on the boons!"

"Maybe we should do this later… Can you give me at least an idea of what I’m working with when it comes to the boons?" Venus wondered.

"Each of them represents its own specialty. Let’s start with the minor boon for completing the easy mode dungeon. The choices are 4 weapons, 4 equipment, or 1 extra function for future dungeon rounds. Remember, you’re only getting this because this was the first time the mode was beaten. The next person who beats the easy mode would get nothing, so choose wisely for everyone's benefit."

"What extra function would we get?"

"All adventurers would receive a subclass. You are a healer now, right? With a subclass, you can be a healer and tank if you wanted to."

"I'll take the function boon then, it would be nice to have two separate classes." Venus smiled.

Demaree nodded. "Very well! Now, moving on to the bonus boon! It's for the most part the same types of boons! 4 weapons, 4 equipment, or 1 function! However, since this is a bonus function, the weapons and equipment are rare items. As for what function you would get, I will give you two separate options to choose from! The first option is, you would be allowed to take six adventurers in my dungeon instead of four!"

"Oh wow! A capacity increase, nice! That’s a pretty big deal, I say! If the next option is useless, let's go for the increase!" Bernard beamed.

"I couldn’t agree more, honey!” Venus grinned at Bernard.

"For the next option, you would receive a function called, {The Cosmic Enterprise}!" Demaree continued with a roar.

"Okay, what the fuck is that?!" Bernard said in confusion.

"Have you heard of a global shopping center where you can get anything you wouldn’t get anywhere else?!" Demaree asked.

"You mean... like the web?" Bernard considered.

"I'm terribly sorry, I'm unsure of what you are referring to! There are no spiders involved. However, a being of dark void and matter was responsible for creating the global shop!"

"Can you buy things people wouldn’t normally buy\sell because of social status?" Bernard asked.

"I guess you can say that, yes! The being's name is, The Abyss! It’s a special Guardian that can travel throughout parallel worlds! Unlike other Guardians, 'IT' believes in trading things all through the cosmos! There are some limitations though! If a Guardian chooses certain weapons to be excluded from their world, they'll police it."

"Can you buy people as slaves?" Venus asked out of fear. "W-What about body parts?"

"Yes, you can! Among other things you would consider wrong!" Demaree confirmed. "Weapons are really the only things they would restrict!"

"So... it is the dark web… But without guns..." Venus's voice trailed off in disgust, then she got upset the more she thought of it. "That's so terrible! How could they do that?! And people buying that kind of thing?!"

"My Empire doesn't really use the universal store. We make our own things, homemade things, and we have our own global store! I’m only giving you {The Cosmic Enterprise} option because I can't give you {The Silver Coin Store}, you’re not part of our nation. I thought maybe you would like furniture or things you can’t get anywhere else!" Demaree yelled.

"Furniture? Like… people-furniture...?" Venus probed. Dread was in her tone, rather than interest.

Demaree sighed. "Not everyone uses it for mischief, my dear. There are some people who buy slaves to save them from other beings. The community is not as bad as you think… Let's take me for example. I use it to participate in certain events! {The Cosmic Enterprise} has more than just stores! There are games, chat, shopping, or even viewing things! One powerful being shows other Guardians how to make their own planets!"

"You constantly mention these Guardians, what are they exactly?” Bernard asked.

"I don’t really wanna get too much into what a Guardian is! But I'm sure you earthlings have heard of Aries, Loki, powerful beings who don't really work well with humans... However, there are powerful beings who protect and take care of humans, they are considered good Guardians." Demaree said.

"So, Guardians are Gods?"

"The good ones, yes! The bad ones are referred to as SINS! They are bad influences!” Demaree spat. "Anyway! What do you choose for the bonus boon?! The weapons, equipment, or the function?!"

"I choose the function! I'm just unsure of {The Cosmic Enterprise}! It sounds dangerous… Bad things won't come after us, right?!" Venus asked.

"If they did, I would be here! Because of the nature of the store, it’s my responsibility to help you! I am the one who's giving it to you after all! Also, you should note that only you would be getting it! {The Cosmic Enterprise} is quite expensive! In order to invite someone in, it would take 40 levels off of my class! That is why only one of you can join for now! You can always send your own invites if you ever level up to level 40!" Demaree said.

"Wait! Are you talking about levels from your dungeon?! Or you’re saying the levels I have here?!" Venus responded.

"You have levels? How?! This planet has no leveling systems! Except for my dungeon that is."

Venus revealed her personal portable device to Demaree.

“Here it is! We made our own!" Venus held her arm so that Demaree could see. "Huh?! How come I'm still at level 0? That's strange. I thought I would’ve gotten some experience by now.”

“That's because 'your' level system is not an actual system."

"Wha~?! What do you mean?! You made a game system and it has levels. Why can't we do the same?!"

"Hmmm! Your world has machines, right? Let’s say you made a machine without components to make it work, then you just made a useless box, right? The difference between you and I, I can add the required function." Demaree explained.

"Umm… can you make our system functional too? Or at least tell me how I could do it?"

"You can never make it on your own, only Guardians could do it. And even if you somehow theoretically achieve a successful working leveling system, you shouldn’t actually do it. Your world has counterfeits, right? If your government finds out that you are making fake money, you will be sent to jail, yes? I’m not sure I mentioned this, but Guardians use the levels to buy things. They also use real money relative to the world it's in, but for the most part, they use experience or levels. If you, humans, create fake levels, I couldn’t stress enough how much trouble you would be in… As a friend, I would like you to please stop trying to make your own levels. The Guardians would always find out…" Demaree replied.

"Does that mean we are in trouble now?" Bernard asked.

"Not yet. You weren't successful after all. And you didn't know! Although… that doesn't always mean anything to the Guardians…" Demaree said. "But fear not! I'm willing to help you! I would give you the leveling system as a boon! The Silver Empire has Guardians! I can ask them to do it for you! No problem!"

"I think that’s great that you can do that for us, but I don’t think it is wise to pick it as our boon. If you are already giving us level-ups from the dungeon, then we don’t really need it out here in the real world." Bernard said.

"'Real-world' you say… I am not sure why you think my dungeon is not real... It is just as real as us talking here and now."

"Huh, what about the NPCs of the dungeon?!" Venus asked.

"NPCs? Huh? Do you mean the goblins and people?" Demaree question. "If you mean them, I'm not sure why you think they were fake... They are not copys or doppelgängers. They are just as real as you are!"

"I’m confused! Are you saying they were real goblins?! The Princess, the King, are you saying that they were all real?! I put the Princess in my digital world!" Venus said sadly.

"Let’s just say it's complicated... but yes. They are all real. So what if you put a real woman inside of your digital world. Whatever that means… Have you heard of Spirit tempering? Or reincarnations? Souls that are reborn in a unique way?"

"I have heard of reincarnations, but I’m not sure what you’re getting at…"

"As I said... it’s complicated…"

"So, are you saying I am real?" Mikey asked.

"You are, but not in the manner you may think…" Demaree said.

"Wait! If I use Joshua and Robert's power to make a character, are you’re saying a spirit will take over it?" Venus asked.

"Short answer, yes. Throughout the cosmos, there are spirits who are seeking a body. Guardians can throw spirits in different forms. Spirits can be reincarnated as a door, a tree, or anything else. You would be surprised what is possible for a human to be reincarnated as…" Demaree said.

"But, but, Mikey has not said he was a human to me!" Venus regarded Mikey suspiciously.

Mikey held his hand defensively. “I am just as confused as you are, my Queen!”

"Spirits normally don't remember their past lives. Most rebirths are easier that way," Demaree said then looked to Mikey. "Whatever you are, that is what you are. You have a soul, just not necessarily alive as a human... Look, it is hard to explain… Just know that you’re not fake. You only need to understand that in the world of magic and powerful beings, anything is possible. A sword with a soul doesn’t make the sword or the soul 'fake'! They are simply combined!"

"I see. I get it now. I think..." Venus said.

"Anyway, we are getting off-topic, again! What do you want for your BOON?!" Demaree roared.

"Okay, okay! Bernard, what do you believe is better? A 6-men team, or the ultimate store?" Venus asked.

"I'm leaning towards the store, even if only one of us can get it. Lord Demaree, I need to know this first, can we buy a Guardian in the store?" Bernard asked.

Demaree sighed. "Unfortunately, yes... Guardians are powerful beings, but not all have the followers, nor the strength to protect themselves. So, yes, Guardian are forced into slavery!"

Opening a display, Demaree showed beaten-up men and women with cuts and scars.

He then continued. "These Guardians were down on their luck. It could be because they didn’t have any powerful parents to protect them. It could be because they pissed off a greater Guardian. It could simply be because they just have no followers, which forced them to sell themselves. Whatever the case may be, this shows you that you shouldn’t fuck with Guardians no matter what. Even if trivial, it's best to not antagonize them at all. They will make an example out of you. There is one story of a male guardian who boasted about getting any woman he wanted! Spoiler Alert! It didn’t go very well for him! He is now rented out for one experience point! I’m not talking about 1 full level, to get 1 level, you need several experiences! This Guardian was rented for one singular experience! The Guardian who is doing this against the enslaved Guardian is not getting anything in return. Money is not the point, punishing the guy is. It’s pettiness and nothing more…. Whoever is renting can beat the Guardian up to get experience, or force him to serve. Whoever helps the guy, also gets punished! So please be careful moving forward!"

"I see… Ummm… In any case, I think I made my decision about my bonus. I would like a 6-men team for our dungeon runs... As Bernard said, we can level up there… I don't want my own level system, it's too dangerous! My personal boon will be the store, but I'll need help with it! Like you or someone who can help me… Not now, but later!" Venus said.

“Very well! I’ll consider this a future wish then!” Demaree responded. “I will take my leave for now! I will see you the next time we do this again!”

"Wait! One more thing! I have a question for you! Why did Silver Coin bring the demon door here! The village leaders want it gone! They are trying to defeat you or something! I don't really know what they want, to be honest…" Venus said.

"They what?! Explain!"

As she explains her knowledge about the intentions of the villagers, Demaree becomes angrier. Jo, who was quiet until this point, tried to defend the lying leaders. As it turns out, the leaders, the king, all knew Silver Coin was coming to place the door down. She told them years ago before the soldiers came. Jo told Venus about the King sending an army to seize the valley. A dungeon needs the power to keep it running. So the King wanted to capture the valley’s power before Silver Coin arrived.

“I will have to tell my mother about this! She's not gonna be very happy when she learns that the King cheated her! They made a deal!” Demaree was pissed! He disappeared after saying, “I will talk to you later, Venus. I must sort this out!”

Venus, Bernard, Jo, and Mikey were left alone.

Bernard walked behind Venus, then said, “Are the leaders really trying to marry you? How come you didn’t tell me? I would’ve told them to fuck off!”

“Well, I didn’t know until Jo told me during our Bossfight. But, yeah, they want me for some reason. I think it’s a political thing.” Venus replied.

“Okay, but they can’t have you!” Bernard said as a fact.

“You tell them, baby!” Venus giggled, then regarded Jo and Mikey. “Anyway, what are you two guys planning on doing?”

“I need to talk to the leaders about what the dragon said. I’ll let them decide what I should do.” Jo said, then walked away.

Venus sighed, "I am really tired and I don't want to deal with any arguments right now... I may go to rest, sleep, or whatever..."

"Okay, Venus." Bernard comforted her, she smiled at him.

"Mikey? What would you be doing?" Venus asked.

"Ummm… I don't really have a plan... I just learned I had a life…( I think)… I need time to think…" Mikey said thoughtfully. "My Queen, can you send me back to our Kingdom? I want to see how the other spirits are feeling... Maybe we can figure out what to do, moving forward."

"I understand… Take care, Mikey." Venus sent him back as he asked. "I'm going to sleep, hun, night!"

"One sec… Venus… I need to tell you something first." Bernard said.

"Hmm?"

"I want to get stronger! One thing I have learned in that dungeon run is, I have the potential to protect everyone! If I learn how to share skills like Eileithyia‘s armor power, I could protect you as she does for her sister. I can place armor on all of you if danger arrives. I want to be the best tank I can be, even here out of the dungeon."

"Sure! I can teach you a little bit before I sleep."

"Alright,"

Before anything else, Venus talked to her Boss. She told him what was going on. Afterward, Venus and Bernard went to their home. Apparently, Jenny finished it during the dungeon run. The other women were within the home. They didn’t seem to mind being in a big house with a lot of other women.

“We are home!” Venus said. She stepped inside, and a dog ran to her. “Who’s dog is this?!”

"It’s mine!" Jenny yelled. "You may not have known this but I had a dog at one point in my life. I don't talk about it much because it died a long time ago. I was a kid and it pained me… However, with Randall's help, I managed to summon it here! Yay, me! I'm so happy to see my Henry again!"

"Yeah… Ummm…. It has no eyes though…" Venus winced.

Henry (the dog) was humping Venus‘s leg... at least that's what Venus thought. It had missing parts on it. No eyes, tongue, and other things… The fur was pure white. Even though it had missing parts, it didn't seem to care. It was a happy dog with no worries.

"AH! Yeah, I’m still working on my shared powers with Randall. At the moment, we can't fix it…"

Venus regarded Bernard.

"As you can see, Bernard, using powers won’t be easy at all! I will try to give my best pointers. We’ll figure this all out together. Maybe we can utilize new and improved skills together.”

“That’s cool. I’m not going anywhere. I’m sure we will work together just as well as we did in the dungeon. I think it’s time we also learned to fight with weapons. We don’t know what the leaders want, or anything other troubles we’ll face in their future.” Bernard said.

“Yeah, let’s be ready!” Jenny joined in. “You two can’t forget about me!”

Looking at her boyfriend and girlfriend, Venus was happy she had people she could fight against anything that comes their way!

"Oh, yeah! Jenny! There is a possibility that you were raped by an invisible man!" Venus suddenly said in anger. She was pushing it down due to trying to stay focused, but the pain caught up to her.

Jenny and Bernard looked in shock. They didn't say anything for a while… Then they both exclaimed, "What?!"

{-End Of Book 1-}