Galahad calmly observed the barrier. A new Dungeon, unprepared and inexperienced would be a defenceless being in a world that had no regard for the weak. Arguably, being found by the Empire so early was far better than fighting by themselves, especially in the hostile environment of the Ancient Forest. In an hour or two, the barrier would drop and he would enter the Dungeon in an attempt to take it under the guidance of the Empire. He would have rather given that honour to Stella who had at least some experience in dealing with the young Dungeons; however, an order was an order. The First, Second, and Fifth Legions were waiting in standby near the infant Dungeon while the First Fleet hovered above them. The remaining twelve Legions supported by smaller combat groups consisting of mixed ships from the Second and Third Fleets were slowly approaching their destinations. In a day or two, all rebellious Dungeons in the forest would be subjugated. Honestly, he just wanted to return home now.

  He started thinking about something to kill time.

  Galahad smiled to himself as he remembered the screams and begging of that pitiful critter, Hunter. Since he was already disconnected from his spawner, demolishing it hadn't been as painful for the Mantis as it should have been. Galahad had injected the bug with a drug prepared by Aurora and Stella in secret. It was meant to amplify all the senses of the Mantis and allowed him to experience each second of his life as if it were an hour. As Galahad started tearing him limb from limb, he could see the horrified realisation of the bug scion that he would soon cease to exist. There wouldn't be any rebirth or salvation. For Hunter, for all his crimes, only oblivion waited. His thick carapace rotted away under Galahad's Decaying Touch as he slowly ripped off the Mantis's arms and legs. One by one, so the pain wouldn't numb his senses. The Faé healers were making sure that nothing would kill him just yet. All that time, Hunter had been begging for mercy, but that would be disrespectful for Lilly and Iris. That's why he had been healed. When finally the last stumps rotted away, Galahad shattered his torso's carapace, exposing the soft flesh underneath. The bug's primitive intestines spilt on the floor like water from a bucket. But even then, Galahad made sure that he didn't die. The Death King fed Hunter his own legs and arms, which started to turn into a gooey substance due to rot.

  Only then, when Hunter's pain was unbearable, Galahad activated his Aura of Despair, elevating the mantis to another height of suffering.

  The bug thrashed and writhed like a worm in his own viscera, ichor, and intestines. His screams echoed and sounded like the sweetest music. Hunter rotted from the inside out. His exposed organs turned black and slowly liquefied. One by one they failed as Galahad brought another spasm of unbearable pain to Hunter. The Mantis's mind, despite all the pain and suffering, remained sane. To the last moment, with any strength he had left, and at any point when a wave of pain even slightly subsided, Hunter begged for his life. But only those who show mercy can beg for it. So Galahad watched because killing him would have been an act of mercy that the murderous bug didn't deserve. Soon, way too soon in Galahad's opinion, rot reduced the Mantis into black slush, with his still beating heart, working brain, and some sort of respiratory organ still functioning. Only then did Galahad give the order to stop healing him. All the pain that washed over the Mantis was too much. With no way to scream but with all suffering consuming his mind, the Mantis brain was overwhelmed.

  That was the end of Hunter. Killed by the pain he loved so much to inflict.

  "What are you thinking about, Brother?" Thor asked from the side.

  "Nothing important." Galahad smiled and looked at the largest of the Fenrirs of Arcadia. "Are you bored of waiting?"

  "Slightly." Thor agreed as he yawned. "But, very soon, I will be able to begin my hunt so it's not that bad. I'm using this time to plan for adjustments and work out some contingency plans. There are still Vespid hives out there and I can't wait to annihilate each one of them. Are you going to return home after this?"

  The Fenrir inclined with his massive head at the barrier.

  "I don't think so." Galahad denied with a small smile. "I will probably accompany our Empresses during their visit to the Shadow Realm. Maybe after that."

  He looked over the horizon with a smile. There were lands he had never seen before and hidden enemies of Arcadia needing to be destroyed. This time of peace was just a break between wars. That was how people simply functioned for their entire history.

  "Who knows?" Galahad shrugged after a moment. "I'll go wherever our Lord orders."

  Thor simply lowered his head in acknowledgement. "It's not the worst fate."

  "Indeed, Brother." The Death King nodded eagerly and started walking towards the barrier. "It's about time, I believe."

  Over them, HMS Victory accompanied by five destroyers materialised and the ships slowly took their positions. The Teleportation spell was quite frightening if one thought about it. In one moment there was nothing only for one to blink and suddenly there was a warship. There was no magic circle to warn you nor even a sound when something as big as a ship of the Navy appeared. Someone attuned to magic could feel when the vortex of mana was forming but that required prior knowledge of the phenomenon and a magic sensitivity far beyond normal. Arcadia was currently developing a network of detection arrays that would alert the military about unauthorized Teleportation, but it was still a long time before the entirety of the Empire would be covered. Fortunately, it seemed that only the Arcadian Empire owned working Teleportation magitech, nonetheless, caution was always necessary. As it had been proved before, other people could also possess the required knowledge. Like the defeated Demons or the remnants of the Balantican Empire in Vanushka.

  "If you want my help, I'll be here." Thor stretched on the ground and yawned again.

  Galahad just waved his hand in acknowledgement and entered the infant Dungeon domain the moment the barrier dropped. The Dungeon was tiny and only had a single spawner. Galahad looked at the blue Slimes that crawled towards him and smirked. A very respectable spawner in all honesty considering what Sebastian was capable of, but it was a spawner that needed a lot of investment. The Slimes bravely tried to stop him but it was completely beyond their capabilities. The core was waiting in the middle of the Dungeon, trembling in fear on a tiny pedestal. Galahad rehearsed in his head a few possible ways this could go and decided that he would not repeat Stella's mistakes. Instead of being menacing, he simply sat down in front of the Core with crossed legs, allowing the level one Slimes jump and bounce powerless all over him. He reached towards the Core and touched it gently.

  "I want to be your friend." He said in the same tone he used when he was speaking with the Mortal children in Avalon.

  The Slimes begrudgingly stopped attacking him but still encircled him.

  "A friend? You want to be my friend?" The core replied without even masking his sarcasm. "Someone like you?"

  It wasn't as childish as Prince Thomas was when he was found which surprised Galahad. A newly formed Dungeon with a seemingly adult mind was, at least, surprising. Since the Abyss Dungeon was the youngest Dungeon found to date, everyone assumed that he was representative. Everyone thought that Dungeons had similar growth cycles as every other living being and the Emperor was an anomaly because he was a Summoned Hero. It seemed that theory was wrong.

  "My Emperor rules these lands. We want to coexist peacefully." Galahad said with growing curiosity.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "And what price do I have to pay for this peaceful coexistence?" The Core asked bitterly.

  "Become the Vassal of my Lord."

  "Ah... Of course. But being a vassal can have a very wide definition. From being a fairly free person to basically a glorified slave." The Core hummed with a defiance. "What would I get for forfeiting my freedom?"

  "Protection, guidance, but most importantly, mana to thrive. In exchange, you would follow the Arcadian rules, regulations, and you would follow the Emperor's orders." The Death Lord said as he stood up. If that wasn't a child there was no need to be concerned with him being afraid.

  "What if I don't agree?"

  "You will be destroyed," Galahad said with a shrug. "You are young and might think this is unfair, but this world is much more complicated than you think. Dungeons are incredibly powerful, but they are not invincible. This world is a frontier and bastion against the Enemies who have already conquered countless universes. And we know that the Enemies can use their power to corrupt Dungeons and use them for their purposes."

  The Core was silent for a long while but Galahad patiently waited. There were some slight shifts in his emotions but Galahad couldn't really make sense of them. Especially when he mentioned the Enemies the young Core reacted with some distant anger, or maybe even hatred, but it was impossible to determine. How could someone just born have any idea who the Enemies were?

  "I don't have any real choice." The Core grumbled in defeat.

  "Choices are often like that. Much more often than you would like, to be honest." Galahad shrugged and crossed his arms.

  "This is hard to accept." The Core complained bitterly. "I planned so many things. I never thought that right after I was reborn, I would be put into servitude."

  "Reborn?" Galahad tilted his head. Now that was interesting. He could feel the increasing curiosity of his Lord through their link.

  "Yes, reborn." The Core said reluctantly, his voice was slightly trembling as if he realised that he said too much.

  "I would insist that you elaborate," Galahad said with a friendly tone but his voice carried an order.

  "I would rather not..." The Core almost gulped even though it shouldn't be possible for him.

  Galahad extended his hand over the Core and, despite being desperately pounced on from all sides by the powerless Slimes, he effortlessly closed the tiny Core in his grip.

  "Unfortunately, I wasn't asking." He said with a small smile.

  The Death King closed his eyes, but instead of forming a direct connection between Lord Theon and the young Core, Galahad gained access to some of the memories of the infant Core. Immediately, he gently put the Core back into its pedestal and opened his eyes with a happy smile.

  "No, no, no-" The Core repeated nervously but Galahad laughed as he knightly saluted the Core, still being attacked by the Slimes.

  "Welcome back, Hero of Arcadia, Lord Re-kari of Avalon. We missed you." The Death King's voice trembled with happiness.

  The Slimes stopped and Galahad could feel the shock of the young Core. Some of the Slimes froze in the air and predictably slapped on Galahad's armour like wet sponges, comically sliding down without a single move.

  "What?! How? Do you know me? I mean... My old me?!"

  "Of course, I know you!" The Death Lord laughed sincerely. "I'm Galahad of Avalon!"

  "NO WAY!" The Core started laughing with joy. "It's really you, Galahad?! By Hestia! You've gotten so powerful I hadn't recognised you!"

  "It's really me." Galahad chuckled as he straightened to his full height and haughtily put his hands on his hips. "I'm the Death King now."

  "So the Lord who wants my servitude is King Theon?!" Re-kari asked with an excited voice.

  "Emperor Theon, Lord Re-kari." Galahad corrected him.

  "Of course, I accept to be his vassal!" The reborn Elf laughed in relief.

  A moment later, the Emperor, all his wives, Cassmira, and Goddess Verka were standing around the core. Between them were Thomas Avalon who looked at the tiny Core with curiosity and his step-sister, Rose with her husband Leonard. The Gods of Arcadia were arriving with laughter and cheers to welcome back the Hero.

  "My King! My Queens! And ummm... There's more of you than I remember, Your Majesties..." Re-kari's voice was full of happiness and nostalgia.

  Hestia kneeled near the pedestal with tears in her eyes. She patted the small gemstone.

  "I'm so sorry..." She said through her falling tears. "And thank you... You saved my life back then."

  "That was my duty as a knight of Avalon, my Goddess!" He said proudly. "Besides I was just gone for a moment."

  "A moment?" The Emperor furrowed his brows.

  "I died like... Two days ago." Re-kari laughed wholeheartedly but an awkward silence spread around them. "What? Why are you making such faces, your Highnesses?"

  "It's been over a year, my Knight." The Emperor said softly and everyone felt Re-kari's shock. However, the Emperor smiled as he lifted the tiny emerald and all of them were teleported to the Alley of Heroes.

  The branches of a large willow tree were serenely moving in the light breeze. The tree was much larger than it had any right to be, but it had been raised by the Goddess herself with the help of Dryads and the magic of the Dungeon. Between its roots lay a simple mound covered by the always-blooming forget-me-nots. A large golden statue depicting the last stand of the heroic Elf as he was holding his meticulously preserved sword and shield which were in exactly the same condition as they had been when recovered from that unholy temple. Nearby, a grand, polished black marble monument stood. On its surface were carved the names of everyone who fell in defence of Arcadia. It was already filled with hundreds of names. Each one of them was carved, filled with gold and, by the combined power of Hestia and Hera, enchanted to tell the story of the heroic deeds of its bearer. A grand and beautifully detailed marble staircase led underground to the catacombs where the Heroes of Arcadia slept their eternal dream, always guarded by an honour guard consisting of a Praetorian, a Legionnaire, a Guardsman, and a Sailor. All four wore their finest gear and kept the eternal watch regardless of the weather.

  By a random hand of fate, today the Praetorian on watch, was the same one who had kept watch over Re-kari's body in that forsaken temple. He, almost unnoticeably, twitched at the group’s arrival but kept his composure as did all four of them. But nothing should disturb the rest of the Heroes of Arcadia so they remained silent and dignified. The Emperor raised his hand for the young Core to freely look around.

  "Children across the Empire of Arcadia are learning about your heroic deed, Re-kari," Theon said proudly. "Trubadours are singing songs about you and there are at least two theatre plays based on what you did."

  "Damn..." The Core whispered in shock. "I mean... I-"

  Everyone laughed more cheerfully. To not disturb the rest of the Heroes, the Emperor teleported them back to Re-kari's Dungeon. Using the occasion, Verka stepped forward with her mother and father behind her.

  "You don't know me but, thanks to you I was saved." Verka curtsied in front of the tiny core. Her voice was full of gratitude. Behind her, her parents bowed to him deeply. "I'm the daughter of Vali and Tisiphone. I'm the Goddess of Vengeance, Verka. I can't be grateful enough for what you did back then. Thank you, Re-kari of Avalon."

  "You don't have to thank me, my Lady! I was only doing what a knight should-"

  "No." Hestia interrupted him. "You went beyond and above what's expected from anyone. You are among those who can call us their friends, Re-kari. I personally owe you my life. That's a debt that won't be paid back lightly."

  "I... Thank you, my Lady." Re-kari's voice shifted with emotion. "There is so much catching up..."

  "A lot of it." The Emperor agreed.

  "I never expected to be reborn as a Dungeon Core, my Lord." Re-kari mused with a nervous chuckle. "I didn't know where I was, or when exactly, but when I realised what kind of power I obtained, I immediately wanted to follow in your footsteps. I wanted to help people."

  "You still can. You can build a Dungeon City." Theon Avalon laughed with a proud expression. "I give you mana to use freely, Re-kari."

  "With pleasure, my Lord!" Re-kari chuckled. "It's good to be back..."

  "It's good to have you back." Hestia smiled and wiped her happy tears.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to who edited the chapter!

  The map of Aderon is on my Discord :)

  https://discord.gg/G6SVrBeDdG