A month had passed. A month of a strange peace, of a routine that was both mundane and completely surreal. A month in which Ari had perfected the art of giving sermons on virtue while mentally cataloging the necklines of the female parishioners. A month in which Vespera had learned to cook a decent stew and to cast withering glares that could make a flower wilt from ten paces away. And a month in which Thalassa… Thalassa had been studying.
Like so many nights, the action unfolded in the Core Chamber. The trio had abandoned the surface world, leaving their roles as priest and nuns behind to embrace their true forms. Ari was lounging lazily in a bone chair that Thalassa had "created" with 20 Dungeon Points ("An investment in the consort's morale!" she had argued). Vespera, her wings folded, was sharpening one of her claws with a whetstone.
Thalassa, however, was in her element. Standing before the Orb of Primordial Chaos, she had projected an enormous holographic map of the surrounding forest. The three-dimensional image floated in the air, showing the terrain, paths, and blinking icons that represented the various creatures in the area. With swift, precise gestures, she moved the icons, marked zones with circles of red light, and zoomed in on sections of the map. She looked like a general planning a war.
"Team, gather 'round," she said, her voice vibrating with restrained excitement. "I've been analyzing our data for the past few weeks."
"Data?" Ari asked, yawning. "You mean the times we've spied on the baker to see when he takes out the hot bread?"
"I mean," Thalassa said, shooting him an exasperated look, "the DP generation data, the wildlife patterns, and the dungeon's energy flow. Our passive generation of Dungeon Points is pathetically slow. Twelve points a day won't let us build even a single decent spike trap. Following the quests the system gives us is fine, it's a good guide, but to optimize our long-term growth, we must take the initiative."
She made a sweeping gesture, encompassing the entire holographic map. "I propose we turn this forest into our personal EXP and resource farm."
Vespera stopped sharpening her claw and looked at her, confused. "Farm? You want us to plant something? I don't think anything will grow in this soil."
Thalassa sighed, the sigh of an expert trying to explain a complex concept to a pair of novices. "No, Vespera, not a real farm. I want us to 'farm.' It's a strategic term," she explained, using a word she knew would be foreign to them. "It means that instead of waiting for problems to come to us, we'll go out and hunt them systematically. We'll locate monster nests, eliminate them, level up, accumulate resources, and use that power to strengthen the dungeon. It's a proactive growth cycle."
Ari looked at her from his bone chair. "Sounds like a lot of work," he complained. "A lot of physical effort. Walking, fighting… sweating. Can't we just keep building our traps and wait for some clueless group of heroes to come die in them? It's much more efficient in terms of personal effort."
"No!" Thalassa exclaimed, poking the holographic map with her finger, causing the image to flicker. "That's the mindset of a rookie final boss! That's how they lose! They get cocky, they get lazy, and then a hero with some ridiculous power-up shows up and defeats them. We will not be that kind of boss! We must 'grind' now while we're low-level! It's the only way to build up enough power to be ready for the 'endgame'!"
"I still don't understand half the words you use," Ari said. "But I get the 'lot of work' part. And my vote is no."
"Your vote doesn't count, consort," Thalassa replied with a predatory smile. "This is a monarchy, not a democracy. And the Queen has spoken."
Forcibly convinced, or rather, informed of the decision, Ari and Vespera approached the map. Thalassa pointed to an area to the west.
"Here," she said. "The Lair of the Shadow Wolves. They're level 3, aggressive, and travel in packs. They're the perfect target for our first hunt, but luring them all the way here would be an unnecessary risk."
She opened the [Creation Catalog] with a gesture. The familiar blue screen appeared, displaying the list of monsters they could summon. She scrolled down to the scout section.
"The plan is as follows," she continued, her tone becoming purely tactical. "We will invest in a small scouting and herding unit."
She selected the Shadow Rats.
[Summon Creature: Shadow Rat (Level 1)] [Role: Scout / Herder] [Special Ability: [Shadowy Guidance (Active)] - Emits the pheromones of a superior predator, luring low to mid-level beasts within a 500-meter radius to the rat's location. Does not work on intelligent monsters or bosses.] [Cost per unit: 2 DP] [How many units do you wish to create?]
"A hundred!" Ari exclaimed from his chair. "Let's create a glorious army of stinking rats! We'll be the kings of the sewers! No one will dare challenge our rodent empire!"
Thalassa narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't be an idiot, that's 200 Dungeon Points! Do you know how many poison upgrades I could buy for the arrow traps with that? It would be a monumental waste!"
"But it would be fun."
"Managing a dungeon isn't about fun, it's about efficiency," she scolded, though a small smile crept onto her lips. "We'll start with ten. No more, no less. It's the optimal number to cover a wide area without spending too much. We'll send them into the forest with the order to use their [Shadowy Guidance] to lure the wolf pack toward the cave entrance. Once they're on our territory, we'll ambush them in the first corridor, where we already have our traps."
She confirmed the command on the screen. [Creating 10 units of "Shadow Rat". Total cost: 20 DP. Confirm?]
"Confirmed," she said.
On the chamber floor, ten shadows swirled and solidified. In an instant, they became ten rats with fur as black as night and the size of a small cat. Their eyes glowed with a reddish, malicious intelligence. They were not normal creatures. They moved in silence, gathered before Thalassa, and squeaked once in unison, as if awaiting orders.
Thalassa gave them a mental command, and the ten rats turned and scattered through the dungeon's tunnels, heading for the Nexus that led to the basement, ready to carry out their first mission.
With the plan in motion, the strategist's excitement on Thalassa's face faded, replaced by a much more serious expression. She turned to Ari, her gaze now that of a guild leader coldly assessing her team's strengths and weaknesses. The atmosphere in the room shifted, growing heavier.
"The plan is good," she said, her voice quiet. "But we have a problem. A weak link in the chain."
Ari, who had stood up to admire the rats, pointed to himself with an offended expression. "Hey. If you're talking about me, I'll remind you that my [Sacred Aegis] saved both of your hides. And my healing, if I do say so myself, is top-notch. I saved your First General's leg!"
"You're the best support we could ever wish for, Ari, I don't doubt that for a second," Thalassa replied, her tone softening slightly. "Your light, your healing, your mind… as you demonstrated with the Skeleton Captain… they're invaluable. But you're..." She paused, searching for the words. "...a 'Common Class.' Your sheet says so. Your growth potential is limited by the system. Vespera and I are evolutionary classes. Every level we gain, our power multiplies. But you… you'll fall behind."
Vespera, who had been watching in silence, stepped closer, her face filled with genuine concern. "Thalassa is right, Ari," she said softly. "You're already the most vulnerable of the three of us in a direct fight. As we face stronger enemies… we don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't bear it."
Thalassa nodded. "It's not a criticism, Ari. It's a tactical assessment. And I think… I think there's a solution."
With a mental gesture, she summoned a system screen. It was the same screen Ari remembered seeing briefly during his transformation, one that had sent a shiver of dread down his spine at the time.
[Anomaly detected in Consort "Ari".] [The Consort's affinity for Sacred Energy is in direct conflict with the nature of the Dungeon Core. The "Sacred Corruption" protocol remains available as a forced evolution path.] [Description: This action will initiate a process to transform the subject "Ari's" base class, [Human Priest], into an advanced 'Hybrid' or 'Dark' type class, unlocking a new and unique skill tree.] [WARNING: The process of purging and corrupting sacred energy is extremely painful and irreversible. The subject's humanity and affinity for the Light could be permanently altered.] [Do you wish to initiate the class evolution for Consort "Ari"?] [YES] / [NO]
The screen floated between them, its words glowing with an ominous blue light. Silence once again filled the chamber, but this time it was a heavy, meaningful silence.
Thalassa and Vespera looked at him, their faces serious, awaiting his answer. This was no longer a theoretical option or a system anomaly. It had become a strategic necessity. A fundamental decision for the survival and future of their strange "guild."
The choice was his. He could remain the human priest, the pillar of light and normality in their growing world of darkness, but at the risk of becoming a liability, a protected ward they would always have to look after. Or he could accept the offer. Embrace the darkness, endure unimaginable pain, and transform into something new, something stronger.
Would he cling to his humanity and the Light that, despite his cynicism, had been a part of him his whole life? Or would he sacrifice it all to be able to protect his new, demonic wives and their strange, twisted home?