Thor lazily walked down the absurdly long staircase with Balin on his right quietly cursing under his breath. Tristan was leading the way but, so far, the Fenrir King of Avalon wasn't impressed. The upper floors of the Dungeon were made to resemble a classic maze with gradually stronger undead. The Dungeon offered a fairly varied selection of monsters like Slimes, Skeletons, Zombies, Werewolves, and Vampires. But... There weren't many people delving at the moment. Thor was willing to believe that the Dungeon asked Mortals to stay away until he spoke with Lady Freya. Finally, they reached the inner sanctum where they saw the crystalline figure of a necromancer.

"Welcome to the halls of Falcia, emissaries of the outside world." The crystallised core welcomed them with a friendly smile.

The Core of the Dungeon of Falcia tapped his staff on the ground, unleashing a violent wave of air and his powerful aura. However, Balin and Thor stood unamused. They looked at the Core without a single concern in the world. While Balin observed Tristan, Thor turned his massive head at the statue of a necromancer.

"My name is Thor of Avalon. The Fenrir Scion of the Righteous Dungeon and servant of Emperor Theon Avalon." His gaze was cold and hard as he did not bow to the core; instead, he straightened proudly and slightly lowered his head in a nod that merely acknowledged the Dungeon Core's status.

"My name is Balin of Thalgurum. The Korred Scion of the Mountain Dungeon and servant of Empress Freya va'Theon." Balin slammed his armoured fist on his Dwarven-made armour. However, he also stood tall with just a slight nod.

"Oh? You don't seem to be impressed by my power and form. Interesting..." The Core chuckled and washed them with his fairly powerful presence.

Balin glanced at Thor and activated his protection wards and barriers despite the fact he should be protected as Fenrir's party member. The Fenrir King simply sighed and, in return, unleashed his power. The Auras of Frost, Despair, and Fear filled the chamber like a merciless tide ready to snuff out every trace of life. Tristan erected a blood barrier at the last moment but he struggled a while before he managed to solidify his defences. Thor just sat calmly on the floor and stared flatly at the Core of the Dungeon of Falcia.

"Power is everything for the Dungeons... You flaunt yours as if you have achieved some unthinkable levels but, compared to my Lord, you are weak." Thor's melodic voice was slightly hollow, betraying his disappointment. "Your form is also familiar to us. However, my Lord and Lady achieved an even higher form than yours. We arrived in these lands intending to purge them of monsters and make them available for Mortals to live in again, only to discover nothing matched our expectations. In light of our recent discovery, we came to you in the hope of discussing some issues of great importance for the entire continent. Yet, you still haven't given us your name so we may pay you your due respect as the King of Falcia."

The necromancer statue rubbed his beard thoughtfully as Thor once again contained his power.

"You are different from any other Scion I have ever encountered." The Core said with a careful voice. "Your Lord is indeed powerful but you are more powerful than you should be..."

"I'm the Pathfinder of Avalon, the Master of Scouts of my Lord." The Fenrir slightly tilted his head. "I'm also enjoying the Grand Blessing of God Zephyr."

"Oh? So he was released from his prison." The crystal figure of the older Human nodded with acknowledgement and took a better look at two scions calmly waiting in a respectable distance. "My name is Roan Min Aston, the Necromancer King of Falcia."

Thor and Balin lowered their heads with respect.

"We greet you, King Roan Min Aston." Balin raised from his bow with a soft smile. "First things first... The Empire of Arcadia is a Dungeon Empire, led by Emperor Theon Avalon, the Righteous Dungeon, The Champion of Eriar, The Chosen of the Archangel, The Bringer of Equilibrium, The Husband of Hestia, The Unforgiving Storm of Zephyr, The Starchaser of Hera, The Brother to Zeus, The Prophet of Tisiphone, The Wrath of Vali, The Herald of Verka, The Protector of the Weak, The Bane of Void's Servants, The God Slayer, The Vengeful One, and The Conqueror. Arcadia is home to millions of Mortals and sixteen Dungeons who have sworn their fealty to the Emperor and live in harmony and prosperity. The goal of our Lord is the protection of the world of Nilmerthis and the safeguarding of Arcadia and its people."

"Your Lord has many impressive titles and a noble goal... A goal that is very agreeable to me if he is willing to not interfere with the affairs of my Kingdom." King Roan nodded slowly with a faint smile.

"It is not an easy case, I'm afraid." Thor lowered his head and took a deep breath. "Not so long ago we were attacked by an enemy Dungeon Empire. Currently, the Empire of Arcadia and our Mortal Allies are at war with Vestargo of the Ancient Forest. For the sake of the safety of all Mortals on the continent and possibly, Nilmerthis, my Lord and Lady decided that destruction of Vestargo is the only option to protect Mor-"

"Good luck I guess... Vestargo is old and his influence spread far-" Roan laughed dismissively, interrupting the Fenrir. His voice became cold and distant.

"And yet, Vestargo is in full retreat," Thor interjected as he started losing his patience. "He already lost two vassals. One of them was killed by Vestargo himself and another pledged their fealty to Emperor Theon Avalon. The Ancient Forest has been pushed a few hundred kilometres away since the time the war started."

"Why are you telling me this?" Roan asked carefully. "The Kingdom of Falcia is neutral and we isolate ourselves from the outside world."

Instead of responding, Thor nodded toward the Korred who took out a clear glass orb from his pocket. As Balin closed his eyes and focused, the orb started glowing and formed a large illusion screen.

"Because the time of neutrality has ended." Empress Freya's voice softly sounded in the Inner Sanctum. "Thank you, Thor and Balin. But it seems we have reached a dead end where we, now, only stray further from the purpose of this discussion. We should be discussing if there is a way of opening Falcia to the outside world, not the war against Vestargo. I'm the seventh Empress of Arcadia, Freya va'Theon, the Queen Under the Mountain, Lady of the Mountain Dungeon. I greet you, Roan Min Aston, the Necromancer King of Falcia, Master of the Dungeon of Falcia."

The crystallised Core looked in shock at the gently smiling Dwarfess. However, he took a calming breath and politely bowed to her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Empress Freya va'Theon." He said with a neutral tone. "What brings your army to my country? You have attacked and killed our border patrols and besieged the city of Kowaar."

"Initially, we believed that we needed to subjugate you and bring peace to the Kingdom of Falcia." Empress Freya admitted honestly. "However, our data was flawed and incomplete but that was partly your fault. You chose aggressive neutrality when you hid your country under a thick veil of fog and killed or captured anyone trying to investigate the lands of Falcia. But... Instead of starting another war, we are willing to open negotiations. Our Army is involved in the operations against Vestargo and the Dungeons under his control. We can't make mistakes and having a powerful ally such as you would be beneficial for the entire North Aderon Treaty Organisation but opening trade routes with us would also benefit you and your people. So I will ask you one of the most important questions: will you help us fight Vestargo or would you rather help him?"

"I don't think you realise how ancient and powerful Vestargo is." Roan Min Aston slowly shook his head. "While I can't imagine allying myself with him, I can't imagine myself fighting him either. Yes... I have chosen neutrality and hiding behind the fog in the hope he wouldn't try to invade us when his forest inevitably swallows all lands of Aderon. That's why I decline all diplomatic relationships with everyone. I can't believe that you are foolish enough to believe you can win against his Dungeon Empire. The fact you managed to deprive him of his two vassal-slaves is even more frightening and will enrage him even more. I can't risk his wrath! He will destroy my Kingdom! I'm sure I can negotiate with him."

"You can't be that naive to believe that hiding behind a fog will protect you forever. Your Kingdom will be destroyed because you can't negotiate with someone like Vestargo." Empress Freya shook her head in pity. "All Mortals Vestargo enslave serve him and his fanatical race of Vespids. We believe that Vespids originated from his Hornet-like denizens who were granted an enclave. Since then, Vespids have worshipped Vestargo as their deity. You seem to care about your people, King Roan Min Aston so I want to warn you that your people will be turned into slaves and breeding stock for Vespids once Vestargo gets here. We know that he is trying to subjugate all Dungeons on the continent. That's why we can't risk you falling under his influence."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"The news about Vespids is concerning but... You are not the first coalition of nations or even Dungeons who tried to push back Vestargo." The Crystal Core looked at Freya with disdain. "They often achieved grand victories and pushed Vestargo as far as you have claimed to. But, after the brilliant victories, Vestargo always takes back what was taken from him. Everyone who defied him is gone and his forest covers the lands of those who once foolishly challenged him."

"You seem very knowledgeable about the subject." The Empress smiled but she wasn't surprised. She looked at King Roan for a moment but, since he wasn't eager to elaborate, she simply shrugged. "I'm old enough to confirm what you have said is true. But this time, Vestargo has lost hundreds of kilometres of his forest not in a gruelling campaign that lasted years but a swift invasion that lasted just over two months. My husband is the Champion of Eriar, tasked with safeguarding this world, King Roan Min Aston, and Vestargo is our enemy. The army that arrived in your country consists of the forces under my direct command and belongs to ten of sixteen Dungeons serving my husband. My husband, Theon Avalon, fights and pushes back Vestargo with the might of his own strength. The Immortal Legions of Avalon, supported by the Mortals serving in the Royal Fleet of Arcadia, dealt an unimaginable blow to Vestargo."

"I don't believe you." King Roan simply shook his head. "No one can fight Vestargo alone."

Empress Freya observed King Roan in silence for a few uncomfortable minutes before she sighed. "I don't see your will to talk or negotiate anything with us. Instead, you paint yourself as Vestargo's tacit supporter or, at least, someone who naively believes they can make a deal with him. I hoped we could find common ground, end the era of isolation, and begin friendly coexistence or maybe even form an alliance with the Kingdom of Falcia."

"You have invaded my lands and speak nonsense about alliances or fighting Vestargo. All I want is to protect my people!" Roan put his hands behind him and looked coldly at Freya.

"How else could we reach you since you killed any emissary sent here?" Freya asked in an indifferent voice. "All Mortals in the kingdoms bordering with Falcia call it the Cursed Land and speak of an evil necromancer who toppled the kingdom and enslaved its people."

"So you felt compelled to do something about it?!"

"Yes." She nodded calmly. "We are very serious about our promises to our allies. We can't let the status quo persist in its current form. Every Dungeon in our sphere of influence will be, eventually, subsumed if they can't be reasoned with."

"You aren't any different from Vestargo." The King cackled and clenched his fists behind his back. His voice was grim. "Alliance? Friendship? Coexistence? Lies..."

"I can't change what you believe if you have already decided what we are without giving us a chance. But you are wrong. I can assure you that, contrary to Vestargo, our army stopped because we saw things that gave us hope! You protect the Mortals of your realm. But haven't I told you already that Arcadia can't afford to make any mistakes? That's why I sent Balin and Thor to speak with you. To avoid a war that inevitably would bring suffering to your people."

Instead of speaking, King Roan Min Aston unleashed his power and aimed it at the connection with Empress Freya. She looked at him, surprised and disappointed. His power was immense and caused the air to tremble. The necromancer statue looked confident and smug.

"Enough. I am King Roan Min Aston, the Grand Necromancer of Falcia, the ruler of a million souls. I'm more powerful than almost all Dungeons of Aderon." He shook his head as he forced his will towards the image of the Dwarfess Empress. "You will surrender, Empress Freya-"

"That won't work on me..." She smiled, put her right hand to her cheek and tilted her head to the same side in amusement as she waved with her other hand dismissively.

The chamber was filled with two clashing powers. One of them, vibrant green, belonged to the King of Falcia and another, unblemished white, to the Empress Freya. The Vampire scion stood frozen, unable to move, while Balin and Thor seemed indifferent to a contest of power between their masters.

"Then, I will force you into submission-"

Thor interrupted King Roan as he stood up and growled in a blood-curdling cry that ended in an angry howl.

"Now you have done it..." Empress Freya sighed and her power vanished without warning.

Just as she uttered those words, an immense pressure filled the entire chamber, making it hard to even breathe. Vibrant blue streaks of pure mana clashed with the already solidified defences of King of Falcia and shattered it completely. King Roan Min Aston shortly screamed in shock as the blue power flattened him on the ground like a bug under a finger. On the illusion screen held by Balin, a tall Human appeared near Empress Freya. He stared at the Core of the Dungeon of Falcia with fury.

"You want my wife to submit to you? I have killed for threats less than that." Emperor Theon Avalon crossed his arms in front of him. "I was listening to your discussion with my wife and I hoped for you to be reasonable. However, you never gave her a chance to tell you more about us, about Arcadia, about our alliance with Mortals living in the neighbouring countries. You just accused us of lying and ulterior motives. Instead of discussing how you could benefit or improve the lives of your people, you fixated yourself on praising Vestargo's greatness and denying the possibility that someone could fight him. It could be argued that this meeting could have gone differently but, instead of dialogue, you have chosen disdain and scorn."

All this time, King Roan Min Aston was pressed to the floor of his Inner Sanctum and he was panting heavily. Suddenly, all the pressure vanished as Thor sat down.

"As Thor stated earlier, power is everything for Dungeons. Is my power enough to satisfy your scepticism? Is it enough for you to apologise to my wife for calling her a liar?" Theon sat near Freya who leaned on him with a smile.

"I'm sorry for my accusations..." King Roan Min Aston panted his apologies which ended in a fit of coughing.

The Necromancer kneeled helplessly on the floor, his hands clenching the skull-tipped haft of his decorated staff. Theon Avalon's power spread across the room, hanging over King Roan Min Aston as if it was ready to destroy him. Tristan drew his sword, he knew that his master was in danger but he wasn't sure who to attack. As a Vampire, he should have been able to overpower a Korred, but he wasn't sure about the Fenrir. As he looked at Thor, whose white fur was glowing like snow, he noticed that the Fenrir was calmly observing him with a knowing gaze. Tristan exhaled and put away his blade with a defeated sigh.

"You are powerful, indeed..." King Roan managed to say after he stopped coughing. "So what now?"

Theon Avalon slowly shook his head. "You must know that Vestargo can use a similar power as you just witnessed. He tried to intimidate me into servitude but I replied in kind. The fact that you are thousands of kilometres away from the front line changes nothing. I can't let him subsume you."

"He won't..." King Roan gritted his teeth.

"Wake up and look around!" Empress Freya yelled. "It's easy enough for him to slip a scion in your vicinity! Maybe he can even do that by influencing your scion! You are too weak. You called yourself the ruler of a million souls but that's not even a drop in comparison to what we believe Vestargo has."

"I will do anything to protect my people..." Roan said in a cold voice.

"Then-" She tried with a soft smile, but Roan interrupted her.

"Why didn't you just leave?! Leave us in our isolation and-"

"No." The Emperor's voice coldly cut whatever the Core of the Dungeon of Falcia wanted to propose. "This is not a conflict between the Mortal Kingdoms that had far lesser consequences for the world but a fight between the Dungeons. I won't let luck decide if the war between two Dungeon Empires spills over the continent. My wife gave you a chance and she hoped to reason with you. Your people saw what transpired during this meeting. You asked me what now? I hoped we could start again and reach a fair consensus. But you prove to be weak, stubborn, impulsive, and dangerously short-sighted. If you were only a Mortal King, I could risk allowing you to stay neutral and isolated. But your existence, as it is, is a threat to Arcadia and my Mortal allies."

"No!" He flinched and pressed his right hand to his forehead.

"I give you two choices. Submit now or there will be a war that will end with our forces besieging and ultimately capturing your Dungeon." The Emperor's voice was calm and sad.

"I will protect my people!"

"Can't you see that I want to protect them as well? But, contrary to you, I'm powerful enough to actually do it."

"You can still prevent this war!" Empress Freya shouted with a slightly trembling voice. She nearly begged him.

"Tristan!" King Roan Min Aston shouted and, finally, the Vampire snapped out of his idleness.

A large mob of monsters was running down the long staircase but the Vampire wasn't sure if they were powerful enough to help him deal with the enemy scions. However, Thor looked at him sadly and howled once again bringing the entire room to eerie stillness. The shadow portal opened below the scions and they started disappearing. Before the illusion screen turned off, Emperor Theon Avalon looked at King Roan Min Aston once again.

"If you refrain from involving the Mortals of your Kingdom, our army will refrain from attacking them and our fleet won't join the battle. Let's keep the struggle between our Dungeons to ourselves, shall we?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.