The journey back to Castle Town took the better part of a day, their pace slowed by accumulated injuries and exhaustion that even Expert Peak cultivation couldn't completely override. The forest path seemed longer returning than it had during their initial approach, each step a reminder of violence endured and trials survived.

Raze walked in relative silence, his mind churning through everything that had occurred during the four days they'd spent in Titan Heart. Four days. It felt simultaneously longer and shorter, time distorted by the intensity of constant combat and the blank periods where his consciousness had simply ceased recording events.

Mariabel limped slightly despite the healing salves, her ribs still protesting where the Hornmaw's antlers had caught her. Oziel moved with practiced ease despite his own injuries, the Grandmaster's superior recovery already addressing damage that would have kept Expert rank cultivators bedridden for weeks.

They reached the estate as evening approached, the white stone structure a welcome sight after the prehistoric horrors they'd been facing. Servants rushed to meet them at the gates, expressions mixing relief and concern at their battered appearance.

"Count Dragonheart," the head housekeeper said, her professional composure cracking slightly. "We were beginning to worry when you didn't return after three days. Should I summon healers immediately?"

"Please," Raze confirmed, noting how Mariabel was swaying slightly from exhaustion. "And prepare hot baths for all of us. We need proper rest before anything else."

The next hour passed in a blur of medical attention, servants fussing over injuries while skilled healers examined them with techniques that exceeded simple alchemical salves. Raze's torso wounds were properly cleaned and sealed, the gashes across his back treated with methods that would prevent scarring despite the severity.

Mariabel's ribs were bound properly, the fractures stabilized through a combination of healing magic and mundane medical practice. Oziel accepted treatment with stoic patience, his Grandmaster durability having already addressed most concerns but the healers insisting on thoroughness regardless.

Clean clothing appeared, food was provided, and gradually the immediate crisis atmosphere faded into something approaching normalcy. They gathered in the main sitting room after the healers departed, the three of them looking considerably better than they had upon arrival.

Kael and Aslan joined them, questions evident in their expressions despite trying to maintain patience until their companions were ready to discuss what had occurred.

"Four days," Kael said eventually, his analytical mind having clearly been working overtime during their absence. "You were gone for four full days when the expedition was estimated to take three at most. What happened in there?"

Raze exchanged glances with Oziel and Mariabel, recognizing they needed to provide some explanation even if the full truth remained beyond his understanding.

"We cleared all five floors," Oziel began, his tone carrying respect for what they'd accomplished. "The dungeon was considerably more difficult than anticipated, each floor presenting challenges that tested our capabilities thoroughly."

"The creatures were prehistoric," Mariabel added. "Preserved by dungeon magic, maintaining power levels that exceeded what their modern equivalents possess. Master rank as regular encounters, Grandmaster rank bosses on the deeper floors."

"Grandmaster rank," Aslan repeated, his silver eyes widening. "You fought multiple Grandmaster level opponents?"

"Yes," Oziel confirmed. "Though calling them 'opponents' might be generous given how one-sided some exchanges were. The third floor boss nearly killed all of us before we managed to bring it down through coordinated assault."

Kael's attention shifted to Raze, noting something different about his friend's presence. "You've advanced. Expert Peak, unless I'm reading your aura incorrectly?"

"You're reading it correctly," Raze acknowledged. "The dungeon's ambient mana was dense enough that cultivation accelerated beyond normal rates. Combined with the stress of constant combat, my core development jumped three sub-ranks."

That was technically true, even if it left out the part where an ancient entity had temporarily possessed his body and fought Bephemoth while he was unconscious.

"And the loot?" Aslan asked, practical concern evident. "Was the risk justified by what you obtained?"

Raze pulled the Bephemoth Heartstring from his Inventory, the crystallized essence necklace glowing with contained power. The enchantments woven through it were visible even to non-cultivators, protective magics that would shield the wearer from harm while enhancing their natural capabilities.

"This was the primary objective," he said, holding it up for examination. "The engagement gift for Fedora. Three powerful enchantments including life preservation magic that activates automatically if the wearer suffers potentially fatal injury."

Mariabel studied the necklace with professional interest, her alchemical knowledge allowing her to appreciate the craftsmanship. "That's exceptional work. The crystallization process alone would have required Master rank skill, and the enchantments are layered with precision that suggests they were formed naturally rather than artificially applied."

"There were other items as well," Raze continued, pulling out skill cores and equipment pieces. "Enough loot to justify the risk even beyond the engagement gift."

The conversation continued for another hour, Raze and his companions describing encounters on each floor while carefully editing around the parts that involved his blank periods. When they reached the point where he'd woken up on the fifth floor with Bephemoth already dead, he simply stated that his memories were fragmented from the trauma.

Mariabel and Oziel exchanged glances at that explanation, clearly wanting to press further but recognizing this wasn't the time. They'd sensed something during those blank periods, something that made them uncomfortable enough to avoid discussing it in group settings.

"What actually happened on the fifth floor?" Mariabel asked quietly, her golden eyes studying Raze with intensity that suggested she already suspected the answer wouldn't satisfy. "We were unconscious on the fourth floor. When we woke, you were running past us shouting about the dungeon collapsing. But Bephemoth was already dead somehow."

Oziel's scarred face showed similar concern, the Grandmaster's combat experience making him particularly troubled by gaps in their understanding. "The fifth floor boss was Grandmaster Peak according to dungeon patterns. Even with my capabilities, that fight would have been extraordinarily difficult. Yet you emerged victorious while unconscious for most of the encounter."

Raze met their gazes evenly, recognizing that complete evasion would damage trust he'd been building with these companions. But the full truth about his blackouts wasn't something he could explain when he barely understood it himself.

"I don't remember," he said, which was technically accurate. "My last clear memory is reaching the fifth floor chamber and leading Bephemoth there. Then nothing until I woke with the loot already manifested. Whatever happened during that gap, my consciousness wasn't recording it."

"That's happened before," Mariabel observed, her tone carrying no accusation but clear worry. "During the fight with the Syndicate enforcer, you were injured badly enough that death seemed certain. Then something changed, and when you were aware again, the threat was eliminated."

"I'm not hiding information out of deception," he said quietly. "I genuinely don't know what happens during those gaps. My awareness simply stops, then resumes later with results I can't explain through my own actions."

The admission hung in the air between them, uncomfortable truth that raised more questions than it answered. But Mariabel and Oziel seemed to accept it, their expressions softening slightly as they recognized his genuine confusion matched their own.

"We'll figure it out eventually," Mariabel said, reaching to squeeze his shoulder briefly. "For now, the important thing is that we all survived and accomplished what we set out to do. The mysteries can wait until we're properly recovered."

"Agreed," Oziel said, though his tone suggested he'd be keeping a closer watch on Raze during future dangerous encounters.

Eventually exhaustion overtook curiosity and the gathering dispersed, everyone retiring to their quarters for much-needed rest. Raze lay in his absurdly large bed staring at the ceiling, his mind refusing to settle despite his body's protests.

The Dungeon Master talent. He needed to test it properly, understand what he'd gained through the core absorption. But that would require privacy and space to work without risk of being observed or interrupted.

He waited until the estate had gone completely silent, servants retired and his companions deeply asleep. Then he rose, dressing in simple clothing before making his way through darkened corridors toward the grounds outside.

The open training area was deserted at this hour, moonlight providing adequate illumination for what he planned. Raze stood in the center of the space, summoning his status interface to review the Dungeon Master talent's details.

Ding.

The window materialized, text organizing itself with that familiar efficiency.

[Dungeon Master - Summon & Tame]

[Available Summons: Titan Heart Creatures Only]

[Remaining Slots: 3/3]

[Warning: Once summoned and tamed, creatures cannot be unsummoned. They become permanent companions that will grow alongside you. Initial manifestation will reduce creature power to Low Expert rank regardless of original strength.]

[Note: Summoned creatures can be bonded to other individuals, but primary loyalty remains with the summoner. Bond recipients gain partial command authority but cannot override your directives.]

Raze read the description carefully, processing implications he hadn't fully considered during the initial selection. Permanent summons meant careful choice was critical, these three creatures would be with him indefinitely. And they were limited specifically to Titan Heart, meaning these were the only summons he'd ever have access to unless he somehow cleared that specific dungeon again, which seemed impossible given it had collapsed.

The power reduction to Low Expert rank was concerning but understandable, preventing him from immediately having Grandmaster level servants. The creatures would grow as he did, their strength scaling alongside his advancement.

But the bonding mechanism was what truly caught his attention. The ability to grant others partial command over his summons while maintaining ultimate authority created possibilities for enhancing his companions' capabilities without sacrificing his own control.

He closed the interface and focused on what he wanted to summon first.

The choices had seemed obvious during his initial consideration. The Alpha Slither from the second floor, the massive aquatic constrictor boss whose size and strength had nearly overwhelmed them in that flooded chamber. Starting with something that had been Master Peak rather than Grandmaster seemed wise for testing the mechanics.

Second would be the Apex Predator from the fourth floor, that hybrid creature combining Spindralis and Vorrhant traits that had tested them thoroughly on the hellish savanna. Grandmaster Low, dangerous but manageable in reduced form.

And third, if the system even permitted it, would be Bephemoth itself. The fifth floor's final boss, the apex predator that had ruled the dungeon until whatever inhabited Raze's body during the blank period had killed it. Grandmaster Peak, the ultimate prize if summoning worked.

He focused his intent on the Alpha Slither, visualizing the massive serpentine form from the second floor boss encounter. The system responded immediately, new interface appearing.

[Alpha Slither Selected]

[Master Peak Creature]

[Growth Potential: Paragon Rank]

[Confirm Summon?]

[Yes / No]

Raze's breath caught at that detail. Paragon rank growth potential. That meant this creature could theoretically advance all the way to the threshold of mortal cultivation, two ranks below demigod status. The investment would be permanent, but the potential payoff was extraordinary.

He selected Yes.

The air before him began to shimmer, mana condensing into visible distortion that spread across ten feet of ground. A magic circle formed, intricate patterns of light that rotated with hypnotic complexity. The designs were nothing he'd seen in this world before, suggesting the summoning system operated through principles beyond normal cultivation techniques.

Energy gathered at the circle's center, building intensity that made his skin prickle. The pressure was increasing steadily, reality bending to accommodate something that didn't naturally belong in this space.

Then a notification chimed.

Ding.

[Taming Required]

[Creature must be bound to your will before manifestation can complete]

[Activate Taming: Yes / No]

Raze selected Yes without hesitation, recognizing this was the mechanism preventing summoned creatures from immediately attacking their summoner.

His consciousness expanded outward, awareness touching something vast and primal that existed within the summoning circle. The Alpha Slither's essence, its fundamental nature preserved through whatever magic the Dungeon Master talent employed.

The creature resisted initially, predatory instinct rejecting the binding being imposed. But Raze's S-rank Will pressed against that resistance, mental fortitude overwhelming what remained of the Alpha Slither's independent identity.

The binding snapped into place with finality he felt in his core.

Light erupted from the magic circle, brilliant radiance that forced his eyes closed. Energy discharged in wave that spread across the entire training area, the manifestation completing as something transitioned from abstract essence into physical form.

When the light faded, Raze opened his eyes cautiously.

A tiny serpentine form lay coiled at the circle's center.

The creature was perhaps two feet long and as thick as his wrist, scales gleaming with colors that matched the Alpha Slither but proportions that were completely wrong. This wasn't a reduced version of the massive boss, this was something that looked more like a baby than a diminished adult.

The small Slither's head lifted, eyes opening to reveal awareness that was distinctly intelligent despite the adorable appearance. It studied Raze for a moment before its body uncoiled with surprising speed.

Raze's instinct was to retreat, muscle memory from fighting the full-sized version making him want to create distance. But his rational mind recognized this creature couldn't possibly hurt him at this size, the taming had clearly altered more than just power level.

The tiny Slither crossed the distance between them in seconds, body moving with fluid grace. It reached his legs and began climbing, scales finding purchase on his clothing as it ascended toward his torso.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Raze said, hands reaching to stop the creature before it could—

Too late.

The Slither reached his shoulders and immediately coiled around his neck, body wrapping in gentle loops that were warm and surprisingly comfortable. Its head settled against his collarbone, tongue flicking out to taste the air with movements that were bizarrely endearing rather than threatening.

Affection.

That was what this was. The creature was showing affection, bonding behavior from something whose wild version had tried to crush him to death in an underwater chamber.

Raze stood very still, uncertain how to respond. His hand rose slowly, fingers touching scaled hide that was smooth and warm. The Slither leaned into the contact, a sound emerging that might have been a purr if serpents could purr.

"Well," he said quietly. "This is unexpected."

Ding.

[Taming Complete]

[Alpha Slither successfully bound]

[Please assign designation for bonded creature]

[Name: _____]

A name. He needed to name this tiny serpent that was currently wrapped around his neck like an affectionate scarf.

His mind worked through options, trying to find something appropriate. The creature was female according to the system notification, which narrowed possibilities slightly. Something simple that referenced her nature.

"Slith," he said eventually. Short, straightforward, slightly comical given how the fearsome apex predator had been reduced to something resembling an oversized pet snake.

The Slither, Slith, responded to the designation by tightening her coils slightly in what might have been approval. Her head rubbed against his neck, contentment evident in every movement.

Ding.

[Designation Accepted: Slith]

[Bonded Companion registered]

[Current Status:]

[Name: Slith]

[Species: Alpha Slither (Juvenile)]

[Rank: Expert (Low)]

[Growth Potential: Paragon]

[Loyalty: Absolute]

[Special Traits: Constriction Mastery, Aquatic Adaptation, Pack Coordination]

[Growth path established. Creature will advance alongside summoner.]

[Remaining Summon Slots: 2/3]

Raze studied the status window, noting how the system had categorized Slith as juvenile despite being summoned from an adult creature's essence. The growth potential to Paragon rank was confirmed, meaning with proper development she could become one of the strongest beings in the world.

But first, the second summon.

He focused his intent on the Apex Predator from the fourth floor, visualizing that grotesque hybrid form combining multiple evolutionary advantages. That creature had nearly killed all three of them through sheer versatility and power.

The system responded.

[Apex Predator Selected]

[Grandmaster Low Creature]

[Growth Potential: Paragon Rank]

[Confirm Summon?]

[Yes / No]

Another Paragon potential summon. The pattern suggested that boss-level creatures maintained exceptional growth capabilities even when reduced to juvenile forms.

Raze selected Yes.

The magic circle formed again, patterns more complex this time to accommodate the higher base rank. Energy gathered with greater intensity, pressure building until the air itself felt heavy. Slith tightened around his neck, the tiny serpent sensing something significant was occurring.

The taming notification appeared.

Ding.

[Taming Required]

[WARNING: Creature possesses enhanced Will. Moderate resistance expected.]

[Activate Taming: Yes / No]

Raze selected Yes, his S-rank Will cycling in preparation.

His consciousness expanded, touching the Apex Predator's essence. The resistance was stronger than Slith had offered, the hybrid's superior base rank translating into more formidable opposition. But his mental fortitude proved sufficient, the binding snapping into place after perhaps five seconds of contest.

Light erupted, intensity exceeding the first summoning. When it faded, a small creature sat at the circle's center.

The thing was perhaps the size of a large cat, maybe two feet long excluding the multiple tail whips. Its body maintained the cat-like base structure with the extra Vorrhant limbs, but scaled down to proportions that were oddly cute. The camouflage fur shifted colors uncertainly, as if the juvenile form hadn't quite mastered the ability yet.

Mismatched golden eyes studied him with disturbing intelligence, the gaze suggesting this creature remembered being significantly more dangerous. Then it approached, movement fluid despite the awkward extra limbs.

It reached his legs and simply sat, looking up with expression that might have been expectation. Waiting for something, though Raze couldn't determine what.

He knelt slowly, bringing himself to eye level. His hand extended cautiously.

The creature sniffed his palm, then pressed its head against his hand in gesture that was unmistakably accepting the bond. The multiple tail whips curled around his wrist gently, the touch warm and strangely affectionate.

Ding.

[Taming Complete]

[Apex Predator successfully bound]

[Please assign designation for bonded creature]

[Name: _____]

A name for the hybrid monstrosity reduced to kitten-sized companion.

Raze thought for a moment, considering what would be appropriate. Something that captured the absurdity of this fearsome predator becoming adorable.

"Mittens," he said, unable to suppress slight smile at the ridiculousness.

The creature's eyes narrowed slightly, as if recognizing the comedic nature of the designation but accepting it nonetheless. One of the tail whips bopped him gently on the nose, the gesture carrying what might have been resigned tolerance.

Ding.

[Designation Accepted: Mittens]

[Bonded Companion registered]

[Current Status:]

[Name: Mittens]

[Species: Apex Predator (Juvenile)]

[Rank: Expert (Low)]

[Growth Potential: Paragon]

[Loyalty: Absolute]

[Special Traits: Multi-limb Coordination, Adaptive Camouflage, Hybrid Vigor]

[Growth path established. Creature will advance alongside summoner.]

[Remaining Summon Slots: 1/3]

Mittens settled at his feet, the multiple tail whips coiling around his ankles in a gesture that was both possessive and affectionate. Slith observed from her position around his neck, the tiny serpent apparently unconcerned about the new addition.

One slot remained. The most significant choice.

Bephemoth.

Raze focused his intent on the fifth floor's final boss, visualizing that grotesque muscular form with twisted limbs and visible heart. The apex predator that had ruled Titan Heart until whatever inhabited his body during the blank period had killed it.

The system responded.

[Bephemoth Selected]

[Grandmaster Peak Creature]

[Growth Potential: Demigod Rank]

[WARNING: Creature difficulty exceeds normal summoning parameters]

[WARNING: Taming difficulty significantly increased]

[Confirm Summon?]

[Yes / No]

Raze's breath stopped completely.

Demigod rank growth potential.

That was beyond Paragon, beyond even Transcendent rank. Demigod was the absolute peak of mortal cultivation, the threshold where individuals transcended normal existence to approach actual divinity. Only a handful of beings in the entire world had ever reached that level.

And Bephemoth had the potential to grow that far.

His finger trembled slightly as he selected Yes.

The magic circle that formed was vastly more complex than the previous two, patterns layering upon patterns in configurations that made his eyes hurt trying to follow them. Energy gathered with intensity that made the previous summonings seem trivial, pressure building until reality itself groaned under the strain.

The entire training area was shaking, windows in the nearby estate buildings rattling violently. Servants were definitely waking now, the disturbance impossible to sleep through.

Slith's coils tightened almost painfully around his neck, the tiny serpent radiating alarm. Mittens pressed against his legs, multiple limbs gripping his clothing as if seeking reassurance.

The notification chimed.

Ding.

[Taming Required]

[CRITICAL WARNING: Creature possesses exceptional Will matching your own]

[CRITICAL WARNING: Binding failure may result in hostile manifestation]

[CRITICAL WARNING: Mental damage possible if taming fails]

[Activate Taming: Yes / No]

Raze stared at the warnings, understanding the risk he was about to take. But backing out now seemed impossible, the opportunity too significant to refuse despite the danger.

He selected Yes.

His consciousness expanded, awareness reaching toward Bephemoth's essence.

The resistance was immediate and overwhelming.

This wasn't a contest, this was a war. Bephemoth's fundamental nature raged against the binding, primal fury that had once shaken entire floors of the dungeon now focused entirely on rejecting subjugation. The creature's Will matched his S-rank capability, creating deadlock that neither could break through force alone.

Raze's body went rigid, his physical form freezing as all attention focused on the mental struggle. Sweat poured down his face, the strain of maintaining the binding attempt exceeding anything he'd experienced.

Seconds stretched into eternities as the contest continued. Neither advancing, neither retreating, just pure collision of wills that refused to yield.

Then something shifted.

Not victory, but recognition. Bephemoth's essence seemed to remember something, awareness processing that the consciousness pressing against it carried familiar traces. The entity that had killed it, that ancient presence, had left imprints within this vessel.

The resistance didn't disappear, but it changed. Became assessment rather than pure rejection. Evaluating whether this binding represented servitude or something else.

Raze pressed his advantage, not through force but through projection of intent. Partnership. Growth. Eventual restoration to power exceeding what the dungeon had provided.

The binding snapped into place.

Light detonated with force that sent shockwaves across the entire estate. Every window within a hundred feet shattered simultaneously, glass exploding outward in glittering rain. The training ground cratered beneath the summoning circle, stone compressed by pressure that exceeded what normal manifestation generated.

Boom!

When the light faded, something small sat at the circle's center.

The creature was perhaps the size of a large dog, maybe three feet long and two feet tall at the shoulder. Its body maintained the grotesque muscularity of the original, twisted limbs still looking wrong but scaled down to proportions that were almost cute rather than horrifying. The layered spine ridges had become tiny protrusions along its back, and the visible heart was no larger than Raze's fist despite still being exposed through gaps in its flesh.

But its eyes were unchanged.

Intelligent amber that studied him with awareness suggesting the reduction in size hadn't diminished its mental capabilities. The gaze was calculating, evaluating, recognizing the binding while simultaneously acknowledging what had occurred during their first encounter.

Then it moved.

The small Bephemoth approached slowly, gait awkward as if adjusting to dimensions that didn't match what it remembered. It reached his legs and stopped, looking up with expression that was impossible to read.

Raze knelt slowly, bringing himself to eye level with what had been the dungeon's final boss. His hand extended cautiously, offering contact without forcing it.

The creature sniffed his palm, tongue emerging to taste his skin. Whatever assessment it conducted apparently satisfied, because it stepped forward and pressed its head against his hand.

Acceptance, but different from the others. This wasn't simple bonding affection but acknowledgment between entities that had fought to the death and emerged with mutual respect.

Ding.

[Taming Complete]

[Bephemoth successfully bound]

[Please assign designation for bonded creature]

[Name: _____]

A name for the apex predator reduced to manageable size.

Raze considered carefully, recognizing this creature deserved something more dignified than pure comedy despite its current adorable appearance.

"Bephe," he said finally. Shortened version that maintained the original's gravitas while acknowledging the transformation.

The small Bephemoth, Bephe, responded by pressing harder against his hand. Its visible heart pulsed with rhythm that might have been satisfaction at receiving a name that honored what it had been.

Ding.

[Designation Accepted: Bephe]

[Bonded Companion registered]

[Current Status:]

[Name: Bephe]

[Species: Bephemoth (Juvenile)]

[Rank: Expert (Low)]

[Growth Potential: Demigod]

[Loyalty: Absolute]

[Special Traits: Berserker Transformation, Regeneration, Unstoppable Force, Primal Dominance]

[Growth path established. Creature will advance alongside the summoner.]

[Remaining Summon Slots: 0/3]

[All summon slots filled. Dungeon Master talent fully activated.]

Raze sat back on his heels, three prehistoric predators now bound to him permanently. Slith coiled around his neck, Mittens pressed against his side, and Bephe settled at his feet with possessive dignity.

The absurdity struck him fully. Creatures that had nearly killed him repeatedly, now reduced to forms that resembled exotic pets more than the monsters they'd been.

But beneath the cute exteriors remained the fundamental nature of what they were. As they grew, as their power returned alongside his cultivation advancement, these three would become among the most formidable beings in existence.

Slith and Mittens with Paragon potential, capable of reaching heights that most cultivators only dreamed of.

And Bephe, with demigod potential that could theoretically elevate it beyond even legendary warriors.

Footsteps approached rapidly, servants rushing toward the training area to investigate the disturbance. His companions were likely waking as well, the final summoning having been impossible to sleep through.

Explanations would be required. Demonstrations of capability to prove these weren't threats despite their origins.

But those were concerns for the waking world.

For now, Count Dragonheart sat surrounded by three creatures that shouldn't exist outside dungeons, permanent companions that would grow alongside him toward futures that defied normal cultivation limits.

The engagement gift was secured, the dungeon cleared, and his power had multiplied beyond what four days of normal adventuring should have provided.

The future was looking considerably more interesting despite mysteries that remained unsolved.

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