The lesson of consequence that is.

Vale, despite how much passion was burning in his soul, rejected the wild cat's advances.

***

The next day came quickly, and the two set off on their adventure in the hope of retrieving knowledge of the supposed dungeon's location.

With Larry and Sizzy becoming Emergent Artisans, it was finally time for the Dungeon of Lust to enter the age of enlightenment!

Or more so, Vale was hoping the little imps could actually make useful tools and crafts now…

What Vale needed the most at the moment was fire… Well, a way to trap and utilize it. In other words, Vale was going to get Sizzy started on building an anvil and forge, while Larry would make the cauldron, bellows, and kiln.

While artisanry wasn't exactly a prerequisite for building design, anything the imps had built to this point lacked a knack for finer details. Vale hoped this evolution would help with the intricacies of the design process…

He didn't have much hope that whatever they created would be durable, but the potential benefit of success was undeniable.

First and foremost, Vale could assign an imp to attempt smithing and hopefully become a blacksmith, assuming it was possible. Second, it would give collecting the alluvium an actual meaning.

If they had a way to vitrify the clay, then Larry and Sizzy could use their 'talents' to start making actually functional bowls. Not to mention the inherent boon of having a new method of creation.

Materials would become an issue before long, unfortunately. Stone could be used to build the forge, cauldron, anvil, and kiln. However, their limited leather supply from the cat invasion didn't allow Larry to mess up the bellows.

In any case, Vale wasn't going to be reckless in his assignments. For now, he delegated the two to begin experimenting with hollowing out a large rock. It's not like they could stitch anything like stone together at the moment. The stone creations needed to be made via sculpting.

As for the bellows Larry was to make, it was going to be anything and everything except easy.

The wood they had collected wasn't particularly durable, so using it to create an item that would be subjected to such stress was pointless. They needed to fell an actual tree and return with a usable log.

The other main issue was the nozzle… While it could be carved from stone, its design would have to be meticulous, as any errors would render it useless. Larry had the harsh job of crafting this fine nozzle with a proper valve that Vale only knew the relative shape of.

They'd need nails and other straps to attach the leather to the boards and keep it all together. So, Larry would have to make some stone nails as well.

Oh, also, Vale knew the concept of a bellow and everything else… but the actual design and its minute details? Not really… It was up to Larry and Sizzy to find the missing pieces and put it all together…

All of this, of course, was anything but a one-week endeavor. If it took Larry an entire week to create a proper bowl, this project would undoubtedly take months.

"Baduhh…"

Larry and Sizzy, who'd gotten quite the discursive speech from Vale on the task at hand, stared their beady eyes into one another. They both looked like they wanted to cry… not that they could cry.

The only positive thing they got was being assigned a helper. Sizzy was given Marvel, while Larry was given Dickless. The helpers' job was to destroy and rebuild the stone mounds if they messed up.

Larry fell to its knees, and Sizzy flew into the air, spinning as it rose.

Awilix, who'd grown a little depressed at her rejection earlier, couldn't help but follow her instinct and chase after Sizzy's lagging tail.

'Whatever…'

Vale just shrugged at his minions' antics and left them alone in the room they'd created to work on this project, which was branched near the end of the 30-meter hallway.

Awilix, seeing Vale leave, soon followed, leaving the two despondent imps alone and confused.

As for Vale's own task… he was once again going to train. And now, he had the perfect training partner at his beck and call.

When Salome had been assessing his battle performance before, she'd mentioned he'd not gotten to fight against a mindless beast — the promised corrupted foe of woe.

While he didn't want to classify Awilix as mindless, she did at least fight like a beast. She was feral; she bit; she ran on four legs; and she wielded no weapon. Not to mention, he knew he'd be able to create an actual threatening combat scenario with the feline.

All he'd have to do is dangle the promise of pleasure…

Vale and Awilix entered the dungeon within a dungeon, which had been expanded and become the temporary training room. Vale reached into the Nexus of Beginnings and dragged out a sword.

While he still did want to improve with the whip, it wasn't entirely practical in a spar.

Awilix looked at him with curiosity glowing in her golden irises.

Vale spoke:

"If you defeat me… You can have all you want for three hours strai— woah!"

Before Vale even finished, Awilix lunged at him with a defiant and fierce expression on her face. She swiped her claws at Vale's chest, forcing him to briefly engage the golden bracer armor, which shot out with blitzing speed and covered his torso and shoulders.

Axilix began a relentless assault while shouting.

"I thought something was wrong with your head before! But it turns out you just wanted some rough foreplay!"

'That's not what this is…'

Vale let off an internal sigh as he barely managed to kick the wall just in time to propel himself away from Awilix, who'd just slung her hand with terrifying speed toward him.

With a manic look on the cat girl's face, she ripped her hand out of the stone and began her advance toward Vale, stalking on all fours.

Vale raised his sword and slowly sauntered around.

Awilix lunged again, and for the first time, he launched a strike at the cat and forced her to halt her advance.

"Oh, it seems you're serious now…"

'That's right… Finally, she gets it.'

Awilix shouted:

"You want some really, really rough foreplay!"

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

'Huh?'

'What?'

Awilix lunged again, and Vale ducked the attack and aimed a counter at Awilix's stomach. Awilix diverted her punch into a grapple and used Vale's shoulder as leverage to flip herself over the incoming attack.

Vale looked up and was face-to-face with an upside-down Awilix when he heard a faint…

'Horn?'

Vale thought he must have been mistaken, but even Awilix, who was very much focused on the promised reward, had paused and curiously tilted her head in the direction of the noise after skillfully executing her flip.

'What was…'

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

'Again?'

Did another river goddess sacrifice live and stumble upon them?

'Ximena will take care of it…'

But it was best for Vale to go check it out.

'And, what was that message about Salome?'

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[Your Warrior, Kalin, has been slain by a challenger]

[+5 Aether]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

Okay…

'What the fuck is happening?!'

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