Reed had never been so aware of numbers, mostly because the numbers were currently vibrating with a post-coital sort of glow in his peripheral vision.

He sat on the edge of his stone bed, feeling… expanded.

The mana from the adventurers' visit was settling into the Core, and the sensation was intoxicating. It felt like a warm, thick liquid filling him up from the toes up. It buzzed in his fingertips and thrummed in his ears.

[DUNGEON MANA (DM): 10.7]

[CORE XP: 15 / 100]

"Ten point seven," Reed breathed, his voice dropping an octave. "That is… satisfying."

"You're drooling, Boss," Grika's voice cut through his reverie.

Reed blinked and looked up.

Grika was currently sprawled on the stone workbench in the adjacent cavern, which she had claimed as her personal domain. She was lying on her back, legs kicked up in the air, ankles crossed. She was still wearing her "combat gear" which was to say, the shreds of denim and leather that barely qualified as clothing. She was wiping grease off her wrench with a rag, her movements slow and deliberate.

Luma was nearby, sitting on her slime-beanbag. She was vibrating. Literally. Her blue, semi-translucent body was rippling with little waves of residual excitement, and she was watching Reed with eyes that were dilated so wide they were almost black.

"I'm not drooling," Reed defended, wiping his mouth. He was. "I'm processing. We made a profit."

Grika sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bench. The leather straps across her chest creaked. She stretched, arching her back until her spine popped, thrusting her chest out in a way that was definitely not OSHA-compliant.

"We didn't just make a profit," she purred. "We put on a show. Did you see the look on that warrior's face when I wrapped my legs around her head? She didn't know whether to stab me or buy me dinner."

Luma giggled, a wet, bubbly sound. "She turned very red! Like a tomato! A heavily armored tomato!"

"That's called 'asphyxiation,' Luma," Reed noted.

"Whatever you call it, it worked," Grika said. She hopped off the bench and sauntered into the Core Chamber. She stopped in front of Reed, placing her hands on her hips. "Now. Post-game analysis. How did I do? Be specific. I want to know exactly what parts of me… performed well."

Reed pulled up the incident report.

[INCIDENT REPORT – INCURSION #1] Encounters:

– Grika (Goblin Engineer): Engagement rated as "High Intensity / High Contact."

– Results: Intruders survived (Moderate Bruising / Severe Confusion).

"You did good," Reed said, trying to keep his eyes on her face and not the sweat glistening on her midriff. "You kept them busy. You took hits. You gave hits."

"I took hits," Grika agreed. She pointed to a purple bruise forming on her thigh, just below the hem of her shorts. "Shield bash. Right here. Think it needs medical attention?"

She stepped closer, invading his personal space. She put her foot on the edge of his bed, leaning in so her knee was almost touching his chest.

"Maybe you should inspect it, Boss? Quality control?"

Reed swallowed. The bruise was indeed there, stark against her green skin. But so was the curve of her leg, the muscle tone, and the distinct lack of fabric.

"I think… Luma is the medic," Reed choked out.

Luma squeaked and scrambled off her seat. Shlorp-shlorp-shlorp.

"I can do it!" she announced, sliding between them. "I can fix it!"

She didn't wait for permission. Luma knelt down and wrapped her hands—and then her forearms—around Grika's thigh.

"Engulfing!" Luma declared happily.

Her blue slime dissolved into Grika's skin. The goblin hissed, gripping Reed's shoulder for balance.

"Cold!" Grika gasped, arching her back. "That's cold, squishy!"

"It warms up!" Luma promised, nuzzling her face against Grika's leg to get better leverage. "Just let it… soak in…"

Reed watched, paralyzed. His healer was currently hugging his tank's leg with an intimacy that bordered on scandalous, while Grika bit her lip and gripped his shoulder hard enough to leave marks.

The System chimed, oblivious to the tension.

[MONSTER PROFILE – GRIKA]

Level: 1 → 2

HP: 100 → 120

New Skill: [Improvised Grapple] – Advantage on checks to pin targets with thighs.

"You leveled up," Reed said, his voice faint.

Grika opened one eye. "Yeah? Did I unlock 'Crush'? Please tell me I unlocked 'Crush.'"

"'Improvised Grapple,'" Reed read.

Grika grinned, looking down at Luma, who was still happily massaging her leg. "Perfect. I'm going to use that on everything."

Luma pulled back with a wet suction sound. "All better!"

Grika flexed her leg. "Huh. Not bad, puddle. You're handy to have around."

Luma beamed, turning to Reed.

[MONSTER PROFILE – LUMA]

Level: 1 → 2

New Skill: [Soothing Aura (Minor)] – Nearby allies regenerate HP and feel mild, drowsy euphoria.

"You leveled too, Luma," Reed said. "You got… Soothing Aura."

Luma blinked. "Soothing… Aura?"

As she said it, a soft, pale mist began to radiate from her body. It smelled like warm vanilla and rain.

Reed breathed it in. Instantly, his shoulders dropped three inches. His eyelids felt heavy. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread through his chest, like he'd just had two glasses of wine and a hot bath.

"Oh," Reed murmured, swaying slightly. "That's… nice."

Grika blinked slowly, her sharp grin softening into a lazy smile. She leaned heavier on Reed's shoulder.

"Woah," the goblin whispered. "Is the room spinning, or am I just really… relaxed?"

She practically melted, sitting down next to Reed on the bed. Her shoulder pressed against his.

"Hey, Boss," she murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. "You're comfy."

Luma wiggled up onto the other side of him. "Group hug?"

"Group hug," Grika agreed sleepily.

For a solid five minutes, the Dungeon Lord and his two monsters sat in a pile on the bed, stoned out of their minds on healing pheromones.

Then the System chimed again, loud and rude.

[CORE XP THRESHOLD REACHED]

Core Level: 1 → 2

System Update: The dungeon is growing.

The vibration hit them all at once.

It started in the crystal behind them. A deep, thrumming beat—ba-DUMP—that shook the bed.

Reed gasped. The sensation of leveling up was… visceral. It felt like a rush of adrenaline and dopamine hitting his brain simultaneously. The cavern seemed to stretch. His awareness expanded, pushing out further into the rock, claiming more territory.

"Oh god," Reed groaned, his back arching involuntarily. "That's… intense."

Grika shivered against him. "Why does the floor feel like it's vibrating?"

"Growing pains," Reed gasped. "Good ones."

The light in the room flared, turning from soft violet to a rich, deep royal purple.

[CONSTRUCTION UNLOCKED]

New Rooms: Medium Cavern, Straight Corridor, Safe Room (Sanctified Niche).

New Features: Simple Door, Trap Slots.

Reed shook his head, trying to clear the fog of pleasure.

"Safe Room," he said, latching onto the text. "Sanctified Niche. We need that."

"Nap room?" Grika asked, stretching her arms over her head.

"Recovery room," Reed corrected. "A place where adventurers can rest… and where we can lure them into a false sense of security."

Luma perked up. "Can I have it? Can I decorate it?"

Reed looked at the slime girl. "You want to decorate the safe room?"

"I want to make it soft!" she said. "Hard stone is bad for resting. I want to make it squishy!"

Reed considered this. A room run by Luma. Soft. Wet. Inviting.

"Okay," he said. "Let's build the Luma Lounge."

Building the safe room took the better part of an hour, and it was an exercise in self-control.

Reed carved a small alcove off the main workshop cavern. He spent 5 DM to designate it as a [Safe Room]. The air inside instantly changed—it became hushed, warm, and smelled faintly of lavender.

Then Luma went to work.

"It needs cushions," she decided.

Since they didn't have fabric, she improvised. She spent her time coating the stone benches Reed made in a thin layer of her own slime residue, which hardened into a gel-like memory foam.

"It's sticky," Grika critiqued, poking a bench.

"It's grip!" Luma argued. "So you don't slide off when you're… sleeping!"

"Right. Sleeping." Grika smirked at Reed. "Boss, she's building a nest."

Reed walked into the small room. It was cozy. Dangerously cozy. The lighting was dim and pinkish. The surfaces were all slightly damp and yielding.

"Luma," Reed said. "This looks like the inside of a stomach. A very comfortable stomach."

"Is that bad?" Luma asked, wide-eyed.

"It's… a choice," Reed said. "Adventurers are going to be very confused. And probably very relaxed."

[SAFE ROOM COMPLETE]

Effect: [Trustworthy Rest]

– Intruders regenerate HP/MP faster.

Bonus Effect: [Sticky Comfort] – Intruders are reluctant to leave.

"Perfect," Reed said. "We trap them with comfort."

Stonebridge – The Rusty Keg Tavern

While Reed was overseeing interior decorating, the surface world was processing the debut of the "Teasing Tomb."

The Rusty Keg was packed. Smoke hung in the air, mixing with the smell of ale and roasted meat.

Lena sat at the bar, staring into her mug. Her armor was unbuckled, revealing the bruise on her collarbone where Grika had grappled her.

"So," the barkeep asked, wiping a glass. "You look like you went twelve rounds with a bear."

"A goblin," Lena corrected. She took a long drink. "A goblin who… wrestles."

Tessa, sitting next to her, was furiously scribbling in a notebook. Her face was bright red.

"It wasn't just wrestling," Tessa muttered. "It was… choreography. The dungeon moved with us."

A group of younger adventurers leaned in from the next table.

"We heard it talks," one of them said. "Kara said you guys heard a voice."

Lena slammed her mug down. "Yeah. It talks. It told me to watch my step. Then it caught me when I fell."

She rubbed her arm.

"The floor," she said, lowering her voice, "got soft. It wrapped around my boot like a hand. It was… warm."

The tavern went quiet.

"Warm?" someone whispered.

"And the goblin," Lena continued, staring at the middle distance. "She pinned me. She was so heavy. She smelled like engine oil and trouble. She told me to come back when I had more stamina."

Brin, huddled in the corner, groaned. "Don't make it sound like that. It was a fight. A tactical engagement."

"She sat on your face, Brin," Lena pointed out.

"She was establishing dominance!" Brin shouted, his ears turning pink. "It's a valid combat maneuver!"

Tessa pushed her glasses up. "The slime was interesting too. It touched Brin's leg. He stopped bleeding, but he also couldn't stand up for five minutes."

"It was a paralytic agent!" Brin defended.

"It was pure dopamine," Tessa corrected. "I measured the mana signature. The dungeon is… drugging us with good vibes."

The barkeep paused. "So, let me get this straight. You went into a hole in the ground, got beat up by a hot goblin, cuddled by the floor, and drugged by a slime?"

Lena grinned. It was a slightly dazed, hungry grin.

"Yeah," she said. "We're going back tomorrow."

From the shadows near the stairs, Mira, the Guild receptionist, watched them. She held a quill in her hand, but she wasn't writing. She was listening.

She looked at the report on the table.

Subject: Dungeon D-0731 Classification: Benevolent Aberrant. Note: High potential for psychological entrapment.

Mira bit her lip. She replayed the recording from Lena's token in her mind—the deep voice, the teasing tone, the way the dungeon seemed to enjoy the interaction.

"Benevolent," she whispered to herself. "Or just… lonely?"

She shivered. She wasn't sure why, but the idea of a dungeon that wanted to play was infinitely more dangerous—and more interesting—than one that just wanted to kill.

Back Underground

Reed sneezed.

"Someone's talking about me," he said, rubbing his nose.

"Probably that warrior," Grika said. She was currently testing the newly installed [Trap Slot] in the hallway. She was trying to fit a spring-loaded paddle into the wall. "She definitely has a crush on me."

"She has a concussion, Grika," Reed said.

"Same thing." Grika clicked the mechanism into place. Snap. "There. Spanking trap installed. Non-lethal, highly embarrassing."

Reed looked at the trap. It was… exactly what she said it was. A padded leather paddle on a high-tension spring, set at waist height.

"We are terrible people," Reed noted.

"We are entertainers," Grika corrected.

Luma wandered in from the Safe Room. She looked tired but happy. Her glow had dimmed to a soft night-light blue.

"I'm sleepy," she yawned. A bubble of slime popped on her cheek. "Can we rest now, Reed?"

Reed checked his mana. It was stable. The dungeon was secure. The first day was over.

"Yeah," he said. "Let's call it a night."

He walked back to the Core Chamber. Grika followed, and Luma trailed behind.

They gathered around the Core. The crystal was pulsing slowly now, a lullaby rhythm.

Reed sat on his bed. Grika didn't hesitate—she sat down next to him, leaning back against the wall, stretching her legs out. Luma simply flopped onto the floor at their feet, turning into a puddle with a face.

"Hey Boss?" Grika asked softly, closing her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"When do we get the next one?"

"The next one?"

"The big gun," Grika said. "The heavy hitter. We need a tank. I can't grapple everyone."

Reed looked at the Summon menu. He looked at the icon that had unlocked when he hit Level 2.

[Guardian Template: Lamia Knight – Seraphine] Cost: 10 DM Role: Floor Guardian / Boss Trait: [Constrictor] – Why hit them when you can squeeze them?

He thought about the massive snake-woman. He thought about the already chaotic energy of his dungeon. He thought about Lena's face when she walked into a room and realized she had to fight that.

"Soon," Reed promised. "Very soon."

He looked at Grika, dozing off with her mouth slightly open. He looked at Luma, bubbling softly in her sleep.

He leaned back against the warm stone of the Core.

"Tomorrow," he whispered to the dark. "We bring in the muscle. And the scales."

The dungeon hummed in agreement. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

It was going to be a very interesting week.

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