Happy workers

I stare at the cube, a knot of hope and skepticism in my chest. Hmmm... I really hope this works. If I can make this work, security won't be an issue anymore, I think as I settle down, crossing my legs in front of the cube. I let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, system, I'm about to remove one of the Talismans. Use some of my points to let me communicate with it."

The system springs to life, displaying cold, unemotional messages.

[Loading request]

[Request confirmed]

[???]

[The Warden of Fate's Breach]

[One of the great Dungeon cores.]

[All acquired points will be used to communicate with it.]

[Confirm/Deny]

I rub my temples, feeling a surge of frustration. All my points, just to talk to it? The system really knows how to piss me off, I grumble internally.

[Take it or leave it]

I click confirm, begrudgingly. This system might be a scam, but I need to communicate with this thing. Fine, do it, you insufferable bastard.

With a careful motion, I remove one of the talismans. The system begins its translation, words appearing on the screen as the cube's thoughts are deciphered.

[....]

I tap the cube lightly. "Yo, I need to talk to you," I assert, hoping for a response. Silence. My patience wears thin, and I knock harder. "Hey, I'm talking to you. I know you can hear me, you purple box."

The cube seems to ponder in silence, then the system relays its thoughts.

[What is this human talking about?]

[Is he talking to me?]

Seeing this, I respond directly. "Yes, I'm talking to you. Who else?"

The cube's confusion is almost palpable.

[huh... huh...? What!?]

[You can understand me?]

I nod, ready to get down to business. "Yes, I can. Now, let's get dow—" But it interrupts me.

[You filthy human! Get rid of these restraints! How dare you seal me!]

I lean on my arm, feeling a headache coming on. This is going to be more troublesome than I thought, I muse. Suddenly, Ilka pops into view, yawning and curious. "Ho ho~ what's happening here?" she asks, floating around and eyeing the zombies.

"I'm trying to talk to this thing, but it's being annoying," I complain, tapping the cube again for emphasis.

[I don't know how you're capable of understanding me, but it doesn't matter. If I don't connect to the zombies, they'll leave the forest and attack nearby human countries.]

I raise an eyebrow, amused by its audacity. Tapping the cube, I challenge its claim. "I didn't think something like you would lie. The zombies can't leave. This forest is your dungeon, and they're bound to it. It doesn't matter if you're sealed. They'll never be capable of leaving this place."

Ilka hovers closer, her curiosity piqued. "How are you talking to this thing?" she inquires, her gaze fixed on the cube.

I glance at her, a wry smile on my lips. "It's complicated," I reply, my attention still on the cube.

I sigh, deciding it's best to give the cube a moment to cool down.

[Are you insane, human? You are complaining about me to yourself?]

[Let me go!]

[I have left humans alone and lived peacefully in this forest. Why must you seal me!?]

I smirk, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "Hey, I'm trying to talk to you. In fact, I'm trying to help you, but you're not giving me a chance to speak." This thing is more annoying than I imagined. Is it because it's scared?

[You? Help me?]

[You're nothing but a filthy human!]

[You have no knowledge! You're a nobody in this world!]

[I will show you respect for knowing how to seal me. Remove these seals, and I'll let you leave my forest alive.]

I smirk again and turn to Ilka. "Hey Ilka, did you ever hear of anything like this in your times?" I'm genuinely curious if the cube recognizes Ilka. It's ancient, having escaped death and set up its dungeon here a couple of thousand years ago. Ilka looks at the cube and starts floating upside down. "Na, I've never seen or heard of this thing."

I nod and turn back to the cube, tapping it lightly. "Listen to me, you damn box. I know exactly what you're doing in this forest. I know what you're preparing for." As I say this, I start fighting Ilka playfully, poking her tiny face.

[...]

[You know? No, that doesn't make sense...]

[But then again, how does he understand me?]

[Human. No... a human wouldn't understand me... Who are you?]

Finally, we're getting somewhere. I yawn, deciding to lay my cards on the table. "I'm someone who doesn't want a near-extinction event. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about." Since Mason is gone for some reason, I have to resort to using this dungeon to prevent a disaster.

[I see. You know what is coming. But it doesn't matter if you're a reincarnation or you're possessing a human body.]

[I have no reason to help you prevent that.]

I smirk, my confidence unshaken. "I beg to differ. I know exactly what will happen to you as soon as it appears." Standing up, I assert, "You've been preparing for thousands of years, but if you think it will help you, you're wrong."

[You seem confident I'll lose. However, I have enough troops to assist me.]

Leaning down, I whisper, "I happen to have a fascinating piece of information." I flick Ilka away playfully and continue, "It will appear here, in this forest."

[No, that's not possible. The chances of that happening are less than 1%.]

I chuckle softly. "Hmhmhmhmhm, how can you still deny it? You've been using your lie detection skill, right?"

[...]

[What do you want from me?]

I grin, feeling the tide turning in my favor. Extending my arm out, I propose, "Make me the dungeon master." It's a big ask, giving me that title would make me their master in a way, granting me complete control over its dungeon.

[You're insane.]

"I know. But I'm offering you a chance. I promise, you'll get your revenge. That's what you're after, right? I'll make you a physical body you can use instead of inhabiting a zombie. All I want is to prepare and deal with the upcoming threat, but I need your help to do it."

[...]

[You're not lying.]

[While I consider it, tell me who you are and how you know all this.]

I smirk, feeling the pieces of the puzzle aligning. "You can call me Kael. And trust me, even if I told you how I know all this, you wouldn't believe me."

Ilka's voice pierces through my concentration, her impatience clear as day. "Just what the fuck is going on? I want the tea!" she complains, her feet kicking back and forth as she perches on my head. I choose to ignore her; my focus is entirely on the cube. It's been a minute already. Is it going to reject? My proposition is quite reasonable, there should be no reason to reject it.

"You need to decide now," I press, my voice firm. "You either die a miserable death or fight alongside me and get your revenge."

[...]

[How much do you know about me?]

"Not much," I admit. "All I know is who you want revenge on."

[You're confident it will happen?]

Ilka, meanwhile, is tugging at my hair, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I want to know what's going on!" she groans, her complaints becoming more persistent. I continue to ignore her, focusing instead on the cube. "Yes. Now what will you choose?"

[...]

[Very well. I will make you the dungeon master, but the contract will state you must help me achieve my goal no matter what.]

I can't help but grin. Yes, this is exactly what I needed. Suddenly, pulses of purple light start glowing on the cube.

[Place your palm at the center]

Ilka, ever the curious one, watches the cube glow, her eyes wide with wonder. "Ooh ~" she murmurs, floating around me. "What's happening ~ hmm? Hmm?" Without hesitation, I place my palm on the cube. I grunt as purple energy visibly crawls up my hand, arm, and chest, forming a tattoo of a cube with two lines underneath it on my chest. It glows for a few seconds before fading into a black tattoo. Yes, finally. Now I can get to work.

The system window pops up, offering a cascade of notifications.

[Connection established]

[❇Congratulations, Host!❇]

[You have completed a hidden task]

[You are now the dungeon master of one of the great dungeons!]

[+500 points]

[New title acquired]-[The one who conquered the dungeon!]

[You may teleport to any location in your dungeon]

[You may create a rift from any location to visit your dungeon]

[Dungeon map acquired]

[Dungeon stats acquired]

[Note: You may select one person to be a commander.]

I take a moment to process all the new information. I can teleport anywhere and I've got a map of this place. I open up the map and look at the forest. Damn! This forest is huge. So much land, so many opportunities~ Curious, I click on a button and some basic info pops up.

[5,854,963 Basic Zombies]

[3,650,052 Rare Zombies]

[542,418 Unique Zombies]

[12 Commanding Zombies]

[4 Ancient Zombies]

[Notice!]-[Shame on you!]

[Your Dungeon has no growth.]

[Fix the dungeon and let adventurers explore it.]

[For Zombies to grow under ???, 'The Warden of Fate's Breach,' they must fight in the dungeon against outsiders.]

I raise my eyebrows, reading all this. Damn, so many zombies. But given the amount of land here, it makes sense. In fact, it's a bit low. The system wants me to set up a dungeon system... like in a game where players level up. Thanks to the cube's title, 'The Warden of Fate's Breach,' zombies can level up by fighting opponents. In a way, they gain XP by defending a post, defeating an opponent, and surviving an attack. This cube doesn't think this is necessary since people die immediately by the overwhelming numbers, giving the zombies no XP whatsoever.

I tap my chin thoughtfully. What the hell is a unique zombie?

[A Unique Zombie has growth potential due to random mutations. For instance: Unique Zombie 212,768 is a human with six arms. Zombie 52,432 is an arachnid spider-type Zombie that still has its silk-producing capabilities.]

I nod, intrigued. Okay, I think I get it. Now it's time to get to work. This is going to be great~ I grin, appreciating the best part about zombies: they don't need a break. The cube then interrupts my train of thought.

[Can you take off the talismans now?]

"Oh, my bad," I say, looking up. "Just please don't start a storm." I carefully remove the talismans, and the cube starts floating.

[What is your plan?]

I tap my chin and smirk, already envisioning the grandeur of my scheme. The cube and I teleport to a location, and I look down. "Ah, this is the perfect place to build a quarry." The system map shows this place is filled with ores. The land below us is a huge rocky landscape. I grab a pouch and open it up, dumping everything. Thousands of pickaxes and shovels drop on the ground. Now, let's see, how do I make this work... "Hey, system, I need 10,000 basic and rare zombies. A portion of them need to be quick with their arms, another portion needs to be strong enough to break heavy rocks, and a portion that can carry heavy objects. I also need some Unique Zombies capable of organizing rocks."

[Confirming request]

Suddenly, a bunch of zombies are teleported to the area. I grin and yell out, pointing at them. "Hurry up and get to work, you need to mine!" I point at the others. "You need to organize." I clap my hands. "Now get to work, I want every ore mined in this area now!" Hmhmhmhm, nothing beats free labor. The cube then chimes in.

[Huh...]