Chapter 7 – The Dungeon’s First Captive
Jerrod dangled over the abyss, his face pale with terror.
The tendril wrapped around his ankle tightened.
Veylan gritted his teeth, struggling to hold on. "Pull him up!"
Kaela's hands glowed as she chanted a fire spell, aiming at the tendril.
Flames shot forward, searing the black limb.
A deep, inhuman roar echoed from below. The tendril recoiled—just for a moment.
But it was enough.
Veylan yanked Jerrod back onto the bridge.
The moment his boots touched stone, the dungeon trembled.
A shape rose from the abyss.
A colossal, many-eyed beast—its body shifting like liquid shadow, its maw lined with jagged fangs.
The Abyss Maw.
Its hissing voice filled the chamber.
"More… flesh…"
It struck.
A dozen tendrils shot toward them, seeking prey.
Veylan roared, slicing through them with his sword. Aria flipped backward, dodging with ease.
But Jerrod—still shaken—was too slow.
A tendril wrapped around his waist.
"No—!" Kaela's spell was too late.
The Abyss Maw yanked Jerrod toward its gaping mouth.
And swallowed him whole.
A horrified silence filled the bridge.
Kaela's face twisted in shock. "We… we have to—"
"No."
Veylan's voice was grim.
"He's gone."
A shadow of pain flickered in Aria's eyes, but she said nothing.
They had lost a comrade.
And the dungeon had won.
Jerrod was not dead.
Not yet.
He awoke in darkness.
His body was bound. Strange chains of light wrapped around his limbs, locking him in place.
The air smelled of stone and something… ancient.
A soft glow pulsed ahead.
The Dungeon Core.
And standing before it—
Reo Kanzaki.
Jerrod's breath caught. His mind screamed that this was impossible.
Dungeon Masters weren't supposed to be people.
They were legends. Myths. Faceless horrors that ruled from the shadows.
Yet here was a man, gazing down at him with a cold, unreadable expression.
Jerrod struggled against his bonds. "You—You're a monster!"
Reo tilted his head, amused.
"I'm a Dungeon Master," he corrected.
Jerrod's eyes widened in fury. "You killed my comrades!"
Reo shrugged. "They attacked my home. I defended it."
Jerrod clenched his teeth. He knew how dungeons worked. The moment someone stepped inside, they became the invader.
Still…
"You could've spared us."
Reo chuckled. "And why would I do that?"
He stepped closer, his gaze sharp.
"You and your kind think dungeons exist for you to plunder."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping.
"But now… you are mine."
Jerrod's stomach twisted.
"What are you going to do to me?"
Reo smirked.
"Let's find out."
Reo opened his Dungeon Interface.
A new notification glowed.
"Captured Human Detected – Conversion Available"
Options appeared before him:
1. Sacrifice for Dungeon Points (Gain 500 DP)
2. Convert into Dungeon Monster (Create a Lesser Dungeon Wraith)
3. Enslave as Dungeon Servant (Retain intelligence, serve the Dungeon Master)
Reo tapped his chin.
Sacrificing would give him resources.
Monster conversion would erase Jerrod's mind.
But an intelligent servant…
That was far more valuable.
Reo selected Option 3.
A new notification appeared:
"Initiating Servitude Bond – Resistance Detected"
Jerrod's body trembled as golden runes spread across his skin.
He gritted his teeth, fighting it.
"Ngh… I… won't… obey…"
Reo smiled.
"Let's fix that."
He raised a hand. The Dungeon Core pulsed.
The runes tightened.
Pain shot through Jerrod's body, searing into his soul. His screams echoed through the chamber.
And then—
His eyes dimmed.
The resistance faded.
He fell to one knee, gasping. His expression was no longer defiant—only blank obedience.
Reo's smirk widened.
His first human servant.
He turned, gesturing toward the shadows.
The Shadow Stalkers emerged, slinking forward.
"Take him to the Lower Halls," Reo ordered. "He needs time to… adjust."
The creatures dragged Jerrod away.
Reo exhaled.
A successful hunt.
And now—
It was time to set his sights on bigger prey.