chapter 21

I pushed my mind from my body once more, entering the vast awareness of my dungeon. My first task was to construct suitable accommodations for the nagas, beginning with the forge. The challenge was clear from the start—Ebony was massive, and the forge needed to match her scale. I shaped the stone with precision, carving out an enormous workspace, complete with reinforced walls, large smelting pits, and racks designed to hold tools of various sizes. By the time I finished, the structure stood as the most impressive building in the dungeon, surpassing even my own quarters.

That realization sparked a new idea.

Why stop at just a forge? If I was going to start bringing in more residents, I needed something grand—a central home for my people.

Drawing from the resources at my disposal, I began carving and shaping stone, merging functionality with aesthetic design. I built corridors, chambers, and towering archways, forming a fortress-like structure nestled into the cavern walls. The finished product felt almost dwarven in its scale, a massive stronghold carved from the bones of the earth itself.

It was only when I stepped back to admire my work that I realized something—I had completely lost track of time.

Snapping back to my body, I barely had a moment to register my surroundings before a sharp voice rang out.

"What's wrong with you, Azazel?!"

Nike was standing over me, hugs tail flicked angrily. He was glaring with barely restrained fury.

Startled, I instinctively leaned away from him and raised my hands defensively. "Uh... what did I do?"

he scowled, arms crossed tightly before he exhaled through his nose, forcing herself to calm down. "You woke me up with your dungeon building. The whole place was shaking!"I nodded slowly, still feeling the lingering disconnect between my mind and body. "Right… sorry about that."

Nike huffed, his tail twitching like an agitated cat's. "Sorry? Azazel, the walls were trembling! I thought we were under attack!"

I blinked, then looked around. Now that I was back in my body, I could feel it—the subtle shifts in the dungeon, the way the air still carried a faint tremor, like an echo of my work.

"…Okay, maybe I got a little carried away," I admitted.

Nike gave me a deadpan stare. "A little?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, grinning sheepishly. "It's not like I meant to shake the place apart. I was just—"

"Building a whole damn castle while sleepwalking!" Nike threw his hands in the air. "Do you even realize how long you were out?"

That made me pause. "...Uh. A few hours?"

"Try almost a full day."

I felt my stomach drop. A full day? That was way longer than I intended. No wonder Nike was pissed.

Before I could respond, another voice chimed in.

"You were gone that long? No wonder it felt like the whole dungeon was shifting under us!"

I turned to see Isabella walking toward us, her golden eyes gleaming with curiosity. Behind her slithering, Ebony loomed, arms crossed, watching me with an amused smirk.

"It was fascinating to witness," Ebony rumbled. "The stone itself moved as if alive. You should do it more often."

Nike shot her an incredulous look. "Absolutely not. Do you want him collapsing the ceiling on us?"

Ebony just shrugged, unconcerned.

I sighed, running a hand down my face. "Okay, okay, I get it. No more extended dungeon building sprees without a warning. But on the bright side…" I gestured vaguely toward the new structures. "We have a forge and a proper home now."

Isabella's tail flicked in interest as she glanced toward the fortress-like structure. "I have to admit, it does look impressive. You really did all that in a day?"

"Uh, yeah." I shifted awkwardly. "I kind of lost track of time."

Nike groaned, rubbing his temples. "No kidding."

There was a brief silence before Isabella grinned. "Well, I suppose now that we have a proper home could you give us a tour?"I exhaled, glancing back at the fortress I had unintentionally constructed. Now that I was looking at it with fresh eyes, the sheer scale of my work hit me. Towering stone corridors, wide-open halls, reinforced walls that looked like they could withstand a siege—it was far more than I had originally planned.

"Yeah, I guess a tour is in order," I admitted, rubbing my temple. "Since I apparently built the damn place in a trance."

Nike folded his arms, still clearly irritated, but the sharp edge of his frustration had dulled. "Fine. But if we get lost in this giant stone maze, I'm blaming you."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not that bad. I kept the layout simple."

Ebony let out a deep chuckle. "Then lead the way, dungeon master."

With a sigh, I turned and started toward the entrance. The others followed close behind, their curiosity outweighing any lingering annoyance over my unintentional vanishing act.

As we stepped through the massive stone archway, the first thing that struck me was how… alive the place felt. The walls pulsed faintly with the energy of the dungeon core, the stone surfaces impossibly smooth, as if naturally formed rather than shaped by magic. The air carried a faint warmth, proof that I had unconsciously routed the dungeon's energy to regulate the temperature.

"This is the main hall," I said, gesturing around us. "Plenty of space for gatherings, meetings, whatever we need it for."

Isabella's eyes gleamed as she took in the high ceilings and carved archways. "It does feel like a castle. You even added decorative patterns to the walls."

I blinked. "...I did?"

Nike gave me a flat look. "Azazel. Did you even look at what you were making?"

"I thought I was just shaping a stronghold!" I turned, finally noticing the intricate designs etched into the walls—flowing, rune-like patterns, some resembling swirling waves, others jagged like cracks in the earth. They weren't just decorative, though. Now that I was paying attention, I could feel them humming with faint energy, subtly reinforcing the structure.

"Huh," I muttered. "Guess my subconscious got a little artistic."Nike groaned. "You are unbelievable."

Ebony, on the other hand, ran a clawed hand along one of the carved surfaces, nodding in approval. "It's well-made. Strong, too. This place will last."

I cleared my throat, continuing onward. "Right. Moving on."

We passed through several branching corridors, each leading to various chambers I had instinctively crafted. There was a communal space, complete with sturdy stone seating and a central fire pit—likely intended for warmth and social gatherings. Further down, I had apparently created several living quarters, each room carved with distinct features that seemed to match their intended occupants.

When we reached a heavy stone door, I pushed it open to reveal the forge. The moment we stepped inside, a wave of dry heat rolled over us.

"Here's the forge," I said, stepping aside to let Ebony through first. "Built it big enough for you to work comfortably."

The towering naga woman slithered past, her sharp eyes immediately scanning the massive workspace. The forge itself was enormous, built into the back wall with a deep, glowing smelting pit. Workbenches lined the sides, and there were various racks ready to hold weapons, armor, or tools.

Ebony let out an appreciative hum. "This… will do nicely."

Nike peered inside, eyebrows raising. "Okay, I will admit—this is impressive."

"See? Some good came out of my little building spree," I said, crossing my arms. "Now we have a proper place to craft weapons, armor, whatever we need."

Ebony turned to me with a smirk. "I'll need materials to work with. The dungeon provides stone, but metal and other resources will require more effort."

I nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much. I'll work on getting a steady supply going soon."

Isabella, who had been wandering around the edges of the room, suddenly perked up. "Wait… did you make a bathhouse too?"

I blinked. "Uh… what?"

She pointed toward another side door I hadn't even noticed. I hesitantly pushed it open, revealing a surprisingly elegant chamber with naturally flowing water, carved stone basins, and a steady stream of steam rising from heated pools.

Nike whirled on me. "You built a bathhouse and forgot?"

I threw my hands up. "I don't know how half of this happened, okay?!"

Isabella laughed, already moving toward the inviting pools. "Well, forget the tour—I'm testing this out now."

Ebony chuckled. "Not a bad idea."

Nike sighed heavily, rubbing his face. "I swear, Azazel…" Then, after a beat, he added, "I'm taking first pick of the best spot."

I groaned. "Fine, whatever. Just don't drown, alright?"

As the others got distracted by the unexpected luxury, I let out a slow breath, glancing back at the stone halls.

I had built all of this without even meaning to.

And yet… I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.