Demonic Po*nstar System Chapter 775: Size Issues

Kaiden's gaze remained fixed on the three menu columns before him for a moment. His devoted companions stood arrayed around the dais, their expressions a mixture of concern and hopeful anticipation as they observed his intense focus.

He chose not to interact with the presented menus, instead addressing the entity he hadn't consulted for quite some time.

The Demonic Pornstar System.

"System, please enlighten me on the nature of this challenge," Kaiden requested.

The entity's response materialized in clear, concise lines of text.

[The Claimant has been recognized as a Dungeon Master. It has issued a formal challenge against the Successor. Proceedings for a Dungeon Master Duel will commence upon the conclusion of the designated preparation period. The Successor is required to execute a defense employing all available resources. Should the Successor falter, their domain, core, contracted creatures, and bonded subjects shall be irrevocably transferred to the victor.]

Kaiden's lips thinned into a grim line.

"I understand..." His thumb absently traced the edge of the throne's armrest. "What information do you possess regarding the Claimant itself?"

A noticeably longer pause ensued this time.

[This phenomenon is not detailed within the system’s archives. No comparable event occurred during the Heavenly Demon’s reign. The most plausible assessment: an unprecedented interaction between Earth's ambient mana saturation and the cultivated dungeon network has culminated in the emergence of a self-organizing entity. Functionally, the Claimant is a natural dungeon, one forged through the assimilation of terrestrial mana and the convergence of dungeon monsters.]

Kaiden released a slow breath.

He swiveled in his throne to face his companions, making sure the displayed information was visible to them. They were all engrossed in deciphering the system's pronouncements.

Nyx's eyes had adopted a faraway look the instant he began speaking. By the time he finished, she had already processed the implications.

"That aligns with what I suspected. A dungeon native to Earth, with a Dungeon Master that no one has ever documented before."

"This would certainly account for its extraordinary might," Aria added, her hand finding its way to intertwine with his.

Luna pushed away from the dais, her arms crossed resolutely.

"Which implies the scoundrel is essentially a mobile, portable dungeon capable of endlessly resurrecting the monsters we've already vanquished. As many times as it desires, until it is ultimately defeated." She tilted her head back, gazing towards the cathedral's vaulted ceiling. "Damn it all."

At that moment, the halo shimmering above Kaiden's head flickered once before its luminescence seemed to diminish.

Alice materialized directly onto his lap, her small hands gripping the front of his shirt with surprising firmness. Her face was set in an expression of utmost seriousness, a feat she managed quite effectively indeed.

"I will defend this place with my very last breath!" she declared with unwavering conviction. "Mother signed away the manor, leaving us legally without a home! That means this sanctuary is our home too! I am certain Mother shares this sentiment wholeheartedly!!"

Kaiden blinked, momentarily taken aback.

His hand automatically came to rest upon the crown of her hair.

"You and your mother are most welcome here, Alice. More than welcome."

Alice's face lit up with a brilliant smile, and she nestled against his chest with a happy, contented hum. The existential dread associated with the Claimant and her sudden homelessness seemed to have been entirely resolved by roughly three seconds of gentle head pats and a single sentence of warm reassurance.

Kaiden's gaze drifted past her, returning to the ever-present menus.

[Available DMP: 30,000.]

[Time Until Defense: 10:41:42.]

It was time to allocate these resources with utmost prudence.

Kaiden’s eyes, after briefly glancing past Alice, settled once more on the interface.

"Bastet."

She straightened gracefully beside the dais. "Yes, Master?"

"Please summon our dungeon-born denizens. It is time for them to stand in defense of their home."

She inclined her head and retrieved the communication artifact from her sash. The rune etched upon it brightened in her palm as she initiated the connection. Taigi responded on the second pulse. Bastet conveyed her instructions concisely through the link: Return to the dungeon. Bring everyone. Immediately.

Kaiden's attention shifted back to the main interface. He selected the 3D Map option.

The ambient light within the cathedral seemed to dim slightly as a holographic projection bloomed above the dais, meticulously rendering his entire dungeon in shimmering luminescence. An expanse of five square kilometers slowly rotated overhead. His companions drifted closer, encircling the spectral map.

At the dungeon's entrance lay the Safe Zone, a perfectly circular area measuring one hundred meters in diameter, constructed from obsidian-like stone. According to system regulations, this zone was inviolable – no traps could be set, and no creatures could manifest within its boundaries. Extending beyond this initial ring, two pre-ordained pathways diverged.

The first descended steeply southward, forming a magma spiral. The path consisted of slime-coated stone that led into a hidden molten pool, where Melty and her two sisters could be found patrolling the fiery rivers below.

The second pathway veered north, cutting through the Abyssal Cavern. This route was characterized by narrow passages, strategically placed ambush chambers, and bands of spike traps that swept across the floors of every wider room. It was along this very path they had entered earlier that day.

Both routes converged at the threshold of the third zone, an area spanning three kilometers known as the Verdant Expanse, which opened into a region of temperate forest, complete with freshwater springs and vibrant, blooming meadows. The cathedral in which they currently stood was situated at the far end of this verdant three-kilometer stretch.

Five zones in total. Two designated for defense, and three dedicated to sustenance and resource generation.

Should the besiegers decide to keep them penned in for weeks, the team anticipated surviving on venison from local deer and water from crystalline springs while their adversaries would face starvation in the unforgiving depths. This strategic foresight was the basis of their setup, a plan that proved quite logical given the minimal cost required to secure these vital sustenance zones.

Three hundred DMP was allocated for the first area, while the remaining two zones each demanded six hundred DMP.

Calypso, her tail thumping rhythmically against the dais, circled the holographic projection.

"I have confidence that the Magma zone will withstand the assault. You were remarkably ruthless in its design, Darling. Melty and the girls are exceptional hunters."

"Three defenders simply aren't sufficient," Aria stated.

"I concur. We require additional female defenders," Nyx added, nodding in agreement.

"More girls, and the river network needs to be expanded."

Luna’s gaze was fixed intently on the northern approach.

"That is, frankly, the lesser concern. The Abyssal Cavern route is what truly troubles me. The entire design was conceived with human invaders wielding swords approaching in a single file in mind – think narrow choke points, floor spikes, and ambush chambers engineered to funnel squads one by one. While effective against a guild raid, it's utterly pointless against a swarm of flying monsters that can bypass all of it."

"Indeed, the spikes require modification..." Nyx concurred.

"And our Nightclaws, being merely dog-sized, are adequate against humans and monsters within their weight class. Have you witnessed the scale of the creatures that emerged from that fiend's maw? Cragweavers the size of a guild hall, and three Shellback Gorgers whose wingspans blotted out the sun. Our forces stand no chance in a direct aerial confrontation against such abominations."

Bastet’s tail thumped against the floor as she rejoined the group after her call. She tilted her head, a frown creasing her brow.

"Wait, Master. Those creatures..." Her expression grew serious. "How would they even manage to fit?"

A profound silence fell over the cathedral.

"The corridors can barely accommodate two armored warriors side-by-side. A Cragweaver the size of a room simply cannot pass through such confines."

Nyx’s eyes narrowed as she focused on the projection.

"Precisely. Once we begin to consider the practicalities of physical dimensions, half of the monsters we observed are immediately disqualified from consideration."

Aria's grip on his wrist tightened perceptibly.

"The Claimant itself is akin to an entire mountain range. If it were to attempt entry into our dungeon, either the abyssal rock would annihilate it the instant it made contact with the cavern walls, or its sheer mass would crush everything, rendering all our efforts futile."

The system's voice chimed in.

"[The Claimant functions as both the Dungeon Master and the dungeon itself. Such an entity is prohibited from entering the domain of another. The rules expressly forbid it.]"

"[The Claimant must vanquish the Successor by destroying his dungeon core. This can be achieved either by ending the Successor’s life or by obliterating the throne to which the core is intrinsically linked. The Claimant shall engage in combat through its proxies; its minions serve as its instruments of war.]"

Calypso was the first to erupt into laughter, her relief palpable and boisterous.

"So the colossal entity remains outside. Phew!"

Luna did not share in the collective sigh of relief. Her arms slowly uncrossed.

"Alright, that's excellent news, but it doesn't actually address the question the little kitty posed. Most of the creatures that emerged from that maw were augmented versions of already massive monsters, and even the smaller ones were roughly horse-sized."

She squinted at the rotating projection.

"So, I'll ask again: Do we simply win by default? Do we just sit here while the Claimant gnaws on Calypso’s old door?"

Calypso’s tail came to rest flat against the dais.

"I wouldn't wager on it. The abyssal rock possesses immense strength. We already know Darling couldn't even scratch it with a mana-powered pickaxe under [Doomrend]. However, we cannot afford to assume that the Claimant and its subordinates possess no countermeasures for either of our established paths. Mountain dwellers are intimately familiar with stone. They inhabit it, traverse it, and shatter it for sport. If it harbors any capabilities specifically designed for breaching another dungeon's walls, we are bound to discover them through harsh experience."

She gestured towards the magma section.

"The same logic applies to the molten path. Three Salamawyrms within a kilometer of magma offer limited coverage if it deploys a creature adept at navigating molten environments, or what if it possesses a monster capable of draining the magma itself?"

A brief period of silence followed her pronouncements.

Bastet’s purr was the first sound to break the quiet.

"Then the dungeon must ascend."