Demonic Po*nstar System Chapter 778: Champions

Scarlet’s gaze shifted, her interest piqued by the two individuals before her. She observed the felinid, whose tanned skin was adorned with golden jewelry, standing with an almost feline stillness. Beside them was a red-skinned demoness, complete with horns and a tail, an axe casually propped against her hip. Scarlet took them in with obvious admiration.

"Well now. The tanned felinid and the red-skinned demoness," she remarked, a tone of genuine fascination weaving through her casual demeanor. "To this day, the only two monsters in the world who walk freely beside humans. What exotic young ladies."

"I’m older than you," both declared in unison.

Scarlet blinked, her gaze flicking between them before she tilted her head. Being corrected, it seemed, was a welcome piece of news to her.

"That’s a relief. This old girl still got it."

"You’re not old!!" Nyx exclaimed, her voice filled with defense.

Scarlet merely shook her head, a wry smile playing on her lips. "I’m already past my twenties... I expect a midlife crisis to occur at any point."

"Nonsense!" Nyx protested. "You could easily make bank just with modeling."

"If you say so, darling..." Scarlet chuckled, gently stroking the girl’s hair while her eyes found Kaiden. Her expression shifted subtly when she looked at him, becoming sharper, more appraising. The fire in her orange eyes seemed to intensify as she assessed the young man. He stood before her, his younger sister nestled against his side, with five formidable women positioned around him.

"And the golden boy himself."

Kaiden offered her a smile.

"It’s an honor to meet you at last, Flame Monarch."

"Scarlet is fine."

"Scarlet, then." He glanced towards the perimeter behind her, noting the Association officers managing the outer defenses and the Eclipse veterans maintaining the inner cordon. "Can I ask what you’re doing here? It’s dangerous right now."

Scarlet’s grin widened.

"And that’s exactly why I’m here." She gestured vaguely at the surrounding chaos. "I’m a mercenary, just like you guys used to be before you went and built yourselves a whole guild. Your mother bought my services. I’ll be helping you defend against that howling rock thing."

The reactions from the group were instantaneous.

Luna’s eyebrows shot upwards. Aria’s grip on Kaiden’s arm tightened. Bastet’s ear swiveled towards Scarlet, her interest clearly piqued. Calypso let out an impressed whistle.

"Are you sure?" Nyx pulled back slightly from her embrace, looking up at Scarlet’s face. The fangirl excitement had vanished, replaced by genuine concern. It was the look of someone who had admired the woman for years and couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt. "It could be really dangerous..."

"That’s why I charge the big bucks!" Scarlet laughed, her demeanor as bright and carefree as if the prospect of fighting a mountain-sized creature was no more concerning than a change in the weather. "Don’t worry about it. We’ll knock that thing down together."

Nyx’s lip trembled for a moment before she buried her face back into Scarlet’s shoulder, hugging her tighter. "Thank you..."

Scarlet’s hand returned to caress Nyx’s pink hair, her smile softening by a fraction.

Nyx eventually pulled away after a few more moments, discreetly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, a motion she clearly hoped went unnoticed. Of course, everyone noticed.

"Come on!" Nyx turned towards the gate, taking Scarlet’s wrist and tugging gently. "We’ll show you around!"

Scarlet allowed herself to be led along with an amused expression, and the group proceeded through the gate, entering the dungeon’s abyssal darkness.

...

The Safe Zone enveloped them. A hundred meters of impenetrable, abyssal stone where nothing could be placed, and nothing could spawn. The Nightclaws descended from their crevices with a flurry of chirps, swarming the returning Dungeon Master. Scarlet observed the scene with her hands tucked into her pockets, her head tilted.

"Cuties."

A Nightclaw landed on her shoulder uninvited. She remained unperturbed.

Kaiden’s mind, however, was already elsewhere. The interface pulsed at the edges of his perception, responding to his proximity to the throne room’s systems even from this distance. A notification had appeared during their walk back, subtle and unobtrusive.

[Champion Slots: 5 / 8.]

The ceiling had apparently risen with Rank 3, opening three new slots.

He turned his attention to Vespera first.

"Mother."

She met his gaze, composed as always.

"The dungeon possesses a system called Champions. They are reportedly the sworn heroes of the Dungeon Master, recognized as the Master’s chosen in a Dungeon Master Duel." He held her gaze steadily. "I would like to appoint you."

Vespera studied him for a moment. Her expression remained unchanged as she replied,

"Of course."

Kaiden selected her through the interface.

[Champion appointed: Vespera Ashborn — The Shadow Monarch.]

A strand connected itself to the dungeon at a depth previously unreached by the last five appointments. The immense weight of what Vespera brought to the bond caused the connection to resonate within Kaiden’s awareness, like a deep, humming chord.

Then, his gaze fell upon Nyx.

"It's about time!" Nyx exclaimed, her grin evident despite her slightly reddened eyes, still recovering from the aftermath of her encounter with Scarlet. She stepped forward, and the appointment was successfully processed.

[Champion Appointed: Nyx Cosmos — Manifestation of Space.]

[Champion Slots: 7 / 8.]

Only one slot remained.

Kaiden turned his attention to Scarlet.

She was casually leaning against the corridor wall, a Nightclaw still perched on her shoulder, observing the appointment procedure with detached interest, not quite grasping the implications of what was unfolding.

He hesitated, unsure of whom to select. Scarlet operated as a mercenary, her presence there dictated by a contract, not a deep commitment. Appointing her as a Champion would bind her to the dungeon in a way that transcended a simple business arrangement, reaching a profound level.

However, this was hardly the moment for lengthy considerations.

If Champions were indeed pivotal in a Dungeon Master Duel, and the system’s own description explicitly stated they were "recognized as the Master’s chosen combatants" in such a scenario, then having the formidable Flame Monarch aligned with his dungeon could very well be the decisive factor.

"Scarlet."

"Sign me the hell up!"

"..." Kaiden was taken aback by her swift acceptance, especially given her limited understanding of the situation.

"It's a formal bond to the dungeon. They're recognized combatants during the duel. To be completely honest, I'm uncertain if I can sever it once your task here is complete."

Scarlet's grin widened considerably.

"Sounds like a hell of a lot of fun. Honestly, I was getting tired of just slaying mundane monsters anyway."

"I'm being serious. Reversing it might be impossible."

Scarlet merely shrugged, exuding an air of complete nonchalance. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Kaiden observed her for a moment before mirroring her shrug. "Alright then."

[Champion Appointed: Scarlet — The Flame Monarch.]

[Champion Slots: 8 / 8. All current slots assigned.]

Three new strands intertwined with the dungeon, and the distinction between them and the earlier group was immediately palpable. The initial five girls had felt akin to mere threads. Vespera had resembled a resonating chord. Scarlet, however, felt like a second, powerful chord—one that blazed with heat where Vespera's was cool. Together, they anchored the extremes of the bond, much like pillars supporting a grand cathedral.

Then, the notification chime sounded.

[Ascension Achieved.]

[Dungeon #A23-6679 — Rank 3 ➝ Rank 4]

[Low Tier ➝ Mid Tier]

Kaiden stared intently at the notification.

To advance from Rank 2 to Rank 3, he had required five powerful girls and Abyssal monsters valued at 9,900 DMP.

Now, simply by adding Nyx and the other two women as champions, the dungeon had surged an entire tier upward.

'These two anomalies...' he mused.

Calypso was the first to perceive his altered expression. "What's happened, Darling?"

"The dungeon just ascended to Mid-Tier."

"By adding just two Champions?" Bastet's tail ceased its movement. "That is... quite remarkable."

"Three!!" Nyx interjected, slightly indignant.

"All you, bestie," Luna chirped with a giggle.

Kaiden accessed the interface.

Mid-Tier. The words were prominently displayed at the apex of the dungeon status window, having replaced the previous designation of "Low Tier."

It was time to thoroughly assess the benefits of this upgrade and prepare for the imminent defense.