Chapter 165 Dungeon Core: “The Eternal Training Ground”

Pov Ace

I was sitting on my so-called throne in a large room in my mansion. Usually, things were lively around here, but not today. The sun had set long ago, and I had no lights on, so the room was illuminated only by moonlight. This dark atmosphere felt right for today. My head was resting on my hand while I slumped on the throne, as that seemed better than sitting.

Today was a bad day. Mistakes were made, but doing so was most likely still the correct choice. There are many different versions of burdens for those who rule. In my time, I think I have felt them all, and the ones I haven’t felt I have still experienced because of my talent. It has strengthened me over time, but the cost of it is heavy.

"Honey?" I heard someone say. My eyes had been open the entire time, but I had not seen anything, at least not of this time, but of the future, which was at best horrible. It took me a bit, but I eventually saw my wife. She was beautiful, but I could see the worry radiating from her.

"I heard that the meeting didn’t go as planned?" That made me sigh in derision. "You could say that." When she figured out that was all I was going to say, she approached closer.

"I thought everything was figured out. Why did you change your declaration? The changes you made will only bring trouble. Even if I do agree with how you want to run things, many won't. They will try to use those facts to get rid of you."

"That's nothing new. Everything was going so well. They were going to get their small ounce of power. The promises they made and the contracts they signed guaranteed that they weren't lying, but I could see it in their eyes.”

“They were going to do everything as agreed upon, yet their next generations would start the power game, and once they have a foot in the doorway, there's no getting rid of them without condemning myself."

She was silent for a long while. Usually, I hate that, but today when my mind was in turmoil, it was nice. The silence unfortunately couldn't last. "You cannot rule forever. Before, they would have slowly taken your power. Now, I’m afraid when they finally have enough strength, they will take it all at once, and it will not be pretty.”

“People who crave power seek wealth, and your land is full of it. When they have enough, they will try to turn that wealth into power, and you are the only one with true power here, which means they want to take it from you."

"Then they can die," I said in anger, striking my throne. "And I am certain you will succeed, but the ones who come after them will have more support. Even if you kill them, the ones who come afterwards will have even more support. It is inevitable, and the more you struggle against it, the more you become the tyrant and the nobles you hate."

I hated those words, but I knew them to be true. How long until I think that everyone should be surveilled just in case they plan to overthrow me? How long until I start murdering everyone who displeases me?

Power corrupts absolutely; that was something one of my teachers said to me. He also said that some people were resistant to that and I was one of those people, but he never said anyone was immune.

"Do you even want to rule forever?" my wife asked me. Immediately, I wanted to say no, but, "If I don’t, I would be letting down my citizens. There has to be a way so I can protect them from those monsters without turning into one, and if needed, I would do so forever."

"Honey, you will definitely reach platinum rank like I have, and while our lifespan is long, we still grow old and weak after that death is not far."

"Diamond ranks don't." She looked at me like I was stupid. "And how are you going to become a diamond rank by hunting platinum monsters in the wild? You would die from old age before you find enough of them. That’s if you are actually able to kill them.”

“You know who rules this world, and they do not share that power. All four of them control every platinum-rank dungeon. They only let the ones they allow enter. And as for their diamond-ranked dungeons, they only let their own factions delve into those."

"There are the free dungeons." She immediately laughed at that. "They are no more free than slaves. At best, you can call them vassal states for the four powers.”

“All four powers delve those dungeons, and only through their agreement do those places stay free. No one can enter the lower floors without their say-so. All of them have, what, one to three diamond ranks, while the four powers each have hundreds of them. You know all this, so why?" Her words suddenly cut off when she figured it out.

"I was approached about a week ago by one of the four powers. Nothing is certain. I think that they don’t even know I know who that person was, but the few questions they asked made it clear enough. They are evaluating me to see if I’m suitable to be promoted to the diamond ranks and made a leader of the new free dungeon."

"That explains your mood," my wife said while she kneeled in front of me, holding one of my hands. "I will support you no matter what, you know that?" It was something she was completely sincere about.

My talent was a strange one, but over the years I’ve learned to understand it. It's a weird one and something I must keep secret even from my wife. It feeds on emotions, but by doing so, I can also understand the person those emotions come from. I think that’s why I’ve been able to pick my close advisors so well, even when I didn’t fully understand what my talent was capable of.

"That would mean that you could actually rule forever. It would be different if you’re diamond rank; you would have less responsibility and people could demand less of you. With that amount of power, you could build a nation that will last thousands of years, possibly even make it to the end of this age and perhaps even beyond it."

She had hope in her eyes, which made me so sad. "In 200 years, nothing will be around here." She immediately looked up at me. "What was that?" she asked.

Damn it, I thought that I had not said that out loud. "Never mind, dear. I have a mess to clean up. Perhaps you would want to join? I think it might be a bit of fun." She still eyed me suspiciously but accepted.

The diamond ranks didn't realize this, but since they were on my land and were currently willing to leave here, I could get glimpses of their true feelings. It was still hard as they were so powerful, but I understood them perhaps better than some of them understood themselves.

They were all so old; some had even lived in the last age. Right now, they’re so excited about ETG. Yet too soon, ETG will start to frighten them, and when they get scared, their first response is to destroy.

I cannot talk about that anywhere. All I can do is play my part and hope that I will figure out a solution or perhaps once again ETG can save us. It’s time to be the benevolent ruler who is controllable enough to become the ruler of a free dungeon. I looked at my wife and imagined our children. They will have a future, I swear it.