Then, as their fears would have it, the massive statue's eyes lit up with a chilling, electric blue. The pressure that descended upon them was imnse, a palpable weight that threatened to crush them. Karl's mind raced. I don't think we can run away from that. Even if we could, there must be sothing we can do. He looked at the massive chains that held the structure in place, a wild idea forming in his mind. Could we sohow cut them? It would destabilize the whole structure.
As he was thinking, the statue's head turned, its glowing eyes locking onto them. Leo and Libera trembled. "This... this is my first ti seeing the Gatekeeper," Libera stuttered. "This isn't a being we can defeat."
Leo, trying to remain calm, said, "I don't think we can run away either."
"We could," Karl said, the absurdity of his words making them turn to him, their gazes filled with disbelief. "If we cut even just one of those massive chains, we can destabilize the whole structure, throwing the Gatekeeper off balance."
Leo, renewed by his lord's plan, smiled. "But the problem, my lord, is can we even cut them? I'm not sure if they're as soft as the machine beast's alloy. And I don't think it'll just let us."
"Yeah, that's the problem I'm trying to find an answer to," Karl said.
Suddenly, a slow, deep voice bood from the being, a bizarre and unexpected tone that made Karl freeze. "Ayooo, who tf pulling up rn? On god, you ain't bussin through unless you answer my vibe check fr fr, no cap."
Karl, who had been reborn into a lich's body from modern Earth, stood stunned in silence.
Libera, however, was shaking in fear. "The Book of Eternity said that the Gatekeeper speaks in an ancient language," he whispered. "It said it attacks if you can't answer its riddle. The cardinals and inquisitions have been decrypting its words for a long ti. It said it guards the knowledge of the ancient civilization."
Karl, his shoulders shaking, hunched over, holding his stomach. Leo, worried, whispered, "Even my lord trembles in fear."
Then Karl burst out laughing, a deep, full-throated laugh that echoed through the silent cavern. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA"
If he had tears, he would have flooded the entire floor. This confused Leo and Libera, who feared the being would slay them for mocking its power. Karl rolled on the floor, still laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?! I'M DEAD!"
The statue's voice bood again. "Deadass, give the bars or y'all out the gene pool."
Leo and Libera trembled even more, still confused by their lord's antics.
Karl's laughter only intensified. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT KIND OF BRAINROT SLANG IS THAT?!"
The statue stood up, a movent that sent a fresh wave of fear through Libera and Leo and made the golem tremble. It raised its massive sword. "Ayo wtf, you really clownin' rn? 💀 You think I'm light work??"
Karl stood up, still chuckling. "HAHAHAH, STOP. Stop," he said, and with a grin, he replied, "Ayo chill, I'll answer—don't pack yet."
This shocked Leo and Libera, their eye sockets widening. Karl's response made the Gatekeeper lower its massive sword and sit back down, a gesture that stunned them into silence.
Libera turned to Leo. "Does our lord speak the ancient language?"
Leo, puffing out his chest with pride, said, "Yes, of course. Our lord knows ancient texts as old as the world itself. He is an all-knowing being I served."
Karl, having cald himself down, asked the Gatekeeper, "Drop the riddle, champ, I'm locked in."
The Gatekeeper's booming voice began: "Ayo traveler… I'm seen when you laugh but not when you breathe. I be spamd in chat when the vibe's highkey funny. What am I, lil bro?"
Karl, still grinning, said, "Man… peak vibes rn, lowkey nostalgic. My answer? KEK."
The Gatekeeper smiled. "Aight bet, you cooked that one—1/3, still mid tho. Now run it back, next riddle ti."
Leo asked, "My lord, if you don't mind asking, did we pass?"
Karl, slightly chuckling, said, "Nahh, we're still 1 out of 3. If I answer three riddles correctly, we pass." Leo and Libera's eye sockets widened in renewed hope. They clapped. "Congratulations, my lord! Keep it up!"
Karl nodded. Then, the Gatekeeper's voice bood again. "Ok listen up fam— I pull up to Starbucks with 37 coupons, I mald if oat milk ain't free, I drop 'lem speak to the manager' like it's a battle cry. Who tf am I? "
Karl facepald. "Bruh, oh my god... this is the sa NPC I see on YouTube n Twitter 24/7—Karen spotted."
The Gatekeeper answered. "W, you got that one right, lil bro. But we still got one left on god."
Karl, his confidence returning, said, "Bet, hit with the endga riddle, no cap."
The Gatekeeper then said, "Ok, final boss vibes—answer this n u all clear, I'll take the L."
Karl, his eyes gleaming, prepared for the last riddle. "Bruh, send it, I'm giga ready rn." He looked at Leo and Libera. "Alright, last one. If I can get it right, we pass." Libera and Leo smiled, cheering. "Go, my lord, we'll support you!"
Karl smiled. "Yeah, yeah, alright, alright." The Gatekeeper's voice bood. "Ok ok— I stream 12 hours, don't shower 3 days, hairline said gg, but my takes still go hard as Copium. Chat spam 'OGALUL' when I mald. Who tf am I?"
For the first ti, Karl was hit by a wall. Oh shit, I know this man. He streams and rants about Karens and DEI ga devs and reacts to other YouTube videos. He's quite big. I rember him, but I forgot his fucking na. Ashendiamond? No, not that. Ass on gold?
The Gatekeeper's voice bood again. "No cap, you on loading screen too long, gim the bars rn."
Karl sighed. "No cap, I recall the homie, but my brain said 'skill issue' on the na."
The Gatekeeper stamped its sword on the floor, sending shockwaves. "Bruh, speedrun your answer, or y'all getting ratio'd by death in 60."
Karl, now pressured, tried to rember the na. Leo and Libera asked, "My lord, is everything alright? The Gatekeeper seems quite upset."
"Stop, let think for a minute," Karl said, his mind racing. Ass on diamond... no wait... ass no load... uhh... what was the na... ass man gold... He rembered the na and smiled. "Sheeeesh, finally clicked—yeah it's the Bald Prophet himself, Asmongold."
The Gatekeeper smiled. "Deadass correct, party passes. I'm ratio'd into oblivion."
"Yep, we pass," Karl said to his companions. Leo and Libera applauded. "Wooohh! Congratulations, my lord!"
Karl chuckled. "Nahhh, that was kinda easy, to be honest. What do you know, most of the ti I'm not working, I'm on the internet."
"In-Ter-net?" Libera asked.
"Never mind," Karl replied.
Then, a familiar panel appeared. The system.
Task Rewards
[ High-Priority Task Cleared ] [ Rewards:
Permanent Skill:
Tyrant's Throne of Undying Fury
Summon Cost: 50 Mana
Animate Enemy Cost: 2 Mana per defeated enemy
Cooldown: N/A
Duration: N/A
Description: Summons a physical, indestructible throne with no cooldown. It automatically animates defeated enemies in a wide radius, turning them into permanent, durable minions. These new minions are then instantly transferred to your Pocket Dinsion: The Undead Barracks, where they can be stored and summoned at will. The minions regain their full strength and are now able to be leveled up. ]
[ Additional Rewards:
3,000 NP
500 Additional Mana Cap
1.5 Mana Regen/sec
50 Command Limit ]
Karl's eyes were starstruck. "Woooohoh! Now that's generous! 500 MANA CAP! 1.5 mana regen! HAHAHAHA, of course, why not. I'll take it all."
[ Additional Rewards:
10 Intelligence
5 Necromancy
12 Engineering
20 Trade Sense ]
Karl continued laughing, his joy echoing in the vast cavern. Libera was confused, and even the Gatekeeper looked perplexed. But Leo, who was connected to Karl's lich-uplink, understood. He knew about the mysterious system, the source of his lord's seemingly all-knowing power.
The system then transitioned from the rewards panel.
Dungeon Upgrades
[ Floors -5 to -10 unlocked for Dungeon Edit ] [ Dungeon Edit Additional Features Unlocked:
Teleport/Mass Teleport: You can now choose to teleport or mass teleport instantly in between unlocked floors. Dungeon Mana Cost depends on the distance and the amount of passengers.]
Karl exclaid, "YES!" He raised his fist. "Finally!"
Then the last one popped up.
System Update
[ SYSTEM UPDATE — CRITICAL THRESHOLD REACHED ]
Necro-Engine Core saturation detected.
Autonomous Soul Frawork has exceeded current skeletal substrate.
Adaptive cognition requires corporeal upgrade path.
[ MAJOR EVOLUTION UNLOCKED: GHOUL INTEGRATION PROTOCOL ]
All future summons will bypass skeletal husk stage.
Summons will manifest directly as [Ghouls] (Tier III Workforce).
Evolution is irreversible.
New Minion Class: [Ghoul]
Summon Cost: 40 Mana
Command Slots: 2 each.
📜 System-Registered Traits
Corporeal Reconstitution: Skeletal fras reconstructed with necrotic muscle, sinew, and skin. Physical stats significantly improved.
Distinct Persona Protocol: Each ghoul manifests a unique body, voice, and mannerism.
Warning: Unpredictable quirks may develop.
Departntal Fleshcraft: Role-specific evolutions:
Miner Ghouls – hardened claws, glowing veins for darkvision.
Artisan Ghouls – extra digits, heightened dexterity.
Soldier Ghouls – fused bone-plate armor, brutal lee resilience.
Trader Ghouls – refined appearance, clear voices for negotiations.
Necro-Network Integration (V3.0): Decentralized loyalty web. Units can act independently but remain soul-bound. Failure to comply = automatic liquidation into raw NP.
[NEW SYSTEM BUFFS]
Ghoul Morale Effect: Reputation with living factions 10%.
Ghoul Loyalty Clause: No chance of betrayal.
Corporate Diversity Bonus: Living employees integrate more comfortably into mixed undead workforce.
[ADVISORY NOTICE] "Dungeon Lord Karl Leech — You have crossed a threshold. Your workforce is no longer mindless undead, but a proto-society bound to your will. Expect… personality managent issues."
Karl's eyes widened. Is clearing the 10th floor really that major? he muttered.
Update Available: [Ghoul Integration Protocol]
All current and future summons will evolve from Skeletons → Ghouls (Tier III Workforce).
Retroactive Evolution: All existing skeleton units will undergo enforced downti during transformation.
Estimated Integration Ti: 6 Hours (Dungeon Operations Efficiency -70%).
Summon Cost (post-update): 40 Mana
Command Slots: 2 each.
Retroactive Upgrade: Free (automatic for all units).
New Minion Class: [Ghoul]
Adaptive Musculature & Flesh Reconstitution.
Distinct Appearances (male/female variants, mutated traits).
Independent Speech & Persona Generation.
Role-Specific Enhancents (Miner, Artisan, Soldier, Trader).
Integrated into Necro-Network V3.0.
Do you wish to initiate update now?"
[ ] YES – Begin Ghoul Integration Now
All Skeleton Minions enter Forced Stasis Mode for 6 hours.
Units will "sleep" within designated quarters, guarded by remaining security protocols.
Upon completion, all will awaken as fully integrated Ghouls.
[ ] NO – Defer Update
Continue using current Skeleton workforce.
Evolution option remains available until manually triggered.
Karl read the last panel. "Damn, this is a major one," he said. "I have no complaints, since this upgrade will essentially make us friendlier and not as scary in front of our custors. I can also differentiate each minion's face and personality, which is good. I like this," he smirked. He pressed NO for now. I have to prepare for the retroactive thing. Going unconscious for six hours unprepared is quite problematic.
Karl then faced the Gatekeeper, who was staring down at them with a curious expression. "Ayo, bossman, you got the coords on them mana nodes or nah?"
"Yes, I know where the mana nodes are located."
Karl was surprised. "You speak normally?"
"Yes, I do," the Gatekeeper replied.
"Oh my god, I swear, you had to make speak brainrot slang," Karl said.
The Gatekeeper seed to consider his words. "I do apologize, but it's hardwired into my mory to speak such a dialect when asking riddles."
Hmmm... then this dungeon must have been built by humans, from my side of the universe at that, since this brainrot slang exists in my lifeti. It must be connected, Karl thought. He asked, probing for answers, "Do you still rember the reason why that brainrot must be spoken? I an, one could just speak normally, you know?"
"No, I have no mories of such," the Gatekeeper said. "But if you want answers, behind is the bridge to the operations center as well as the mana node network. I believe Cerberus units may have bitten or accidentally tripped on one of the mana nodes. You didn't encounter the Cerberus units when you ca in, did you? They are known to hunt down intruders and never stop until they caught them or they're immobilized."
Karl sheepishly scratched his cheek. "Ahh... haha, we may have defeated it."
The Gatekeeper's eyes widened. "Th-that's quite admirable. I didn't know you would defeat one."
"Welp, that we did," Karl said. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you soon."
"Be seeing you, Dungeon Lord," the Gatekeeper said.
"Anyway, if I may ask," Karl added, "is the floor leading to -11th down below us?"
"Yes, I believe so."
Karl nodded. "Alright, alright, thanks for answering." He believed that the gatekeeper must be stationed here for a reason. That ant one thing, the lower floors was more dangerous that it needed gatekeepers as large and as strong as that level 500 gatekeeper. He went around the massive statue and walked toward the opposite bridge.
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