Ambush From Within

With the two dungeons joined, Styx was capable of leaving his original dungeon and entering the city. Excited about being able to explore outside personally, he led his monsters in battle with a sword in hand.

"Hahahahaha!"

Styx laughed maniacally as he struck down monster after monster. He had studied swordsmanship so much that he could completely replicate the Swordsmanship subskills with little effort.

The general exotic race could learn the Swordsmanship with some hard work and a little bit talent. They wouldn't learn the subskills however unless either the skill was learned from their class, meaning the subskills were ingrained in their mana network waiting to be unlocked, or they studied the subskills under someone who knew them.

The latter actually received the assistance of the global system, else there was no way they would be able to replicate the subskills.

Styx was not an exotic race, but a dungeon core. He didn't receive the same effort, so it had taken him a lot of effort and study to replicate the subskills in his avatar's mana network.

"Take this!"

Mana flowed through Styx's mana network and the ground cracked below his feet. He instantly appeared in front of a monster and brought a large glowing sword down upon it that sent out a sword ki wave that split it in two.

Aura followed beside him as his perpetual guard whilst Everest was nowhere to be seen. They were both possessive and competitive, but none more so than Everest, which is what made her absence distinct.

The giantess spider Monster Lord in human form was currently lying in a cavern she dug out of the ceiling of Styx's new throne room. She had stripped off her clothes and breathing heavily with her legs spread.

Her swollen stomach wriggled and begun contracting as she began to give birth. She hissed and moaned as she dug her fingers into the opening of her vagina, stirring and loosening it up before she squeezed out four large eggs covered in vaginal fluid from the tight opening.

She was currently staying away from Styx under his command due to her powerful instincts to consume him for more nutrients for her children. She looked down at the large white eggs made from what appeared to be spider threads with adoration. She gathered them up in her arms, under her giant exposed breasts whilst turning her attention back towards the dungeon invasion where Styx was.

Seeing all this through their connection and also feeling her emotions of motherhood, love and an overwhelming desire to consume him, Styx felt chills run down his spine and doubted his choice to take in the unpredictable Monster Lord.

Aura also sense this and howled in the direction of Everest, sparking a conflict of auras from the two behemoths.

~~~~~

⠀

Irie wasn't going to miss out on this battle despite being pregnant, not when it was an easy battle.

With her race currently a Magus, she wielded magic with mere twists of her fingers. She also summoned her soul weapon, which was a combination between a spear and a staff. The faint crimson weapon simply emerged in her hand and became a conduit for her magic, making it stronger than ever before.

Snakes of lightning burst through the channels of the dungeon like a tsunami, killing waves of monsters still on their way to attack the intruders as well as any unfortunate kingdom citizens or adventurers caught in the crossfire.

"Weak! Far too weak!" Irie laughed before crushing a First Step summoned monster beneath her staff-spear.

~~~~~

⠀

In the aboveground section of the dungeon city, adventurers, guards and volunteers formed defensive lines whilst complaining amongst themselves.

"What do you mean the reward bounty for this job has been revoked? Did the duke suddenly turn into an idiot?!"

"All the mercenaries left immediately, truly a money hungry bunch. They will do anything for money, but won't so much as lift a finger for free!"

"Screw this, I'm leaving. I have heard the rumors that there are Monster Lords invading. If I'm going to die, it won't be for free!"

Third Step rankers left the defensive lines one after another whilst First and Second Step rankers left en masse. What was left was about 3,000 rankers, a number much higher than most anticipated.

With the dungeon cleared out and the summoned monsters only attacking sporadically, Styx led his troops out of the entrance to the underground dungeon with Aura in front.

"Aura, ready your shield…"

Styx's gaze focused on not the defensive lines, but towards the edge of the city. He had been expecting the defensive cannons to fire on them as soon as they emerged and had Aura ready to defend against the ambush before taking out the cannons.

There would be some loss to his forces, but the city would most likely suffer more damage from the battle. He was focused on minimalizing that damage as far as possible before he could take over the city, even if that meant destroying the mana burst cannons.

Aura's ears twitched and she looked around before glancing back at Styx in confusion.

"What is it?"

"There are no cannons."

"…?"

Just as Styx was left confused, most of the remaining adventurers that manned the defensive lines raised their weapons and let out a battle cry.

"For the lord!"

It was a signal of kinds, and those that cried out immediately turned their weapons on the remainder.

This was not surprising, as Styx had long been growing his forces within the city in secret, planning to one day take over it. He hadn't been able to corrupt any of the guards to disable the cannons, but the number of adventurers on his side was enough to lay out a fatal ambush to the defending forces.

These people were indoctrinated by his current people residing in the city as sleeper agents, waiting for the moment to strike. They enjoyed all the benefits Styx gave but didn't have a chance to visit the dungeon very often.

The mana rich food from the dungeon did circle through their own channels amongst them, giving them constant benefits over other adventurers though and serving as incentive for those seeking strength to switch sides.

Blood splashed and heads flew as blades were turned upon the unsuspecting defenders before battle immediately broke out.

From amongst the crowd, a bar waitress with wavy black lochs of hair tied up behind her head with two turtledove hair sticks walked to the front and knelt on one knee.

"Lord Styx, welcome to Lagoon Porter City."

"Hilda, it has not been that long since I last saw you. You truly placed your life on the line to defend me from the kingdom."

"For you who has given me strength and redemption, I would gladly give up this lowly life."

"Stand, you have no need to kneel before me."

"Lord…"

Styx stepped forth and took Hilda's hand, lifting her up to stand before him. He looked at her with approval and nodded his head. He couldn't help but stare into the deep ravine of her cleavage that was out in the open for all to see.

He knew everything about all his dungeon residents, so he knew all about her daily life. She worked as a barmaid in a rundown tavern, but was actually in control of the entire business after having the previous boss secretly disposed of. It had now become a central gathering spot for Styx's people and share information.

Hilda was flirty to customers, even offering herself at times, but she had never given her body to anyone other than Styx's breeders.

Despite her flirtatious appearance and slovenly walk, she was actually a Second Step Assassin and had a very high dexterity too.

"You have been in control of most of my forces within the city, I know all that you have done. Twice you have fought in the front lines to protect me, and you have even been affecting popular opinion in the city to prevent people from fleeing. Do you not want a reward?"

Hilda leaned her body against Styx as he wrapped an arm around the back of her waist, her voluptuous breasts pressing against his chest whilst also pressing her hips tightly against his.

Her face was deep crimson as she softly said, "Maybe, later, let me stay like this for a while."

"Too little. I will have you become one of the immediate dungeon wives."

Hilda's heartbeat rapidly increased as she knew the significance of being a direct dungeon wife. She would stand on the same stage as Styx and Aura, the Monster Lord who once drove her into surrender via fear.

She had done much to serve Styx since, and her opinion of him had rapidly become more and more favorable as he gave her everything she could have ever wanted in the world. She had long since fallen in love with him, and those feelings blossomed more powerfully than ever as he reciprocated.

"My life is yours, my lord!" Hilda clenched her fists in excitement as Styx rose her chin up with a finger and pressed his lips against hers, his tongue smoothly sliding in between her lips and mingling with her own.

Aura looked on in jealousy, but it was Everest's uncontrollable possessiveness which caused a frightening presence to descend from beyond the horizon.

"Enough!" Styx shouted into the spider Monster Lord's mind directly and causing the pressure to immediately recoil.

Hilda, still giddy and happy enough to die at this moment turned back to the traitorous residents and called out to them whilst struggling to stop herself from smiling.

"Gather your weapons and ready your magic, we will be taking this city for ourselves right now! We have Monster Lords on our side, and nobody can stop our march! Lord Styx is our sun, and we shall form the kingdom beneath it!"

"Wuuuu!!!"

The crowd cried out in high morale in response, their shout travelling across several blocks as nervous citizens locked doors and windows.

Most people in the city felt the evacuation and invasion notices had been someone else's problem. They had felt the entire thing was surreal and not related to them. They just went about their daily lives as per normal, even if there was a thick tension in the air.

Only a few people and self-righteous guards were crazy enough to challenge a Monster Lord and an army of monsters and exotic races at the same time. It wasn't a big force, but seeing a guard crushed and grinded into a boiling bloody paste by the tail of a magma fox, or being eaten from the waist up by a shadow behemoth, was a horridly terrifying sight.

Styx saw the citizens as a commodity, but he didn't value them to the point he would go out of his way so they weren't caught in the crossfire or as collateral damage.

The streets were mostly deserted as the city had all but surrendered, but Styx had no idea as to why. He was currently unaware of the giant demon invasion happening as that information was restricted to nobles controlling the dungeon cities.

Duchess Euklid was also unaware of this, but it was only a matter of time until she returned to her own dungeon city and finds out from her husband.