Warden Is A Devil

Looking at Kelly's suicide tactics from the live viewing platform provided by the System, Dayna felt both slightly speechless and gratified, knowing he had chosen the right person by chance.

"Is my eye for talent so good?"

[Host: Dayna

Level: One

Points: 450

Prisoners: 1

Cells: 1

Functions: Hit List, Create Dungeon, Scan Template, Create Monster, Create NPC, Create Loot, Create Class, Create Skill]

Kelly had taken down nine of the rats, and the pain and consequential emotions generated by Dayna's prisoner amounted to about 50P.

His little personal point grinder was doing a great job.

"It takes 10P to create the pattern for a spell, but I can distribute those spells however I want free of charge. After all, from then on, the System is only 'manipulating' the magic currents rather than 'creating' them."

It also helped Dayna create the [Feral Rat] monsters. He imbued them with [Lesser Strength Enhancement] to make them more of a challenge.

In the future, he could make his monsters more challenging by stacking spells.

"Even monsters can cast spells. Enchancement type spells don't have a cooldown, but they can cause headaches trying to maintain them. Of course, since it's aided by the System, none of the Players will suffer from this."

It took a full 1000P for Dayna to design the map, mobs, loot, classes and skills.

He wouldn't restrict skills to certain classes. After all, outside of the Dungeon, anyone can learn any spell they please. But he would restrict the skills that Players could buy in the store.

"Players will increase in level when they learn a skill of that level. It's a weird way for RPG's to work, but it's the best way I can do it."

Dayna sipped his coffee, and quickly used the 450P to refurbish the store.

Firstly, he replaced the shelves with cubicles that could be stepped inside to transport into Dungeon. When the Players returned from the Dungeon, they would be sent into a waiting room and would have to stay in line to exit from the cubicle.

In the waiting room the Players go to before and after the Dungeon, they would be able to buy from the store Dayna had yet to set up. It was also where the System would provide standard issue clothes to compensate for any damage in the Dungeon.

"There is certainly more efficient ways to layout the store, but they'll have to wait."

Dayna dumped the remaining points into the Slum Dungeon's improvement, and then waited patiently for Kelly to exit.

When she did, she was still pale and staggering, despite all her injuries being gone.

When Kelly turned to look at Dayna, she had a complicated yet resolute expression. It seemed like whatever she went though in that Dungeon, it had allowed her to form more concise views on the matter.

"How was your experience?"

"What amount of detail should I give?"

Kelly had a very serious expression. In her mind, though she was convinced of the technical prowess of the Dungeon, it only made her more uneasy.

No matter what happened, she now refused to let this opportunity go.

So, in order to earn her keep, she intended to make herself useful in the way Dayna asked her to begin with. As a tester for the experience. If she could satisfy Dayna and his mysterious master, then maybe she could continue to be able to use the Dungeon's features.

"Everything, both positive and negative."

Kelly pondered on Dayna's request for a second, and then flipped through the memories she had of the Slum Dungeon.

Though she wasn't an expert on the field of artefacts, and she had little knowledge on the extent of how magic could be used, Dayna wasn't asking for her opinion as a mage. He was asking her opinion as a customer.

So then, what made her satisfied, and what could make the experience better?

As a slum resident, Kelly never sugar-coated her words. She was a cold hard realist and wouldn't refrain from being brash.

"The concept was well communicated. Even for terms I had never seen before, I had an instinctual sort of understanding. Especially in the class selection scenes."

Kelly began, and Dayna took out his sketchbook to write down notes.

"The class concept isn't something I'm familiar with, but I imagine it's some kind of gimmick to catch the interest of the upper class. The same way gladiators are divided into different combat styles."

Dayna nodded.

"Yes. So far, there are nine classes, and each are tailored to a specific combat style. While it's good to have versatility, when learning magic with the intent to exceed, it's better to find some sort of specialization."

Not everyone could be good at everything. It was better to find a certain path well suited to you to explore, and then add in other auxiliary components when needed.

"The [Basic Stealth Enhancement] was very good. I could sense I was the one casting it, but I don't understand how. Is it with the aid of the artefact?"

Dayna explained to Kelly the theory behind skills. Even though she was not well educated, that didn't mean she was simple.

Quite the opposite.

She was quick-witted and had a thirst for knowledge and improvement that exceeded the norm in the world of Alterra, probably due to her humble origins.

Her intellect was keen, only it didn't previously have a chance to be utilized.

Dayna didn't explain to her that the Dungeon was a pocket dimension. Instead, he marketed it as a highly adept illusion spell, the best of it's kind that Dayna was aware of.

"My master's specialization in artificery is illusions. Everything you see inside the Dungeon is an illusiory construction made to mimic the real world. However, even as an illusion, what you experience is very much real."

"So even though everything is an illusion, since it mimics real life to such a high extent, there might as well not be a difference?"

Kelly quickly scouted out the crux of the matter, and Dayna felt he had struck the street-rat lottery when it came to seeking her aid.

"Indeed. That means that the feeling of casting a spell, though fake in the Dungeon, can still be translated over to real life."

"However, if the Dungeon is an illusion, what about the clothes I'm wearing?"

Kelly frowned. Obviously, the clothes were real, otherwise she wouldn't be wearing them.

Dayna was caught on this matter, but then readily crafted an excuse.

"Well, the Dungeons may be illusions, but the spaces in between your transfer aren't. They are space-time pocket dimensions. It's there that you'll be able to make purchases."

"Oh, is that where the currency comes in?"

Coins in the Fierro Empire were bronze, but the upper class almost exclusively traded in magic crystals. Magic crystals could be used to supplement the stability of a magic pattern, making it easier to learn magic.

Their use in stabilizing magic patterns and currents also meant they were necessary in making magic formations and artefacts.

"Yes. The store isn't available for the mean while until our next batch of stock comes in, but you'll be able to purchase skills, equipment and even magic beasts."

"Magic beasts?"

"Yes. The [Druid] class specializes in the summoning of magic beasts, as well as mimicking the abilities of magic beasts. However, taming magic beasts can be done by any class, so long as you buy the skill from the store."

"So, using the magic skills, equipment and other things available only using this store's special currency, you'll force customers to pay high prices for the chance of monster loot? It's a casino in disguise?"

Dayna was quite speechless, but no matter how much he thought to deny her claims, he eventually just ended up wryly nodding.

Kelly now found things made a bit more sense. She wondered why Dayna and his master would choose the Lower City with it's poor people to set up shop, but it turns out their business wasn't of the savory kind.

Though the Lower City would never flourish with the same prestige as the Upper City, it had a larger amount of economy in terms of casinos and brothels.

"Still, it's packaged quite nicely, and I don't doubt it will interest many of the dandy young masters in the Upper City. However, won't they be scared off by the pain?"

That was Kelly's biggest concern.

"I'll be honest with you. The artefact does indeed have a highly realistic illusion, but the plot isn't fleshed out to the point you could experience it like a theatre performance. Moreover, the pain and violence is very brutal."

Even now, Kelly still felt slightly sick in the stomach from her tousle with the rats.

Though she was running on adrenaline in the Dungeon, now that it's gone, the memory of having her skin torn off wasn't something she found pleasant.

Why would young masters, the most likely to gamble, be willing to go through so much pain for the sake of a lottery?

"Though it would find popularity amongst mercenaries, bounty hunters and poachers for the combat experience without having to fear death or crippling, they don't have the monetary ability to provide a stable consumer base."

Dayna still took down the notes, but he couldn't help but quirk his lips.

"Kelly, who said the young master were my consumer base?"

"But aren't they the big spenders?"

Kelly frowned, trying to see if she had missed something.

"Well, let's put it this way. Even with the pain, would you go back into the Dungeon."

"Of course."

Kelly didn't hesitate to reply.

"Forget the pain, even if death were real in the Dungeon, I'd still go back in for the chance to progress in magic. My life is meaningless as it is; I can only turn it around by learning magic and seeking employment across the river. If not, I can still find employment in the Lower City underbelly."

"And I'm sure many people share the same sentiments as you. Power, wealth, status – who wouldn't be willing to hurt a little to obtain those kind of things?"

Kelly suddenly felt that Dayna, with his angelic looks and his child-like disposition, looked very much frightening in the moment.

He and his master wanted to operate a human meat grinder, and didn't feel even slightly guilty.

Kelly thought back to the Dungeon. It was painful, but what kept her going?

It was the thought of what was to come, if only she could hold out a little longer.

"People wont come here to gamble coins, Kelly. They'll come here to gamble their future."

Dayna gave a menacing smile. Thank his prisoners, of course. They gave up their eternal future for the sake of yours, so treasure it, okay?

Actually, he really did have the power to lower the pain scale of his Players. However, he knew that while people would always wish that something fell right into their hands, suffering along the way actually made the rewards more satisfying.

That feeling of achievement, of going against all odds was a drug to the human mind, especially those in Alterra.

These were people who would fight to the death for the sake of improvement, and he had to capitalize on it to make the most profits.

By keeping the pain, he made the Dungeon a carrot-stick methodology.

People would feel the sting of the stick, but it would only make the reward sweeter. When they felt the reward is sweeter, they would keep coming back.

It also evened the playing field. No matter if you were rich and talented or poor and untalented, you had to go through the exact same things, and the exact same pain.

Everything came down to your effort.

When the outcome relied purely on effort, he could milk his workforce to maximum capacity.

"Though the rich may gamble for the sake of the thrill, the thrifty place no importance on bets. Only people who are desperate enough to place it all on a gamble would find themselves coming back to the casino."

And who was desperate to place it all on a gamble?

Kelly knew it best.

The people who were able to see the other side of the river, and yet were always unable to reach it. The ones who had everything just out of their grasp and would do anything to hold onto it.

For better or for worse, greed was at the core of human nature. It was the driving force being all progress – the desire for a better, more comfortable life.

No one was safe from greed, no even those young masters. No one was ever truly satisfied. So long as they were not satisfied, and they had more to gain than to lose, they would keep coming back.

Even if it hurt.

"You are either a devil or a brilliant businessman, maybe both."

"Thank you for the compliment, but you can just call me the Warden."

Dayna smiled.