Mash stood in darkness, a space much like he had started the dungeon in. It was the same place where he had received his clothing for the dungeon. This time there were several chests laid out before him, and he had an idea of what each would contain. They differed in colors but were all made of metals that he couldn’t identify. The chests started out as some green-tinted metal and shifted to blue and violet by the last chest. The gradient might have something to do with the quality of the reward. Though none of the items were actually what he wanted.

  It was strange having an idea of what he could get from the chests, though he didn’t seem to get the best rewards. There were no skills among the chests in front of him. Honestly, he didn’t expect it as Red had done most of the work in clearing the dungeon. She probably had better rewards, but all he had were items.

  Two of the chests contained weapons of some kind, and that was completely worthless for him. Both weapons fell on opposite ends of the color spectrum, and he guessed that one of those was considered his best reward. He didn’t want to rely on an external weapon when his skills were much more reliable. The chest with armor in it was similarly unneeded as he had his dragon form for when he needed to improve his defenses. The final two had accessories and he walked towards them trying to get a feel for what they did. His draconic domain would normally let him get a little bit of information, but it was blocked by the chests. He didn’t want to risk opening it, as he also knew about the secret reward.

  The God he had met had said that he would give them an alternate reward, and he instinctively knew how it would work. He would need to reject any of these other offerings and head simply walk by them. It was a simple enough thing to do, though he did feel a little bit of temptation to check his rewards. There was a chance that he could open the chests without actually taking the reward, but he wouldn’t risk offending a God for something like his idle curiosity. So, he stepped past the chests and walked into the darkness beyond them.

  As soon as he stepped past the chests, his foot landed on familiar grass. He was outside of the dungeon again, and to his surprise was greeted by over a hundred people. Most of which he knew was from the dungeon, and he even saw Coraline and Rebecca. The twins weren’t there though. The two had seen him and started walking towards him. Several other people looked horribly confused and were trying to watch Rebecca, as she was technically their lord. Since they were out of the dungeon, he figured that he could tell them the truth without any consequence but knew that it would be awkward.

  Before the two approaching women could arrive, Red seemed to step beside him. She came out from the dungeon entrance that was now at his back. Even before she had fully left the dungeon, more people just started appearing in front of Mash. The twins were included in this group, and the two men instantly fixed their gazes upon the two of them and their sister who was still stomping towards him. It didn’t take long for Luke and Jill to join them, and there were over a thousand people in the clearing now. It was most of the village, maybe all of it. Hopefully, his brother could handle it.

  [Priscilla, tell my sister what the situation is, and to get Arthur to come out here. Also tell her that we are safe, but that his brother’s aid is urgent, and that he should come as fast as possible.]

  Assuming that Arthur actually listened to his demands, then he could probably get someone to teleport him nearby. In the worst-case scenario, he would need to come on his own although that should only take him a day or so. He was a lot faster than Mash and his friends and could make the trip more quickly. Plus, Mash had made the journey in leisure, as they hadn’t needed to rush.

  By the time Priscilla confirmed the message, the twins had arrived in front of him. They looked at the Mash and the others with obvious confusion.

  “Do you remember who we are and what had happened?”

  Red spoke before the twins could, and Mash could tell that they remembered. Their downcast expressions were enough to show that. Only once Coraline and Rebecca had arrived, did someone ask them a question. Almost in unison, the two girls spoke simultaneously.

  “Who are you and where is Elli?”

  Coraline only asked who he was and didn’t call him by name. Mash thought about what to say but decided that the straightforward option was the best one. He began explaining the situation to them. He started by describing the dungeon and what had been happening to them. On how those people had been replaced or had never existed in the first place, and that their memories had been altered to accept them. Honestly, if they weren’t here now, they probably weren’t going to see them again. Red and the others didn’t seem to mind letting him speak, and he was able to get through the entire thing with little interruption. Both Coraline and Rebecca looked very sad at the news, but the twins adopted an expression of grim determination.

  “What do we do now? I don’t think many of your people will be as kind as you four.”

  Robert asked the question, though he directed it towards Edward rather than any of them. Mash didn’t blame him but still wanted to give them the offer he had in mind. Red had explained some of the details of bringing people beneath his family and knew there was some formality that would need to be observed. He would leave that to Arthur but could at least start to explain things to the twins.

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  “I thought of something for that. My brother is extremely powerful and important here, and I was thinking you could join my family. You would essentially become vassals, but that would mean that my brother could protect you all. Eventually, you guys can figure out your own plan, but my family can help you guys get your feet on the ground. Plus, our house is pretty new and could use the help, so it wouldn’t be a charity case, especially when considering you both.”

  Mash was speaking to the two before him but knew that some of the other people could hear. While the twins would probably be fine on their own, he wanted to make sure that everyone knew about his offer. He was responsible for this situation, and it was his duty to help them as much as he could. Even if that just comprised him dumping them on his brother. The twins looked at him for a moment, before glancing between one another and Rebecca too. Eventually, Edward just asked him to give them some time to speak.

  Mash obliged easily, and the two groups separated. Mash spoke with his friends for a little bit describing the chests he had seen and learning that they had all experienced something similar. He had also received several things from his sister, and eventually even his brother. Apparently, Luna had temporarily relinquished Priscilla’s body to Arthur. Both for direction and communication, and Mash spent some time running through what had happened.

  In reality, he didn’t need to say all that much himself, as Priscilla gave him a rundown of the recent events. Although, Mash did need to answer some questions Arthur asked, most of which involved Mash’s impressions of the people. He answered honestly, explaining that these people were of a world that wasn’t nearly as dangerous of violence-oriented as this one. Plus, even their strongest abilities were not much better than a single skill of someone at level 100. Two of them were talented though and would be able to do things like help manage a noble house. The discussion went on for a little bit, and Arthur told him that he had secured teleportation to somewhere nearby and would arrive within the hour.

  Eventually, the twins returned with their sister, however, Coraline didn’t join them. Mash didn’t really expect her to, as the final decision would probably fall on the twins. Edward spoke, sounding like a confident leader.

  “We will accept your offer; however, I will ask for some special accommodations and concessions from your family. Though I think that conversation will need to happen with your brother. When should we set out?”

  The man’s determination was obviously set, and Mash had no problem nodding to his words. Mash quickly answered their question, hoping it would relieve some of the tension he noticed on the other two.

  “We don’t need to go anywhere, for now, my brother will be here in an hour or so.”

  He received a raised eyebrow in return and explained what had happened.

  “I can communicate with him to some extent, and he got teleported nearby. It won’t take him much longer to get here. He is faster and stronger than me or you for that matter.”

  He continued afterward telling the group what they could expect in the capital and more about this world in general. The other joined in on this conversation, and before long they had accrued quite a crowd. Many people were interested to know what had happened, and even with Edwards clones running around and relaying information, they were still eager to learn more. For some, this would mean restarting their lives, and for others, this was an unthinkable opportunity.

  Red explained some of what she had researched, and what things their people had done that could be used to make the most of their time here. Many were recipes but a few had to do with textiles and even a little bit of farming strategy. That got the listeners' attention, and Mash wondered if a farming noble was a thing. Well, his family might become the first then. It would certainly make for an interesting situation considering his siblings’ reputations. Thinking about it, he realized it was probably a good idea to inform the twins.

  Pulling them aside, he explained who exactly his siblings were and what that would mean for them. They would certainly get pressured for any information on either of them, and he wanted to make sure that they were prepared. He didn’t think they would sell his siblings out as they had clearly been the honorable type. Mash spoke with them a little more, but eventually, he heard a commotion from one end of the clearing. His brother had arrived and had brought with him around a dozen knights. Every one of them radiated power, and Mash quickly made his way over.

  It was an impressive display but had clearly intimidated the people. The twins joined him as did Rebecca and his friends. His brother wore his somewhat casual uniform, but the knights were wearing full armor. When Mash got closer, he gave his brother a questioning gaze. Receiving an eye roll in return, Arthur spoke loud enough to be heard.

  “I am Arthur, brother of Mash, and these knights have brought with them supplies and food for the journey back to the city. I will speak with your lords on the matter briefly and we can soon set off towards your new home.”

  Then he just appeared behind Mash, hitting the back of his head lightly. Mash managed to dodge a little bit, and that actually made the strike hurt more as his brother swatted his ear.

  “What?”

  Mash asked his brother quickly, and his voice hid none of his annoyance. Although, his brother responded with even more annoyance.

  “You have no right to act annoyed after dumping hundreds of foreigners on me. It will take a sizeable amount of effort to find homes for them all, not to mention a lot of work on my end. Even Luna will need to get involved to manage this mess.”

  Wincing at his brother’s words, Mash was glad to hear his brother’s tone. After a short staring battle, his brother relented and spoke more casually.

  “You look a bit taller.”

  Mash rolled his eyes it hadn’t been that long. However, he wanted to know exactly how long he had been in the dungeon and pressed his brother for an answer.

  “How long have we been in there?”

  “It’s been almost fifteen weeks, which is half as much time as I expected.”

  Arthur answered quickly, and Mash pressed him for information that he had missed. The other people didn’t seem to mind letting him have his family reunion, and Mash learned of what had happened since he had been gone. Which turned out to be a lot.

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  Chapter 142: Traveling to Logginton

  Name: Mash Stellumbra  Class: Draconic Thunder-wood Imitation

  Level: 78

  Health: 2000 / 2000

  Energy: 3510 / 3510

  Fortitude: 200

  Endurance: 131

  Strength: 150

  Agility: 170

  Intelligence: 220

  Wisdom: 112

  Charisma: 96

  Free Stats: 0

  Skills: Hunt, Thunder-wood Creation, Inhuman Hibernation, Monstrous Transformation, Thunder-wood Imitation, Draconic Domain, Adaptable Monster Core, Monstrous Humanity, Wooden Body, Mimic’s Avarice, Golden Body

  Hunt: You have gone beyond your limits when fighting enemies and devouring their power. Go beyond your limits. Continue current fight even after depleting energy. Stats improve while at 0 stamina. Continues until either you or your enemies are dead.

  Current Bonus: +100% stats

  Inhuman Hibernation: You have stolen the techniques of mages and monks to form an artificial technique, your inhuman body morphing it to fit your corrupted nature. Hibernating will increase the rate at which your body recovers, healing most wounds.

  Current Rate: +200% recovery

  Thunder-wood Creation: You know how deadly sticks can be. Forge your mana into wooden creations. Lightning has tempered your wood, and it thrums with the power of thunder.

  Wooden Body: You can connect with the wood that you are touching. By expending your energy, you bring your creations to life as another one of your limbs.

  Monstrous Transformation: Transform your body taking on aspects of those which you have consumed.

  Thunder-wood Imitation: Form imitations of creatures you have consumed, imitating some of their bodily functions through your wood.

  Draconic Domain (Passive): Your eyes just weren’t enough. Sense the changes in the mana around you. Connect to the mana in your space and inherently understand the nature of the mana. Your presence suffuses the space, weakens the magic of enemies beneath you.

  Current Range: 23 feet

  Adaptable Monster Core (Passive): An unnatural mana core has fundamentally altered your body, fusion with a monster has given you access to its potential. Stamina and Mana combine to become energy. Your monstrous body is better able to handle the changes to your core.

  Current Bonus: +75% efficiency

  Monstrous Humanity (Passive): Giving up your humanity has improved your body, improving your physical control, natural defenses, animalistic intuition, and mana control. Now, a human in appearance only, you further empower yourself through your monstrous side.

  Mimic’s Avarice (Passive): Devour your enemy in battle to temporarily raise your stats. The fresher the victim the stronger the bonus. Gain full benefits even when consuming through your magic. Absorbs some properties of those you devour alive. Removes the negative effects of things you consume.

  Golden Body (Passive): Having stolen the techniques of another world, your body evolves beyond its old limitations. However, even this transformation is incomplete. Seek out the next Step and truly make this power your own.

  Trial of the True Body: 0 / 100

  Priscilla Form: Improved Mana Control and control of wooden creations, Better Lightning Resistance and Power: Thin dark blue and green scales that match Priscilla's cover his body

  Dragon Form: Raw Power and a lot of it: Thicker black scales that would look more like armor cover his skin and his body bulks up a bit and he grows claws on his hands and feet.

  Winged Cat Form (Sphynx Form): Improved Reflexives and Agility, Something he hasn't realized yet, and flight: Fur grows over his skin, and wings sprout from his back. A lion-like mane, and white fur to match his hair.

  nvisible Lizard Form: Has mentioned it but hasn't used it yet, so far you know that it grants him the ability to become somewhat invisible

  Demon Form: black fire affinity

  Treant Form: Improved Wood affinity, living wood creations