Azazel's POV
"Fuck, Nike—that was wonderful."
After keeping tabs on the warband for what felt like an eternity, I figured I'd earned a break. Agu and Rikka, my favorite little distractions, were left twitching and thoroughly satisfied, unable to walk without wincing. Nike, ever the jealous voyeur, practically dragged me off the moment the moaning stopped.
Fortunately, I managed to give that little imp of mine exactly what he wanted: bruised cheeks, a full belly, and the kind of afterglow only I could provide. After emptying the last of what I thought I had into him, I pulled Nike close, nuzzling against his heat, sighing in deep, content relief.
Everything was going my way.
I had a plan. Rewards were coming. And even better? I was somehow worming my way into the good graces of a goddess—albeit a smug, stuck-up one. Still, a win's a win.
Then, of course, the universe decided to throw a jump scare at me.
A panel popped up, blinding and sudden like it wanted to see me flinch.
LEVEL UP
New Mob Unlocked: Crystal NymphNew Resident Unlocked: Dryad (Glowing Mushroom Variant)New Plants Unlocked:
Large Glowing Mushroom (Healing Spores)
Large Glowing Mushroom (Aphrodisiac Spores)
Secondary Body Unlocked: Angelic FormDescription: Former servant of the God of Chaos, now begrudgingly in service to the Goddess of Love and Light, you've earned more than she promised. You are gifted angelic wings and a radiant halo. You will always be the light in the room.
New Ability:Love at First SightEffect: While in angelic form, you emit an aura that increases your Charisma dramatically to all beings aligned with Order—including civilized races, angels, and elementals.Downside: Demons, devils, and chaotic entities will despise you. You lose all demonic racial abilities and transformations while in this form.
New Dungeon Form Unlocked: Fallen AngelDescription: You embody both Order and Chaos—granted the essence of demon and angel. Your appearance will reflect this: one side angelic, the other demonic. Transformation ends in 24 hours. Upon awakening, you will be granted a new class. Choose:
Fighter (Fallen Templar)
Long-Range (Celestial Warlock)
I scrolled through the rest of the panel. The fighter class was straightforward: Fallen Templar—neither good nor evil, no longer of Order. Just me, using whatever powers I needed for my own damn goals.
Apparently, any mobs or residents I created post-transformation would reflect my duality. Demonic features like spikes, horns, and claws. Angelic traits like glowing halos and radiant light. Cute.
The long-range path was less exciting. "You attack from afar." No kidding. "You perform demonic and angelic rituals." Groundbreaking. The whole thing read like the developers phoned it in—no skill names, no specific numbers, not even a damn title. Just vibes and vague promises.
Was I going crazy? I'd been here over a month—maybe almost two—and the system still felt like it was held together with duct tape and divine laziness. I needed to find a god. Not one of my usual patrons—someone with admin rights. Someone who could tell me why the hell this panel looked like it was written by an intern on their lunch break.
Still... new toys, new powers, new plants. That last one was interesting. I'd never been given plant unlocks before. Maybe it was tied to all my time dabbling as a witch doctor, trying to cultivate fungi in every damp corner of this dungeon.
I'll have to ask the Wild Gods if any of them bother showing up. I mean, wasn't one of them supposed to be my patron now? They've been quiet lately. Everyone seems to expect me to know what to do. I've been directing others, micromanaging everything. Boring.
Hopefully the caravan makes it back soon. According to the last report, they saved it. But I want details.
Cinder almost lost her head—literal deep gash on her face. That's not a light scratch. Who healed her? There's no one in the current roster who could've pulled that off. Maybe one of the new recruits? I'll have to investigate when they get back.
Shaking off the warband thoughts, I pulled my focus back to the level-up panel. Dryads? Why now? I guess it might be tied to the people the warband rescued. Maybe some were nature-touched? Druids, elves, actual dryads?
Whatever. I had new guests coming. Time to build something welcoming.
After snuggling Nike one last time, I pulled free from my physical form and floated over my home—the central structure of the dungeon. Not the whole dungeon, just the castle hub. I focused on the bit of undeveloped land nearby. Technically, I could expand more, but I preferred using what I had.
With a thought, I summoned rows of the new healing mushrooms. The aphrodisiac variant could stay off the table for now. The last thing I needed was an entire caravan of horny strangers looking at me like a snack.
The healing spores would be a proper welcome.
As I watched them grow—some of them truly massive—I had an idea. Could I hollow these things out? Maybe turn them into homes? The Dryad unlock made it seem plausible.
Sure enough, some of the largest mushrooms began to take shape as one-room dwellings. Simple. Cozy. Just like the studio apartments from my old life. Within a couple hours of careful shaping, I had about thirty of them lined up in neat rows.
Each had a door, soft glowing lights, beds made from mushroom fibers, and enough interior space to avoid feeling cramped. Temporary homes, sure—but ones that felt like actual living spaces, not weird plant pods.
After furnishing them with some humble decorations—curtains, bedding, little storage nooks—I started to feel the transformation creeping in.
It wasn't painful. Not even uncomfortable, really. More like something wrapping gently around me. Not malicious. Not evil. Just... final.
Soothing.
Maybe it was the mana drain. Maybe I was just tired.
Didn't matter.
With nothing else left to do, I let go, slipping back into the darkness I'd come to know so well.
Then came the voice.
"Azazel..."