Kazuki had never considered himself good with women.
Or monsters.
Or architecture.
But now, he had a clingy slime girl cuddling his spectral chest, goblin goop on his dungeon floor, and just enough Dungeon Points to maybe build a hallway to nowhere.
He floated in the center of the core chamber, flickering faintly in his half-formed ghost body. Glowing circuits pulsed across his arms. His "hair" shimmered like animated mist. Honestly, he looked like a shirtless Final Fantasy protagonist who got stuck in debug mode.
"Hey Gel, maybe we should clean this place up a bit?"
"But it smells like victory!" she said, face buried in his chest.
"It also smells like dead goblin."
"...That's fair."
He brought up the build menu and selected Monster Disposal Pit for 5 DP. A circular hole opened up in one corner of the chamber with a soft shhhhthk as stone reshaped itself.
Gel gleefully dragged the goblin's remains over, humming a bubbly tune. With a dramatic squelch, she tossed him in.
"Down the goo chute he goes!"
"Please never call it that again."
[DP: 15][New Notification: External Mana Spike Detected][Mana Signature: Rare / Unknown Source][Entity Approaching Dungeon Entrance][Arrival in: 00:02:17]
"Another intruder already? Is this going to be a thing?"
Kazuki turned his awareness to the entrance corridor. A flicker of light was approaching—soft, golden, and eerily controlled. Not a goblin. Not a beast. Something… intelligent.
Then he saw her.
A girl walked into the dungeon like she owned the place. Tall, lean, with nine fiery tails swaying behind her and long, snow-white hair tied into an elaborate braid. Her crimson eyes glowed with layered magic, and an ornate fan rested in one hand.
She wore what could only be described as a battle kimono—short, sleeveless, trimmed with gold and flame motifs. Every step she took was confident and smooth, like a dance.
"...Okay. That's not a goblin."
"She's so sparkly," Gel whispered, half hiding behind the core pedestal. "Is she a queen?"
Kazuki's danger senses flared—but not because she looked hostile. Because she looked smug.
That kind of smug only came from people who knew they could cause problems and make you thank them for it.
[Entity Classification: Kitsune Noble]Name: KitsuClass: Flamecaster – Rank D+]Status: Wandering / UnbondedMood: Mildly Bored / Curious
"Wait—Kitsu?" Kazuki blinked. "That was one of the starter options!"
"I didn't pick her," he mumbled, half to himself. "So why is she here?"
The kitsune stepped into the core chamber without hesitation. Her eyes swept across the room, briefly lingering on Gel—who tried to puff herself up threateningly but just wobbled like pudding.
Then Kitsu looked at the glowing pedestal.
"Hm," she said, tilting her head. "Male dungeon core."
Her voice was smooth, cultured, and vaguely patronizing—like a bored aristocrat trapped in a mobile game tutorial.
"You smell... unformed. Fledgling. And yet." She sniffed again. "There's potential."
Kazuki cleared his nonexistent throat and manifested his ghostly form beside the pedestal.
"Uh. Hi. Welcome. Don't mind the murder slime."
"I am not a murder slime!" Gel protested from behind him.
"Right. Sorry. Emotional support slime."
"That's better."
Kitsu raised an eyebrow. "You've already manifested an avatar? Interesting. Most cores can't achieve that until level 3. You must have a strong soul."
"I was a gamer," Kazuki said.
"...Unsurprising."
She approached the core, hips swaying with casual grace, then tapped her fan against it lightly.
"So. Are you going to try and enslave me? Bind me with primitive rituals? Offer me shiny rocks and pet my tails like I'm some common beast?"
"No?"
"Oh. That's disappointing."
[New Event: Wild Monster Girl Encounter – Kitsune Noble]Options:
Attempt Bond Ritual (40% Success)
Offer Shelter
Bluff Authority
Panic
"You don't want to eat me or fight me?" Kazuki asked, wary.
"Please. I came here because your mana signature felt... weird. And lonely. I was bored."
She flicked her fan open. Flames danced across the tips.
"Also, someone's hunting dungeon cores."
"Wait—what?!"
Kitsu yawned, exposing a dainty fang. "Mhm. Whole lot of female cores are going missing. Their monster girls too. Rumor says someone's trying to monopolize monster girl evolution and break the bond system."
Kazuki tried to process that, but his thoughts were stuck on "female cores going missing."
"So I'm a walking target."
"No. You're a glowing, lonely, male core with a gooey girlfriend and no traps."
"...I'm gonna build traps later."
"You'd better."
Kitsu's tails swished thoughtfully.
"Tell you what," she said. "Let me stay the night. I'll protect your little puddle, maybe help you install a fire trap or two."
"In exchange?" Kazuki asked.
"You let me nap next to the core. Your aura's... strangely comfy."
"I—uh—sure?"
She smirked.
"Good. You'll make a decent little domain lord one day."
[Offer Accepted: Kitsu has entered Temporary Bond Status]Bond Level 0 – "Mild Curiosity"Effect: +10 Dungeon Defense While PresentTemporary Access Unlocked: [Flame Trap Blueprint]
Kazuki watched her lie down gracefully near the pedestal, resting her head on a conjured pillow of fire-tinged mana.
Gel glared from her corner.
"She's stealing your aura snuggles."
"She's literally just napping."
"With her tails all smug and fluffy like I'm not gooey enough?!"
"You're plenty gooey, Gel."
"Thanks, Master." She beamed and oozed happily.
Kazuki looked at his strange new companions—a sentient slime who wanted nothing more than to protect and cuddle him, and a tsundere fire fox noble who might be royalty or might be lying for fun.
"Okay," he whispered, looking up at the glowing cavern ceiling. "This is fine. This is great. I have a dungeon. I have girls. I have... drama."
A notification blinked again.
[Dungeon Core Lv. 1 – Progress: 70% to Lv. 2]Goal to Unlock Full Avatar Form: Reach 3 Active Monster Girl BondsNext Bond Opportunity: ???
"Three monster girls, huh?"
Kazuki smiled faintly.
"Guess I better start collecting."