Chapter 475: Unfunny Children

He looked Vespera in the eye and sighed theatrically. "Alas, the work of a Dungeon Master-Pornstar-Paragon of Sin is never over."

Vespera’s crimson eyes shifted toward him, flat and entirely unimpressed.

Then Alice’s giggle sounded, lighthearted and extremely mischievous, while she was resting her chin in her palms with utmost sweetness.

"Can I watch you at work, big brother?"

The words hit like a thrown brick.

Kaiden blinked once... twice... and then groaned. He didn’t know what to do with this girl.

But Kaiden’s reaction was extremely mild compared to Vespera’s.

The temperature in the throne chamber seemed to drop several degrees. The Shadow Monarch’s shadows rose around her like a coiling smoke.

Alice’s eyes widened, realizing the danger she was in.

"Mother!! I-I meant as the Paragon of Sin and Dungeon Master, obviously!" she squeaked. Seeing her words landing on deaf ears, it was time to enter emergency mode.

Her fingers flicked instinctively, summoning a flare of light. "Bye-bye!"

She bolted down the hall, giggling like a mischievous spirit as motes of white energy trailed behind her.

Vespera’s head turned to follow the girl, her aura sharpening into visible blades. She didn’t need to speak... The intent was clear. That child was about to experience the Shadow Realm’s parental correction protocol.

But just then, Kaiden stepped forward and caught her shoulder.

"Leave it," he said with an easy grin. "You know she’s just having fun. Why else would she announce such a thing in front of you? Don’t take her seriously."

Vespera looked at his hand, then at his face. Her eyes narrowed. "Your definition of ’fun’ clearly differs from mine."

Her shadows reluctantly receded, dissolving into the floor like dark mist. She exhaled, releasing a sigh that carried the weight of poor parenting decisions.

"My children have a horrible sense of humor."

Kaiden chuckled. "Yeah... I’m not gonna argue with that one."

For a moment, the air lightened, just a little. Then he gestured for her to follow him.

"I know you didn’t come here to get Alice back, or you would’ve already been gone. You’re here to check the dungeon out. Come, Mother, I’ll show you around properly this time. I’d like to hear your thoughts on the defenses."

Vespera observed him for a bit longer without saying a word, but then she began walking beside him.

They quickly traversed back to the very beginning of the dungeon, and soon, the dim corridor opened into the split pathway: one side leading through the Abyssal Rock biome, a field of jutting spikes, prowling beasts, and flying horrors circling above.

Kaiden crossed his arms, surveying it all. "Looks decent, right?"

"Decent," Vespera echoed, though her tone made it clear that "decent" was the most generous possible interpretation. She gestured toward the spike fields. "You repeat this trick too much. Flying monsters with traps below."

"How exactly is that a problem? I mean, having to step on spike traps in a narrow pathway with flying monstrosities overhead is about as hard as it gets."

"The layout’s too linear and predictable. After the first couple of hundred steps of spike traps, the invaders will either die or have a countermeasure, making the rest of it useless. You need cross-pressure. Overlapping danger. Make them feel hunted even when they think they’re safe."

Kaiden rubbed his chin, intrigued. "So... more dynamic flow between encounters?"

"Exactly. Funnel them, then scatter them. The first wave should push them into a bottleneck; the chambers you already set up will work perfectly for that. The second should hit from the walls or ceiling, and so on."

"I agree, you brought up good points. But a part of why I did it the way I did was so that I could make the path as defensible as possible while considering my limited amount of Dungeon Master Points to spend on defenses."

Vespera regarded the layout before them, silent for a time. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, traced the ridges of the Abyssal Rock biome, the pattern of traps, and the flight of the monsters above.

Finally, she spoke. "Can you change trap positions?"

"Biome terrain? Not for a while. But traps, yes. I can reposition them."

She nodded, more to herself than to him, and began muttering under her breath.

"Then..."

Kaiden smiled as he watched her go on.

After a bit, they moved on.

The second pathway opened before them in a fiery glow. The Magma Rivers biome was a molten chasm, a labyrinth of crimson light and drifting heat.

A rumble answered him from below. The magma pushed up, and a massive head rose from the molten pool.

Melty, the level 99 monster and his first creation, tilted her glowing snout upward and released a low, rumbling purr.

"Good girl," Kaiden said fondly. "Always so dutiful."

Vespera’s eyes flicked between the molten serpent and the magma river ahead of them. "You can’t even enter this biome."

Kaiden shook his head. "Nope. I had to make two pathways, so I made one that I thought was impossible for invaders to traverse. So, what do you think? Safe?"

She took a moment before answering. "For now. I don’t know anyone who could travel through this place easily."

"Not even Scarlet?" Kaiden asked.

"She manipulates flame, not magma. Even if there’s someone who can control magma itself, they would have to deal with three wyrms of this caliber and suppress this much molten mass."

"So you’re saying it’s safe."

"For now. But don’t assume it will stay that way. If your enemies discover that magma blocks one of the two paths while the Abyssal Rock one proves too costly to breach, they’ll adapt. Innovation always follows desperation. They’ll research. Develop. Build resistance suits, or create entire artifacts to swim through the molten flow. Perhaps not soon, but eventually."

Kaiden nodded slowly with his expression hardening. "Yeah... That’s what I figured, too. I’ll need more points before they catch up."

Vespera studied him for a long moment. Her gaze was unreadable. The heat of the magma reflected in her crimson eyes like twin embers.

He turned to her, smiling. "Thanks, Mother. For the advice. It means a lot to me."

She didn’t reply immediately. Her expression softened, but her silence was heavy as if she was wrestling with something.

When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet yet deeply sincere.

"I’m proud of you, my son."

Kaiden froze.

"You’re everything I ever wanted you to be," Vespera declared. "And so much more. The world already knows your name, but soon they will know it not as a celebrity, but as the anomaly who made the strongest of us tremble."

She stepped closer.

"But remember this, always - you have a home with me. If something doesn’t work out, if you need help, or if you’re hurt... call for me. I will come."

For a heartbeat, Kaiden couldn’t speak. The words hit deeper than he expected. The infamous Shadow Monarch, his aloof and cold mother, was telling him she was proud of him.

He blinked rapidly, the sting behind his eyes refusing to fade. Then he stepped forward and hugged her.

"Thank you, Mother."

It was the second time that day he had done so, despite having not done it prior for nearly two decades.

If Kaiden needed any more motivation to strive for greatness fiercer than before, then he got it. He didn’t want her to ever get a notification of his death, which simply meant he had to be stronger than anyone else in the entire universe.

Vespera’s arms wrapped around him in return, graceful as always.

When she pulled back, her gaze met his again. "I am now recalling the spy team I set on following your every move."

Kaiden’s eyebrow jerked up. "You did what?"

She ignored the outburst entirely, speaking over him. "That means no more hidden eyes watching from afar. No more reports on your every action. You’ve proven yourself capable. Having them around would only interfere now that you’ve established a dungeon meant to invite danger."

Kaiden exhaled, surprised by this revelation. "So I’m officially on my own?"

Vespera nodded, meeting his gaze firmly. "For your benefit, you are."

Kaiden smiled as he found his rhythm. "Then you won’t be disappointed. Whatever you think I’ll do... I’ll surpass it. I’ll make you the proudest mother in the universe."

For once, Vespera’s lips curved into something undeniably tender.

"If you keep being so expressive, I might just think the iceberg is melting before my very eyes," Kaiden chuckled.

"What iceberg?"

"..."