Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster’s Power

[Body Double POV]

I accept the pile of skill orbs from my main body and teleport back into the guildhall.

While I witnessed the memories of its new renovations, seeing it now with the old version that was partially built just a month ago fresh in my mind makes everything here all the more impressive.

There are six full-time workers buying loot from hunters who farm in the dungeons, selling potions, standard gear, and necessary monster hunting items.

There are very organized listings, lines, and the positive atmosphere is creating a thriving business. It's clear that many employees and customers have settled into quite a nice groove over the past months of this guildhall being open.

I make my way upstairs to see a workshop about four times the size of the one back in Vice City. Bri has her own sectioned-off office in the back third of the large floor, while the rest of it is full of magic items being crafted and sorted.

I walk through the rows of basic, special, and legendary grade craftsmen, and knock on the office door that has scheduled times for clients that want special blood-bonded and high percentage stat boosting items created.

Any of my doubles could do exactly the same thing as Bri, but she has far more experience in the field, knows proper pricing, and even has existing clientele that have carried over from her workshop in Vice City.

We've essentially merged our businesses, and she's been managing 25% of the gross revenue to pay her employees while using my resources to farm materials.

I'm making 75% of the profit now without being as hands-on, but granting her access to these resources and connections all over the dark continent, manpower to farm loot, and massive orders from across the major powers of two large continents.

Bri opens the office door after my knock, and all I can think at first is that a double rank-up has done wonders. She looks curvier, has healthier skin, longer hair, and somehow an even more confident stride as she greets me and gets right down to business.

"A double, huh? I delivered the second round of orders to all of the sectors and regions earlier this week with Lith. We can go over the exact numbers if that's what you came here to see. We already structured the new farming quotas with the new down payments—"

I smile and walk into her new office space, then she closes the door behind me as I respond.

"Sure, let's look over the numbers, but that isn't entirely why I came. I have a new branch of business that I want to start up."

We both sit in the middle of the office on a very comfortable couch to look at all the numbers together, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Her new imbuement and special order crafting business has already brought in an additional 103 platinum this month in profit. While she only took clients pre-approved by my doubles and members of the Crimson Army to ensure that overpowered gear isn't being sold to our enemies, it's still a substantial amount of extra income.

There was roughly 800 platinum that came in from the payments for goods being delivered on the new order of shipments this month.

In addition to this, 660 platinum was received as the 25% down payment for next month's orders, keeping the growing trend line for order volume steady— well over two times last month's down payments. That will create over an additional 2,000 platinum in pure profit once the special orders for each region and additional guildhall profit are calculated.

The cost of basic aid, including food, water, and housing for new residents that come into the city is negligible. The total cost is a few platinum a month at most. The excess funds that have been allocated for construction this coming month are 200 platinum to expand the outer city to create room for even more outside trade. Plus, there will be a vertical expansion of towers in the city, both for businesses to rent out office space and for more wealthy citizens to start purchasing and renting luxury housing options if they wish.

Overall, this is the first time since this entire city's creation that I'm finally seeing more money come into it than is leaving it in a single month.

At first, I funded everything out of the winnings I received in the Valor City fight arena to bet on the future.

The cost of constant expansion and scaling up the dungeon farming business was not profitable month to month to do at first, but now that the volume of transactions is reaching a level that is beyond what one person can do alone, and the exponential aspect of scaling has slowed, I'm finally seeing the fruits of my labor.

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After all expenses needed for this full month of expansion, there's going to still be over 1000 platinum in the city's business vault and my main body's storage combined.

Bri smiles as she flips to the final page of all the accounting notes.

"That's everything. We still have to expand into Solara in Sector 4, The Silca, Raya, Phantom, Veridian, and Apex Region. There is still room for massive growth once the trade influence grows in these parts of the two nations we're currently established in."

I would take longer to think, but I already planned everything out when I had an epiphany using my new skill [Mind Palace].

"Perfect. I should be able to secure a meeting with over half of those regions soon. I made some new connections while away at the B-Class exams."

Bri's eyes widen and she leans in closer to me.

"You made it back? Did you pass? W-What? I thought this was just an old double... You should have told me earlier!"

I laugh, then run through the details of the exams quickly, leaving out parts about the divine construct and a few other details that would take far too long to explain, but assure her that Rodrigo is still safe.

"Basically, to sum things up, I passed and got all of the information I was looking for. I met the Apex Region's director, and now I have five days to get strong enough to face him again and not fall under his curse. There's a way to get your brother back, and I have a plan to do so while gaining far more than just that."

I grin while opening up my item storage and pouring hundreds of skill orbs onto the center table.

"They attacked my city and think I won't strike back with everything I have? It's time to dismantle that crooked organization from the inside out and create an Association of my own... These skill orbs right here are where we begin."

–

[Main Body POV]

Meanwhile, I teleport into the lobby of the Galeheart Tower to see two lobbymen greet me from across the room that I haven't seen in quite a while.

They welcome me back and tell me I can wait for Lith to return to town later tonight, but I politely decline as I'm here for other reasons.

I leave out into the streets of the Royal Coin district of Valor City.

It's still extremely quiet, and only a few of Lith's guards stand outside a few buildings in the area. Other than that, everyone else still believes the Dark One holds ownership of the entire city.

Not much has changed at all here.

Other than the double-layered mana shielding requested on my tower that leads down to the Qi mines, everything in Valor City has stayed exactly the same.

I do a scan of the entire city as a whole all throughout the silver, gold, and platinum districts too, and business seems to be running just as usual.

I send long-range transmissions to Abby and Maria to meet me at the surface, while sending another wave to Lydia and Fisher.

Just as I finish my leisurely stroll through the empty black streets toward the massive tower, all four of my teammates are here to greet me.

My body doubles have been in their presence the whole time I've been gone, but meeting them again in my real body feels very different.

I can feel their powerful auras ripple through the air from far away.

It's clear that Fisher and Lydia's Soul Energy has truly awakened. The colorful display I saw in my memories hinted at it, but the true raw combination of Qi and Mana seamlessly flowing through their cores proves it to me now.

Abby's aura feels sharp and concentrated; like every particle of energy being manipulated is focused on with close precision.

The images of her spears slicing through the limbs of an A-Class hunter with a red core of divine energy flash in my mind as she gives me a smile while crossing her arms.

Maria's aura is immensely powerful, giving off the sensation of an endless abyss of dark royal blue energy; ready to absorb everything in the atmosphere but also capable of unleashing the power trapped within.

Her bubbly smile and wave from a distance give the illusion of a far different hunter. If one doesn't have their Soul Energy awakened too, it's impossible to see the true extent of her battle might.

I can't help but smile ear to ear as I give each of them a hug and start recalling the events of my time in the Apex Region.

From the moment I stepped into the exam site, through the trials, meeting new allies, learning about divine energy, and even the demand I left the board of Directors with in the end; I tell them everything.

I use a divine energy imbued [Hush] barrier to ensure none of this is overheard.

We walk around the empty streets together to tell the stories of our last few weeks.

Fisher seems just like his old self, battle hungry and wanting to prove his new skills to me in a spar. Apparently, Monk has been teaching them a whole new style and array of techniques in their private training sessions.

Lydia is very focused on her explanations, telling of her experience training with Monk, and even helping with a large number of the patients that need rejuvenation from the Lich King's Curse during her off hours.

All four of them give me their renditions of the attack on the city.

Abby is the first to give her words.

"Like I said when you contacted me earlier, there are definitely more eyes on this battle than just the 8 Great Regions' branch. I used to work for the Association far before you were involved with them. After yearly contracts renew, the central branch always did check-ins on the lesser nations. They are definitely keeping track of the A-Class hunters, and if they don't already know, they're going to have many questions about the battle scars we left them."

Maria nods and chimes in.

"So that red light that both of the A-Class hunters were using with their borrowed soul energy, that was Divine Energy? The stuff that was being farmed in the construct?"

I nod.

"Yeah. Your Soul Energy was strong enough to overpower it from raw strength alone. However, the Apex Region's Director has far more powerful Soul Energy and Divine Energy than me..."

I pause my sentence and my stride to turn to all of them.

"If you say there are even more powerful eyes on us now, we're going to need to get another step ahead; in both gathering information and building our strength."

I grin while thinking about what we're about to do next.

"Let's head out to the new prison that was created to store the captured B-Class Hunters of the attack last week. We're going to need to train more, that's a given. But right now, it will be best to learn more weaknesses and secret information only held by Elites of the Association, why not take it from the source?"

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