Chapter 258: Visiting the Lily

As they stepped into the Dungeon Entrance, they were greeted by a lively scene. The once somewhat modest space had expanded dramatically, now hosting a small crowd of people lounging with drinks, chatting, and watching the neighboring dome—a massive water park filled with magical slides and mini-games, most designed for younger delvers.

Four identical parks surrounded the entrance, each displaying a different instance—an adjustment made necessary by the overwhelming popularity of the Lily’s water attractions. No doubt, even more instances were running in the background to accommodate the demand.

Nomura and Kujo stood momentarily stunned, taking in the sight. Their musings were cut short as one of the P.A.L.s raced toward them, buzzing with excitement.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ryser, it is a pleasure to see you again," the P.A.L. announced, its mechanical eye whirring as it took them and their guests in, bobbing slightly.

"And you brought new guests—how exciting!" it added.

"Hi, Pal. These are Nomura and Kujo Beshin. They're our friends and allies," Alistair said.

"Welcome, welcome, dear guests, to the Platijum Lily!" the P.A.L. declared as it made a happy spin, buzzing around them.

"I am well aware of the Beshin Clan!" P.A.L. announced, bobbing eagerly. "You’ve been quite the hot topic among our guests! A pleasure—no, an honor—to finally make your acquaintance!"

It paused for dramatic effect before spinning in the air. "But where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself! I am P.A.L.—your Personal Assistance Liaison! At your service!"

Nomura and Kujo exchanged a bewildered glance, but P.A.L., as usual, completely ignored it and barreled on.

"I’ve gone ahead and awarded you both the usual welcome gift of Platijum Chips—plus a little extra," he added with a wink… or at least, the closest approximation a gold-plated drone could manage.

Nomura eyed the hovering machine, shaking her head in amusement. "What a strange yet fascinating dungeon."

"Ah, there’s that D-word again," P.A.L. huffed, letting out a sharp click—an obvious attempt at imitating a tongue click.

"This is a place of joy and entertainment! A dazzling wonderland! A sanctuary of fun! But a dungeon? Oh no, no, no—such a gloomy word has no place here!"

Alistair leaned in slightly, lowering his voice in a conspiratorial whisper—though he knew full well the dungeon could hear him and would simply pretend not to.

"The core doesn’t see itself that way. If you call it a dungeon, it'll just ignore you and keep acting like it's an entertainment module. Best to just go along with it and enjoy yourselves."

"Are you sure this is wise?" Nomura's voice came through his Akashic Link, laced with caution. "This dungeon is brimming with energy—and clearly, extremely powerful."

Alistair waved her off as he straightened, though he replied through the Akashic Link. "We’ve got it covered. We have standing agreements with this dungeon—it can't and won’t turn on us. Honestly, it’s just not in its nature. But rest assured, we’ve taken precautions."

Seemingly pacified, Nomura gave a small nod before glancing down at the chips in her hand. "So, what exactly can I do with these Platijum Chips?"

P.A.L. vibrated with excitement. "Anything and everything fun, of course! You can bet them on games, exchange them for prizes, or even use them to order food and drinks from Rathos!"

"You order food from the city rather than creating it yourself?" Nomura asked curiosity piqued.

"Indeed!" P.A.L. chirped. "Sadly, my own attempts at culinary creation weren’t quite as well received as the food from the city. Guests kept leaving to eat elsewhere! So, to keep everyone well-fed and happy, I simply exchange USC for services Rathos already provides."

"The Platinum Lily has pretty much become part of Rathos at this point," Riseth noted.

"And I am thrilled to be part of it!" P.A.L. announced, spinning mid-air. "I must thank you once again for relocating me and giving me so many insights and opportunities! Oh! And the games you recommended last time? Huge hit!"

"Glad to hear it," Alistair replied with a smile.

The drone bobbed up and down excitedly, its mechanical eye sweeping over their little group.

"Now then! Do you wish to participate in an event? Relax in one of the subspaces? Food? Perhaps place some bets?" P.A.L. rattled off, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.

Alistair turned to the two oni, who were still eyeing the drone with fascination.

"Anything you guys want to check out, or do you need some suggestions?"

"I'm still curious about these pet battles," Kujo offered.

"Ah, an excellent choice!" P.A.L. exclaimed, practically buzzing with enthusiasm. "Would you like to observe some matches or submit one of your own pets? No need to worry—they’ll be lifeguarded too!"

"He means summons, not literal pets," Alistair clarified. "Don't bother trying to correct him—it won't work."

"We don’t have proper summons to begin with," Kujo admitted with a shrug.

"Such a shame!" P.A.L. whirred dramatically before swiveling toward Alistair and Riseth. "But no matter! I have been preparing a spectacle—one that would be greatly enhanced if either King or Fluffy were to participate!"

"King’s busy," Riseth replied, smirking. "But Fluffy could enter."

P.A.L. let out an excited hum, spinning midair. "Oh-ho, fantastic! This will be glorious!"

The drone rushed ahead to the circle of elevators at the center of the dome before spinning back around. "Follow me! I'll be making an announcement!"

Kujo folded his arms, his confusion mounting alongside his anticipation. "What's this about now?"

Alistair and Riseth exchanged a glance before shrugging.

"Probably something crazy," Riseth admitted. "But the Platijum Lily always delivers on a good time. If he says he’s prepared something, it’s probably something good."

"If it's not good, it's at least over the top," Alistair added.

As they descended in the elevator, P.A.L. bobbed excitedly, practically vibrating with anticipation. The moment the doors slid open, a wave of energy hit them—laughter, chatter, and the unmistakable buzz of a crowd eager for spectacle.

Then, with a sudden explosion of sound, the dungeon's announcement boomed through the station.

"THE CLASH OF THE TITANS IS UPON US! Tune in and place your bets as our honored Matriarch’s pet, FLUFFY, takes on the reigning champions—KAJU PRIME and GIGA-GORR—in a NO-HOLDS-BARRED, ANYTHING-GOES, FREE-FOR-ALL PET BATTLE OF THE AGES!"

Fireworks—both literal and holographic—erupted across the vast station, bursting into dazzling patterns even in the vacuum of space. Alistair barely had time to wonder how the dungeon even did that before every screen lit up with synchronized explosions of light, transitioning into dramatic, slow-motion close-ups of the contenders.

The speakers roared with the sound of a cheering crowd, so real it felt like they were already in the arena.

"Wait," Alistair muttered, squinting at the screens. "Are those a two-headed mecha-Godzilla and a four-armed mecha-gorilla?"

The P.A.L. drone hovering beside them vibrated with excitement. "Earth’s media is such a wonderful tool for inspiration!" it chirped. "Though, naturally, there was room for improvement!"

"By adding heads and arms?" Riseth asked dryly.

"MORE is always better!" P.A.L. declared, spinning midair.

Above them, the core's voice rang out and somehow cranked the energy even higher.

"AND BETTING IS ALREADY OPEN! WHO WILL REIGN SUPREME IN THIS COLOSSAL SHOWDOWN? PLACE YOUR WAGERS, GRAB YOUR SNACKS, AND GET READY FOR ANOTHER THRILLING NIGHT OF MAYHEM AT THE PLATIJUM LILY!"

Alistair scratched his beard, an awkward smile creeping onto his face as he glanced at their Oni companions. Nomura looked absolutely flabbergasted by the core’s behavior, her eyes darting between the flashing screens and the wildly enthusiastic drone. Meanwhile, Kujo had already adjusted—fully embracing the spectacle as he let out a loud whoop, pumping a fist in the air at the sight of the monstrous contenders displayed on screen.

"Now, this is what I call a proper welcome!" Kujo bellowed, grinning ear to ear.

Nomura, still struggling to process what she was witnessing, exhaled sharply. "Your dungeon core is insane."

"Technically, he prefers entertainment-focused," Alistair corrected, as he couldn't help grinning.

Entertainment is just chaos with a good PR director!" P.A.L. exclaimed while spinning midair before zipping in front of Riseth.

"Would you take out Fluffy so I may add her to the Battlezone? No—Kaiju Clash Arena! Wait—Titan Brawl Metropolis!" P.A.L. spun midair, clearly workshopping the name in real-time. "I’m going for WrestleMania energy, but with a slightly miniaturized city for maximum destruction aesthetics. You get it, right?"

"Wait, I thought you said you had this event planned?" Riseth said in a hushed voice.

Alistair tempered his desire to facepalm, while Riseth just shook her head in disbelief before tilting it slightly, likely communicating with Fluffy.

Moments later, the serpent materialized before her.

"Excellent! Hello there, Fluffy!" P.A.L. greeted, bobbing eagerly. Then, with a dramatic pause, he leaned in slightly. "Are you ready to ruuuuumbleee?"

Fluffy simply tilted her head, blinking in confusion.

"Right, of course you are," P.A.L. continued smoothly. "But do me a little favor—once I drop you into battle, go as huuuuge as you possibly can! Really give our guests something spectacular to cheer for!"

Fluffy flicked her tail, still watching him with a blank expression.

"Perfect!" P.A.L. chirped. "This is gonna be amazing!"

At that exact moment, a door—one that definitely hadn't been there before—materialized in the corridor. Before anyone could react, Fluffy vanished.

P.A.L. bobbed midair, spinning in place before hovering toward the newly formed entrance. "If you would follow me into your private lounge?"

They stepped into an absurdly extravagant chamber. A massive, plush pink couch dominated the center, looking almost too soft to be real. Most of the walls didn’t even qualify as walls in any traditional sense. At least, not to Alistair’s Conceptual Awareness. To him, they were barely-there barriers, offering a clear view of what lay beyond—a slightly miniaturized city, clearly designed to resemble an Earth metropolis.

P.A.L. zipped ahead, spinning in excitement. "Take a seat, take a seat. Do you desire food? A refreshment? Perhaps you wish to place a wager?"

Nomura still eyed P.A.L., her expression skeptical. "I stand by my words—this core is insane."

"I also prefer monotony-challenged," P.A.L. suggested cheerfully.

Alistair and Riseth sank into the ridiculously plush pink couch, the cushions practically swallowing them in over-the-top comfort. As they settled in, a sleek, see-through table materialized in front of them, its surface glowing faintly as it awaited their selections.

"Bring us a few bottles of spirit orchid wine, a pizza, some Lirsaross jambalaya, and place 10,000 chips on Fluffy's victory," Alistair said, casually placing his order.

"Put me down for the same amount, and add a strawberry frappe for me," Riseth added, stretching comfortably into the absurd luxury.

Kujo joined them eagerly, sinking into the plush couch without hesitation, while Nomura took a seat more reservedly, still eyeing the drone with cautious curiosity.

"Certainly! This will only take a moment," P.A.L. chirped. "Please do let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you!"

Alistair took the time to check out the miniature metropolis below, where he could make out cars, lights, and even little boats cruising along the small sea surrounding half of the city.

"I don't see little people, so that's a good start," Riseth commented as she, too, looked down on the metropolis.

"Of course not!" P.A.L. chirped. "We wouldn’t want to distract from the BIG FIGHT!"

Riseth let out a sigh. "Of course…"

"LAAAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN—AND THE TECHNICAL RAINBOW IN BETWEEN—WELCOME TO TONIGHT’S TITAN SMACKDOWN!" P.A.L.'s voice rang out across the subspace.

Loud cheers erupted all around them. Whether they were all real or not, Alistair couldn't tell—he wouldn’t put it past the core to enhance the atmosphere with some strategic crowd noise.

"THE BETTING POOLS WILL CLOSE IN ONE MINUTE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A FAVORITE!" P.A.L. announced as beams of light illuminated three corners of the city.

"IT’S THE QUETZALCOATL—THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS IN THE MAKING—IT IS FLUUUUFFY!"

Fluffy appeared in the northern corner of the zone, already towering over the miniaturized skyscrapers—far larger than when she had been teleported away. Her wings spread wide in an unmistakably showman-like gesture, lightning crackling as metal plates orbited around her.

"WILL SHE REIGN SUPREME OVER HER TWO GINORMOUS ADVERSARIES, OR WILL SHE BE TAKEN DOOOWN BY FIST AND CLAAAW??"

"FIND OUT! ...after a quick commercial break."

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