A few blissful days of a new, strange, but stable routine had settled over The Comfy Corner. Kaelen was a silent, relentlessly efficient presence behind the Tea Nook counter. The dungeon's new ticketing system handled the flow of tourists with calm efficiency. My DP reserves were slowly building back up, and I was actually managing to get long, uninterrupted stretches of blissful core-sleep.
It was, of course, too good to last.
It was during one of these quiet afternoons that FaeLina zipped up to my core, her invisible form buzzing with a new kind of anxiety. It wasn't the pure terror of an impending attack, but the stressed-out energy of a manager who has just discovered a flaw in their own successful product.
'Mochi, we have a problem,' her psychic voice crackled with concern. 'It's the Iron Gryphons. They are... too relaxed.'
I was confused. They had a contract. They were my most reliable customers.
'They're supposed to be here,' I projected back, a hint of sleepiness still clouding my thoughts.
'No, you don't understand,' she clarified, her thoughts a jumble of worry. 'They're supposed to use this place to rest between missions. But your dungeon is so comfortable, and your dream therapy is so effective, that they're getting... soft. Their fighting spirit is dwindling!'
I focused my senses on the adventurers currently in the dungeon. She had a point.
Gilda, the formidable warrior, was sitting in the lobby, but instead of sharpening her massive axe, she was deeply engrossed in a surprisingly sappy romance novel titled 'My Heart's True North'. Pip, who usually spent his downtime nervously checking the dungeon corners for hidden traps, was sitting on a plush cushion, trying to teach a Dust Bunny how to juggle small pebbles. Zazu... well, Zazu was always napping, but now he seemed to be doing it with a level of profound dedication that was impressive even for him.
'Their fighting edge is disappearing!' FaeLina fretted. 'Gilda hasn't properly practiced her axe swings in three days! Yesterday, she just polished it with a soft cloth for an hour! They're losing their motivation to go out and fight things!'
This was a new and deeply ironic problem. My sanctuary, designed to heal the stress of adventuring, was apparently so effective that it was curing people of their desire to adventure at all.
Before I could ponder the philosophical implications of this, the Guild Bulletin Board chimed. It was a [Direct Message] from Guildmaster Peppin. His written voice was as grumpy as his real one.
Core. Your sanctuary is too effective. My adventurers' official Combat Readiness scores, which we track weekly, have dropped by 12% since they signed our contract. They are well-rested and their morale is high, but they lack... motivation. This is an unforeseen consequence of our agreement. Propose a solution, or we will be forced to reconsider our contract.
FaeLina let out a psychic squeak of despair. 'He's going to cancel the contract! Our biggest and most important client! All because we're too good at making people happy!'
I was internally conflicted. My own thoughts were a confusing mess. 'My dungeon is working perfectly! They are achieving maximum rest! This is a feature, not a bug! But... if they leave, my DP income drops significantly. Less security. Less peace. Which means less nap time for me.'
My own precious peace and quiet was, unfortunately, directly tied to their continued employment as professional, danger-seeking adventurers.
I needed a way to help them train, to keep their fighting edge sharp, without adding a single drop of actual danger or discomfort to my sanctuary. Violence was bad for my brand.
I reviewed my own skill set in the Dungeon Menu. The Aura of Sanctuary. The Dream Weaver's Annex. My Sentinels, Zazu and Pip, who could enter a shared, controlled mental space...
An idea sparked in my core. A brilliant, absurd, and perfectly Mochi-style solution.
I sent a mental summons to Gilda, Zazu, and Pip. I explained the Guildmaster's complaint. Gilda had the good grace to look embarrassed.
"He's not wrong, Core," she admitted, setting her novel aside. "I haven't felt this little urge to go out and hit something in years. It's... deeply unsettling."
'I have a proposal,' I projected to them and to the Guildmaster's open message thread. 'A solution is in development. This dungeon will provide a new facility for the Iron Gryphons.'
'A place where your adventurers can train their combat skills against any opponent you can imagine, in a perfectly safe, consequence-free environment, all while getting a full eight hours of restorative sleep.'
The adventurers were baffled. "Train... while we're asleep?" Pip asked, nervously.
Zazu was the first to understand, his eyes lighting up. "The Dreamscape... you mean you can create a training ground inside our minds?"
'Precisely,' I replied, a feeling of deep satisfaction washing over me. 'Welcome to the Comfy Corner's new state-of-the-art virtual reality combat simulator. Your first lesson is tonight.'