The golden notification, [Ministry Query RESOLVED], faded, but the warm, satisfying glow of victory remained in my consciousness. It was the feeling of a battle of wits that had been won.
FaeLina let out a whoop of pure, unrestrained joy that echoed in the quiet lobby. She did a sparkling loop in the air, her tiny form like a blur of triumphant energy.
"'I DID IT! I mean... WE did it!'" she corrected herself quickly, landing on my core's containment field. "'We beat the Ministry with a technicality and a cute robot! I am the greatest loophole finder fairy in this entire realm!'"
A quiet sense of pride settled deep within me. It wasn't the loud, explosive joy of FaeLina's victory lap; it was a slow, warm hum, a steady light that pushed back the shadows. We hadn't just survived. We had been clever. And in a world of brute force and sharp edges, being clever felt like a real superpower.
My new Bureaucratic Judo skill felt like a warm, comfortable cloak for my mind. With our legal troubles over, our dungeon running smoothly, and our residents happy, the path was finally clear. The ultimate prize was within my grasp.
'It's time,' I thought, a profound sense of peace settling over my core. 'It is finally time for a nice, long nap.'
I began to dim my inner light, the happy sounds of the dungeon fading into a pleasant background hum.
And that's when a brilliant, impossibly bright golden light filled my entire consciousness, accompanied by the deafening sound of a thousand royal trumpets blaring in the dungeon.
My peaceful, sleepy state was instantly shattered.
'What was that?!' FaeLina yelped, stopping her victory dance.
Before me now was a new notification. It wasn't just a simple system alert; it was an enormous, ornate, magical document,
covered in fancy golden patterns and stamped with the Royal Seal of the kingdom.
[Official Summons from the Royal Dungeon League Commission]
[To: Dungeon Core #A4109, designated as 'The Comfy Corner']
[By order of His Majesty the King 'Caspian the Benevolent', and in recognition of your unique 'Sanctuary Class' status and unprecedented public acclaim, you are hereby cordially, and mandatorily, invited to participate in the 114th Annual Royal Dungeon League Tournament.]
FaeLina read the summons, her wings fluttering with unrestrained excitement.
"The Dungeon League!" she squealed. "Mochi, this is the biggest, most prestigious event of the year! It's broadcast live on the ScryNet to the entire kingdom! It's an incredible honor! Only the top-ranked dungeons get an invitation!"
My own reaction was one of pure, unadulterated horror. A public competition? With cheering crowds? And judges? It sounded like my own personal version of hell.
I forced myself to read the fine print words of the summons, FaeLina's psychic voice reading over my shoulder.
'Okay, let's see the events,' she said, her tone hopeful. 'Maybe there's a flower-arranging competition?'
I focused on the first event listed on the ornate, magical document.
'Event one: The Gauntlet of Swiftness,' as I read the words, my core started sinking.
The goal was to have an adventuring party clear a floor in the fastest possible time.
'Fastest clearance time?' I thought in a rising panic. 'FaeLina, my dungeon's primary goal is to achieve the SLOWEST clearance time as possible! Preferably an infinite one, because the adventurer falls asleep here and have a good time!'
'Okay, okay, not a great start,' FaeLina admitted. 'Let's see the next one. Event two: The Labyrinth of Lethality. Ooh, that sounds impressive! Judged on the most innovative and dangerous trap design!'
My mind immediately went to my "plush pit" trap.
'Dangerous traps?' I projected, my thoughts now bordering on despair. 'My most dangerous trap is a pile of rugs.We are doomed.'
'Sigh, let's check the next one' I thought.
'Please be a baking competition, please be a baking competition...' FaeLina chanted desperately as we read the name of final event.
'Event three: The Chamber of Terror. Judged on the most terrifying boss encounter.'
I thought of Sir Crumplebuns, with his Spoonblade and his humming.
'We are not just going to be humiliated,' I thought, a feeling of profound certainty settling over me. 'We are going to be the most adorable failure in the entire history of the Dungeon League.'
I immediately formed a mental command to the system. [Decline Invitation].
The system's response was instant and crushing.
[Invitation is MANDATORY for all officially recognized Sanctuary-Class dungeons. This is part of the DLRB's new 'Public Outreach and Alternative Dungeon Showcase Initiative'. Declining this invitation will result in the immediate revocation of your Sanctuary status and a full, hostile audit by the Ministry of Core Compliance.]
'Shit,I was trapped'.
"It's a new rule they added this year, Mochi," FaeLina confirmed, her excitement now mixed with a hint of pity. "It's because of you. The DLRB wants to show off their 'progressive' new dungeon class to the world. You're their poster boy."
'I don't want to be a poster boy!' I projected in despair. 'I want to be a pillow!'
My dream of a quiet life was over. I was going to be forced to compete in a deadly tournament where my only weapons were tea, hugs, and weaponized drowsiness.
As I wallowed in my own quiet dread, FaeLina continued to scroll through the long, boring document. Suddenly, she stopped.
"Wait a minute... Mochi, look here," she said, her voice filled with a new, strange flicker of hope. "At the very end. They've added a new event category this year, just for the Sanctuary-Class dungeons."
I focused on the line she was pointing to. It was a small, new addition at the bottom of the list of brutal competitions.
'New Experimental Judging Category Event: Judged by most Innovative Adventurer Experience.'
FaeLina and I stared at that one line of text. It was a lifeline for us.
We could never win by being the most dangerous or the most terrifying dungeon in the competition.
But maybe, just maybe... we could win or have winning chance by being the most ridiculously, overwhelmingly, and innovatively comfortable dungeon.
Now the game was on.