The day started with trouble. I knew this because the Goblin Coupon Gang was already outside at 8:00 a.m. setting up folding chairs like they were hosting a block party.
Mom, for some reason, was helping them.
"They're making a Customer Appreciation Booth" she told me when I stepped outside. "Isn't that wonderful?"
"They're goblins" I said. "Their idea of customer appreciation is not stabbing you when you walk in."
"They've reformed" she insisted.
"Grip says he's considering night classes."
Around noon, the air shifted.
You don't forget the feeling, like someone turned the gravity sideways and the shadows decided they were in charge now. My HUD flickered and the door opened without actually opening.
The Dungeon stepped in.
Now, it's hard to explain what the Dungeon looks like. It doesn't really have a body, more like a shifting shadow with edges that make your eyes hurt if you look too long.
"Store Manager" it rumbled. "We must discuss your progress toward..."
"Oh!" Mom interrupted, rushing forward. "You must be one of Hanseok's friends! It's so nice to finally meet you!"
The Dungeon froze. I swear the shadows actually... flinched.
"Uh... yes" the Dungeon said, voice dropping half an octave. "We... know each other professionally."
Mom clasped her hands.
"Professionally! Oh, how wonderful! Do you work in deliveries too? Hanseok always says such nice things about the Dungeon."
I have never said a single nice thing about the Dungeon in my life.
"I... am the Dungeon" it said slowly, like it wasn't sure the words would land.
Mom's eyes sparkled. "Oh, the Dungeon! You must be so busy, keeping all the adventurers on their toes! I brought fresh kimbap, do you eat seaweed?"
The Dungeon made a noise I can only describe as existential static.
I've fought monsters. I've dealt with drunk adventurers. I've negotiated with a slime over shelf space. But I have never, ever, seen the Dungeon back away from something.
It took the kimbap, muttered something about urgent spatial maintenance and vanished so fast the door chime barely registered.
Mom turned to me, smiling. "Such a polite young... entity. You should invite them over for dinner sometime."
Of course, the Goblin Coupon Gang took the Dungeon's retreat as a sign they had intimidated the boss of the building and immediately printed fake business cards calling themselves "Security Consultants."
Globby ate one of the cards. Said it " tasted too ambitious."
By the end of the day, I noticed something strange in my HUD:
Dungeon Shop Progress: 97% to Level 2 Unlock
Three percent to go. One good delivery run and I'd finally see Level 2.
But for now, I had to deal with the fact that my mom had somehow made friends with the most dangerous entity in this entire place.
And that was way more terrifying