Somewhere in the New World, Holly Woods’ mountain,

Months after the battle of El Dolrado.

Sitting on his throne, in the deepest, darkest room of his dungeon, Furibon was giddy with excitement.

At long last, his contributions had been recognized!

“Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of Today’s Dungeon,” a tall, bulky red fiend spoke to a floating mirror, transferring the images back to Happyland. “I am your host Pepito, and today, we are going to interview this year Deadie Awards’ favorite, the lich archrival of Vainqueur Knightsbane himself… Furibon!”

“Former rival. We forgot one another.” Furibon observed the demon more closely, finding him vaguely familiar. “Weren’t you the announcer in Brandon Maure’s arena?”

“Yes, I lost my job shortly after Vainqueur ate the audience,” the fiend said. “But after six months of despair and homelessness, I bounced back to take the world of monsterbiz by storm!”

Good to see the survivors of Ishfania’s old regime had all turned a new leaf, even Miss Maure. This only confirmed Furibon’s belief that revenge was a pointless waste of time. After all, if he had spent all his time plotting Knightsbane’s demise, he wouldn’t have achieved his dream of building a famous dungeon.

“Mr. Furibon, your dungeon, ‘The Tomb of Furibon,’ has been nominated for the Deadie Awards in five categories, including ‘Most Lethal Dungeon,’ ‘Best Supporting Miniboss,’ ‘Best Dungeon Boss,’ ‘Best Dungeon Design,’ and ‘Best Dungeon Sound Design.’ Since this is your first official work, you must feel honored.”

“I am very proud,” Furibon replied. “Especially the best sound design one. My team struggled a lot to put all these rats in the walls. A dungeon is more than a place; it’s an atmosphere. Truth to be told, I intended to participate a year ago with my Castle of Murmurin, but...”

“Knightsbane?”

“Knightsbane.” A shame, he had been very proud of his Black Beast miniboss. “It is true that I have become an adventurer, and achieved fame fighting the evil [Toon] monsters inhabiting Holly Woods. But at heart, I will always remain a dungeon hobbyist.”

“Well then, you may have a new chance to pit your passion against Vainqueur Knightsbane! Do you know that he is expected to participate as one of the adventurers’ team, alongside [Paladin] superstar Kia Bekele?”

Furibon chuckled. “Very funny.”

“This is not a joke.”

The lich marked a long pause, as he realized the fiend was serious. “I never thought I would feel empathy for a [Paladin of Mithras],” the lich admitted, after considering the implications. “I hope that she is safe.”

“To showcase his dungeon design, Furibon and his team agreed to give us a full, live demonstration,” the fiend declared, immediately changing the subject. “Let’s meet our contestants.”

“[Furibon’s Scrying Ball],” Furibon cast a spell of his own design, a spectral crystal ball showing the dungeon’s entrance room appearing before him. His teammates had gathered in a great stone hall, separated from the dungeon’s first corridor by a purple energy barrier and a dragon statue.

“Sarat Dillon,” the fiend commentator pointed at black-furred, female beastkin. She carried a bandolier full of bombs, potions, and Monster Poker cards. “A Ratling [Alchemist] [Gambler] whose absurd luck protects her from everything!”

“It’s not luck, it’s fate,” the ratkin protested, the fiend’s voice having carried through the divination mirror. She had served Furibon as his training partner, before the final duel with Knightsbane.

“Marty Orcling, goblin-slayer extraordinaire.” The unofficial leader of the team was a mighty orc, covered by an iron armor and wielding a magical bow. “A [Bowman] [Mercenary], he combines combat effectiveness with a keen tactical mind.”

“Just because my classes have low Intelligence growths, doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” the orc declared.

The fiend then pointed at the fairest member of the group, a pink-haired elf dressed like a belly dancer; her beauty hiding her saber’s deadliness. “Jenny Starflower, half [Bard], one quarter [Fencer], and one quarter [Dancer]. A murder machine who kills evil with style.”

“I’m bi-neutral, so I can go both ways,” the elf replied.

“Finally, Mister Raptor.” The last, a hawk-like member of the team hung on his staff with a defeated expression. “A birdkin [Wizard] and [Priest of Dice], the main reason why his team has survived despite their suicidal urges.”

“Until now,” the birdkin complained with a gloomy voice. “BLEEP you, Furi.”

“I have the [Panacea], I can cure you of almost anything,” Furibon replied calmly. “And you still owe me your life, for that El Dorado mess.”

“Yeah, but I thought we would pay you a vacation or something. Not give you a free torture session!”

“Raptor, you’re exaggerating,” Jenny said. “Sure, Furi is cranky, but he would never go that far.”

“He is right though, the goal of a dungeon is not to have fun,” Furibon whispered to the fiend reporter, low enough that his team wouldn’t hear. “It is to emotionally drain the will of adventurers, to destroy them physically and mentally. I prefer the old-school approach of crafting every room to heighten the pain.”

“What do you have to say to the new ‘randomized rogue dungeon’ movement then?” the demon asked him. “They’ve had a lot of success in recent years, especially against the unpredictable dragon adventurers.”

“They’re hacks! A dungeon is art! Each room must be exquisitely crafted, or else it is not memorable!” The lich did have a trap room summoning random high-level monsters, but it was only a one-time gimmick. “As for dragons, I have found the ultimate defense against their dungeon raids.”

His team was already scouting the barrier, Marty shooting an arrow through, only for the projectile to disintegrate on contact. They turned to examine the dragon statue, noticing a hole in the mouth, and inscriptions written on the jaws.

gold coins per person.