Dungeon Diver: Stealing a Monster's Power

Chapter 134

Ember, the shiny black dragon with a crimson underbelly stares at me with curious eyes. He continues to munch on my mana crystals.

"A change in plans you say? Leaving the Labyrinth? This is not an option for us as-"

"We'll make it an option."

I grin, looking straight at my ticket out of here. This could work... I continue to speak to the tiny monster using my telepathy skill.

"How long does it take for you to absorb mana, and do you have a limit?"

The creature stops chewing on a large pink crystal for a moment, then looks up at me again.

"It depends. The first 100 levels or so are usually pretty quick, that'll take a year at most. Then after that-"

"A year? A full year?"

The Dragon tilts its head and nods firmly one time. My stomach almost comes out of my mouth...

I'm really never getting out of this prison.

My face, previously full of hope, is now a disappointed mope. I drop to my knees.

"Well, back to training I guess..."

The Dragon continues.

"There have been exceptions in the past. One time I made it to level 300 in under a month! I absorbed an entire 20-floor labyrinth to do it though... My Demon was killed in the process and there was a full collapse, but it sure was fun! The higher-ups didn't like that one bit. Over 50 years in a dormant state... I still can't tell if it was worth it."

I blankly stare at the Dragon, trying to piece together more of its random babbling into coherent thoughts. Did it just say, higher-ups? It was punished for killing a Demon and destroying a labyrinth for fun? 50 years ago....?

"So, you're saying you could level up faster if you had an enormous mana supply?"

I raise my hands in the air to point out the obvious nearly infinite mana supply we're stuck in. Again, the confused Dragon tilts its head.

Ember seems to really think this is just some messed up labyrinth.

"Sure. I can tell there's a large supply up here, but what about the lower floors? You still haven't given me any of the MP allowances. How long has this spawn been active? How much can I safely plunder per day?"

I scratch my head, thinking of where I should turn this conversation next. It'd be better if I keep playing along... If it really thinks we're protecting a labyrinth, for the time being, that's what we'll do. I'll explain how we're breaking out of this place once I have a better idea of its capabilities.

"One Hundred Thousand. It can handle losing that much a day without a problem."

The Dragon's eyes open wide. It flaps its wings and jumps up into the air. With a shocking amount of speed, the miniature monster starts doing flips in the air.

"I really did it this time! I hit the jackpot in this life. Oh, karma's a funny thing! What a millennia to be alive!"

Grinning ear to ear, Ember finally calms down a bit and drifts back down to the floor. He continues.

"In that case, I'll still have to take it slow at first. To achieve my first rank-up, I'll have to hit level 100. This should be achievable within 5 days."

I nod while biting my bottom lip.

"So it'll take 5 days. The higher level you climb, the faster you can plunder mana? Or-"

"Yea and no. I'll be able to absorb mana much quicker, but as my levels grow it takes much more mana to continue my steady progression. Hopefully, no hunters challenge us before I've matured. You've done a fine job growing this labyrinth without me. It's time we make a name for ourselves Jay. With this starting mana allowance, we'll break records. Oh, we'll break them all!"