Chapter 12: Dinner

James opened the door and saw the throne chair and the orb. "Thou heart of the dungeon, this place is the most important," Lefi said.

"It is," James responded. 

Lefi walked up to the Perk Machines and looked at them. "YOU NEED A LITTLE REVIVE," the jingle was heard. 

Lefi raised an eyebrow, curiosity etched across her face as she examined the peculiar machines in front of her. "What are thou?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

With a knowing grin, James stepped forward. "Those are Perk Machines," he explained, gesturing towards machines each with their own jingle. James did notice they still had power. He remembered they were powered by Element 115. "They're not just ordinary machines; they can grant us extraordinary abilities."

Lois added, "But be warned, it tastes absolutely awful."

Lefi's confusion deepened as she processed the information. "These machines, I have never seen in any Dungeons before, and they taste bad," she questioned, clearly intrigued yet skeptical.

James nodded. "Yes, it's a small price to pay for the advantages they provide. Trust me, the benefits far outweigh the taste."

Lois, with a mischievous glint in her eye, added, "Think of it like a bitter medicine that makes you a superhero. You'll get used to the taste after a while."

"What a superhero? Thou, like good tasting," Lefi replied. 

James smiled. "Take the blue machine drink, at least and let us know what you think? Taste is subjective," Jame replied. 

Lefi walked up to the Quick-Revive Machine. "How does thou work?" Lefi asked. 

James walked up to the Quick-Revive Machine. "All these machines have a button you press," James explained. "The button is here," James demonstrated. He pressed the button, this dispensed a bottle at the top.

Lefi's eyes widened in amazement as she beheld the intriguing item in James's hands. "Wow," she remarked, her curiosity piqued.

"You can have it," he offered, extending the bottle towards her with a friendly smile.

Without hesitation, Lefi accepted the gift and swiftly brought it to her lips, gulping down its contents eagerly. As she finished, she withdrew the empty bottle with a slight grimace. "Thou taste awful," she complained, her disappointment evident.

James chuckled at her reaction."We did warn you but, I'll make it up to you. How about I bring you some delicious chocolates soon?" he suggested, aiming to sweeten the deal.

A hint of a smile played on Lefi's lips. Her mood brightened up. "Okay," she responded. "I will hold you to it," Lefi added.

James nodded. "Don't worry," James replied. 

Lefi's curiosity deepened. "What was the ability?" she inquired, her eyes reflecting a keen interest.

James, scratching his head with a puzzled expression, confessed, "We're not entirely sure about these. They're a bit mysterious, and their effects can vary."

A furrowed brow appeared on Lefi's face as she processed this information. "Mysterious? How can you not know? What if it has unintended consequences?" she questioned with a touch of concern.

"We don't know," James replied.

"Thou art a fool," she declared bluntly. She sighed. "That machine looks different from the rest," Lefi pointed out. 

"That one can upgrade weapons," James explained. 

"Upgrade thou weapons?" Lefi asked. 

"I can show you," Lois responded. She walked up to the suitcase and opened. She took out two guns. 

"Thou are some unique weapons," Lefi noted.

Lois showed the M4 and M4W. "These two guns are the same but one is upgraded," Lois explained. 

She put the M4W down and took the M4 towards the Pack-A-Punch Machine. She put it in the machine and pressed a switch. The machine started sparking and glowing blue. The gears were running full speed. There was a flag up. Then there was a ring. The gun came out. It had a blue-dotted sight and an under barrel shotgun. The gun had a dark brown camouflage with maze like patterns all over it. 

"Wow," Lefi said. 

"The attachment is different," Lois remarked. 

"Must be random," James commented. This was interesting, the Pack-A-Punch does not have a fixed upgrade pattern. James thought that this would be down to luck in getting the best attachments and power. 

Lefi thought this was a strange weapon. She had seen many in the past but these weapons and machines were unique. She looked at James and thought what else does this man have in store. 

"Let's have dinner," James added. 

"Okay," Lois replied. She got up and put the M4W back. She noted, there were some more magazines however the extra ones created were not as many as before. 

"Food," Lefi said. Lefi was hungry and was looking forward to dinner. 

James walked to the tablet. He saw the tabs. He scanned around and saw there was no summon monster tab. He sighed. This was going to be difficult. He needed monsters to protect his Dungeon from intruders. His life was connected to it. He thought this was a good area to rest in theory however this is different. He thought he needed to go to other worlds and take back monsters and defense systems. A tank would be nice, he would need a crew for that and he had the perfect girls in mind. 

James clicked the Housing Tab. He went down to the Kitchen and clicked to get a basic table, chairs, and a fire stove. He then went to the rooms and added a bed in each of the rooms. He noticed most of it was locked. He was almost out of points. He clicked on the Food Tab and brought chocolate for Lefi. He also bought some chicken curry for the three of them. He also brought a slice of strawberry cake. He ran out of points. 

James knew he was going to get points with Lefi here. He was happy about that but he was going to need more. 

A tray appeared on the floor. The sleek surface of the tray gleamed under the ambient light. There were four plates neatly arranged, concealed beneath the protective veil of a sturdy steel container.

"Let's go and eat," James said. 

The girls nodded. James, Lois and Lefi went up back to the Second Floor. Returning to the kitchen they saw a sturdy, basic wooden table which stood proudly in the centre. Surrounding the table were four chairs, each crafted with the same solid wood. In the heart of the kitchen, commanding attention with its gentle crackling sounds, stood a classic fire stove. There was some wood at the bottom. 

"An improvement for sure," Lois remarked. She thought it would have been a good idea to get some pots and pans with her from her house. 

"We will get it better," Jame stated. He put down the tray on the worn wooden table, he took off the steel container.The anticipation in the air heightened as the lid was lifted, unveiling a tantalising aroma that instantly enveloped the room. The sight of meticulously prepared dishes spoke volumes about the care and attention that had gone into crafting this feast. There was a plate of steaming rice, accompanied by a luscious brown sauce. The sauce, a harmonious blend of herbs and spices, clung enticingly to the rice grains, creating a mouthwatering tablea. 

"Thou looks amazing," Lefi exclaimed, her eyes widening with awe and her mouth slightly agape. A droplet of saliva escaped her mouth. It was as if stars had taken residence in her eyes, twinkling with delight at the sight before her.

Lois, equally captivated by the culinary spectacle, chimed in, "This certainly looks good." Her eyes mirrored the sentiment.

James, caught up in the moment, echoed their sentiments. "Well, time to dig in," he declared with an eager grin.

However, the practical matter of cutlery had slipped James's mind, and Lois was quick to point it out. "We don't have any cutlery," she remarked.

James, momentarily flustered, admitted his oversight. "I forgot. Let me get some," he conceded.

As James hurried off, Lefi couldn't help but find the situation amusing. "Thou is interesting," she remarked, a playful glint in her eye.

Lois chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Thou is," she added, sharing a knowing smile with Lefi. If only you knew how interesting. Lois was looking forward to it when it was night time. 

James ran back to the Third Floor. He went to the tablet and back to the Housing Tab. He clicked on and went down. He got a fork, butter knife and spoon. He brought three of them. They appeared on the floor wrapped up in blanket. 

James picked up and walked back up suddenly, an alarm was heard. "Hostile Intruder," it shouted. James did not know there was an alarm system but that was good. He ran up to the First Floor. He ran across the floor and up the stairs to the cave. 

James got to the top. He walked in the cave and saw a monster. Before him, was loomed a fearsome creature, a nightmarish three-headed beast with heads resembling those of ferocious dogs. Each head bore sharp teeth, gleaming like deadly blades in the dim light. Predatory eyes, filled with an unsettling intelligence, surveyed the surroundings with an intensity that sent shivers down the spines of anyone unlucky enough to be in its presence. The creature's heads moved in unsettling synchronisation, each head seemingly aware of the others' actions. The eyes, burning with an insatiable hunger, fixated on their target with an unnerving focus. Large claws, sharp and menacing, adorned each limb, ready to rend and tear with lethal precision.

"Cerberus," James commented. 

The Ultimatrix started flashing. The faceplate popped up. "Scanning new lifeform," the Ultimatrix said. A green beam scanned the cerberus. It scanned from head to toe. The scan finished. "New life form acquired," the Ultimatrix added.The faceplate went back in the watch.

"Perfect," James remarked. He opened the faceplate. He saw the silhouette of a large dragon. It had large, imposing horns. A huge body with massive wings. It was positioned on all fours. "Next time," James muttered to himself. He turned the faceplate to see Swampfire. He smiled and slammed it down. 

His body was engulfed in a brilliant, pulsating light. The air crackled with energy. James' body distorted, his limbs elongated. In a surge of radiant energy, James` features reshape, and his form took on a large bushy tail. He had three sharp claws on each foot and hand. His head changed into a wolf, with fanged canines. His hair was longer and his ears pointed upwards. His eyes were green. The Ulitmartix symbol appeared on his stomach. "Blitzwolfer," Blitzwolfer shouted. 

"Wanted swampfire but doggy on doggy action will be fine," Blitzwolfer said. He opened his quad-hinged muzzle, and emitted a powerful, green, ultrasonic howl towards cerberus. "Sonic Howls," Blitzwolfer said. The attack hit Cerberus as he went flying out of the cave. 

"That was easy," Blitzwolfer.

"Who's there?" Lois shouted.