Before any of them could react to Rex falling unconcious, the rat Lule and wolf girl Vela did as well. Both had been in the lower chamber longer than him. One of them having the next lowest Con stat. The other has the shortest stature among these six, exposing him to higher concentrations.

"It's the gas! Give them another antidote!" Rolaf started to panic.

"Let's get out of here!" Pan joined in.

The guildmaster charged ahead alone into the right hand tunnel.

"Everyone out!"

"Where's the rope‽"

"Boost me up! Then pass them to me!"

Pan almost threw the wolf up into the shaft. Then she lifted the unconcious mage high enough for him to reach. He struggled to pull himself back up with the proverbial, but hopefully not yet literal, dead weight.

The guildmaster came charging back from the left tunnel.

"This was a set-up." he says. "Get us out of this trap now."

At this point, Rolaf was far enough up the ladder to notice the stone block set on top of it. With a rounded protrusion into the shaft.

"It's blocked! We're trapped down here!"

Rolaf came back down the ladder. "Catch." And dropped Rex into Pan's waiting arms.

"What do we do now‽"

"We wait. And perhaps we die. I underestimated him."

"Who?"

.. "I don't have a clue."

.

With his ragged breathing from the exertion, Rolaf was the next to fall asleep from the chloroform. Pan followed a few minutes after. Leaving the guildmaster all alone.

[Come on, hurry up and go to sleep! I heard on T.V. that without ventilation, chloroform eventually becomes lethal. I want to have my new recruits rescued before that happens to them!]

Luckily for the adventurers, the alchemical antidote they had taken earlier was acting to delay their eventual demise from overdosing on an anesthetic. But it is still just a matter of time.

*Plop!* He finally collapsed.

The dungeon immediately sent a message to his mom.

{Now. The sleeping potion finally worked on all of them. Slave collars off as soon as you can. Have the others pull them up from there.}

¤¤¤

Earlier..

"And bring back tha dang fox."

She shut the basement door. Then headed back to her rooms.

"They're in." Jodie informed her mistress.

"Now go and gather up six of your slaves. The strongest ones. It's time to tell you what's going on. And I'll need them for the next part of the plan."

"As you wish." The slave says, bowing. Then she leaves to obey her new order.

...

A few minutes later she returns to her office as instructed. Along with the six requested beastkins: a wolf, a husky, leopard, jaguar, zebra and reindeer. The girls don't enter the bedroom because there, there wouldn't be enough room for all eight of them.

The dog-girl of the husky variety sported a full animal type head. A large enough braincase for intelligent thought comparable to humans, elves, or other types of people. And the ability to speak, but otherwise fully beastial in every single feature. Somewhat rare among beastkins, a little less than one out of every fifty individuals. But their tribes prized such girls for their beauty. And similarly, the boys for being so handsome. Unfortunately, canine beastkins of this type were also prized among brothel go-ers for their excellent 'ministrations.' Not so with animal headed felines. Their rough tongues dissuaded all but the most masochistic of customers. And even then, only those with access to healing.

Three other types of configurations were possible for beastkins. The first one with all four limbs beastial, toes to hips and from shoulders on down. But just humanoid enough to leave them bipedal, and thumbs with a minimum of two fingers. Another bunch with a full upper torso, along with legs up to the hips. Leaving the midriff, head and arms much like a human's. But these two types rarely have anything else with beastial features, besides the minimum. The last and most populous type, at just under 90% was patchwork - though symmetrical. Like our story fox's mother.

Regardless, all beastkins have their respective animal's features/parts for the lower half of their legs, rounded up to the knees. Plus the ears and a tail. They also have intelligence, speech and functional hands, similar to humans. Anything else is a maybe. *asterisk* Some features, like a carnivore's multi-breasts or an ungulate's udders are never included. But others, like bird wings or horns/antlers/hooves, are always included. Depending on the individual's tribe of course. Such that with any random individual, the total is anywhere from 30% to 40% of their full body being beastial/anthropomorphic. The rest of their body being human(ish).

The reindeer who came in last was an example of this. As she sported an impressivly ornate rack. As well as a good-sized pair of perfectly rounded breasts. The thumb and three fingers of each hand were also tipped with thick hoof-like material. Making her open-handed slap little different from kicking with her hooves.

Then the fox woman enters from the bedroom side.

The slaves are so startled by her presence that they dropped the façade of obedient dolls.

"Didn't you run away somehow‽"

"I though she was kitnapped!"

"How did you get away‽"

"Why did you come back‽"

"What happened to your collar‽"

They all hush up, expectantly waiting for an answer to the last shout question.

"Let me start from the beginning. I am.. the Mother of Destiny." The vixen says, while rubbing her belly.

All 7 drop their jaws to the floor.

She uses her finger to close the jaguar girl's muzzle. While admonishing the rest. "Are all of you trying to swallow a dragon?"

Flustered, the leopard asks "THeN wHo HeLpeD yOu‽"

"My son. The Hero. He explained that the Gods gave him additional abilities and responsibilities. Compared to the usual Hero. Not just fighting the Demon King and his hordes, but also training us beastkins to fight for ourselves. That we aren't so badly overrun. And also to free all our tribes' kin from slavery by the humans."

Husky: "He explained‽ HOW‽ He hasn't even been born yet!"

Zebra: "And you don't look pregnant either!"

"It's only been half a month. Of course I'm not showing yet. And I did say he was given abilities? He was given another body. A dungeon core."

{Hey! Hey! Is it alright to be telling them this?}

Wolf: "WHAT WAS THAT‽"

"They'd figure it out eventually anyway. Like I was saying, he can do all the things regular dungeons can do."

The reindeer interrupted, "Like dig an escape tunnel!"

"That's right, dear."

[Unfortunately that pun only works in english. Eh, I'll tell them later.]

"But I couldn't just use it to get away."

Husky: "Why not?"

"First, he has the same limitations as regular dungeons. It would take too long to dig it properly. Or it would only go so far when I need it. And second, I couldn't just leave all of you behind."

Zebra: "That's sweet. And don't get me wrong, we are grateful. Truly. But aren't there more important things for you to worry about than just a few dozen slave-whores?"

"Maybe you didn't understand me just now. When I said all of you, I meant ALL of you. After all, his divine mission is to free all the tribes from slavery."

Reindeer: "You mean‽"

"The whole town. Just for the opening act."

"Oh, look." she said, dryly. "The dragons' roosts have reappeared."

..

"Now listen up. The way slave-runes work is that they permanently connect two people's wills. Then they spend mana in a battle of will. Especially when one of them gives the other an Order. But wearing a cursed slave collar prevents us beastkins from regenerating our mana. So whenever we defy our 'masters' or their orders, we suffer from mana burnout.

But then freeing a slave is actually pretty easy. Just remove their collars."

Jaguar: "But that's impossible, they're cursed!"

"So you can speak. I won't pretend to understand how or why, but as the pregnant Mother of Destiny, my son can act through my touch. To flex his Inventory Skill."

"I would have done so already, but we all needed to keep everything a secret from everyone else. You can't share what you don't know. Besides, there was no place yet for us to run. Or even hide. But that's no longer the most urgent problem. First though, you all need to understand. Jodie here is acting as my slave. As atonement for defying the Gods' will by keeping beastkin slaves herself. So while freeing you could make her as much your slave as mine, she is mine alone. This is the price you are to pay us for freeing you. Agreed?"

A round of nodding and 'yes'es.

Then the fox reaches out to their necks, left and right two at a time.

(touch) (touch) (vanish) (vanish)

(touch) (touch) (vanish) (vanish)

(touch) (touch) (vanish) (vanish)

"Now, there is a reason I had my slave, Jodie there, bring you here for me to remove your collars earlier than the rest of the girls.. I need your help."

Husky + Jaguar: ""ANYthing!""

"None of us here are warriors, but there's a set of trained beastkin warrior-slaves heading into a trap with their 'owner.' When the whole group is captured, and their 'owner' becomes the slave I might be able to convince them to protect all of us."

Wolf: "Is that all?"

"Well, they're heavy."

Zebra: "You mentioned a more urgent problem. What kind?"

"The group that's heading into the trap are experienced adventurers. If they don't return within in a reasonable time, a whole lot more will come. But if there wasn't a trap, they'll figure out the whole plot too quick for us."

Another writing slab appears among them. Bringing an end to the discussion.

Then she reads aloud "{Now. The sleeping potion finally worked on all of them. Take their slave collars off as soon as you can. Then have the others pull them up from down there.}

And we have to act fast before the sleeping potion builds up enough to choke the life from them."

Then he sends the rebreather he purchased earlier to her through his Inventory. {Use this to breathe once you get back down there. It will keep you safe from the sleeping potion's vapors hanging in the air.}

{Bring them up in this order: beastkins before humans, and smaller to larger. The first human should be left at the bottom of the stairs, to wait for his mana to empty. The last one resisted it too well, so leave him down there where he is for half a candle longer. I'd rather risk his death than yours.}

¤¤¤

With the 'madam authority' of slave Jodie, the group went down into the basement unseen by the other slaves or guests. The latter being easier, as its entrance was off the proverbial beaten path where customers come to 'play.'

"This is new." says fox Dara. "I like it. Easier to climb up and down than the arm's length stairs you set up."

Leopard: "Who are you talking to?"

"Didn't we discuss this earlier? He's not just a Hero, he's also a dungeon. And this is a part of his domain. He can see and hear everything here."

[Not quite. "Every" is too much thing to keep track of. So "anything" is more accurate. Telling them wouldn't really reassure them though. And I have to save my last few DP's for an emergency.]

They quickly reach the bottom of the 9.6 meter deep stairwell. (for conversion to "freedom units", one meter = 39.37 inches. so that's 377.952 inches or 31.5 feet) Canine and vulpine toeclaws tapping along the stone steps. While reindeer and zebra hooves clop loudly. Feline toeclaws however are retractable, so the other two plod downwards silently. With Jodie returned to 'being in charge' of the brothel.

"Okay, here's the plan. Each pair will carry the sleepers together. Ninga and Vutari'y (the leopard and jaguar girls, respectively) will carry them up these stairs." The other five continue walking in, leaving the panthers at their station. "Motara and Yilna (zebra and reindeer) will deliver them through these hallways. Further in, Tivor along with.. sorry, I never got your name."

Husky: "Petunia."

Each of them performed the beastkins' first greeting ritual. Extending out one hand, while smelling the other's extended hand. To learn each other's personal scent.

With them close to the end, the dungeon finally decides to remove the stone plug blocking off the last chamber from the previously last chamber. A 2 meter wide cube sitting flush against both floor and ceiling, with a small, rounded protrusion dipping into the connecting space. Putting the material back into his resource tab.

"A pleasure. You two will lift them up the final shaft. Using ropes I tie them with. And for me, I'm told this should keep me safe from the sleepy gas."

She chose this moment to wear the scuba rebreather (w/o mask) provided to her earlier.

Yilna asks "What ropes? None of us brought any?"

She had to take it off for a moment to reply. "It's waiting for us at the end.. Here we are."

"I can't talk, or scent anything while using this. But I guess that second problem's the point of the thing. And the first one is the price to pay."

[As well as bit over a hundred DP's, sure. Even with the massive income bonus from Mr. Strong down here, I couldn't afford a second one of them yet. Though it's better used for underwater breathing.]

By now, the massive stone block set plugging the final drop was removed. And the rope that was tied to the top rung of Rex's ladder returned to the same precise location. A second similar sized rope left at the ledge atop the pit. Without any further obstruction, the fox climbed straight down. Using the rope for the last 3 meters rather than jump down.

When she touched down, the guildmaster jumped up.

Rushing over to grab her.