The newspaper was printed on poor stock paper and was produced the day after the last visitors had come. It did not overtly mention the deaths, but plenty of innuendoes existed. The author was doing everything they could to dance around my existence and the questions it would raise. The stories outside of the main were of poor quality, covering local events, and I suspected there was a lot of gossip.

  I read the whole thing multiple times.

  McGregor was right if this paper's main story was to be believed. It acknowledged the town's need for a new sheriff, as the last had been lost in a "cursed place". I was not insulted, as it was a rather apt description. The fact they were not openly discussing what had happened here not once but twice now was very telling. Crossway lost two sheriffs in my Dungeon within the last few years. I expected they would be trying to call in the army at least, but they were not.

  "If not, then why?"

  This question had me thinking for many days. I watched the travellers' comings and goings along the road but saw no sign of a mob. The longer I waited, the more convinced I was that they were not coming. Such mobs were driven by anger and fear. These emotions generally created fast reactions within groups, which turned into mobs.

  I could send McGregor out again, but he had pushed himself last time to get to Crossway and back. As soon as they pass the first level in the Dungeon, hunters become wearier to leave. Doing tasks around it was fine, but they soon despised leaving it for long periods.

  "Another problem."

  [A Hunter has made a Kill]

  "Eh?"

  This took me by surprise at first. I looked around and found McGregor carrying a body to a grave he had dug. Then I remembered the girl who had started off the whole last event. He had finished with her and was getting rid of the body. I looked her over and wished I had not. It was almost impossible to match what was before me with how she looked. It was hard even to identify her as having once been a person; he had wrecked her body so thoroughly. I departed from the scene.

  Soon after, I was at the top of the bubble. A storm was in the distance, out across the plains, but it was not heading my way. I watched the flashing of lightning in the clouds. The travellers below moved more purposefully, not wanting to be caught in a downpour. Many wagons and riders were moving along the road. I noticed a gap in the traffic had developed.

  "Probably seeking shelter in case the weather changes."

  I looked down and noticed movement in the trees. A rider navigated the woods and avoided the path my hunters maintained. It seemed he was trying to be stealthy. I thought it was a man, as he was wearing trousers and riding a horse. All the women I had seen had ridden in wagons or coaches so far. He was approaching the gates, and I shifted my view to them.

  As the rider approached, I got a better look. It was a teenager, about seventeen or eighteen—almost an adult by the standards of the time. He was pale and licking his mouth nervously. The horse sensed his mood and was a bit more jittery than usual. He was dressed in poor but sturdy clothing, a person from town rather than a frontiersman. He was not armed, as far as I could see. Tall and gangly, his features would not cause any womenfolk to swoon anytime soon or at all, to be honest.

  He stopped the horse and dismounted. He tied it to a tree nearby. My idea for a tying post came back to me, but I dismissed it again. He walked slowly and cautiously towards the open gates. He was so nervous he was almost twitching, and his eyes were open and as wide as they could be. I suspected if a rabbit jumped in front of him, he would scream and run for his life.

  He inched forward to the gates and then stepped over the threshold into the courtyard. He looked around, expecting a demon to jump out at him, but nothing happened. I have not received any messages yet, as this was the safe area where the system that helped me run the Dungeon was figuring him out.

  He walked a bit further in, about halfway into the courtyard.

  "Er… um … hello?" He spoke.

  Okay, this was new.

  "Um… hello… is there anyone here?" The youth continued to ask.

  I took the bait and formed my avatar behind him.

  "Be careful, boy, where you ask such questions."

  He jumped in fright and screamed in the highest pitch outside a man getting stabbed in the testicles. He turned and backed up to the plinth, looking terrified. He had gone white and was breathing hard.

  "I recommend you do not go any further. The results will be most unpleasant for you."

  He was breathing so fast that I feared he might start hyperventilating. I waited for him to calm down, which took a few minutes. I just waited as he composed himself before speaking again.

  "So, pray tell, why are you gracing my domain with your presence?"

  I waited for the boy to gather himself and answer my question. The sound seemed to have a steadying effect on him, and he stood up a little straighter.

  "I-I reckon I-I might come and work for ya if ya have me." He stammered out.

  Now, that was not the answer I was expecting. Or I had even considered.

  "Why should I entertain this idea?"

  I could just call up a Hunter and kill him, but since I had so few opportunities for conversation, I chose to humour him.

  "I seek employment. I reckon ya might be the best choice for me." He spoke.

  "Interesting. Again, I ask why here?"

  He seemed confused but pressed on. I sensed he was desperate, but I needed to know why he was here.

  "I have dreams about this place. I reckon that means something." I got the impression he was holding back. After I asked again, he started fidgeting, and I looked at him. He was holding something back.

  "And what happens in them?"

  I prompted him. He shifted around, more unwilling to speak, but I had learned patience. I watched him.

  "The dream takes me through the forest. I come to the gates…." I still wait. "…. Every time I approach the gates…. Close." He finally came out with.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  What did that mean? I had no idea, but I had been thinking about his offer. Maybe I could use him.

  "What do they say about this place in Crossway?"

  "Folks… folks just don't know. They reckon they have to get rid of this place but don't know how. Some want to come and do it. Others want to get the army but don't know what to tell them."

  As McGregor reported, they are indecisive, which explains their lack of action against the Dungeon. I could not rely on this forever. One strong leader could rally them against me or seek aid from the US military, which would be a problem. I had almost reached a decision but needed more information.

  "What do you do in town?"

  "Odd jobs. Mostly shoeing horses."

  "Can you make them?"

  "A bit, but I'm not very good."

  A plan had formed in my mind.

  "I might have use for you."

  The youth perked up at this, but I still had questions.

  "How did you find out that you can talk to me?"

  "I overheard Augustus talking to the town preacher. Ma had me helping at the church with my standing in the town." The more he talked, the more he showed his lack of education and intelligence, giving away more than he should.

  "What's your name?"

  "Herbert Driver."

  "Well, Herbert, I am going to test you. If you pass, I will have you work for me and if you are good enough, the gates will open in your dreams." I could see the gleam of hunger in his eyes and knew I had him. "But! If you lie to me or break faith, you will pay the price in this life and the next. If you accept, take my hand. If not, leave this place and never return."

  I offered him my hand. My little speech caused him to tense up and as I spoke, he got paler to the point he was deathly white by the end. He looked at my hand like I was holding a gun in it. I was bluffing for all I was worth.

  He tentatively reached out and took it. I would have to be careful how I deal with him.

  "Go forth and find out your total worth. If available, buy the most current newspaper and buy a land map of this area with prices." He blinked and looked confused and worried. "What is it?"

  "I don't have much. Ma and I are poor. We have not had much since Pa died, " he admitted.

  "That's no issue. Do as I asked, and I will make sure you have money. You may address me as the Keeper in future. Now go."

  He nodded and left. I watched him untie and remount his horse. He soon went off into the trees, still avoiding the road. Well, that is something, at least. I ended my avatar form and returned to the church to organise a few things. If he comes through, I could use him to deflect some of the heat from the Dungeon in the future.

  I placed a few items just off the courtyard in some spare saddlebags and waited.

  Two days later, Mr Driver reappeared. I watched as he dismounted and tied up his horse again. At first, he walked with more purpose and less hesitation, but it crept back as he approached the gates. He was carrying his saddlebags with him.

  I waited for him to walk into the courtyard and took form behind him again.

  "Well?"

  He jumped again but did not scream this time.

  "I-I-I did what you asked, Mr Keeper." He stammered, still recovering. I did not bother to correct him.

  "Show me."

  He opened one of the bags slung over his shoulder and produced a crumpled newspaper. I opened it and checked the date. It was a new addition. It was printed special, as the paper typically appears once a week. Next, he handed me a folded large piece of paper.

  I opened it and found it, as requested. It was a topical map of the area around Crossway. The Dungeon was in the woods in the bottom left corner. Some plots were marked on it for sale. I looked over the numbers and got more excited but controlled my outward appearance.

  I heard shuffling and looked up at Herbert.

  "What is it?"

  "S-Sorry to ask, sir. But this saw me use up all the money I had. If my Ma finds out I had to use some of hers, she will be mad." He was highly uncomfortable telling me this. I got the hint.

  "I promised that if you do well, you will be rewarded. Look over there."

  I pointed to the location where the saddlebags were hidden behind, but they were pecking out from where he was standing. He started smiling, looking at what was there. He went over and retrieved them, bringing them back to where I was standing.

  "As you can see, the pistol and gun belt are attached to the bags. The bags are of better quality than yours so you can keep them. You will find more ammunition in the bags and a wallet containing $104.71."

  I watched him go through the bag like it was Christmas. The money was a total of notes and coins I still had, not precious metal ones. The last group I wiped out had produced a small haul of notes and a few more coins.

  "That will need to cover your expenses for a time, so do not squander it."

  He looked up from looking at the money, his eyes wide and nodded. I suspected he had never encountered that much money before in his life at a single time. This was dangerous as young people receiving large sums of cash rarely go well.

  "Return in another two days and I will have further instructions for you. Do not make me send someone to retrieve you."

  He nodded and walked off in a bit of a daze. I watched him go. The gun and saddlebags had no link to the town, so they should not raise too much suspicion if they are seen. I walked back to the church, looking over the map. My avatar could make the journey with no issue.

  I placed the map on the altar and began to think. I had to take action to secure my future.

  I had the resources, but it would mean giving up all my silver dollars. I was strangely attached to those coins and the twenty-dollar gold coins. Looking at the land plots, I found the best one and began laying out more plans.

  This could work.

  Herbert returned two days later, much better dressed and sporting his new firearm. I sighed and released. I should have driven home to the point of not spending the money. I hoped he had not spent too much.

  Once he was in the courtyard, I appeared.

  "Here are your instructions, Mr Driver. Come over here."

  I led him to the map I had placed next to a gravestone with a small pouch. I picked both up and handed him the folded map.

  "Open it. Plot 34-45. See it?"

  He opened it and found the plot I named.

  "That is a bit further down the road." He was reading the map right.

  "Yes, it is. Here."

  I handed him the pouch full of coins to even the most casual observer.

  "Inside is one-hundred and thirty-seven silver dollar coins. I want you to buy that plot of land. Do Not spend that money on anything I do not tell you, and do not spend more than one hundred dollars on the plot."

  His eyes bulged at the money in his hand, but my warning got through to him. He looked back to the map and then to me.

  "But, Mr Keeper, that plots listed for one-fifty. It's thirty-five acres." He noticed that fact, which I took as a good sign. He could read and count, which was a plus for me.

  "Indeed, it does. Now listen to me, Mr Driver. If you are asked where the money you will spend comes from, you will tell anyone who asks that you have gained a benefactor who has decided to help you in your life. That includes your mother. She must never know of our arrangement. You will offer to buy the plot for one hundred as it is close to this place. If they refuse, remind them that no one else will give them such a good price and that you plan to establish a home there. You are also planning to offer a shoeing service to any travelling the road and who will warn them from taking the turn. I will send someone with you to help you do all this. If you feel unsure, they will do all the talking."

  At this, McGregor stepped out, revealing himself. I had been planning and knew that Driver would be unable to do what I wanted. McGregor could. He had secured a new horse yesterday and had been briefed on what was required. He had spent the rest of the day digging a new grave for its former owner. Driver was scared by the appearance of my hunter and was shaking a little.

  "Excellent. Off you both go. I want this done by the end of the day. Mr McGregor has additional instructions for you when it is all done."

  McGregor led the boy away. It was still early, and McGregor was confident he could get everything done before he had to return. The additional instructions were for the boy to use the rest of the money to build his home and business. It would not be big, but it was doable.

  McGregor returned later that day and informed me it was done. He had even managed to reduce the price to eighty-five dollars off my Dungeons reputation. The locals had bought into the story of Herbert warning travellers away from the turning.

  The truth was that Herbert was going to do the opposite. He was, in time, going to be taught to identify small groups or individuals that could be guided to the Dungeon for elimination. I planned to make sure that he could upgrade the business. In the future, if they developed cars, I would change his building into a fuel station. If I were lucky, if he had any children, they would also come to serve my Dungeon in this capacity.

  The money to fund all of this would come from my hunter's kills.

  I had also told McGregor to put the fear of hell into the boy to make sure he would not cross me. But not to hurt him, as I needed him alive and healthy. He reported both done.

  I was back at the top of my bubble. The skies were clear, and the sun was setting behind the mountains. The sky was covered in colours and very impressive. I have always enjoyed sunsets over the rises and settled into watching this one.

  As the sunset approached, I felt the Dungeon was in a good place.