Three days after his talk with Jim, Ace gathers all of the inner circle. Less than fifty people, though once gathered in one room it certainly feels like a lot. If he had been willing to talk to them piecemeal, Ace could have started his talks immediately, but he felt that a gathering like this was important.

If anything, seeing them all talking amicably was worth the wait. Even with the sharp decline because of the apocalypse, humanity shouldn't be small in numbers on the planet. Otherwise, all the lives lost in the dungeon would be a deplorable thing. Though maybe it is, after all, Ace doesn't know how many groups of settlements are out there. The one they are in might be the only one, or there could be numerous even more populated groupings.

While the two original settlements from which Wolf's Rest originated both had a relatively small number of people, only low three digits each. The closer to the center the more people there were and the safer. At this point, merchants had even brought word of how the very center settlements were overflowing. Though that was mostly because the elderly, children, and their guardians were all placed there.

However, even Bennett town, just one settlement inward, had started with around a thousand people. The Barrais even estimated that this group of settlements likely had a population of a million or so people. Which, considering the fact that his country alone had 9 cities with over a million people pre-system, wasn't actually all that much. Hell, they weren't told exactly how bad things were, but even if seven in every eight people died, there were still a billion humans on the planet, nevermind the introduction of the beastkin.

In fact, going by the reports that Jim was getting for a border settlement, Wolf's Rest had a below average death count. While people did die in the dungeon, it tended to be more a coin flip than an ongoing attrition. If someone makes it past the fifth floor boss, chances of them dying drops off massively.

That wasn't the case for other border settlements, especially those farther from the dungeon. In those places, people were forced to venture out into the wilderness to hunt. Out there, you might be hunting a deer only to come across a bear covered in stone plates or a pack of wind wolves. At least in the dungeon, you knew what to expect.

The only saving grace is that apparently the central settlements have system place fields. Now, there weren't that many farmers, but basic tasks could be managed even by those without a skill for it. There were even rumors among the merchants that they might have enough of a surplus to trade for some meat. Ace wasn't too worried about produce, but some traditional stuff would be nice.

At this point, the gathering quiets down. Ace steps to the front of the room, claps his hands, and takes a glance around the room. "Well, it has certainly been a while. Last time we had a large gathering was before the Sela family joined us.

"Now, as of late, a few things have been happening. I've made a few changes, growth has slowed down, the dungeon spiked in difficulty, and we found out where all the kids are. That last one in particular is a relief.

"Though on that subject, we do need to figure out how to increase our numbers. I don't specifically mean having kids. Even if they are the future. We just need more adults right now and not in 18 to 20 years. With that in mind, I would like to increase our numbers by another 20 people.

"Of those, I want to focus on the wolfkin side of things so we don't end up being too human focused. Besides, they have skills that most of our populace lacks. The reports I have seen show that many of our efforts are being held up by them. This is especially true when it comes to the more basic crafting principles. People from around this area either had office jobs, did something like cashiering, or worked in a factory.

"There is nothing wrong with that. However, when we need someone to build something all on their own, such skills are less than useful. This is even more of a problem with how our society went hard on using plastic for everything. Now, are there any comments any of you would like to add to this?"

From the side of the room, Josh speaks up. "Are you sure you don't want to just unilaterally make the decision for us?"

Ace shrugs, "I'm going to, but right now? You're my council. State your opinions and maybe you'll sway my mind."

Josh frowns, "Gotta say, you've changed. I'll still follow you to hell and back, but I hope you keep an eye on yourself.

"Anyway, I think we need at least five more wolfkin to join. Maybe even six or more."

He turns to the Sela family, "I don't want to assume too much, but while the rest of your people that are here might be fine with your family representing them. Later on, other humans will look at us having one family be the 'ruling' family as a bit sketch."

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Camila Sela nods, "At this point it is necessary. I wouldn't even say that everyone is still okay with my family being the only ones. That was true when it was just my tribe of wolfkin. However, over time, others have come to this town and not all of them have joined. There is nothing wrong with that, but they would probably like representation of their own."

After that, a few other people bring up their concerns. Though it mostly comes down to trying to select pre-existing families to join. While they were all okay with anyone here at the moment bringing in any future significant other. They would in turn rather the new blood not in turn bringing in others. At least not this early.

After new things stop being brought up, Ace takes control again. "Now, to talk about the dungeon and our growth. They are not directly connected, but are certainly related. Let's go over the dungeon first, since that is the easiest. The dungeon did not suddenly get harder."

The group riled up at that as all of them had experienced the 13th floor. They aren't too loud in their grumbling, so Ace talks over them. "It's true! We're just being stupid again. If we would just follow that damned road, we wouldn't be facing kobolds. Well, that is the assumption.

"The Barrais have done a little scouting and it seems the principal threat on the road is some weird earth based four armed ape things and some four armed bird things. Though since they haven't actually fought them, we're just going off the Barrais' judgment that they are weaker than the kobolds.

"Also, the sudden jump in strength for the kobolds is less likely to be an actual jump, but rather the result of not seeing them for a while. While the monsters as a whole can be weaker or stronger on a floor. Specific species of monster all grow in power with each floor and the kobolds and goats have always been particularly tough. Which seeing as they are the first monsters the dungeon focuses on, would make sense.

"Now onto our power growth. We are still some of the strongest people in the area. However, if we don't keep growing, others will catch up. We got a head start, so I would really prefer it if we didn't piss it all away. Good thing Jim had the answer.

"We need to focus on skill growth." And from there, he goes on to explain what he has learned from Jim and his own understanding of it. It confused many in the crowd at first. However, as he explains things such as how fighting the same monsters isn't going to stretch their skills, it dawns on them.

In particular, Daisy speaks up, "I don't really like delving the dungeon, so I've been focused on training in the dome. Just trying different things can help quite a lot."

Ace, "Yet you definitely need more time in the dungeon. You have about the opposite problem of the rest of us. Whereas we are too in our rut with the dungeon, you are in a rut with your training."

Daisy doesn't like this as she is much more prone to things going wrong in the dungeon. Still, she can't exactly say no and nothing has pointed to her needing to move on. So all she can do is bunker down and struggle through it.

Down in the dungeon, Ally can't help but laugh at this. 'Our resident luck bender isn't too fond of how your luck directly counters hers.'

Doyle, 'On that matter, wouldn't other people's luck also counter hers?'

Ally nods, 'Yes, in theory. In a head-to-head contest of flipping coins to see who gets the most heads, the opponent's luck would directly work against hers.

'However, her luck is more expansive. More all-encompassing! She would never end up in such a situation in the first place because her luck would only allow a situation where she would be paired up against someone with weak luck. This is why those as lucky as her tend to be spread out. Anyone with similar luck to her will only show up if it is luckier for both of them to be close.

'You can actually guess at how lucky someone like her is by how close other similarly leveled lucky people are to her. This is because the more potent someone's luck is, the farther it can affect. So when it comes to dungeons, not only is your dungeon a separate space, and thus limiting the spread of luck.

'Your own luck covers everything. It might not be strong enough yet to counter her luck, but it can certainly fog the results. Maybe she would still be able to flip heads on a coin twice as often or even more. But she won't be able to just flip heads fifty time's in a row as a party trick. Lucky events going her way are no longer a foregone conclusion. At the same time, her luck will likely push her into entering the dungeon more and more.'

Doyle flashes brightly for a moment in shock. 'Why would it push her towards entering our dungeon? Isn't being in her unlucky for her?'

Ally shrugs, 'I can't say that luck will only get you so far. There are people who have reached what many see as unreachable heights by putting everything into luck. Those beings warp events around them on a galactic scale. However, that points to the fact that there is always a bigger fish.

'Her luck is incapable of doing anything about those beings. If one of them needed this entire planet wiped for something good to happen to them? Her piddling luck won't stop such an event.

'The thing holding back those beings from having the universe as their playground is other powerful beings. Not just in luck, though other masters of luck will help dampen the effect of luck. Rather, they just need to be strong enough that luck doesn't matter to them. There are even some who are beyond luck.

'It doesn't matter how lucky someone is, if someone else takes all elements of luck out of the equation. Though in a way, all extreme paths will have something like that. After all, what good is unparalleled strength against someone without a physical body?'

Doyle nods, 'Okay, that makes a lot more sense. But again, why would it make her enter my dungeon?'

Ally sighs, 'If there are beings capable of stripping her of all that luck, it would be unlucky if she wasn't prepared for it. Your dungeon is preparing her for facing others like her, unaffected by luck, or simply strong enough for it to not matter.'

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