Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Starting to Ripen Nicely
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"Phew, this shiver raising even the fine hairs on my skin... It's definite. This must be the entrance to the newly appeared dungeon."
Ariana's body trembled faintly.
Her explorer's instinct was beginning to awaken.
It had been a long time since a new dungeon appeared.
With no new dungeons emerging, she'd been pouring her efforts into clearing already-conquered ones more easily and efficiently.
Faster.
Easier.
She'd devised strategies allowing B-Rank adventurers to tackle A-Rank dungeons.
And C-Rank adventurers to handle B-Rank ones.
But even that had its limits.
No matter how much a dungeon veteran tried to create new content, could it really compare to genuine fresh material?
'I wonder what's inside?'
Just imagining it made her heart race.
She hoped for powerful monsters.
Dangerous traps would be even better.
Mazes were the traps that drove her absolutely wild.
"I-it feels ominous."
Fabre's voice trembled beside her.
The fact that even Fabre, who still lacked experience, could sense the danger spoke volumes.
"B-Rank? Or maybe A-Rank? I don't usually care for rankings, but this place really needs one."
Heh heh.
Excitement was already building.
"Master, we should probably gather a support team before going in."
"Fabre. How can you say something so weak? An adventurer must know when to press forward. And now's exactly that time!"
Backing off here would make her adventurer career weep.
It wouldn't be S-Rank.
A-Rank at best, generously speaking.
With her skills, she could probably conquer at least up to the midpoint.
Then send word to the guild—it wouldn't be too late.
She couldn't miss the honor of being the first to conquer the dungeon.
"Let's do a final gear check before heading in."
"Understood."
Ariana watched Fabre pack up his gear.
He was scared but hiding it behind a resolute expression—her disciple, still inexperienced but with the potential to become a great talent.
'Lately, he seems a bit more reliable.'
He checked all the boxes for her.
Now she could finally trust him with her back?
He'd grown so much in just a year.
"Secure the rope tightly."
"The rope's our last lifeline, right?"
"You know it well."
Teach him one thing, and he'd grasp two.
"Alright, let's dive in."
"Understood."
Two in a party.
Their levels were hard to gauge precisely, but the woman was clearly much stronger.
'Teacher and disciple, huh.'
This could make for quite the entertaining scene.
What would happen if a devoted disciple and his cherished teacher entered the same room and inhaled aphrodisiac gas?
Watching their protective instincts gradually crumble would be fascinating.
The despair when they failed to protect each other would be delightful too.
I could already picture Fabre's face as I stole his master away.
How delightfully twisted would it get?
Ideally, he'd scream her name in anguish.
Just thinking about it made my lower half stiffen.
If I weren't naked, I'd have made a fool of myself.
Calm down. Just wait patiently until they trigger the trap.
I watched from the shadows as the two entered.
"...It's less impressive than I thought."
Ariana was annoyed.
She'd banked on her instincts, but there was nothing noteworthy.
No traps to make her heart pound.
No monsters for a life-or-death battle.
Not even mana stones, the dungeon's typical loot.
"Is this really a dungeon?"
She nodded at Fabre's question.
"It is. My instincts don't lie."
The cave was unnaturally barren, but it was definitely a dungeon.
This ominous aura.
The chilling, goosebump-inducing power.
And the unique stench of dungeons only she could detect.
"Why's there nothing here?"
Ariana ran her finger along the floor.
Dark red dust stained her fingertip.
Dungeon soil laced with demonic energy.
"Let's go a bit farther."
"Master, we should head back and call for support. Let the guild priests check it out..."
"No. I know what this is. It's a dungeon."
"Master."
Ariana felt anxious.
The thrill of discovery turning to cold dread was horrifying, like nicotine withdrawal after a smoke.
She just wanted to satisfy this rising urge a little more.
"Just a bit farther. We can turn back later."
"...Understood."
Fabre, who'd been trying to dissuade her, fell silent.
A short time passed.
"Master, there's a chest."
A small room lay where Fabre pointed.
An iron chest sat squarely in the center.
The first real room they'd encountered while conquering this dungeon.
Joy at finally having something to tackle lifted the corners of Ariana's mouth.
It was just a basic room that would normally litter any dungeon, but its appearance here, in this empty one, was what mattered.
This would kick off the real trials and tribulations.
But charging in upon discovery was amateur hour.
True dungeon-conquering adventurers proceeded with utmost caution.
Ariana scanned the room.
Nothing but the iron chest.
"Looks like a trap, right?"
"Yeah."
Suspicious as hell—anyone could see it screamed trap.
Fabre pulled a palm-sized crystal from his pack.
The pathlight, now an essential adventurer's tool.
True to its name—lighting the way—it centered on a crystal imbued with light magic, illuminating the surroundings brightly.
Ariana's custom-made premium version even included detection magic, perfect for spotting enchanted traps.
This pathlight was one reason she'd become a top adventurer.
"Tossing it in."
"Right in the center, near the chest. Could be monsters or traps."
"Got it."
Fabre hurled the crystal.
Roll, roll.
It settled dead center, light spreading to reveal everything.
No hidden monsters or demons.
"Doesn't seem like anything's there."
The detection magic caught nothing.
Really nothing?
This is weird.
Nothing triggered. But her instincts still screamed danger.
"No hits."
"Hmm..."
"Should we go check it out?"
"No choice. Can't progress without passing through."
They'd come to conquer, so results were mandatory.
If she bailed at every suspicion, her reputation wouldn't have soared this high.
"Stay on high alert."
"Understood."
Ariana and Fabre drew their weapons.
They entered slowly.
A plain room.
Still crawling with demonic energy.
No monster presence.
Just free rewards, no enemies?
"This is off."
She picked up the pathlight from the floor and shone it on the chest.
No reaction.
She'd half-expected a mimic, but nothing.
"Is it really empty?"
This anticlimactic?
She'd been so thrilled about a new dungeon.
If it stayed this empty...
'At best, an E-Rank dungeon.'
Her excitement deflated.
Probably a boss room deeper in.
But the hype was gone.
Just grab this chest's reward and bail.
Report the new dungeon to the guild.
Let them handle it.
Ariana sighed and opened the chest.
Something her usual self would never do.
Relief from the lack of threats?
Or impulsive from sheer disappointment?
Creeeak.
The unlocked chest opened easily.
Weeeeng!
Ariana's waist-mounted pathlight blared deafeningly.
Damn it.
"Fabre, get out of this room now!"
Bam!
Too late.
The moment the chest opened, a door slammed shut from somewhere.
"Damn it."
She'd let her guard down.
Too careless.
"Master..."
Fabre's panicked eyes turned to her.
"Find a way out."
There had to be one.
Definitely.
Unbeknownst to them, Yulia's installed aphrodisiac mist began slowly filling the room.
"It worked perfectly."
I confirmed the two had triggered Yulia's trap.
Open the room's chest, and it seals shut while aphrodisiac gas floods the interior—an aphrodisiac trap.
Adventurers end up marinating in the gas, unable to escape, ripe for devouring.
Its weakness: low durability, so A-Rank adventurers could bust out.
I checked the trap.
The sealed door showed no damage.
Definitely not A-Rank caliber.
Now just wait for them to ripen properly.
"This is inconvenient."
In the game, it gave rough info on intruding adventurers.
Status, class, rank, etc.
No such luck here.
"Yulia."
"Yes, Demon King."
"Any way to check inside?"
I called to Yulia following silently behind me.
"We have a pre-installed scrying orb. Shall I show you?"
Thorough as always.
"Thanks."
I peered into the orb at the trapped adventurers.
High-res CCTV vibe, top-down view.
- "Master, it's hard to breathe."
- "Stay calm. There must be a way out. Contact the outside first."
- "The communicator's dead."
- "Try boosting the scrying orb with this."
- "No signal."
- "Damn it."
Two adventurers snared.
One man, one woman.
The experienced woman leading, as expected.
She was trying various tools to escape.
'Pointless, you know.'
Her tricks wouldn't breach it.
The trap traded durability for airtight construction.
By the time magic wore it down, the aphrodisiac would have them gasping.
Tough break—bad matchup for her.
'Looks like a seasoned adventurer. What a shame.'
For her, anyway. Good for me.
"Waiting it out?"
"A bit longer. Needs time to ripen properly."
The orb showed they'd noticed the gas spreading.
But holding firm with willpower, not showing it.
Nice setup.
Their desperation honors the trapmaker.
The disciple would fall first.
The moment he succumbs, crossing the line with his leading master...
That's when I'd enter.
And then I saw it.
Above the male adventurer's head.
Aroused State
The status abnormality.
Now they're starting to ripen nicely.