The Missing Dungeon and the Stone Wall Strategy
After revealing my grand plan to the two demonesses, I took Ryun with me for a personal inspection of the Skeleton Dungeon, which I’d set up right next to the Slime sub-dungeon. Kkeureureuk. As expected of a 72nd-rank dungeon, the loot was pathetic—just five skeletons, and even those were suffering from an osteoporosis debuff. The final boss was a measly 2-star, level 15 skeleton. All I got for my trouble were five lowest-grade magic stones. At this rate, it was even worse than the Slime sub-dungeon.
Piyung. With a stern face, Ryun sniped the skeleton’s knee. A hole appeared in the joint of the skeleton—which didn't even have osteoporosis—and it disintegrated in a single hit.
"Ryun."
"Yes?"
Ryun had worn a complicated expression since we entered. She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't find the right timing, fidgeting restlessly.
"If you have something to say, just say it. You can say it here. I’m the only one with ears to listen, aren't I?"
"...It’s about Gremory and Shaitan."
Only after I prompted her did Ryun finally open up. I was prepared to accept whatever she had to say.
"I don't understand why those two are opposing your will, Master."
"I thought you were going to gossip, but that’s a surprisingly sound concern. Ryun, you can say that much to their faces, you know."
"But..."
"It’s fine. Neither of them will mind much. It’s just a difference in race and common sense. You’re an elf, but they’re demons. Even if they live by the law of the jungle, they’re just worried because I’m attacking targets far weaker than myself."
Sensing the conversation might drag on, I sat down on the floor. Ryun naturally parted the front of her robe and pulled down my pants.
"...I thought you wanted to talk seriously, yet you’re already looking for an opportunity like this?"
"You can talk seriously while doing this, can't you?"
"I suppose you're right. Come here."
I spread my legs slightly, and Ryun sat down, straddling my member. I expected her to take it from the front, but unexpectedly, she took me from behind.
"Hnnngh, this way I can hug you tightly, Master, so I like it."
"Is that so?"
Thanks to that, I was burning hot from head to root, but I decided not to let it distract me. Ryun and I continued our conversation while facing each other in a face-to-face position.
"You’re frustrated that Gremory is complaining about you invading others when she invaded you, right? A 56th-rank trying to stop a 63rd-rank from raiding a 72nd-rank."
"Yes."
"She stopped you because she knows how embarrassing that is for herself. If our reputation drops, the image of me and our legion will plummet. That’s Gremory’s perspective as a dungeon lord."
"Then what about Shaitan?"
"She spoke up because she’s a true demon and a military strategist. If I draw aggro while climbing up from the bottom, it’s obvious the number of enemies will increase. But in the end, they both agreed to follow my orders. An organization where everyone is a 'yes-man' is bound to fail eventually."
Ryun, who had been still, slowly began to rotate her body like a waterwheel. I supported her with my hands so she could move her hips more easily.
"So Ryun, if you think of anything later, speak your mind without hesitation."
"But Master, you push forward once you think you've found the right answer. What would you have done if our opinions had clashed until the end?"
"Mak'gora?"
"Pardon?"
"In some worlds, orcs fight to the death. They fight with their bodies and a single weapon until one of them dies. Of course, our duel would be different."
I stimulated her insides by thrusting my hips slightly in rhythm with Ryun’s movements. Ryun’s 'back dungeon' was already well-developed, and frankly, it was tastier than the front.
"Our sacred duel takes place on the bed. Heh heh."
"...So if Gremory and Shaitan had opposed you to the end, you would have taken them to bed?"
"Obviously."
I lifted one hand to grab and shake Ryun’s cheek.
"Don't start plotting already, though. You aren't thinking of opposing me just to get to the bed, are you? Like, 'I disagree with you, Master!' and then moaning in bed, 'Haaah, Master, you were right!'"
"......."
Ryun went silent. She couldn't meet my eyes. I had hit the nail right on the head.
"I don't like that kind of thing, so don't do it."
"Yes."
Ryun obediently folded her devious plans for rebellion. Instead, as if to apologize for her cheeky intentions, she tightened her sphincter and began rubbing her body against my stomach.
"So Master, are you going to attack the next target today?"
"I’ve taken care of things in Las Vegas. They say offense is the best defense, but unfortunately, Shaitan’s portal has a cooldown."
She said that due to mana exhaustion, she wouldn't be able to open another portal until this evening. Gremory also said she could only open a portal if she knew the specific coordinates, so I had no choice but to wait for Shaitan’s mana to recover.
"I thought filling her belly would help her recover, but apparently that’s not the case. A shame."
"If it had worked, you would have filled her up and ejaculated inside to help her recover, wouldn't you?"
"Of course. To raid up to the 64th rank, I have to devour them as quickly as possible. While I’m cutting off the heads of those above, the ones below could stab me in the back. You have to crush the budding sprouts before they grow."
The veteran players might hate me for 'newbie-killing,' but they’d all be wiped out by me anyway, so it didn't matter.
"Once I’ve grown my forces enough, I’ll raid the Aries Barony, rescue Tural to boost our combat power, and keep expanding... Heh heh, how great is that?"
"Yes. It’s great. It is, but..."
Ryun leaned back slightly and guided my hand to her front opening. A sticky membrane at the tip of her entrance blocked my finger’s entry.
"As our forces grow, I want to grow quickly too and have a full belly..."
"I’m sorry about that. Please bear with it for a while."
I patted Ryun’s bottom. She smiled slyly and wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Then Master, since you’re making promises, could you please seal it with a kiss...?"
Ryun looked up at me with a shy face. I felt shy in return, and it felt awkward. Even though we’d already done everything else, it felt strange that we hadn't done this yet.
"...I’m not very good at this, you know?"
"It’s fine."
Ryun’s face drew closer.
"You can just practice with me, right?"
Smooch. ...I definitely felt my experience points increasing.
* * *
After leaving the Skeleton Dungeon, I tucked the exhausted Ryun into bed and hurried out to Las Vegas. Gremory and Shaitan were busy reorganizing the troops for the next portal raid, and I had more than one place where I needed to focus on defense.
"Congratulations on your victory."
Eila, who had already heard the situation, greeted me as the representative. If Arthur was the village chief of Las Village, Eila was practically the lord of Las Vegas. As a former noble and knight commander, she was performing her role quite well.
"However... um..."
After finishing her report, Eila glanced beside me and frowned. Knowing exactly what she found strange—since the presence that always followed me wasn't there—I preempted her.
"Ryun is exhausted and sleeping right now."
"I heard it wasn't a very difficult opponent..."
"She isn't exhausted from that. She’s sleeping in bed."
"Ah. I see. That’s a relief."
Fortunately, Eila understood at once. And it was true. The Skeleton Dungeon was so easy that I could have cleared it while fucking Ryun.
"Master. All the measures you mentioned overnight have been completed. Everything from the pits to the wooden fences is fully prepared."
"Well done. Any enemy raids or anything like that?"
"The humans built a watchtower across the river. It didn't seem like they were planning to invade, but rather an temporary outpost to send a messenger if we were to start marching."
"They’ve lost two punitive forces, but they aren't completely incompetent."
Just as I had been anxious about the human army, now it was the Baron’s side that was trembling, wondering if the Legion of Wrath would march on Spica Castle.
"For the time being, Las Vegas will focus on defense. Orcs and harpies are more specialized in defense than Andras’s kin."
"I have something to say regarding that."
Eila straightened her posture and bowed her head.
"Currently, Las Vegas is effectively open to entry from all four directions. It is not a place easy to defend. Master, it is good that our power is growing, but if the front lines become too stretched, even you might..."
Eila trailed off. Her voice, filled with worry for me just like Gremory and Shaitan, was genuinely touching. As it happened, Eila and I were inspecting the area near the east gate that had been breached by Francis.
"That’s exactly why I stopped by. Hmm, the width of the pit is perfect. That should be enough to pile things up."
"Are you thinking of building a new fence instead of a moat?"
"Of course. It’s not a good place for defense, so we must build a fortress. We aren't going to be interacting with humans here anyway. The military purpose of Las Vegas is to act as a shield to draw aggro from those heading straight to Las Village through the forest. Naturally, that shield must be sturdy. Like this."
I picked up the remains of a gargoyle rolling on the ground. Eila bit her lip, realizing her mistake.
"I apologize. I will see to it that it is cleaned more thoroughly."
"No, don't go that far. This isn't a city street."
At least the area around the portal was clean. I tapped the gargoyle fragment with my fingertip.
"Stone-type monsters like gargoyles get harder as their rank or level increases. But even these level 1 gargoyles are solid enough to be used as ordinary stone blocks."
I threw the gargoyle stone toward the pit. The stone fragment drew an arc and landed neatly inside the pit.
"Wood burns, so building a stone wall would be best. But we lack the manpower and technology for that. So, I came up with a trick. This."
I pulled out the hardened slime dragon mucus from my pocket. Eila’s eyes widened as she realized what I was doing.
"It’s hardened now, but originally it’s soft and gooey. Since it’s basically a dead corpse, it won't turn soft again once it sets. Eila, do you remember the slime dragon stew we ate that day?"
"...That was the one that tasted absolutely terrible."
"Exactly. The stew we boiled in the pot we looted from the slash-and-burn village. Even if the hardened jelly doesn't dissolve, if you boil the body fluids of freshly caught, juicy slimes in hot water, it becomes properly thick. Yes, just like glue."
"Weeds?"
"No. Glue. Adhesive."
I used my fingernails to split the slime dragon jelly in half. Since I’d brought a defective piece on purpose, only the surface was hard, while the contents inside were still gooey.
"What if we mix in some flour and use this as an adhesive? We can spread it thinly between the bricks. Heh heh heh."
"...I understand your intent, Master, but there is one problem."
Eila pointed to the entire city, which stretched wide from left to right.
"Isn't it too wide?"
"Eila. I, the Legion Commander, am disappointed. Our legion’s motto is to make the impossible possible. Don't worry. I have a plan. As it happens, I’ve acquired some high-quality materials."
Originally, I had planned to carve up and grind the gargoyles to build the wall, but it was a stroke of luck that I’d found much better materials than gargoyles. I climbed over the wooden fence, stepped into the pit, and stood straight.
"What do you think about a stone golem wall?"
"...I see. Now I understand why you’ve been raiding low-level dungeons to scrape together magic stones. You were planning to build a wall with gargoyle fragments and slime mucus. And you secured monsters to replace the gargoyle fragments through the gacha."
"Perfect. And while the wall is being built, the wooden fence will serve its purpose. Heh heh, speaking of which, here they come."
It was time. Shaitan was flying toward me through the sky.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Eila."
"Nice to meet you, Lady Shaitan. I look forward to working with you, whether on the battlefield or in bed."
"...Are all the women around you like this, Master?"
Shaitan was disgusted by Eila’s blatant remark. It was understandable, as she’d just seen someone more obsessed with carnal desires than a succubus. But I had no reason to feel embarrassed.
"So, do you hate it?"
"Well... I don't hate it, but..."
"Then it’s fine. So, is the cooldown over? Let’s go immediately. This time, we’re mobilizing all the undead."
"That’s actually why I came to see you in such a hurry."
Shaitan handed me a hastily scribbled piece of paper. On it was written a message that looked like a system notification.
Dantalion (71st rank) dungeon does not exist. Please open a portal to a different location.
"......Solomon help me."
I was speechless.