Joodak's Ironclad Rules
Joodak's announcement read as follows.
Lately, with the emergence of 'Dungeon Tickets,' the gallery's been overheating with all sorts of speculation and disputes. So here's an announcement. Cut the bullshit and read this carefully for five minutes.
1. About Dungeon Tickets.
Just like the rumors floating around the gallery, Dungeon Tickets are real items.
These tickets are being produced and supplied by the transmigrator 'Dungeon Master.'
Our admin team has made contact with the Dungeon Master and secured a promise for steady ticket supplies to the gallery.
Supply volume will increase gradually from now on.
So please stop whining about handing them out.
2. About the Dungeon Master.
From now on, the Dungeon Master will operate under the high-nic 'DungeonMaster.' Any tickets posted anonymously in the market are fakes—don't buy them.
For reference, even we admins don't know the Dungeon Master's personal info, have no interest in knowing, and it will never be revealed.
3. ※ Strictly Prohibited Actions and Penalties (Most Important)※ This is the real reason for this announcement. Use your heads from now on.
If any attempt to uncover the Dungeon Master's identity is detected, this supply line will be permanently cut off immediately.
That means the lucky opportunity you're all enjoying right now vanishes.
We need to prevent some idiot's greed from screwing everyone over.
Therefore, as of this moment, all the following actions are prohibited, and violators will be permanently banned without notice (permaban).
Any posts or comments attempting to track, speculate, or spread the Dungeon Master's personal info. (E.g., "Dungeon Master must be a busty elf girl." "Probably in some shelter."—all rumors included.)
Plotting or inciting threats, blackmail, or kidnapping against the Dungeon Master.
Attempting to trade or demand the Dungeon Master's personal info.
Buying Dungeon Tickets and reselling them at markup.
Consider this your warning. No "I didn't read the notice" excuses. Anyone even mentioning related stuff—poster and sympathizers—get perma-banned.
Don't kick away the fortune that's rolled into your lap like idiots.
That's all.
Three-Line Summary.
1. Dungeon Ticket supply will keep increasing.
2. Don't even think about digging into the Dungeon Master's identity.
3. Break it, and your gallery life ends here.
"Whoa…."
I could feel Joodak's ironclad resolve to protect me no matter what.
"But it feels a bit overkill…."
The comments section was already filling up fast, even though the post was just uploaded.
"...Isn't it a bit much?"
I pondered seriously, but yeah, too much suppression didn't seem right.
With my own community experience, I knew nothing was more frustrating than not being able to chase a hot rumor.
Of course, I knew this was all to protect my identity...
"But it won't get caught..."
And most importantly, blocking my rumors would just flood the posts with negativity again: no mobs in dungeons, zero earnings today, hope all humans die, that kinda crap.
Nah, that's the mild stuff. Those are from people with some leeway.
Truth is, the gallery's worse off than it looks—tons of deeply depressing posts.
Stuff like getting drafted for unpaid taxes, sob stories from surface exiles, daily despair diaries flirting with death, surface horror pics with "your turn soon," even suicide notes (not sure if real...).
Over-the-line posts get erased by admins, but outright banning rumors would turn the place into a pit of gloom again.
"I hate the depressing vibe... "
I didn't know much, but the Dungeon Ticket rumor phase at least kept things from total despair.
It felt like a breakthrough in the suffocating deadlock—full of energy.
Everyone knew, trapped in this shelter, life wasn't about living tomorrow but dying slowly.
But the Dungeon Tickets sparked hope.
A new resource source beyond shelter dungeons.
A lifeline for the drying-up shelter.
A small change, but it rippled big in the stagnant shelter.
Maybe we can turn this around.
So at least let them rumor about Dungeon Tickets and me.
I messaged Joodak.
Haa... This fool still hasn't realized his sins?
"Gasp... That was close... Man, this bro doesn't get jokes."
Barely dodging the unknown technique, I waited for Joodak's reply.
Joodak seemed seriously distrustful of humans.
"There must be something I don't know."
...Honestly, I had no clue what went down before the world ended.
All I knew was initial monster response sucked, then half-assed reactions led to this mess.
But still.
...Yeah, that scares me. No idea how many transmigrators there are—might not be hard to pinpoint me... Ticket emergence timing matches my registration, easy suspect.
Joodak went quiet for a bit, then:
Joodak☆ has requested a trade.
Normally you'd post in the market board, but as admin, direct trade request...
[Accept]
I accepted, and Joodak put up an item.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, I tossed in an experimental ticket.
The trade went through, and a necklace formed before me in a clump of light.
A necklace with a red gem embedded.
"Hm... No idea what it is, but must be good."
I hung it around my neck, lay on the bed, fiddled with the dungeon status window, and checked if the monster materials fed to Kkomangi were working.
"Oh right, when Joodak bro uses the ticket, I can see his face?"
Not planned, but honestly curious.
*
Dark room. This was the Magic Tower's top floor—the tower master's chamber.
"Haa... Foolish guy..."
The nude girl on the bed let out her umpteenth sigh.
The Dungeon Master was too naive. He didn't know human greed and selfishness.
"Well... Coming from another world, different values are natural."
But at least she insured the minimum.
"Resort ticket, huh..."
The ticket the Dungeon Master gave as thanks.
Connected to a sea you can't see anymore, per him. Transmigrator power sparked her mage curiosity.
"Shall I try it?"