30. Elia Elise von Adelheit
Early morning.
Elise opened the community window with a reverent heart and checked the market.
"Phew... Today, no matter what, I have to succeed in ticket hunting."
Starting today, not only was a brand-new dungeon opening, but there were also reports of a never-before-seen monster type called a Variant.
Unlike others, she didn't hunt monsters just to make money.
She did it solely to grow stronger.
Elise.
Elia Elise von Adelheit.
Born into the empire's prestigious magical lineage, she was a genius girl whose talent in magic was so exceptional that whispers said she would become the next Magic Tower Master.
Entering the academy at a young age, she swiftly completed the magic hierarchy, earning expectations from many that she would play a major role in the monster wars someday.
She pushed herself relentlessly to protect her family's territory, blooming her talents.
Then one day, she received news of her family territory's annihilation.
The cause: failure of a massive surface monster extermination operation that had staked humanity's fate. Having committed too much of the territory's forces to the operation, it was helplessly swept away by the monsters' counterattack.
But other territories fared the same.
To reach the monsters' origin point, various factions poured in troops, accepting heavy losses.
Humanity had bet big to turn the tide of the dragging war, but it was far too late.
Facing monsters that evolved at a breakneck pace every moment, the power-holders moved only for their own gain, watching rivals fall to the monsters.
As a result, the allied forces missed the golden window and lost to the monsters.
She lost her hometown. She lost her family.
Time passed, and the allied forces decided to abandon the surface. Aisha, then an academy professor, became her guardian, and they descended to the Shelter together.
Having lost everything overnight, Elise decided to live for one sole purpose: reclaim the surface and her family's land.
Or rather, anything would do. She felt like if she didn't cling to something, she'd become a shut-in or end her life right then. Knowing it was futile, she imposed that duty on herself to keep going.
Even in the Shelter, she steadily completed her hierarchy.
Mages deliberately avoid leveling up until their magical realm reaches a certain point. Killing monsters or beasts to accumulate karma awakens all potential from level-ups into magical abilities.
In the Shelter's harsh environment, she completed her hierarchy in just five years.
She was only 18.
With her hierarchy complete and only leveling left, Elise entered the dungeon—and could only despair.
Overwhelming crowds. Monsters snatched up the moment they respawned.
The environment for smooth leveling was gone.
But she didn't give up. She had plenty of coins, so she bought spots from explorers daily.
Yet even killing respawning monsters gave pitiful experience. She ended up spending most days in dungeons.
Another five years passed.
After years of spot battles and endless mind games with explorers, no trace of the noble lady remained in her.
Vulgar curses stuck to her tongue. She always exuded a vigilant, threatening aura.
And until now, she'd ignored it... but she had to face it.
With the Shelter's power, reclaiming the surface was impossible. The Shelter was dying in real time.
Her mind, chasing vain dreams to survive, was slowly wearing down.
She even considered joining the surface reclamation army now. Aisha dissuaded her upon hearing.
In Aisha's eyes, it probably looked like Elise throwing herself into battle to end her exhausting life.
Deep down, she knew it was just another form of suicide, not for her goal.
Her life began changing little by little after a certain man moved in next door.
Exhausted from hunting till dawn, she was sleeping when someone knocked.
She tried ignoring it, but then came scratching at the door?
Bang!
"Fuck! Who the hell is it? Let me sleep, goddamn it!!"
Opening the door revealed a weird creature—dog? Slime?—and a guy who looked kinda naive.
He said he was the new neighbor next door.
She couldn't care less. World like this, who gives a shit about neighbors? She slammed the door irritably.
"Yeah, nice meeting you, Soo-chan. Bye."
Bang!
Days later, a new wind blew through the Shelter.
A mysterious transmigrator called the Dungeon Master enabled resource gathering from new dungeons.
She checked the [Market] daily to hunt in the new dungeon with endless monsters.
[Slime Hill 1 Ticket] [100 pcs]
Click.
[Slime Hill 1 Ticket] [Sold Out]
"Wha...?"
Shed clicked buy the second it posted a second ago, but sold out?
Ticket wars were fierce.
Days later, during her daily meditation routine, tickets dropped.
Circulating mana through her body couldn't be paused midway.
Market alert popped, but she ignored it.
Probably just Slime Hill tickets again. A minor miss; wait for next.
But when she finished and checked...
[Rock Lizard Swamp Ticket] [Sold Out]
[Mud Crab Desert Ticket] [Sold Out]
[Giant Spider Plains Ticket] [Sold Out]
New dungeon tickets! Monsters giving way more exp than slimes. Rage boiled over; she screamed at her incompetence.
"Uwaaaah!!! Missed again!!!! Fuck!!!! I want tickets!! Tickets!!!!!! Gimme tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!"
How pathetic. But the stress vented perfectly.
No one on the second floor but her; Dennis downstairs was at the lab.
"Argh!!!! You Dungeon Master bastard!!!!! Drop more tickets!!!!!!!!"
"Why do they sell out so fast!!!!!!!!!"
"Aaaah!! So fucking annoying!!!!! What the hell are you doing, Dungeon Master!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Screaming it out eased her.
"Haa... Guess I'll hit the Shelter dungeon..."
She prepped casually, opened the door—and the neighbor emerged too.
"Uh..."
"Ah."
Elise blanked. Totally forgot about Soo-chan.
His face clicked moments later.
Then realization hit.
New neighbor next door...
'Then... what I just yelled...'
"Did you... hear that?"
"If it's the ticket-whatever yelling, yeah?"
She kicked blankets all day in shame.
After, she stopped screaming on misses.
Instead? Dungeon tickets appeared in her door crack.
Morning, noon, evening. Daily.
Not Professor Aisha... Dennis said no...
Process of elimination: the guy next door.
But
'Why?'
She knew from countless ticket hunts: insane competition.
Hard to snag one; he got her three daily.
She couldn't fathom Soo-chan.
'Could just resell privately for profit... why me...?'
Pondered long... only one reason.
He liked her.
It resembled courtship. Like novel heroes leaving flowers daily.
"But... I can't accept those feelings..."
No time for romance. Or so she thought.
Realizing she was exploiting his crush for tickets, she decided to stop.
Invited him for dinner, politely rejected him...
—No!!! Listen!! It's not that!!! I shoved tickets in cuz your daily shrieking was annoying as fuck!!!!!!!
All her delusion.
That day, her black history grew.
At least they agreed no more contact; fewer chances to cringe seeing his face.
Yeah... until today...
...
[Rock Lizard Swamp] [Sold Out]
...
[Mud Crab Desert] [Sold Out]
...
[Giant Spider Plains] [Sold Out]
...
…
[Orc Plains] [Sold Out] [Harpy Mine] [Sold Out] [Owl Bear Grasslands] [Sold Out]
…
"Ah... Aaa...."
'All missed......'
*
"Um... are you not giving tickets today...?"
"......"
What... the hell... Didn't we clear the misunderstanding yesterday and agree no more contact?
"I thought we wrapped it up yesterday...?"
"I... didn't say not to give tickets...!"
Elise's face burned red, on the verge of tears.
She knew how sophistic her plea was.
"Hmm...."
Handing over tickets was easy. But just giving them felt off now...
"Misunderstanding cleared, so no need for tickets anymore. Please don't scream. Bye."
I gripped the knob to close, but...
Grip!
"...Let go."
"W-wait!! I'll buy with coins!!! Yeah?!"
"Aaaah!! Don't need it, let gooooo!!!!"
'Fuck, why are women so strong in this world arghhh!!!!'
Pulling full force, deadlock. Good thing she seemed maxed too.
"Ughhh!!! Fuck!!! Listen!!!! I'll pay!!!!!"
"Grahhh!!! Don't need it!!! Let go!!!!! You crazy bitch!!!!!!"
"Wha, what? Crazy bitch? You're... you're dead!!!"
"Grahhh!! Let go I said!! Door's breaking!!! You nuisance bitch!!!!"
Ugh... strength fading...!!
"K-Kkomangi, help!!!"
"Hek hek..."
Kkomangi dashed out, pushing the door from Elise's side. Balance tipped; door slowly closed.
Creeeak—click.
"Hah... hah... Did it..."
Bang bang—
"Ah...."