3. Slime Hill [Dungeon Ticket]
I wondered if this Dungeon Ticket from Slime Hill was really what I thought it was. Just to be safe, I opened the community and searched for "Dungeon Ticket."
But the results didn't give me anything useful. This was the first one I'd ever gotten, after all...
"Hek hek..."
Come to think of it...
You have become the Living Dungeon Master.
That message had come along with Kkomangi's appearance. Which meant... Kkomangi was the living dungeon?
I'd gotten so distracted by this slime that looked just like my old dog that I'd forgotten about the message for a bit...
"Hmm... Is Kkomangi maybe my special ability as a Dimensional Transferee?"
But what the hell was I supposed to do with this...?
"Huh... Status window."
"Whoa... it actually pops up? But man, why's it so basic..."
Don't games usually show stats and stuff like that...?
"Dungeon Management, huh..."
Monster Max Population Growth Rate LV. 0
Monster Respawn Speed Growth Rate LV. 0
Variant Appearance Rate LV. 0
Owned Field Count LV. 0
Ticket Duration LV. 0
…
…
Remaining Points: 1
"What the— this one's got way too many options..."
There were so many items it made my eyes hurt.
As I checked them one by one, one function caught my eye.
[Dungeon Observation]
"Observation?"
I tried using Dungeon Observation right away. A blue screen popped up in front of me just like when I used the community, showing a terrain that looked like a dark mine shaft.
It was split into multiple sections like CCTV footage, showing various spots inside the shaft.
The weird part was, there was no light inside the shaft, but I could still see everything clearly on the screen. Like it had some minimum brightness correction or something?
In one of the split screens, I spotted something wriggling. When I focused on it, that small section expanded to fill the whole screen.
Looking closely at the enlarged view, it was a slime wriggling around.
In the process, I figured out I could move the CCTV viewpoint wherever I wanted.
"Oho... Oho..."
This was kinda fun?
I checked out the functions one by one. I learned there were some that were still locked, and all the visible ones were for managing the dungeon.
"Whoa, this really feels like a game..."
Like diving into a construction management sim or something...?
I tested a ton of functions, but the one I spent the most time on was [Dungeon Customizing].
Using that let me reshape the dungeon terrain however I wanted.
When I checked with [Dungeon Observation], it was now a blue hill just as I'd set it.
Slimes were bouncing around on it.
With the wide-open view, I could clearly see that slimes were increasing every set interval.
Not many yet, but...
They probably respawned over time? There was a monster respawn speed growth thing in the dungeon status window earlier.
And there was a max population limit, so they wouldn't multiply forever.
Gotta check how many that limit is.
"Hek hek..."
"Hmm... Kkomangi, wanna go for a walk?"
Now that I'd awakened my ability, I needed to report it to the Management Office.
Probably fine to take him out without a leash...?
*
"Hek hek..."
"...This slime is your special ability as a Dimensional Transferee?"
"Yep! His name's Kkomangi!"
"...I... see... A slime in dog form... It is certainly unique..."
"Cute, right?"
"...Have you tested the slime's combat capabilities by any chance?"
"Uh, doesn't seem specialized for fighting."
"Ah... Yes... As you know, with no combat ability, we can't provide support from the Management Office. ...Unfortunately, if you can't pay taxes, you'll have to join the Earth Reclamation Army."
The staffer looked at me with genuine sympathy.
Earth Reclamation Army... I'd checked the community about them. Conditions there were hellish. They got bare-minimum supplies and had to fight monsters, with sky-high death rates.
"...I'm truly sorry, but tax reductions aren't possible."
Did she think I was spacing out because I'd lost it?
"...If you need, we can help arrange a job through the Management Office..."
That was a pretty generous offer. Everyone said jobs were scarce, so people flocked to dungeons.
"Of course, our job placements alone won't cover your taxes, so you'd need additional work..."
"Ah... No, it's fine!!! I'll handle the taxes somehow!!"
The idea of multiple side gigs triggered my work allergy, so I bolted from the Management Office.
Still, the staffer was super kind. I could feel she was looking out for me.
In a fantasy world, worst case they'd slap a magic slave collar on you or something, right?
"They treat Dimensional Transferees way too well..."
Were Dimensional Transferees more influential than I thought?
They said the lows and highs of Dimensional Transferees were higher than locals...
That might explain why they couldn't mistreat us. With the community around, they couldn't silence us by force. Unfair treatment would spread to other Dimensional Transferees fast.
"Hmm... Nah? In a dying world, do they really need to suck up to Dimensional Transferees?"
I'd search the community about Dimensional Transferees later.
"Man, I feel bad for that staffer though."
She kept trying to help, and it felt like I'd tricked her.
I hadn't told the Management Office the full details of my ability because I hadn't figured it all out yet, and honestly... this power could extend the shelter's lifespan, and considering its potential, maybe even more.
The ripple effects would be beyond what I could handle, and I had no idea what would happen if it got out.
I just wanted to live leisurely. No dangers or drama for me.
*
Back home, I kneaded Kkomangi's squishy body while lurking on the community.
And on one side, I had the Dungeon Observation monitor up.
Dozens of slimes were bouncing around on the customized hill.
"Hmm... About 8 hours to max capacity?"
The community had a current time display function.
One slime respawned every 15 minutes or so, max population at 30.
"And ticket count went up too..."
Kkomangi had... pooped another ticket during dinner. Now I had 2.
The dungeon status had ticket production growth too, so eventually dozens per batch?
Anyway,
[Dungeon Ticket]
"Time to test this thing."
I fiddled with the dungeon status to edit the ticket info.
[Slime Hill Ticket]
[Using this will take you to Slime Hill... maybe!!]
"Yeah... that should do."
The community had a [Market] function, and it allowed anonymous posts.
Price... lowest at 100 coins.
This was just a test anyway... not sure if it'd even sell.
Most market stuff was monster materials.
...Whew, kinda nervous.
Register [Slime Hill Ticket] x1?
"Register."
*
"Tch... Another blank today."
I vented on the community like always in my hopeless state.
"Sigh... You bastards..."
These pity posts were a dime a dozen now, ignored or mocked.
Everyone was in the same boat, so no sympathy?
But I had to vent daily or I'd crack.
"Tch... If I could just farm tons of slimes, at least food wouldn't be an issue..."
Cheapest material, but one slime jelly made 5 noodle servings.
Dungeon monsters had dried up lately, and the few left meant fierce competition.
"Sorry Vera... Daddy's worthless..." Thinking his innocent daughter would suffer because of him crushed him. Yeah, if he offed himself, family's tax burden would drop...
Right as he thought that—
A new item caught his eye in the market.
"...Slime Hill Ticket?"
Someone pranking?
[Using this will take you to Slime Hill... maybe!!]
Explanation screamed joke.
What's Slime Hill even...?
Obvious troll item. But like mesmerized, he bought the ticket.
100 coins for tonight's dinner vanished.
A ticket with a slime drawing appeared before him.
"...Tear it like a scroll...?"
As he ripped the ticket, light enveloped him—and nothing remained where the man had stood.