51. Starlight Lake Park
'I see...'
So that's why Dennis hyung tried to stop me.
Old maid elves.
They were flower snakes who preyed on young men with their stunning beauty.
But what they stole wasn't money or gold—it was youth.
Men who fell for their allure had their vitality drained away, left withered and sickly, unable to find a partner, dying alone in lonely solitude...
There were occasional tales of some overwhelming alpha male conquering an old maid elf, but those were the stuff of legends, nothing ordinary folks like us could aspire to.
Was Aisha planning to use me as a disposable tool to satisfy her desires...?
Really?
"...What should I do?"
She might be the victim of slander. What if the bad rep of a few had tainted all the other elves?
Were all old maid elves really man-destroying vipers?
"Hmm... But there haven't been any clarifying posts, and there are just too many victim stories."
Either way, I'd need to be more cautious dealing with her from now on.
"Minimize the risks..."
Luckily, I was only at stage 1 of the old maid elf's 4 stages, so with careful handling, I could probably survive.
Was it right to cut ties based on gallery rumors alone...?
No smoke without fire, though.
...Especially since I kind of wanted to give it a shot. All the more reason to tread carefully.
As I pondered my strategy for dealing with old maid elves going forward, a message arrived.
A message has arrived.
"Oh, the park... Finished faster than I thought."
Confronting the truth about old maid elves had left my head spinning for a bit, but this was perfect timing.
Time to check out the park and clear my mind.
*
I opened my eyes amid a swirl of light, and there were the three dwarf brothers waiting to greet me.
"You're here. We spared no materials, just as you said."
"Oh..."
The spawn point for this dungeon was a small hill.
Right before my eyes stretched a lake at the hill's base, encircled by a walking path.
"...Mind if I take a quick look around?"
"Haha, of course! I'll guide you as we go."
Granite Fist and I started strolling along the finished path.
The trail hugged the broad lake, its surface sparkling under the sunlight, lined with trees and benches spaced at regular intervals.
We sat on a bench for a moment, gazing at the water.
A tree arched overhead, sunlight filtering through its leaves in dappled patterns.
"Made it so folks can relax by the lake."
"Whew... So peaceful and nice. Visually perfect for the park concept."
After a short rest on the bench, we continued and spotted what looked like restrooms.
"No toilets, and people just shit on the paths, so we built 'em everywhere."
"...Road apples are a crime, yeah."
Horrifying to imagine human turds rolling around a healing park.
My dungeons had a feature where corpses and debris naturally dissolved over time... but it took a while, so toilets were essential.
Lantern-like fixtures dotted the path here and there.
"Installed streetlights. Solar stones that absorb daylight and glow at night. Could've made magic tools, but with so many, it'd take forever, so we blew most of the budget here."
"Good call. No worries about money now—spend freely."
Who am I? The shelter's one and only 'Salt Field Lord'.
Speaking of which, I'd greenlit Yeomje to start salt supplies tomorrow. That meant multiple events stacking up coincidentally.
Three big ones tomorrow, no less.
Shelter salt supply.
Strategy contest awards.
Park dungeon reveal.
'Gallery's gonna explode...'
Could drip them out one by one, but this time, I'd drop 'em all at once.
Like a massive online game update.
'Dungeon Showcase,' let's call it.
"Hmm... And as you requested, we embedded lights along the paths too... but this lavish method isn't even used in the Empire. World being what it is—everything but food's lost value—so it didn't cost a fortune."
Per my specs, colorful nighttime lights lined the trail.
Solar stones fused with crystal bats from the dungeon's depths scattered prismatic light in all hues.
"Worth every investment. Nights here will be spectacular."
"True, but thieves might try ripping 'em out to sell, so we'll need guards..."
"Creates jobs. Win-win."
Next, at the lakeside dock, several boats waited, fitted with crystal solar stones.
At midnight, glowing boats gliding the dark waters would elevate the scenery.
The concept: a fairy-tale lakeside park aglow in rainbow splendor.
The park's true magic would shine at night.
"Ahem... Dungeon Master. I whipped up something with those fruits this time. Care to try?"
"Hm? Booze already?"
Only a few days in?
"Nah, not booze—just fruit juice. Still experimenting, no prime brew yet. Built a small structure over there; follow me."
I trailed Granite Fist to a distant building.
Part of the original plan.
No point in a park for walks alone; time for shops.
Not running them myself—leasing out.
Once shops lined up, folks could stroll with snacks in hand.
Perfect... I can already picture it.
Once the orchard ramps up, park cafes too?
Plan: nail this park, then roll out more themed ones.
We reached a modest wooden building—a countryside cafe with a terrace.
"Sit here. Be right back."
Granite Fist ducked inside.
I settled into a chair at the wooden terrace table.
"Whew... Great view."
Sunshine poured down, but tree shade cooled the terrace just right, with a gentle breeze.
As I soaked in the lake view, healing hard, Granite Fist returned with a tray of iced drinks.
"Here—the combos I've tried so far."
Seven varieties on the table.
"Oh, not just booze—juices too?"
"Yeah... Was pondering leftover fruits and ended up here. First one's strawberry-kiwi-Hallabong puree with sugar. Next, mango-banana-sugar blend..."
After his rundown and my tastings...
"...Delicious!!! Fuck, Granite Fist!!! Sell this shit!!! Everyone needs to try it!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Kehm... Glad it suits you. My proud creations, after all. Ahem..."
His cheeks flushed at my rave.
"Sluuuurp... How about park welcome drinks? Curious about reactions...? Might as well drop the orchard too?"
"If you're game... Orchard trials are mostly done anyway. Honestly, I'd love to see folks' takes on my drinks."
Orchard expanded to channel 10 for more samples.
Not huge yields yet, but ready for reveal.
Part of the dungeon roadmap.
Sure, folks would drool once they knew... but
'Waiting is content.'
Drip fruits via events for now.
'That makes four bombs tomorrow.'
Reactions would be historic.
A message has arrived.
Sticky timing as ever.
Hm, sticky indeed. Healing spot, huh... perfect fit.
Padak streams, I watch safely from home...!
"Dungeon Master, so what's this park's name? 'Park' like the orchard feels bland."
A name...
"Starlight Lake Park. It'll shine like stars at night."