Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Between Truth and Lies
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While the gods gazed down at the Middle Realm with smiles on their faces.
The seal on the boss room of the dungeon's first floor was finally broken.
"Hahaha!! Now you're finally getting serious!"
"Th-thank youuuu!"
"But Osatpi. Who would've thought you were a mage!"
You really can't judge by appearances!
He came at me swinging a hand axe out of nowhere, so I figured he was a straight-up warrior!
No, wait! Looking at all the weapons this jerk carries around, he can handle pretty much anything.
And since he transformed into various animals and slammed into me physically, he's basically a battle mage.
"But Osatpi."
"Y-yees?!"
"Can't you transform into anything besides animals?"
"Anything else, you say?"
"Yeah, like dinosaurs, for example."
"What's... that?"
"Huh, really. You don't know about those beings that once ruled an era..."
Tsk, books must be luxury items in this era.
In this world's history, there are probably winged reptiles instead of dinosaurs. What a shame.
Still, just in case, I described the appearance of dinosaurs I knew to Osatpi in front of me...
"Isn't that a drake?"
"I'm talking about something way cooler than those mongrel pests!!!"
"Kraaaah!"
Why does a majestic triceratops with its three cool horns turn into some lowly crawling reptile?!
Damn it! This can't be!
Just to be sure, I tried describing the king of dinosaurs, the T-Rex, but he didn't get it at all.
"If its arms are that short, it'd just get weeded out by natural selection..."
"Gaaah!!!"
Those cute, adorable short arms are the T-Rex's killer feature!
They're its ultimate charm point!
Damn! This world truly knows nothing of the King Dragon!
Back in my previous life, when I first encountered the bones of that great being as a kid.
A shiver ran through my body, and awe burst out of me naturally.
So, if there were a device that could bring my vision to life exactly as I imagined, not only the people of this world but even players could make even cooler memories inside the dungeon—
"Hm? A device?"
That's right!
I have those friends.
And I've got a concept for a new room to place in my dungeon!
Grrrrr!
"Lord Balrak! Perfect timing. I was just about to mention the Spirit Realm..."
"Skeleton Merchaaant!!!"
"Wha— Kraaaah!!!"
After that, I left Osatpi passed out from my roar.
And talked to the Skeleton Merchant about a device that could turn my idea into reality.
"Hmm..."
"Skeleton Merchant. What do you think?"
"I get the gist. And I know someone who can definitely make that device for you."
"Ooooh!!! Who is this being?!"
"Lord Balrak, by any chance, do you know about dream demons?"
"You mean incubi and succubi?"
"You know them well. But why the long face?"
Of course I'm bummed! Having to borrow hands from those lowlifes!
But if a King Dragon appears before me...
I'll gladly endure the humiliation.
"And a letter and gift arrived from the Spirit Realm for you, Lord Balrak."
"From the Spirit Realm?"
"The Spirit Kings said they were granting the request of the lesser spirits, and they thanked you for resolving the incident in that mini-dungeon."
"I didn't do it for this, and I wasn't just playing with those kids..."
"Just take it lightly. The Spirit Kings want to get close to you, that's all."
They want to get close to me.
I'm already the dungeon boss running God兴 Dungeon.
It's only natural for high-ranking beings like Spirit Kings to take an interest in me.
And a true warrior never turns down such goodwill!
Even if it's a trap, I'll face it head-on!
The letter is just a greeting and thanks, and this gift... what is it? Just a rock?
"Th-that?!"
"Skeleton Merchant. Do you know what this is?"
"It's a specially processed high-grade spirit stone. Looking at the attribute, it's wind."
"How do you use it?"
"Just break it, and it'll summon a high-grade wind spirit nearby. The fact that they sent you something this precious probably means the Spirit Kings want you to contract with the spirit linked to this stone..."
"Then I have no need for it."
"Pardon?"
"Skeleton Merchant. You've heard my goal before, right?"
"Ah... y-yes."
Last time, I asked the Skeleton Merchant all sorts of things about the spirits wandering the mini-dungeon.
Among them, I learned that spirit contracts are like ceremonies with friends and companions who build memories together.
But I'm a warrior charging toward the ultimate death.
Making pointless contracts with spirits and forcing those friends to fight would be wrong.
And traveling with me wouldn't bring them happy memories—just blood and death. I have to refuse.
"Skeleton Merchant. I would never commit the horrific atrocities those punks did to the spirits."
"...I understand your feelings, Lord Balrak. But what do we do with this?"
"Someday it'll come in handy. Until then... Skeleton Merchant. Can you hold onto it for me?"
"Me?"
"Of course, I could give it to Little Purr, but you'd be better since you have so much knowledge."
"Th-thank you for trusting me so much. It makes me happy."
Karian—the Skeleton Merchant—is the first comrade and friend I met in this dungeon.
I can trust him with the spirit stone until its use arises.
So, time to get this guy on the path to training!!!
**************
Feeling a chill in Balrak's gaze, Karian fled straight from the first floor.
Instead of going to the lich to make the item Balrak had requested, he headed to the 90th floor.
There, Karian encountered a vast garden blooming with beautiful flowers.
But as he approached the flowers in the garden, they vanished like beautiful soap bubbles popping.
Crossing the fleeting dream of a flower field slowly, Karian met a beautiful being there.
"Karian!"
"Hello, Lady Belisa. I'm sorry to visit you when you're so busy."
"No~ It's fine."
The 90th floor boss, Succubus Queen Belisa.
She was currently turning her domain into a place called the Dreamscape.
While cooperating with other floor bosses to turn the dungeon into paradise.
Afterward, Karian toured the 90th floor with Belisa, who welcomed him warmly.
"I'm glad the other dream demons seem to be doing well here."
"They have no choice. The things we endlessly crave are gone."
"You mean the emotions of other beings?"
"They look so filthy now, but we fed on them, and we loved them so much we couldn't help ourselves. So... it's a shame. The ones outside can never feel this peace..."
Dream demons normally exuded a decadent aura due to their unique desires.
But for some reason, Belisa and the dream demons here looked like vibrant young people enjoying their youth.
The reason was that Belisa and her following dream demons had their racial trait of unquenchable craving perfectly satisfied by the dungeon's laws.
For the first time in their lives, they could feel warm tranquility.
But the dream demons outside would surely never escape their endless cycle of suffering and desire.
As the queen leading a faction of her race, she could only pity her kin outside.
"Serena was disappointed too."
"You mean the Progenitor?"
"Yeah, isn't it ridiculous? Beings cursed by the gods find their curse lifted inside a prison made by the gods."
"You mean the blood craving. Come to think of it, the Progenitor has seemed incredibly serene lately."
"Yeah. Serena, me—it's like something lodged in our heads was removed. So... tch, the conversation drifted again. I guess I am getting old. Anyway, what brings you here?"
"Actually..."
Karian told the Succubus Queen, who was enjoying her youth, about what Balrak had said.
"To manifest his thoughts as tangible entities..."
"What do you think?"
"Of course it's possible! But I'll have to go myself."
"L-Lady Belisa, you'll go personally?"
"I needed to meet that champion there face-to-face anyway. And Karian, you know about the 'taboo' growing stronger in the dungeon, right?"
"Ah... that. I heard from the others that records about this dungeon are gradually being erased. What in the world is happening..."
"Zarkan tried investigating through the Spirit Kings, but even the World's Will is silent?"
"Th-that... If this continues, we'll keep lying to Lord Balrak. We need to resolve this taboo quickly."
"Do we really need to resolve it?"
"Pardon?"
"Think about it the other way. That's why I'm going myself."
Pondering Belisa's words, Karian realized there was a way!
"You mean tell Lord Balrak about the 'taboo' in the dungeon!"
"If we tell the champion about the taboo beforehand, it gives legitimacy to our initial lies."
"So that's why you're going personally, Lady Belisa?"
"We need to get closer to the champion there."
The bosses inside the dungeon were honestly in a panic right now!
If the administrators or others turned hostile to the dungeon bosses, and their lies to Balrak were exposed!!
Eek~ That would be horrific.
They had planned to slowly reveal the lies to Balrak.
But for some reason, everyone in the dungeon couldn't speak dungeon info as time passed, and even writing it down caused the words to smear instantly.
The Elder Council judged this taboo as a law in place since the dungeon's creation.
So, what if they used it? Go to Balrak directly and explain the taboo themselves.
It would give legitimacy to why they lied to Balrak.
And if they showed eagerness to share dungeon info despite this.
Even if Balrak learned everything later, the outcome would depend on their relationship.
"A frontal assault, huh."
"Exactly! Being honest this time is very advantageous for us."
"Truth hidden in lies, as they say. But could the gods and the World's Will have seen through this far?"
"Judging by the administrators' reactions, no."
"That's what makes it stranger. It feels like causality is playing its own game..."
"That's why your master is racking his brains right now. And since we're trapped here, we can only check limited info. So we prepare for every possibility, right?"
"You're right. Will you go to Lord Balrak right away then?"
"Give me a moment to change. I need to act like a merchant too, so this floaty outfit won't do. And I need to inform Zarkan as well."
"Then I'll wait, Lady Belisa."
"Be right back~"
Afterward, Belisa changed into merchant clothes made by her minions as a hobby, met Karian again.
Then moved to the 100th floor to talk with Zarkan.