Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Warrior Tours the Dungeon!
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A few days after Alterion and Ella decided to call the dungeon a tower from the 50th floor.
Karian visited the 100th floor in response to his master's summons.
"My disciple, you've come."
“Master, I have come at your call. But why did you summon me here of all places?”
"Karian, I'll explain that."
"Lord Zarkan?"
"It's about the floor where the Champion is right now. There's magic set up there, right?"
“You mean the magic that gives or takes Deep Coins from challengers?”
"Exactly. I plan to add information gathering to that system magic."
"Ah, that way we won't need to design additional magic."
Just as Zarkan said, by adding information collection to the existing magic on the dungeon's 1st floor, they could quickly fulfill Balrak's request.
Zarkan and Alterion, who had created the magic tools to modify that magic, entrusted several magic tools to Karian.
"These must be the items."
“That's right. Install these in each room on the floor where the Champion stays. The rest are the training magic tools the Champion requested, painstakingly made by Velesa. Please tell the Champion to handle them with care.”
“V-V-Vesla said to be careful…?”
"Ahem..."
“Karian, those magic tools have defensive magic enchanted on them, so there shouldn't be any issues unless something extreme happens. Just tell the Champion not to worry.”
“Understood. Still, I'll ask Balrak to handle these items as carefully as possible.”
Karian wasn't sure if Balrak would actually handle these top-grade magic tools with care.
But for now, with the mindset that somehow it'd work out, he headed down to the dungeon's 1st floor.
*****************
Around the time Karian moved to the 100th floor.
Balrak's group spotted knights entering the dungeon.
"The knights are finally coming in?!"
“That means the tournament outside is over, right?”
"Indeed, so it might be good to prepare to welcome the guests, little brother."
"Group customers one after another..."
From the second brother's expression, he seemed thrilled at the prospect of finally properly running the shop in the dungeon rest area.
Yeah, I get how he feels.
The players and NPCs outside were leveling up way too slowly, so the shop hadn't seen even 20 customers in the past year!
Plus, my dungeon had plenty of foot traffic, but they all died right at the entrance.
So the shops and bank in the rest area were dead quiet, not a fly buzzing.
Of course, even with zero sales, the monthly rent was lucrative, but to maintain good relations with the dungeon merchants long-term, those two places needed to be bustling.
And only if they kept consuming the goods there would the challengers' growth accelerate.
But that wasn't happening, so my plans were slowly falling apart!
Should I just hold an event handing out entrance skip passes?
But that would reduce rarity and backfire.
The moment rare and unique items become common, they lose their meaning.
That's why legend, myth, and brain-melt grade gear exist in RPGs.
How do I overcome this?
Drop skip passes via treasure hunts.
Or give early skip passes for catching rare somethings...
Huh? Rare somethings?
That's right!!
There is a way!!
"Golden Goblin!!!"
"Yes? Big brother, why are you suddenly looking for goblins?"
"Little brother!! Come here for a sec!"
After that, he explained the event I'd come up with to the youngest.
"So, if you catch a naturally sparkling golden lord in the mini-dungeon, you get an early skip pass?"
"Exactly!! That way, more people will enter the dungeon rest area! And to avoid losing rarity, make the numbers super low, and that little guy stronger and faster than the others!"
"If it works like you say, Brother Balrak, it sounds perfect. But how do we implement it?"
Hmm... that's the issue.
Can we buff the spirits like that?
But we have the ultimate expert with us!
"Oh! My kids will love this!"
"Zephyra, do you think this is possible?"
"If I ask the Spirit Kings, it's a sure thing! But how do we spread the word that playing with our kids drops those?"
"That's why we'll use those knights."
Just then, knights slightly weaker than Oldby level were entering my dungeon.
That means even guys at that old knight's level will come in.
If those powerhouses reach the dungeon rest area and the second brother tells them about the golden little ones!!
Aah!! This is the perfect plan!!
The ultimate event!
As shivers of genius ran through my body.
Zephyra seemed to have one concern.
"But there's one problem—can I say it?"
"Of course!"
"How do we decide which of our kids gets the buff?"
"Ah, that's a problem."
Honestly, all the little ones would want to be golden goblins.
They'd get super strong, and tons of people would chase them in tag.
Even I'd get a dopamine rush from how fun it'd be.
But drawing lots would be unfair, so every little one needs a chance to experience it.
But I have a breakthrough for this!!!
"We'll use praise stamps."
"Eh...?"
"I saw it in the letter from the Spirit Kings before. The spirit realm seems to struggle with the little ones."
So, if the little ones collect praise stamps from higher spirits in the spirit realm, they can become golden spirits in the mini-dungeon.
Plus, the first golden spirits in my mini-dungeon go to the well-behaved little ones who are famous for it in the spirit realm!
"Hahaha!! What do you think! This is my breakthrough!!"
This links my dungeon and the spirit realm, strengthening our bonds.
Not only that, but we can properly reward the grateful little ones playing mob roles in the mini-dungeon.
It's even the perfect way to build favor with higher spirits like Zephyra!
Checkmate!
Zephyra's eyes went wide upon hearing this; she must've never seen such a genius idea.
If she were in fluffball form instead of hawk, she'd probably be covering her mouth with both hands?
Anyway, convinced the plan would work, Zephyra suddenly started flapping her wings.
"W-Wait! I'll go tell the spirit realm!"
"Of course, safe travels!"
"I'll be baaaack soon!!!"
The way she's rushing off shows parenting is truly tough.
And shortly after Zephyra left!!
"Lord Balrak!"
"Ooh!! The skeleton merchant's here!"
Today's the day things happen!!
*************
Karian arrived at my boss room and immediately unpacked the numerous magic tools.
"These are all for the info gathering?"
"Yes. Here's how it works..."
Ah, so they're adding settings to the bank magic already on my dungeon!
"But can we apply this quickly?"
"If we just install them, it'll be operational in a day. But we have to install them in each room—how do you plan to do that? With challengers pouring in at the entrance right now, sneaking around is impossible."
"I'll just go myself."
"Yes?"
"We installed teleporters in each room from the start, so I'll use those."
"But you'll definitely run into the heroes coming in here?"
“......”
"N-No, right?"
Without a word, I had Karian explain how to install them.
So, stick them on the wall, and they automatically collect battle info in the area!
And...
"Install them in the sub-space, not the dungeon itself?"
"Think of it as between dimensions. Once installed, they're super safe."
Like platform 9 and 3/4?
Wow~ dungeon merchants, as expected.
Always exceeding my expectations.
Now to install them, I packaged this huge magic tool into a white orb like the rest area goods.
"Then I'm off!!"
"Yes?! You're really going yourself, Lord Balrak?!"
"It's the fastest way!"
With that, Balrak teleported via the device to the room right in front of the boss room and installed the magic tool.
Karian and the others, watching via video magic tool, soon shook their heads seeing challengers in other rooms.
"If Brother Balrak's stepping up like that, the heroes in the dungeon now are doomed."
"Big brother's initiative is incredible every time I think about it."
"That's why this dungeon thrives."
"Oh, I brought snacks. Want some, Mr. Karian? You too, Orek."
"O! Thank you so much."
"As expected of Brother Ferguson!"
After that, the three men munched on snacks while watching Balrak's badass mad movie.
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Balrak arrived first in the room right before the boss room.
This 5th room had adopted the bullet hell shooter from the old 3rd room.
No one had reached it yet, so he quickly installed the magic tool.
But seeing the magic bullets pouring, influenced by his second ultimate training, he thought they were too slow, cranked them to 3x speed, then moved to the next room.
Since no challengers were in the 4th or 3rd rooms either, Balrak swiftly installed the tools and reached the dungeon rest area.
The hero party there, barely arrived and catching their breath, stared blankly at Balrak.
"""...?"""
"Ah, don't mind me. You guys won't attack anyway."
Still, Balrak sweetly abided by the no-fighting rule in the rest area.
Dodging the hero party's petrified stares, he installed the magic tool inside the mini-game area.
But upon entering the mid-boss room right ahead!
"Ora ora ora!!"
"Muda muda muda!!"
"""Gaaahhh!!!!"""
Balrak and the ghost-mode mid-boss rushed from both sides, sandwiching the challengers between the two monsters, who vanished pathetically.
With the mid-boss room tool installed, he moved on, wandering the iron labyrinth like playing classic godgame Pikmin.
"Turbulent Lariat!!!"
"W-What the hell is thaaat!!"
Leaving behind those vanishing in blue light like hit by an isekai truck.
After installing tools throughout the iron labyrinth, he stood before the door to the final area, taking a sprinter's starting pose like in a track meet.
Soon after. Knights who had barely cleared Madland, battered and bruised, unluckily opened that door—and saw something huge.
Then Balrak's savage charge.
The knights' uneasy eyes.
Their sworn brothers watching.
Soon, the Deep Dungeon 1st floor experienced that event after a long time.
"Shoulder Tackle!!!!"
"""Huh?"""
KABOOOM!!!
The challengers hit by Balrak's rocket-like shoulder bash flew like bowling pins, turning Madland into a nightclub.