Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Warrior Meets a Hated Lifeform
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Outside, all hell had broken loose over one female Hero.
But inside the dungeon, a very peaceful time had passed—
"Guhhhhh!!!"
"Damphir, one more time!! Just one more! Your limits don't end here!!"
"Kairel sis, if you push through to the end, I'll give you a big hug."
"Nooooo! Stop seducing me sexuallyyyyy!!"
Kairel, currently the weakest one on the floor where Balak resided, was suffering as usual today.
"Now even the Damphir is eating those piles of elixirs well!"
"Th-that... you call food...?"
"Kairel's face looks kinda creepy."
The indescribable taste of the elixirs sometimes made Kairel lose her reason for a moment.
"Uh, so like this...?"
"Ooh~ Kairel, now you can even cast beginner spells without incantations, right?"
"Ahahaha... This is all thanks to you, Karian."
Whenever Karian visited Balak, he also gave Kairel private magic lessons.
"Manager! How's this? My signature cocktail!"
"A cocktail like clouds in a blue sky... Looks like you've got the knack now."
Working with Ferguson had sparked her interest in cooking.
Plus, even though she was half-vampire, no one in the dungeon—family or guests—minded at all.
Kairel was feeling a complete sense of liberation unlike anything in her life so far.
Now that it was time to clock out, she returned to her nook and began writing in her diary.
[ The boss said today was leg day... Made me do 104 weighted squats... So tiring... ]
Of course, the contents of her diary were utterly mundane.
But being constantly dragged around by ultra-extroverts every day left her no choice.
Still, after jotting down everything she'd done that day, she chuckled.
[ Workout ✓ ]
[ Training ✓ ]
[ Magic ✓ ]
[ Cooking ✓ ]
"Pfft, have I ever lived this diligently before?"
Kairel, spending such densely packed time that 24 hours weren't enough, was moved by how much stronger she was getting day by day.
But there was one slight regret.
'I need... something to help me relax...'
She was going at such a packed schedule without a single day off, so her mental fatigue was no joke.
Of course, Ophelia was right there chanting magical words for mental healing.
And Balak...
'Damphir, if you want a break, just say so anytime!'
...had said that.
She was just part-time help, not essential dungeon staff!
In other words, they could do without her.
But Balak and the others were spending even more grueling schedules than her.
So if the weakest one here slacked off, the guilt would be immense!
Thus, Kairel agonized over the plight of a Hellbound rookie employee who had vacation days but couldn't take them.
Perhaps the heavens took pity on such a Kairel?
*Ringgggg!*
"Huh?"
It was the warning alarm that had gone off when pre-marriage toxic Ophelia had invaded her nook.
This time, wearing a ring that let her quickly reach the first floor, she prepared for the intruder.
And the being that appeared before her was!!
"Kieeeeeek!!! A vampireeee-nya!!!!"
"Eh? A cat?"
A short, fluffy cat beastkin who barely reached Kairel's waist had appeared.
**************
Kairel was extremely flustered right now.
Why was this small, fluffy cat beastkin suddenly here?
At that moment, she recalled Balak once talking about the boss rush.
'Th-then the dungeon boss in front of Ophelia... is this cat?'
Even comparing it to herself or pre-marriage toxic Ophelia, it was so weak that Kairel was speechless.
Anyway, just as Kairel approached the cat beastkin in front of her.
The cat suddenly flopped to the floor and burst into tears.
"I finally snuck out of the village all boldly!!! Got trapped in this scary building and suffered so much!!! Wh-why is there a vampire in front of meee!!"
"Hm?"
"Kuhuhuh!! Mommy, Daddy. This is as far as I go-nya. It's really the end now-nya...!"
Kairel, who had only met extreme E-types until now, was automatically drawn to this I-type cat.
It was so cute she wanted to pet it, but having undergone Balak's mental reprogramming, she held back.
Clenching her trembling hands, she spoke first.
"Um... who are you?"
"Kyaayaaaaang!!! Please kill me painlessly in one shot-nya!!! No, my blood tastes bad-nya!!!"
Watching the cat freak out just from her speaking, Kairel felt a strange tickle of delight.
But she held back this time too!
Afterward, Kairel kept talking to the cat beastkin, assuring it she had no intent to attack.
"R-really okay-nya?"
"Of course. And as you know, you don't feel hunger or thirst here."
"...This place is so weird-nya."
"I think so too. So... how about we introduce ourselves properly now?"
"Good-nya! I'm Pepira! Warrior of the Dream Claw Tribe-nya!"
"I'm Kairel. Nice to meet you. But... tribe?"
Just moments ago, Pepira had said she came from a village.
And she was a warrior from the tribe, so something felt off.
For now, Kairel gave Pepira some food she'd brought from the tavern as a midnight snack.
When she asked where this cat had come from, she learned a shocking fact.
"Your whole tribe got moved?!"
"Not just our tribe—other tribes too-nya. And after moving, these weird orbs appeared in each tribe, and the gravestones said to share them with friends-nya."
Hearing this, Kairel realized why Pepira, presumed to be a boss, was so weak.
'Multiple bosses? Or maybe just random mob...'
That's right! Pepira might not be a boss at all—just a regular dungeon mob!!
With the mystery solved, Kairel explained what this place was.
"It's a dungeonnnnya!!!"
"Hahaha... I was shocked too when I found out."
"N-no, what did our kind do wrong to end up in a dungeon...!!"
To soothe the wailing Pepira, Kairel reached out her hand.
The moment she touched the cat beastkin!
*Fluff~*
'Oh.'
Pepira was clearly wearing leather clothes.
But Kairel was captivated by the fluffy feel, warm coziness, and soft texture from her hand—she couldn't pull away.
*Pet pet...*
"K-Kairel... That tickles-nya."
"Ah, sorry. So Pepira, why'd you leave the village?"
"You know about that huge disturbance before-nya?"
"Uh... no way."
"Yes-nya! I left the village to investigate it-nya!"
Kairel herself had once moved to investigate an incident caused by Balak's training.
And when she reached the first floor...
"Kairel~ Why's your face so pale-nya?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
"If you know something, it'd be great if you told me-nya. Everyone in the village has been super scared since then-nya."
"Well, what happened was..."
And so Kairel told her about Balak!
"Pfft~ Don't tease me-nya. No way something like that exists-nya."
"Ahahahaha..."
Explaining that swinging a fist in training shook dimensions was impossible to convey in words.
In the end, to prove the truth, Kairel decided to bring Pepira to Balak once her shift started.
**************
Not long after Kairel met Pepira.
"Gahhhh!"
"Piiik!!!!"
"Eek?!"
Some were still grinding for coins today.
"Huff!! Huff!! This gravity training is insanely effective?!"
"Yeah~ Nothing beats training in the Underworld."
"If only there was a bit more space here..."
"Yeah."
Those addicted to the Ascension System's gravity enhancement used it for their training plans.
"Th-this is the land of opportunity!"
"Make money today without getting caught!!"
"Wah... This is the place..."
"Hey, newbie! Get your head in the game."
"Mess up with the spirits and you're dead meat."
Beings with dreams entered the mini-dungeons too.
And watching all this was!
"Hahaha!! The dungeon's packed as ever today!!"
Balak, belly full from the overwhelming dungeon traffic.
But he had growing concerns.
No one was reaching the boss room!
He'd planned to add five more rooms here, but now he reconsidered.
"So that's why you called me."
"Yes, skull merchant. What do you think would happen to the Heroes if we added even one more room here?"
"They're not coming here now. Unless they take shortcuts, they probably won't reach you at all, Balak sir?"
"Guh!! So that's it!!"
As Karian said, adding more rooms wouldn't matter.
Unlike Balak's expectations, challengers weren't getting stronger fast.
Not everyone stuck to the Abyssal Pit—they traveled elsewhere like Lowell or Herym's Hero parties.
So adding rooms here?
Ugh... No one short of Sword Saint level would reach Balak.
"Abyss Coins keep piling up with nowhere to spend 'em."
"You're fully in stable mode now, Balak sir."
"Tch, a happy dilemma indeed."
He'd already bought everything he needed.
All that was left were consumables like small golems or elixirs for the family!
Yet Balak, who had enough coins left after buying three dungeon seal scrolls, fell deep into thought.
"In the end, only time will solve it, huh."
"Balak sir, don't rush. Even now... challengers have tons to do in the dungeon."
"Tch, mess up and it'll become a barrier to entry itself."
Balak decided to wait for a good idea.
"But why's the Damphir late? Training's gonna get delayed."
"It's rare for Kairel to be this late."
"Maybe she's under attack like last time?"
"Nah~ No way. And she's way stronger now, so she'll be here soon."
As Karian predicted, soon spatial transfer magic activated in Balak's boss room.
Just as the two prepared to greet the arriving Kairel warmly.
They spotted a weird furball next to her.
The furball and Balak exchanged glances.
Immediately, upon facing Balak, Pepira's fur stood on end as she shrieked.
"Wh-what the heck is thaaaat-nyaaaa!!!"
And Balak...
"Ugh... furball."
That's right—Balak was a dog person.