Rebuilding the Dungeon
And so, the work of rebuilding the dungeon began in earnest.
Acting on my behalf, Lufo personally placed orders with the merchant group for all the necessary materials and supplies. Before long, the dungeon bustled with the laborers she had summoned.
"Kee-eeek!"
"Kyu-kyu!"
Tiny monsters clutched tools and went about dismantling the dungeon, letting out adorable little chirps and squeals. Sporting tiny horns on their heads and scrawny wings on their backs, they were known as imps, a lower caste of demonkind.
Supposedly, they possessed decent intelligence and were completely obedient so long as they were compensated, making them ideal handymen and pets...
To be sure, they looked cute enough on the surface, but I couldn't quite bring myself to find them charming. From what I'd heard, toss a single corpse into an imp nest and within an hour, not even a splinter of bone would remain.
Naturally. This world wasn't a dark fantasy for nothing.
"I've already given them their orders, so the imps will handle the demolition and remodeling according to the blueprints. You'll be using the salvaged materials to craft new traps, correct?"
"Well, yes. After all, the traps I specialize in aren't something other architects can manufacture."
Would life get a bit easier once I took on an apprentice of my own down the line? Well, that was something to consider only after making a name for myself.
Just as I resolved to oversee all trap production personally for the time being, Lufo, who was handling my consulting, slipped in a question.
"By the way, Bertin. Are you planning to fill this entire dungeon with nothing but traps?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Isn't that how dungeons usually work?"
"Depending on the overall concept, some dungeons do take that route, but trap-only dungeons generally have a rather poor reception."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Because from an intruder's perspective, slogging through endless traps is utterly exhausting. More importantly, when traps are all that ever show up, it becomes far too easy for invaders to stay on guard and adapt."
Hmm. It was true that no matter how well a trap was built, once detected, it was usually easy to bypass or dismantle. In short, rather than plastering the place wall-to-wall with traps, I needed unpredictable elements that would divert their attention away from the hazards beneath their feet.
"Normally, administrators deploy forces between traps to disrupt adventurers' formations and harry them from multiple angles."
"Forces... You mean stocking it with monsters?"
"In fact, garrisons are arguably the primary element of any dungeon. Prolonged or back-to-back battles against formidable foes push intruders to their limits, which harvests a substantial volume of negative energy."
"Hmm... Hearing it put that way, interspersing some troops definitely sounds better than relying exclusively on traps."
"Our merchant group also deals in monsters commonly used in dungeons. Would you care to take a look at our catalogue?"
"Sure, let me see it."
The catalogue she handed over showcased an assortment of creatures in every shape and size. They ranged from familiar species I'd heard of to absurdly powerful boss-tier monsters, though sadly, given my current financial state, all I could afford were low-ranking, bottom-of-the-barrel beasts.
"Mm, if I budget our forces with what we have on hand..."
"Rather than trying to overwhelm with sheer numbers, it's wiser to mix different monster types to create synergy. Oh, and you should secure at least one boss-tier creature. Protecting the core areas of a dungeon requires a guaranteed baseline of martial strength."
Hmm. So basically, rather than buying a horde of a single cheap species, I should diversify and secure at least one high-value boss monster. Having an experienced consultant at my side certainly filled the gaps that trap design alone couldn't cover.
Yet apart from the practical advice, most of the monsters featured in the catalogue didn't sit well with my personal tastes.
"Lufo, these monsters are still living beings, right?"
"Well, for the most part, yes. We supply our stock primarily by capturing them in the wild or breeding them on specialized ranches."
So even if they were commercial products, they were still indisputably living creatures. That posed a real dilemma. As it happened, I wasn't the sort of person who enjoyed slaughter, and I preferred that as few people as possible ended up dead in the dungeon I built.
"I'd prefer to recruit non-living entities if possible. Could you point me toward that department?"
"Non-living? Ah, are you thinking of making that your dungeon's theme?"
"A theme?"
"Most dungeons have a central motif, you see. Some focus heavily on goblins, others on orcs, and others still on werebeasts."
"Mmm, let's go with that for now."
"Very well. In that case, take a look at this section."
Lufo flipped to a new section of the catalogue and laid it before me. Listed within were soulless undead, gargoyles carved from stone, and alchemically crafted golems. Among them, it was the golems that caught my eye.
"What would you think about using golems as our primary fighting force?"
"Golems, huh... Mass-produced models are fine for padding out numbers, but they're really not the best choice. Unless they're equipped with artificial intelligence, each unit requires an external method of control."
"Is that particularly difficult?"
"Extremely. Even skilled alchemists rarely manage to control more than three at a time on their own. As a result, most people resort to programming simple algorithmic routines, which drastically degrades their combat performance."
So commanding a sizable squad meant their actions would inevitably become predictable and rigid. That was troublesome. If the encounters became too easy to clear, intruders would maintain their composure, making it difficult to harvest substantial negative energy.
"If it is golems... I, can control them."
Yuria, who had been quietly listening in, chimed in. I immediately turned my attention to her.
"Yuria? You can command golems?"
"The method is not difficult for me. Replicate my algorithm, input it into the golems... Doing so will draw power from the Dungeon Core, enabling autonomous movement. Repairs are also feasible to a degree, provided their structural components are not entirely obliterated, it is so."
Oho. In other words, within the confines of the dungeon, we could produce an army of reusable artificial soldiers.
"That's fantastic. Then let's make golems the standard monsters of this dungeon. Yuria, I can leave the golems under your control, right?"
"Understood, it is so. The golems... I shall control them."
Great. That settled our primary garrison and who would oversee it. With that weight off my shoulders, I could devote my full attention to my true specialty: designing traps.
"Next up is the trap layout and selection... Hmm. Naturally, a disarming trap right at the entrance would be best, wouldn't it?"
"I really don't think that's a sound approach."
"What? Why not?"
"Because equipment is an adventurer's lifeline. If their gear is completely wrecked right at the entrance, most people will just turn back to resupply—or write off the dungeon entirely."
Mmm. Lufo had a point. If all their gear vanished from the get-go, they wouldn't even dare attempt a deeper raid. Shattering their will to fight at the front door would defeat the purpose of harvesting negative energy. It made far more sense to design traps that encouraged them to linger inside for as long as possible.
"You're new to being a Dungeon Master, Bertin, so you might not realize this, but a dungeon shouldn't be relentlessly merciless from start to finish. You have to give them hope early on by making the initial progress manageable. The deep regret of ever stepping inside should only hit them once they reach the Dungeon Deep Layer."
"So in short, extreme measures like stripping traps belong in the depths rather than the foyer. Hmm... Well, leaving them half-naked is definitely way hotter than stripping them bare right away, too."
"...What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, just an industry secret~"
Still, wouldn't it be fine if the trap didn't destroy everything outright, but merely caused partial damage? Pondering the idea, I recalled an experiment I'd conducted while researching disarming traps and turned back to Lufo.
"Lufo, could you fetch me some slimes?"
"Slimes? Well, they're among the most common monsters in existence, so I can source them dirt cheap."
Before long, a shipment of gelatinous creatures arrived through the portal gate. These so-called slimes possessed an instinctive urge to pounce on living organisms, secreting acidic fluid to dissolve and absorb whatever prey they clung to. Lower-grade specimens took ages just to melt flesh, but higher-tier evolved variants wielded horrifying acidity capable of exposing bone on contact.
Of course, all I could procure right now were the runts of the litter, but depending on how I modified them, even these weaklings could be repurposed into something remarkable.
"Mix in these chemical agents like this, stir a bit... Alright, done. Here, drink up."
Splosh. The slime absorbed the poured elixir into its translucent body. A rapid chemical reaction took place, shifting its hue from a murky green to a vibrant shade of pink. Watching the transformation, Lufo tilted her head in suspicion.
"What did you just feed it?"
"You'll understand once you experience it firsthand. Hup!"
"Kyaah! What do you think you're doing?!"
"What else? Testing out the new prototype, of course."
The tossed slime landed squarely on Lufo, splashing across her entire frame. At first, she seemed unbothered, writing it off as a harmless low-tier pest. But within seconds, as the fabric of her professional attire began to liquefy, her eyes widened in sheer horror.
"Aaaagh!! What is this...?! My clothes are melting!"
"I call it the Clothes-Melting Slime."
By modifying the slime's biological appetite, I had inverted its diet from organic matter to inorganic fibers and metals. While it couldn't instantly strip an adventurer bare like a full disarming trap, it was more than sufficient to shave down equipment durability and leave their defenses tantalizingly compromised.
"What do you think? Unlike an outright disarming trap, this isn't immediately fatal, right?"
"I get the logic, but did you really have to ambush me without a single word of warning?!"
"Actions speak louder than words, after all. More to the point... Mmm, looking at you again, your body really is built for breeding."
"Eek...! Don't look at me with those eyes!"
Grumbling under her breath, Lufo changed into fresh clothes before resuming our dungeon consultation. Once our trap placements and garrison deployment had reached a satisfactory baseline with her assistance, she brought up the next crucial phase.
"Now that the basic layout is in order, the next order of business is designing the rewards."
"Rewards?"
"Intruders don't risk life and limb for nothing. Gold, jewels, various pieces of gear... If you want to raise the stakes, you can even seed high-grade relics and artifacts. Once rumors spread that valuable treasures can be plundered here, adventurers will flock to the dungeon in droves."
"Oho. That makes rewards pretty essential, then."
"Typically, minor minions drop low-quality trinkets or junk, while elite named monsters guard high-value spoils. Oh, and of course, you could always disguise traps as treasure chests to inflict massive despair. Though if you pull that stunt too often, adventurers become disillusioned and never return."
So hardship required a proportional payoff. In a sense, structuring rewards might actually be more vital than arranging troops or traps.
Following that train of thought, I requested a catalogue of items suitable for dungeon loot. As I flipped through the listings, my gaze snagged on the 'Treasure Chest' section.
"There are quite a few varieties of treasure chests, too."
"Intruders chase after chests with much more fervor when the exterior hints at the magnitude of the prize inside."
So the chest's design served as visual shorthand, signaling the return on investment that tempted intruders to brave the risk. Hmm. Come to think of it, Lufo had mentioned that chests themselves could be turned into traps.
"An interesting idea just came to mind regarding chests. Could you bring me a sample?"
"Well, that's easy enough."
She promptly returned with a fairly hefty chest. I hauled it into my workshop for some quick modifications. Once finished, I guided Lufo over and made a casual suggestion.
"Lufo, would you mind opening this chest for me?"
"...You're not having me do something weird again, are you?"
"Don't worry. It won't be a bad thing for you."
"Hmph, fine. Just this once."
Despite her suspicion, Lufo cautiously approached the modified chest. The moment she unlatched the lid and peered inside, the internal mechanism snapped shut, pinning her upper torso firmly against the chest.
"Kyaah! What just happened?! M-My body won't move!!"
"It's a restraint trap fitted with a temporary mana-sealing enchantment. How about it? Don't you think it's remarkably effective at instilling despair?"
"Dammit, I knew it! I get the point, so get me out of this thing right now!"
Lufo thrashed in fury, her lower half squirming frantically. Watching her struggle, my eyes locked onto her taut, plump buttocks, and heat surged straight to my groin.
After all, according to the schematics, she wouldn't be slipping free anytime soon.
"I've thought this before, but you really do have a magnificent ass."
"Hyah?! W-Wait! Where are you putting your hands?! What are you trying to do to me?!"
"Sorry, Lufo. But it's your own fault for being so impossibly enticing."
"W-Wait... S-Stop! You can't put it in—aah!"
Plunge!
"Eeeheeeek~~♥♥!"
Following a brief round of caresses, I drove into her, her tight passage clamping down hungrily around me. She was an exceptional piece of work down there, exactly as I'd remembered. Filled with satisfaction, I snapped my hips forward, relentlessly driving her toward the edge.
"Haaah... Yeah, I really love this trap. Being able to pin an intruder down and mount them while their vision is completely blocked... What do you think, Lufo? Don't you agree this is pretty practical?"
"Oh, ooh, aaah, haaah~♥"
"My, you're feeling so good you can barely string words together. Well, since we're already here, I'll make sure you're thoroughly satisfied."
"Aaah, hah, oh, ooooh~♥ S-Stop, I'm... I'm coming! I'm comingggg~~~♥♥!"
Thrust, thrust, thrust! Smack, smack! Splurt!
In the post-coital calm that followed, feeling utterly refreshed, I offered my sincere thanks to the disheveled, panting Lufo.
"Thank you, Lufo. You've been an immense help in more ways than one."
"Y-You bastard... If you don't pay back your debt, I swear... I'll never forgive you... Hngh...♥"
Indeed. To be frank, running a dungeon for the first time was nerve-racking enough for me, too. Still, having come this far, there was no turning back now. All I could do was build up this dungeon to the best of my abilities.
Months passed in this manner as the dungeon's construction progressed without a hitch.
After entrusting Lufo with spreading rumors about the dungeon and waiting for word to spread, Yuria, who had been monitoring the dungeon entrance, finally brought me news.
"Master. Intruders... have arrived, it is so."
"Oh, they're finally here."
The moment I had been eagerly awaiting was here at last. Following Yuria to the monitoring chamber, I looked at the visual feed of the entrance and grinned slyly at the sight of the woman clad in leather armor.
"What good luck. A young lady who's my exact type right off the bat."
Now then.
What kind of pleasure would this dungeon's first guest provide?