Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Dream Demon
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-Flinch!
Erzsebet's movement halted just as she was about to sink her fangs into me. As if something had blocked her.
'Is this the effect of [Blood Contract]?'
[Blood Contract] forced Erzsebet to obey me. And the top-priority order I'd given her after forming the contract was that she couldn't harm me. Naturally, jamming those sharp fangs into me without permission would be blocked.
But something was off. There's no way Erzsebet wouldn't know about this?
"Master... my throat... my throat is so dry. I'm parched..."
"Go hang out somewhere else for a bit."
[Quick Movement]
Just like yesterday, I used [Quick Movement] to send away Erzsebet, who looked like she was in bad shape again. I'd teleported her to the farthest entrance of the ruins, so it would take her some time to get back.
I hurriedly geared up, changed clothes, and was about to head out to figure out what had caused Erzsebet to act like that when someone burst into my house first.
"Ma, Master! Big trouble!"
Rio had come rushing to me in a panic. Usually, it was Erzsebet's kin who warned me about major issues or emergencies, so for Rio to come directly...?
"What's going on? More intruders...?"
Did sending Erzsebet to the entrance turn out to be a mistake? Or maybe it was the right call after all...
"N-no, it's not that... Sis and the brothers..."
"Hm? Sis and brothers... the Red Demon Tribe? Or the kin? Why them?"
"They all seem sick or something. Their faces are red, and they have fevers..."
After hearing Rio report that not just the Red Demon Tribe and kin, but even the goblins tending the fields were acting strangely, I recalled Erzsebet's odd behavior and rushed outside.
"Keeek... Kiiik...!"
The first things I spotted outside were the goblins. The ones who always behaved obediently thanks to their subjugation marks now had bloodshot red eyes, panting heavily as they let out eerie growls.
Even so, the effects of the obedience marks couldn't be ignored—they were still quietly farming as ordered...
"Ugh..."
And then came groans from the temporary shelters near the fields where the Red Demon Tribe lived. Sounds like they were holding something back.
"What the hell is going on?"
As I hurried over to assess the situation, the male Red Demons spotted me and Rio, their eyes widening as they urgently shouted at her.
"Ri, Rio! Get away from here!"
'Hm?'
They were trying to drive only Rio away, not me? And so desperately?
"Tron bro... you okay?"
"Ri, Rio, stay back...!"
But Rio ignored the Red Demon male and approached Tron, who looked unwell. And the closer Rio got, the rougher the Red Demon's breathing seemed to become.
"...Rio. I'll check on these guys. You go... uh, check on the golems' status?"
"Okay!"
Their reactions felt off, so I sent Rio far away. She looked worried about the Red Demons but trusted me enough to run off toward where the golems were stationed. I turned to the relieved Red Demon and asked.
"What's the deal? Some kind of plague?"p>
When I asked after seeing them all suddenly complaining of the same symptoms, the Red Demon looked ashamed but answered honestly.
"Ma, Master. We don't know the cause, but... all the dungeon residents, starting with us, suddenly find it hard to suppress our urges."
"Urges?"
"Yes. Specifically... that..."
He trailed off in embarrassment, but I realized exactly what 'urges' they meant. The way they'd urgently tried to shoo away Rio, the little girl, deeming it dangerous, and Erzsebet's strange behavior earlier...
'Lust?'
Had they all suddenly gone into heat as a group? Maybe demons had rutting seasons I didn't know about.
"Dungeon Master."
As I floundered over what to do, a voice came from behind me. Turning around, I saw Pattem—the de facto leader of the kin—standing there.
"Pattem. You okay?"
Unlike the kin in the distance, who seemed to be in the same state, Pattem appeared calm, which eased my mind. But he shook his head.
"I'm just suppressing it for now... I haven't fully escaped 'that' influence."
"That?"
"The Dream Demon's aura."
He explained that since he could handle Dream Demon aura himself, he was able to suppress it, and that the reason everyone in the dungeon was acting strange was due to a Dream Demon.
"Dream Demon... isn't that a type of demon? So a demon invaded from outside...?"
"No. I sensed the anomaly and traced the aura... It seems to be rising from underground."
"...Underground?"
"Yes. Did you order it, Dungeon Master?"
"........."
Underground.
The moment I heard Pattem's words, the image that flashed in my mind was the door we'd found underground. I'd sealed it airtight to prevent anything from escaping... but had something slipped out after all?
And Pattem, seeing this place as my 'dungeon,' assumed whatever was underground was under my control and that I'd deliberately caused this mess.
"...Got it. For now, have the kin stay separated and on standby."
I couldn't bring myself to say I had no idea, so I sent Pattem away first. But another question arose.
'Why am I fine? Rio seemed okay too.'
I had no idea what this Dream Demon aura was, but even the powerful demon Erzsebet couldn't escape its effects. How could I—a normal human aside from my cleaning tools—be unaffected...?
"Master."
-Flinch!
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from right behind me. I startled and stumbled back, only to find Erzsebet standing silently there, having somehow rushed from the entrance in an instant.
"No need to worry. I've got my wits about me now..."
"...You sure you're okay?"
"...Truth be told, not entirely. The thirst is worse than usual. But after stepping out for some fresh air, it's a bit better."
Her face was a little flushed, but unlike when she'd just woken up that morning, she wasn't disheveled. Instead, with slightly ragged breaths, she took deep ones to steady herself as we talked.
"That door. Looks like the Dream Demon aura is seeping out from beyond the one you and I found yesterday."
"Come to think of it, the Dream Demon tribe was one of the races we inferred from those murals, right? What kind are they?"
With both Pattem and Erzsebet agreeing it was the 'Dream Demon tribe's' power, a natural question arose. The power I'd previously 'collected' from Pattem wasn't anything like this.
"Dream Demon abilities fall into three main categories. First is handling illusions, like the kin used before... Second is dream manipulation."
"And the third?"
"Seduction."
I had a feeling it might be something like that... Otherwise, it didn't explain why kin, Red Demons, everyone regardless was acting so strange.
"If we leave it like this, the Dream Demon's magic could keep rising from underground. Right now, they're all suppressing it with reason, but..."
"You didn't suppress it too well, though."
"...Forget it happened, Master."
From what I'd heard, everyone seemed to have amplified lust. So why had Erzsebet asked for blood? Was bloodsucking akin to... that for her? But then why hadn't the Red Demons pounced on her, or me...?
"A-anyway, shouldn't we resolve this situation first?"
"Sigh... yeah."
As I pondered the meaning of bloodsucking, Erzsebet cut me off. She was right. First things first—we needed to figure out what to do now.
"Any ideas how?"
"Subduing the Dream Demon causing this directly seems best. I could sever the underground with a barrier to block the aura, but it'd only be temporary."
"Hoo..."
I'd gone to such lengths to seal that door... and now I had to go back after just one day.
"You seem pretty fine, Master. Even I couldn't fully escape the effects..."
As we geared up to head underground again, Erzsebet pointed out how unaffected I looked. I wondered about it too... but I had a hunch.
'Rio was fine too.'
Thinking about why Rio and I were okay, one common point came to mind. We'd both gone to sleep wearing [Cleaning Masks].
Pattem, who'd woken up in the middle of the night sensing the anomaly, said a pink mist-like aura had spread throughout the ruins. It had affected them through their respiratory systems.
So...
"Such a sweet scent..."
The moment we descended underground with Erzsebet, she wrinkled her nose and mentioned a smell. Yesterday, this underground space reeked of rotting corpses, but now it was filled with a sweet blood scent.
'...Isn't blood scent supposed to be sweet?'
I couldn't tell the difference between corpse stink and blood smell anyway.
"Here, wear this."
"Isn't this... the mask you and Rio were using?"
I handed a [Cleaning Mask] bought from the [Shop] to Erzsebet, who was going on about the sweet smell.
"Master. Dream Demon miasma doesn't get blocked just by covering your mouth and nose like this..."
"If I gave it to you, just wear it."
I forcibly shut Erzsebet's mouth as she protested and fitted the mask on her myself. As I leaned in close to secure it, her eyes locked onto mine, and she suddenly went quiet.
"There."
"......"
After hooking the straps over her pointed ears, Erzsebet—who'd been staring blankly at me in silence—finally spoke.
"...Master. Could I have just a sip of your blood?"
"......No."
What the? If my guess was right, the [Cleaning Mask] should work. Why did she seem even worse off?
"What material is this made of? Like the staff you gave me, did you make this too?"
"Something like that."
Erzsebet, who'd been full of complaints about the mask moments ago, was now impressed. Not only had the persistent sweet smell vanished, but so had the stench permeating the underground level.
'Will level 1 be enough?'
But even as I watched her marvel, I felt uneasy. The mask she was wearing was only level 1—the same as Rio's.
Of course, Rio had endured the Dream Demon miasma last night with just a level 1 mask... but the place we were heading now was presumed to house the culprit behind it all. Wouldn't the main body's miasma be even stronger?
'Tch. Even in the game, higher mask levels let your character operate in more contaminated zones.'
In [Cleaning Game], low-level [Cleaning Masks] meant your character took damage from toxic gases on certain maps. A level 1 mask made me uneasy for sure.
But no choice. I didn't have points to upgrade it.
'Hope it's enough.'
Pushing aside my anxiety, I headed for the door I'd checked the day before.
"That's..."
A faint pink mist was slowly seeping through the gaps in the massive house-sized boulders blocking the door.
I'd half-suspected it, but this confirmed the culprit was beyond that door. Since items from the [Shop] went into storage, I cleared away all the purchased rocks, removed Erzsebet's barrier, double-checked her mask, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
-Creeeak...
Phew... please let us get through this safely...
"Oh? A guest?"
'...!!!'