Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Self-Destruct Soldiers
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"Lilith. Can you make things like walls or floors... not just furniture?"
"Uh... well, it depends on the size. Something like this..."
"What about the appearance? Can you make it match the surrounding environment perfectly?"
It had been two days of endlessly experimenting with ways to utilize the abilities of the newly recruited Lilith.
Thanks to the goblins, Dry, and the Red Demon Tribe lending their strength, the ruined garden had mostly been restored. The fields that had been torn up were returned to their original state, and the uprooted trees had been replanted in their original spots using the golems.
+10p
'Tch. It gives points for this too...'
You do get points for cleaning a spot that's gotten dirty again after already being cleaned once. But deliberately dirtying and recleaning the same area over and over is inefficient.
Because the points awarded for recleaning a previously cleaned area drop to about 1/10th.
In that sense, Lilith's ability to reliably generate points felt like a lifeline from the heavens.
"Hmm. Once I have enough points, should I buy the [Robot Vacuum] first? Or upgrade the staff's equipment this time... No, register Lilith as staff first..."
As I pondered what to prioritize once the points accumulated, the person I'd been waiting for finally arrived.
"Master. The ones sent to the human city to buy seeds have returned."
"Mm. Good. Put the seeds and seedlings straight into the fields... No other news?"
"There is."
"...Hm?"
Just as I was about to put the kin I'd sent to the human city straight to work on farming while lost in thought, I learned they had special news.
"What is it? Don't tell me you picked up another stray demonkin..."
"Word is that a large group of human heroes is heading for this dungeon."
"...Everyone, assemble!"
Emergency!
Heroes had invaded this ruin several times before.
First, a hero wielding a poison-spewing spear showed up. Then three 1-star heroes from Delron. And then a 3-star hero who was apparently a disciple of something called Radiance, along with three 2-star heroes...
Each time, we'd somehow overcome the crises, and to avoid facing another, we'd made some preparations...
"This time, they're not bothering to hide their movements. With such a large group on the move, they probably judged it impossible to conceal from the start."
"...How many?"
"One 4-star hero. Two 3-stars. Five 2-stars. Thirteen 1-stars. Plus ten priests and ten mages each."
"........."
I hadn't expected a force this massive.
No, I'd considered the possibility of a large group, but figured it would be regular soldiers. I never imagined this many precious heroes would come swarming in. And...
"4-star?"
"Yes. Seems like quite the famous human. I snuck into a tavern in the human city and overheard... Back when humans challenged dungeons, this one's a veteran hero with a record of conquering several."
A full-fledged 4-star hero. Not the supreme 5-star known as the strongest, but right on the step below. And not some green rookie like that previous Chris—this one's a veteran who's conquered multiple dungeons already.
'This is insane.'
Should I count myself lucky that the 5-star 'Radiance,' supposedly Chris's master, isn't coming personally? It doesn't improve the situation any...
"Hmph. No need to fear empty titles like 4-star or whatever. Don't worry too much, Master."
Erzsebet tried to reassure me with her confidence, but seeing her face only made me more anxious.
Things never went well whenever she showed that confidence...
'At least we got advance intel this time.'
Previously, whenever heroes invaded, we had no choice but to receive the intruders blind. But this time, we knew they were coming ahead of time. That's a relief.
"When do they arrive?"
"When I was leaving the human city, word was they'd just departed the capital. With such a large force, they'll need supply lines to match... I'd estimate about a week."
About a week... No, that's not certain. Better assume they could arrive sooner. So, only about five days to prepare.
"For now, you—Murtal, was it? Head back to the human city. Gather as much intel as possible on the heroes coming here. Return if you get critical info. Otherwise, if they reach that Delron city, beat them back here somehow and warn us they're coming."
"Understood."
I sent the freshly returned kin back to the city. They might be able to hide their movements, but whether to reassure the citizens, or to provoke us deliberately—who knows. Either way, since the incoming heroes aren't hiding, there's plenty of intel to gather.
Then I immediately summoned the dungeon merchant.
"Well, well. If it isn't our VIP customer? To think you'd return to us so soon..."
"Cut it. Show me the catalog."
Normally I'd humor the dungeon merchant a bit, but with news of incoming heroes, I responded curtly.
I'd already spent a fortune on golems, but with remaining funds, I could still afford decent monsters or magic tools...
"Kekeke. Perhaps you need info on the heroes invading your dungeon?"
"........."
I'd considered it myself. If the dungeon merchant treats 'information' as merchandise, maybe they have more detailed intel than my kin—like the invaders' abilities.
"It'll be pricey, right?"
"Kekeke... Sometimes information is more precious than material goods."
But I hadn't even mentioned buying info.
From browsing catalogs before, I knew 'information' from the dungeon merchant cost far more than most items. I didn't have the wealth for that level.
Better to buy items to bolster defenses than half-baked intel I could afford.
"...Hm? This is..."
"Installation bombs. Decent power, but... not one I'd recommend."
"Not recommended?"
"Focused too much on power, so stealth is poor... You can spot the leaking magic from a mile away."
"........."
Then a pile of bombs caught my eye. If they detonated close enough, they'd damage even heroes or strong demonkin.
Trading superb power against superhumans for zero stealth.
"Better if they were throwable, but as stationary types with timed fuses after setup... Hard to use effectively."
"...I'll take them."
"Oh? Truly?"
Pretty big and heavy for throwing, and leaking magic I couldn't sense—but after some thought, I bought them. The flaws kept the price low, so I got a good quantity.
"Kekeke... As a VIP, allow me one service."
"Service?"
After the purchase, the dungeon merchant added a word as if it'd just occurred to him.
"We deal not only with your dungeon, but countless others across the continent. Though some reject us..."
"So?"
"Seems the masters of other dungeons have taken an interest in yours."
"......!!"
And with that, the dungeon master dropped a bombshell.
Masters of other dungeons—true demonkin powerhouses chosen by dungeon cores, unlike my fake self—now interested in this dungeon... no, ruin.
"...You selling my dungeon's info to others?"
"Heavens, no. We handle all sorts of info, but our customers' details are off-limits. It's a matter of trust..."
Just dungeon masters who'd heard continent-wide rumors and grown curious, he added—they hadn't sold anything.
"Heh... Here's hoping we can continue trading."
Leaving me with a headache, the dungeon merchant departed.
'...Other dungeon masters are interested...'
Is that interest positive or negative?
...Who knows. Focus on the heroes coming to this ruin for now.
"Alright, these bombs..."
I examined the pile I'd bought from the dungeon merchant.
"Hm. Master, are those bombs? Brimming with unstable magic clumped together."
As I inspected one, nearby Erzsebet noticed and approached. True to the merchant's word, stealth was so poor even from afar you'd spot them.
"Planning to use them on these 'heroes'? Potent enough magic to affect them, but hiding that aura would be tough. Even thrown, they'd dodge or shield."
"I figured as much."
Erzsebet voiced concerns about impracticality despite the power, but I'd already considered that.
"Deploy."
Gel-gel?
After a close look, I pulled out a skeleton from the [Collection List]. Like before, it emerged in the pose right before lunging at me, assessed its surroundings, spotted me, and charged.
"Here. A gift."
Gel?
I shoved the bomb into the arms of the charging skeleton. That size looks just barely manageable.
Contaminant Classification: Corpse
But the system message before my eyes still classified the bomb-hugging skeleton as a 'corpse'.
'Just as I thought.'
Among the undead I'd 'collected' from the basement before, there were armored ones... like death knights.
I'd collected them without much thought... but isn't it odd? I collected 'corpses,' yet their armor got collected too.
Subsequent experiments revealed...
"Collect."
Shuu!
The bomb-laden skeleton vanished in an instant. And in the [Collection List], it appeared intact with the bomb.
Items below a certain size held by corpses—undead—don't change classification; they stay 'corpses' and can be collected whole with the item.
I'd racked my brain thinking how to exploit this.
"Perfect."
Now, these guys are self-destruct soldiers.