Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The First Intruder
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Chapter 6
“Huu….”
I’d said that to Phenex, but today’s tasks were done. Unless I could stretch the day longer, anyway.
‘How long has it been since I worked this hard?’
I dredged up memories from before Kim Seojin entered the game.
…They were utterly useless.
‘Well, I don’t want to die, that’s all.’
I don’t want to die.
…I don’t want to die?
‘No idea… I’m tired.’
Maybe because I’d crammed so much into one day, drowsiness came crashing down.
Waking in another world, facing death, and rubbing shoulders with demons on top of it all.
“……”
My gaze drifted to the corner that would serve as my bedroom.
‘It’s a mess.’
The sanctum held nothing proper besides the jade throne.
This dungeon hadn’t truly come alive yet.
A crude pile of wood scraps draped with cloth stood in for a bed. Even that was just for demons—apparently they leaned against pillars to sleep.
‘Furniture and housing items are urgent too. Damn… luxuries and self-indulgences suddenly matter.’
Work, work.
Piles of it like a mountain.
‘First, resonate the Garden of Regeneration, then adjust resource intake…’
Thud.
My body tilted.
Step…
Step…
“You must be tired, my lord.”
“Yeah!”
“We should rest as well.”
Swish…
Lucifer spoke.
“Lord Faust…”
She offered sweet dreams to me as I slipped into a light doze.
“Sweet dreams.”
* * *
I got in the car at dawn.
My wife wasn’t home much due to her projects. She was heading out early again today, so I had to drive her and got up early too.
Vroom…
The dawn roads were quiet and heavy. Fog hung low, limiting visibility.
Tick.
Tick tick.
Seunga fiddled with her tablet in the passenger seat.
Ugh… so annoying.
“Late again today?”
She froze.
Don’t make that guilty face.
I didn’t mean it to make you feel bad.
“Ah… yeah.”
“Hasn’t it been forever since we had dinner together?”
“We still share late-night snacks sometimes, Seojin!”
…True, true.
“It’s thanks to that we’re both getting a little plump. The both of us.”
“Ahaha! What’s wrong with that? It looks good, right? Being a generous old couple was our dream.”
“I’ve explained a million times that doesn’t mean I want to age fast…”
“Hmm… maybe…?”
Should I throw a little fit today?
“Let’s eat dinner together! I want dinner!”
“Date proposal… accept or decline…?”
Ah, she’s pricey.
She teased me even back when we were dating—old habits die hard.
“I thought marriage meant we’d always be together…”
“…Me too, Seojin. Should we both quit?”
“Wouldn’t that make our generous old couple dream turn grumpy?”
“Ah! You’re right.”
Seunga looked genuinely sorry.
“Just this… just this one, then. Today, I’ll come home early…”
Really?
I perked up, turning toward the passenger seat—
BAAAAAANG-!
…What? Th-that car!
Green light straight through?
Swerve the wheel—
KABOOOOOM-!
KABOOOOOM!
The car spun free of gravity. I felt it even as consciousness faded.
Screeeeech-!
……
Twitch…
Twitch…
My fingers moved.
Good.
I’m safe.
Seunga…
Is Seunga okay?
“S…”
“Seojin!”
“Seunga… Seunga…”
“Kim Seojin!”
“Kim hubby!”
Where… am I?
Why is everyone crying?
Mother-in-law? Why are you crying?
“Kim hubby… oh dear… so pitiful…”
Why… why are you crying?
Why…
Huh?
Seunga?
…Seunga!
“Seunga…”
……
Seunga died that day, right there beside me, in the crash with the drunk driver.
“The defendant shows sincere remorse, and has made efforts to compensate the victim…”
Don’t make me laugh.
Leniency? …Forgiveness?
If my forgiveness brought Seunga back… I could forgive a hundred, a thousand times.
But… it doesn’t.
Seunga doesn’t come back.
Why do you decide forgiveness on your own, decide on your own…?
Why can’t I rage, why can’t I punish that villain?
Why?
“Professor Kim… what can you do? The living must live on.”
The living?
Do I look alive to you?
Without Seunga, I…
I’m as good as dead.
Yeah…
Should I die?
Dying, right.
Consciousness blurred.
Breath…
Fading…
…Lord.
…Faust.
“Lord Faust.”
“Huup….”
“Are you alright?”
“Puhahaa… huff… huff…”
Air flooded my lungs.
My hazy mind cleared.
Is this reality? Which was the dream?
“My lord! Good morning! Eh?”
Were those two demons’ faces the dream, catching my confused gaze?
“……”
Or was losing Seunga the dream?
“A nightmare?”
“My lord! Spit right after a bad dream and it flies away!”
“…Who said.”
“Who was it? Oh! Grandpa said it!”
Ptoo! Ptui ptui!
‘…Why are you spitting?’
More importantly, spit’s flying everywhere.
“Ehehe… it’s gone!”
Phenex laughed.
Her laugh was so fresh and vibrant, like summer barley fields.
“Ah…”
For a moment, I might have wished this was reality over the colorless life of Kim Seojin after losing Seunga.
…Really?
Am I still Faust today?
“Yeah…”
I said to Phenex as I rose.
“The bad dream flew away.”
…Busy.
Lots to do today too.
* * *
“Yay, done!”
Garden of Regeneration resonated, complete.
[The construction of the Garden of Regeneration begins.]
[Core base facility.]
[Significant time required for construction depending on facility grade.]
……
I’d targeted the Garden of Regeneration and resonated it successfully since morning.
Truth be told, all I did was lead Phenex to the thicket early.
‘Does this ease my worries?’
The Garden of Regeneration might be the most vital facility for users.
What’s most important in running a dungeon?
Vicious traps? Wicked curses crumbling adventurers’ sanity? Environments snaring their feet?
Or mighty familiars?
All crucial.
Crucial means preserve them.
The Garden of Regeneration prevents loss of familiars and environments among dungeon resources.
Familiars draw dungeon mana; upon expending it, they don’t die but transmit to the Garden.
‘Can’t lose hard-raised familiars to adventurers.’
But this applies only to dungeon defense. In outside episodes or resonances, all resources can be ‘lost.’
Hella policy. But outside episodes updated later, so users then didn’t know.
“Just be careful these 3 hours, and at least no deaths.”
A unlucky user famously lost a 6-star demon in those 3 hours to a buggy event.
So unless something absurd happens, no issue.
‘Takes longer than expected.’
In-game, a simple cutscene gifted instant construction. No such convenience here.
No clue why.
One of many mysteries?
‘Soon as Garden builds, take down first dungeon lord.’
Overlord spider Agnea.
Sticky webs and dragged-prey trails in the resonance zone pointed to her as my first dungeon lord foe.
‘Haven’t resonated Altar of Growth to level skills familiars… Phenex alone can’t handle.’
Building Altar of Growth removes familiar level caps.
Users attune developer-locked parts step-by-step, learning dungeon systems.
‘Level 1 Phenex deals about… half Agnea’s max HP damage.’
Solid info from countless vanguards trying level 1 demons on first lord.
Game combat real now, might differ slightly, but not much.
So…
‘Agnea raid after Altar of Growth resonance.’
Game content done in 20 minutes now took days in reality.
No 6-star demons or summon resources yet.
Summon resources: resonate mana stone mines inside, or earn via defense missions outside.
‘Ah, mana stone route… one more.’
Dev-spam bait: mana stones.
Dubbed ‘fodder.’
Game interface made claiming easy, so I hoped—but expectations crushed.
No notice button on interface.
‘Count fodder as gone.’
Silver lining: resource intake differed, maybe mana stones too.
“Follow me.”
- Kik…
- Kiki kik…
Scouting near next resonance zones.
Goblin 1 and 2.
Go-il and Go-i, plus Lucifer, with me.
Go-sam and Phenex at cafeteria.
…Stuffing faces.
Step…
Step…
Steadily forming Garden of Regeneration.
Garden links other zones.
Like…
“That place?”
“The monster occupying the zone?”
“Yeah.”
“Confirmed. Traces in Garden point there too.”
“What was that space used for long ago?”
“Unclear per records.”
“…Unclear?”
“No remaining info.”
Troubling.
Never had this.
‘Info differs from my memory…’
Soon as Garden up, scout with goblins.
‘Damn… 10-pull fodder would speed things up.’
No fodder, stuck rolling starter goblin trio.
Ha… can’t complain about nothing…
“…Lord Faust.”
“What?”
“Goblins vanished awhile ago.”
…What?
“Ordered check opposite passage from here, quite some time, no return.”
‘No way…’
Sudden dread.
- Just careful 3 hours, no deaths at least.
Hard to believe I said that recently.
Speak it, and it happens.
Step…
Step…
Slowly toward where I sent goblins for passage check.
Unpleasant pressure built.
Grew heavier nearing passage.
Finally, at passage, saw what befell goblins.
“…Dead.”
“Arrows. Sniped.”
“Yeah.”
[Goblin Grunt’s death confirmed.]
[Intruder traces found.]
[Dungeon defense begins now.]
[Tip: Undiscovered entrances allow unexpected paths.]
……
Two arrows.
One in Grunt’s head, one in Brawler’s chest.
Skilled shot.
‘Wait, death message only one side?’
Eyes to Brawler. Approached wound—
Pak-!
“Mm…”
Goblin Brawler not dead.
He seized my wrist in sudden spasm.
‘How…?’
He snapped head aside.
Reflex drew my gaze too.
Screeeeech-!
“Lord Faust!”
Smack…
Barely dodged arrow flying at me.
‘…Almost died.’
Voice from dark, disappointed.
“Tch…”
Human.
‘Adventurer!’
Nocking another arrow.
‘What now?’
Faust combat-inept from lethargy, Lucifer said long-range teleport hangover hampers fighting.
Guards goblins down.
‘Phenex… ah!’
Lifeline hit me.
Dungeon has intrusion-via-hole device.
Dwoooooong!
“Wh-what!”
Dark human screamed, teleported away.
[Faust attacked.]
[Curse of Rotten Roots activates.]
[Single intruder teleports to dungeon entrance.]
[Consumes main force.]
[Curse of Rotten Roots fully shatters.]
Tutorial low curse.
Equipped from start to demo activation.
Cheap one-use, but saved my life.
Without it…
Without this guy here…
- Kikiik…
Goblin Brawler released fading grip.
Knew I’d come, knew danger.
…Not bad?
Did his job.
“…Rest now.”
Crude leather armor clearly blocked arrow from vitals.
Unexpected luck stacked—I lived.
“Lord Faust, adventurer.”
Why?
Adventurer before basic construction done?
Unlucky as hell.
…Unlucky?
‘Could it be…’
Thought before.
‘Buggy event. Damn it!’
Likely stray adventurer wandered in.
Of all times, tutorial-like early resonance…
‘No time grasp situation. Need plan…’
Plan?
Send Phenex?
‘Absurd…’
Phenex can’t.
Clash moment, adventurer barrels to sanctum for sure.
Why?
Her trait, mentioned before.
Trait 【Unyielding】
- Phenex cannot fully win boss fights vs intruders in dungeon defense. (0/15)
- Vs single target, after certain damage, Phenex reverts to pure flame… Details
This trash trait.
Curse-like.
Why she was shunned.
‘Phenex always loses to adventurers early-game. Damn… how…’
Wounded adventurer via Phenex, then Slinger?
Ridiculous.
Adventurers match end-2-star or 3-star power.
Slinger falls fast, straight to sanctum…
‘…Wait?’
Flash idea, rushed to sanctum.
Checked dungeon map, started sealing base passages.
Seal.
Seal again.
Now, from bounce-back entrance to sanctum: one path.
He reaches sanctum only via this.
…Hm?
“Lord Faust?”
What’s this…
“Wait.”
Not misfortune?
Instead…
“Just sorted thoughts.”
Luck, right?