Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Dungeon Stock Company (2)
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“Demon Realm Merchant Guild, huh...”
The proposal from Azmo was straightforward.
He wanted to establish a similar organization here on Earth, modeled after the Demon Realm Merchant Guild on the Eldorado Continent.
“Did you get some inspiration from visiting there?”
Azmo had attended one of the social gatherings hosted by the Demon Realm Merchant Guild.
He must have seen all sorts of things and gained some insights.
His suggestion was definitely solid.
I’d felt a fresh shock myself after witnessing their operations.
‘To think that many monsters could gather in one place like that.’
It spoke volumes about the sheer power of the Merchant Guild.
No wonder Azmo had come up with this idea after seeing it.
I recalled how Celia had initially brought in monsters through the guild.
They’d even expanded the dungeon using the guild’s influence. That said it all.
This alone showed just how much sway the Demon Realm Merchant Guild held over the various dungeons.
And now, it was time for me to make use of that.
“If we play this right, it could be huge.”
According to Azmo, Earth currently had nothing like the Eldorado Continent’s Demon Realm Merchant Guild.
In other words, there was no central hub to unite the dungeons.
Azmo proposed forming alliances and conducting trades with other dungeons for mutual benefit.
Gradually building influence over them, eventually growing into a full-fledged faction.
For me, it was all upside—no downsides whatsoever.
“If we do this well, money won’t be an issue anymore.”
Right now, I was burning through cash on in-app purchases to manage the dungeon.
I was covering expenses by raiding dungeons with Maru for now, but it wasn’t exactly fun.
But if we properly set up and operated a merchant guild on Earth?
We could trade with other dungeons and reap all sorts of resources in return.
“It’s not just good for me, either.”
This wouldn’t benefit only me.
If I exerted influence over those dungeons and prevented monster waves, it’d be a huge win for humanity too.
“Alright, let’s get started right away.”
I approved Azmo’s plan on the spot.
Come to think of it, it was similar to the [Dungeon Support & Dispatch] feature I’d used a few times before.
Azmo himself had come to me through dungeon support, and now he followed my lead.
“And this time, it’s not the system calling the shots—it’s me.”
[Dungeon Support & Dispatch] helped other dungeons in a similar way, but it was still just following system rules.
This, however, was something Azmo and I were doing on our own initiative.
“Hmm, now we need to figure out exactly how to operate.”
For starters, a merchant guild needed to be able to visit other dungeons.
But Earth was different from the Eldorado Continent in key ways.
Hunters were far too active here.
If Azmo stepped outside, he’d be spotted in no time.
Disguising him as a human wasn’t feasible either...
As I pondered, one particular entity came to mind.
“Oh, right—we’ve got a lieutenant, don’t we?”
I’d assigned a lieutenant to Azmo’s dungeon as well.
A slime, but no ordinary one.
A master of transformation capable of mimicking anything.
The thought hit me, and I immediately tapped into the dungeon.
“There we go!”
A four-star slime, no less.
It wouldn’t get crushed out there.
“This should work perfectly.”
Betta would be key for fieldwork.
If it transformed into a hunter, there’d be no issues moving around.
And I already knew exactly who to disguise it as.
“What was that guy’s name again?”
There was that rich father-son duo who’d once tried to ambush me.
“His name was Ji... Ji-something.”
It had been so long, the name escaped me.
Anyway, the father had met his end, but I’d spared the son and tossed him into Azmo’s dungeon.
“He’s probably still kicking.”
Not a succubus den—it was an incubus dungeon, so he’d be fine.
Plus, he was already registered as an F-rank hunter.
“If he got some necromancer credentials like me, that’d be ideal.”
As long as he had summoner or necromancer qualifications, parading monsters outside wouldn’t raise eyebrows.
It’d make transporting dungeon monsters a breeze.
“Time to issue some orders.”
On top of that, I decided to provide one more bit of support.
The place where I’d caught that father-son pair was a skeleton dungeon.
Back then, I could understand the skeleton soldiers’ speech, which made them pledge loyalty to me.
Admittedly, quite some time had passed, and I hadn’t checked on them lately.
“They couldn’t have vanished, right?”
Thankfully, the dungeon was still intact.
Maybe the skeletons had more capability than I thought.
Or perhaps it was so low-rank that no one bothered with it.
Either way, good news for me.
‘Attaching them to Azmo would be perfect.’
Lowly skeleton soldiers, sure, but they’d provide solid manpower.
The outline was coming together.
Azmo and Betta could handle the rest.
Finally, I tweaked the settings for Azmo’s dungeon.
“Gotta loosen the outside access a bit.”
If the dungeon filled up with monsters, a wave would trigger.
I’d gotten burned once before by being too lax.
I’d kept a tight leash since, but circumstances had changed.
Azmo and Betta needed to operate freely now; I couldn’t micromanage forever.
Just a slight adjustment.
“Permit outings only for approved special activities.”
Special activities meaning the merchant guild business Azmo proposed.
This should prevent another wave disaster.
“There. The stage is set.”
That wrapped up my part.
Azmo could take it from here.
If he needed major backup, I’d send Maru.
“Whew. Time to relax.”
I shut off my phone and finally took a breather.
A short rest, then check household chores and chat with the elf.
Azmo started the day in high spirits.
His face beamed with a bright smile, and the reason was simple.
The Great One had approved his plan.
‘Now I can finally prove my worth.’
He’d proposed it two days ago, and approval came immediately.
What else could that mean?
His plan had hit the mark perfectly.
‘At last, I can breathe easy.’
He’d once blundered with a monster wave due to a poor choice, irking the Great One.
As punishment, he’d been barred from leaving the dungeon, and its location forcibly changed.
Of course, it was the Great One’s will—he followed without complaint.
‘Even now, it’s astonishing. Moving a whole dungeon so effortlessly.’
The Great One’s power never ceased to amaze.
‘Someday, I too...’
Azmo harbored hope: pledge unwavering loyalty, and strength would follow.
A momentary lapse had cost him favor, but now came redemption.
Soon, Earth would have its own Demon Realm Merchant Guild equivalent—he’d devote himself to it.
Shine there, and the Great One would notice.
Vowing no mistakes, Azmo summoned his lieutenant.
“Well, Betta? All preparations complete?”
He spoke with stern authority.
Now the head of a proper merchant guild, Azmo worked to reshape his image.
“Yes, Manager. As per the Great One’s instructions, I visited the Awakener Center and completed all registrations.”
Betta responded diligently.
Approval had sparked frantic activity; Betta had even ventured outside for prep work.
Visiting the Awakener Center and scouting dungeons in need.
Betta was a slime monster through and through, but currently appeared as a youthful young man.
The fruits of its transformation ability.
And not some fictional figure, either.
A real human: Ji Sung-min.
A “gift” from the Great One—a hunter.
The hunter part didn’t matter, though.
‘A gift from Him, so I rationed it carefully.’
Incubi sustained on human essence.
Unlike typical incubi, those in Azmo’s dungeon had Ji Sung-min to thank for his survival.
The Great One’s gift demanded care.
Even “rationed,” the man wasted away daily.
But that wasn’t Azmo’s concern.
What mattered was his hunter license and very existence.
Betta had transformed into Ji Sung-min, claiming his clothes, license, and belongings.
Then headed out to the Awakener Center.
The goal: necromancer certification.
All per the Great One’s command—Betta obeyed without question.
Its abilities made external ops smooth.
The transformation was flawless; no one suspected a thing.
Even the Center processed it without hitch.
Proving necromancer status was easy, too.
The Great One had pointed to the skeleton dungeon; Betta fetched one soldier.
Thus, “Ji Sung-min” became a certified necromancer hunter.
Now, visiting other dungeons with a skeleton wouldn’t draw eyes.
Couldn’t bring hordes, but a start was a start.
Azmo focused on phase one.
“Good. Having seen the Demon Realm Merchant Guild firsthand—”
Azmo launched into his tale.
His Eldorado experiences were novel even to Betta, who listened intently.
“First off, seizing the initiative is key. That starts with flashiness.”
Azmo draped a solid gold necklace around Betta’s neck.
Then slipped diamond rings onto every finger.
Betta now looked like a hunter draped in bling.
“Hmm. Add a scowl, and it’ll be perfect.”
Betta complied; Azmo nodded approval.
Over-the-top flashy—intimidating from the get-go.
“Second: overwhelming firepower. Flash without substance is worthless.”
Azmo bowed his head; Maru emerged from behind.
“For our first deal, raw power matters. Meet Maru, here to assist—special request to the Great One.”
Monsters weren’t subtle like humans.
Everything boiled down to strength.
Betta wasn’t weak, but dominance required more—hence Maru.
“Pleased to work with you, Maru.”
“Pip!”
Betta bowed low.
Privately, the sight of Maru—stronger post-wave—shocked it.
“Maru, please rest while we finalize.”
Azmo clapped; incubi approached with incense and brushes.
As Maru indulged, Azmo and Betta ran final checks.
First client demanded perfection.
“The requesting dungeon is run by kobolds. Recent hunter incursions have thinned their ranks. They need guards for protection.”
“Hmm.”
Azmo pondered Betta’s report.
Betta could handle it solo, no issue.
But long-term? Dicey.
Couldn’t babysit forever.
Skeleton soldiers? Still just skeletons.
F-ranks maybe, but E-ranks? No chance.
“If only we could openly relocate subordinates...”
Sending incubi would be easy.
But parading monsters risked hunter alerts.
Skeletons were a loophole via Betta’s certs.
“Any safe transport method?”
Azmo regretted not studying the Merchant Guild more on Eldorado.
Betta spoke up amid his musing.
“How about we raid this body’s guild outright?”
“Hm?”
Betta pointed at itself.
Azmo blinked.
“Ah...!”
Then it clicked.
Betta’s transformed hunter belonged to a guild.
‘Black Sun Guild, right?’
Not a formal one, per its words.
Betta continued.
“Ji Sung-min said they’re fixers—handling others’ dirty work. Why not take over Black Sun Guild?”
“Hmm...”
“Controlling it smooths our ops. Relocating your incubi becomes trivial.”
Their discussion flowed naturally, like worldly humans.
It made sense.
Azmo had long prioritized outside intel.
Captured hunters yielded info via any means.
Betta, lab rat for years, had eavesdropped on researchers.
Their talk was advanced for monsters.
“Plus, I see this differently.”
Betta pressed on.
“The Great One didn’t send Maru just for guild support.”
“Mm, true.”
The merchant plan wasn’t earth-shattering to Him.
Yet lavish aid implied deeper intent.
“Could it be...”
Pieces fell into place.
Black Sun Guild’s Ji Sung-min.
At first, just a gift.
Why send Azmo to Eldorado—specifically the Merchant Guild event?
Proposal met instant approval.
‘As if awaiting this moment...!’
Skeleton dungeon access, Maru’s dispatch—generous backing.
“All this...”
Azmo’s face hardened as he eyed Betta.
“Precisely.”
Betta nodded agreement.
“The Great One aims beyond dungeon guilds—to human commerce itself. To reign as the world’s king.”
“Exactly!”
Azmo thanked his sharp lieutenant.