Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Dungeon Lieutenant Setting
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What the hell is this now?
One hour?
I already waited through the synchronization, and now they want me to wait even more?
At first, I thought the one-hour timer was just in-game time. But when I saw the remaining time ticking down second by second in real time on the screen, I was floored.
"Ha..."
Unbelievable.
I changed the dungeon name however I wanted, waited through synchronization, and now they make me wait another hour.
"This is some next-level nickel-and-diming."
I was flustered, but it gave me a chance to look around at the disaster zone that was my surroundings.
My house, after two years away, was practically a hellscape.
The fridge had probably turned into a box of chaos you shouldn't open. I was already dreading it.
Dust blanketed the appliances, furniture, and floor.
If I lived like this, every disease in the book might line up to shake my hand.
And worst of all, the clothes I was wearing right now.
They hadn't been washed properly, so they reeked.
Sure, this world had laundry magic, but no kind soul was around to cast it on me.
"Guess I'll start with a shower."
Shower, grab something to eat, then clean up.
By the time I finished my tasks, more than an hour had passed.
Still, I felt refreshed, like a student who'd finally tackled their overdue homework.
I flopped onto the bed and tapped the smartphone game with a clear mind.
A close look at the map showed the dungeon had landed in the Silent Mountains, north of Sail Kingdom.
"Jackpot."
Worth the wait?
Pretty solid result.
Sail Kingdom was in the northern part of Eldorado Continent.
The issue was that "northern" meant the frontline where humans could barely set foot.
Beyond it lay land, sure—but abandoned. Not just wasteland, but a death zone swarming with dungeons and monsters.
A place humans dared not approach, called the Demon Realm.
And Sail Kingdom sat right at the junction between the Demon Realm and the continent.
In such circumstances, the kingdom could only muster minimal defenses.
But what if I got summoned to Sail Kingdom?
Mountains blocked the kingdom from above, but with monster waves that could pour down anytime, they'd have constant patrol duties.
That's why Sail Kingdom was the place most hunters summoned to Eldorado avoided.
Of course, that was from a hunter's perspective. It meant nothing to me right now.
This was just a game, not the human side.
With dungeon management as the concept, being near the Demon Realm was an advantage, not a drawback.
"Lucky break."
The downside? The White Church was in the southern continent.
My plan to harass them quickly was off the table for now.
Our bases were at opposite ends of the continent—too far.
Guess I'd have to clear things up nearby and advance slowly.
With the location set, I tapped the screen for the next phase.
Here it comes.
Every game has gacha, right?
The "no rerolling" notice caught my eye, but I wasn't planning to grind that hard anyway.
I hit the summon tab and started the pull.
A magic circle filled with unknown runes began spinning, glowing brightly.
Soon, light flooded the smartphone screen, presenting the candidates for dungeon lieutenant.
First up: a goblin.
Ragged clothes, rusty sword.
Hmm.
Description matches the looks.
One star? Bottom-tier trash, obviously.
Eh, first pull. No expectations.
Poor guy—kicked out and sick to boot—but games aren't about feelings.
I picked No without hesitation.
Tapped for the next summon.
"Oh."
The next one looked anything but ordinary.
A demon woman in a black dress with pale white skin.
Five stars!
Great description too. Passing this would be insane.
Hit Yes immediately.
But things didn't go as expected.
A speech bubble popped up over the five-star Baalcherit.
Rejected.
What? I picked her from the gacha, and the character refuses me?
Slave? I was just appointing a lieutenant—what's with the slave talk?
The name change was arbitrary, location random, but this felt too realistic.
'Pretty high difficulty, huh?'
Problem: Even if good ones pop later, they might refuse too.
Fatal flaw.
Nothing to do about the past.
Tapped for the next pull.
Was the second five-star luck?
Slime (★★)
Ghoul (★)
Golem (★★★)
Lizardman (★★)
Orc (★★)
Small Wyrmling (★) and so on...
A few three-stars, but nothing higher.
I kept hitting No just in case, and suddenly only the tenth pull left.
Should've grabbed a three-star...
Too late for regrets.
Prayed for something good on the last one and pulled.
Result...
Three stars.
Can't reroll, and a three-star at the end.
No clue what three stars mean in power here.
Might be strong, or mid-tier trash.
"Kinda disappointing."
After seeing a five-star, yeah.
And the description? Hopeless.
A succubus who can't even use her powers?
Can she pull her weight?
Hmm.
Not thrilled, but no options left.
Higher stars might refuse anyway.
'Last one—surely no rejection?'
Hit Yes and held my breath.
'...'
Seconds later, result.
Phew, no rejection.
The reward didn't matter right now.
Time to check her stats.
For three stars, these stats are trash?
Magic aside, the rest is F or E rank.
"This is really three stars?"
Are three stars weak in this game?
Earth and Eldorado measured strength differently.
Earth used letters: F to A, S for the elite few—even for monsters.
Eldorado used stars: 1 to 5 for common monsters.
"That guy who terrorized the continent back then was seven stars, right?"
Stars rained across the continent when he appeared.
That's when stars became the strength gauge.
Adventurers, mages, knights had their own tiers—complicated system.
"Eh, games probably don't match exactly."
I checked the three-star succubus again.
Three stars just for high magic?
She might hold the dungeon—maybe not get overrun.
High magic suggests support role.
As if reading my worries, a new screen popped up.
I blinked in surprise.
This game was gunning for my wallet hard.
'No wonder the refusal system felt off...'
Clever ploy.
But the aggressive monetization piqued my interest.
How deep does this system go?
I was bummed about the three-star anyway.
5,900 wasn't much, so I hit purchase.
"Four stars should be about B-rank monster level."
Fancy effects and a tutorial arrow to synthesis.
'Quick on the uptake.'
Shoved Celia Ishar and two 3★ Soul Stones in and synthesized.
Synthesis success alert, and updated stats.
Base stats and skill ranks nudged up a bit.
"Whoa, upgrading actually boosts stats."
Admiration short-lived—a new package appeared.
"Damn it."
Dizzying.
Blood Predator and vampire royalty descendant, Baalcherit.
She swirled her wine glass, savoring the fresh blood inside.
"Hm..."
She was enjoying utterly peaceful days.
The territory around her dungeon brimmed with monsters sworn to her loyalty.
They brought fresh blood daily without her lifting a finger.
No reason to shoo away willing tribute.
Today, as she leisurely savored her blood,
the space before her twisted.
An unknown voice echoed.
The voice carried abyssal depths.
Who? Who dares prank her?
Slave? The most absurd thing she'd heard lately.
Command nobility like her to be a slave?
Baalcherit chuckled dryly.
She wanted to find the owner now.
But glaring yielded nothing.
She gathered power to trace it.
But...
No presence at all.
As if nothing existed.
'Impossible?'
Only one answer.
'Far beyond my level.'
A realm she couldn't grasp.
Baalcherit spoke cautiously, with dignity.
"How dare you command a noble like me to become your slave? Begone!"
No need to offend a superior being.
Polite enough, not rude.
Luckily?
Space normalized after her words.
Voice silenced.
"Backing off so easily?"
Anticlimactic.
Maybe not as superior as she thought.
Should've cursed them out.
"Next time, I'll kill them."
Daring to suggest slavery to royalty was treason.
Thus, she smacked her lips, savoring blood again.