Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: There Are No Succubi in the Incubus Dungeon
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One being swung a sword.
Clad head to toe in a black robe, with a black mask covering their face, it was impossible to tell who they were.
The orcs were swept away by the swing of their blade.
"Hm."
I sat casually nearby, quietly watching the scene unfold.
The figure shrouded entirely in black dispatched the orcs before nodding toward me.
It was Maru.
Nod.
I nodded back at Maru.
How overwhelmingly dominant could Maru be in battle?
To gauge their objective combat prowess, I'd come to the dungeon early at dawn.
Maru handled orcs without issue, massacring them effortlessly.
In truth, the current Maru was 4-star, B-rank.
D-rank orcs were monsters they could deal with quite easily.
Even so, I hadn't expected them to sweep through a whole group of orcs that effortlessly.
"Even if hordes of orcs swarm in, it's over in an instant."
There had been a cautious worry since the rank difference was only two steps.
But that turned out to be needless concern on my part.
However, there was one problem: Maru was a skeleton made entirely of black bones.
Compared to a typical pristine white skeleton, they stood out far too much.
For me right now, drawing attention was something to avoid at all costs.
So, the solution I'd come up with was to cover Maru completely with a robe and mask.
The black robe and mask easily concealed the black bones.
I'd even fitted gloves over the hand gripping the magic sword, of course.
Now, Maru was the picture of perfection—a flawless skeleton.
Seeing Maru like that filled me with pride.
"Which dungeon should we hit next?"
As I pondered that,
"Huh?"
Azmo—the monster leading the Incubus Dungeon.
And they'd sent another support request, just like last time.
Well, since they'd come under my command in the first place, it was only right to show some mercy.
This Azmo had joined me of their own accord, but one peculiar thing was that their dungeon wasn't on the Eldorado Continent.
On the screen, it was marked as being in another dimension.
"Even in another dimension, you're a loyal vassal."
All the monsters under me had high loyalty, but Azmo was no slouch either.
If anything, they were truly righteous.
Last time, they'd brought me a stray incubus with nowhere to go.
I'd simply given them a comrade, and an alert popped up saying Azmo was pleased.
Whatever else, their camaraderie was off the charts.
'If any more lost incubi show up, I should send them all here.'
Keep sending in incubi, and their numbers would grow, strengthening the dungeon itself.
Arguably, that's why they'd requested support—their combat power was still low.
"Incubi aren't a combat breed, after all."
With that thought, I opened the dungeon support menu.
How should I help this time?
Dispatching troops was a given, of course.
I wanted to send gems too, but...
My own gem stock was nearly depleted right now.
The purchase limit had lifted, and it was about time to recharge, but...
Last time, the gem prices had doubled.
What used to be 5,500 won for 5,000 gems was now 11,000 won.
I was holding off on payments for now.
"Once the profits roll in, time to whale a bit."
This wasn't just some game.
It was practically reality.
The stronger my dungeons got, the stronger I became.
So, no half-measures or nickel-and-diming.
When I went in, I'd go all out.
Anyway, like last time, the game itself would cap gem purchases, so I'd just max it out.
"No gems this time—just dispatch some troops."
Last time I'd sent Celia, so maybe a Death Knight this round?
She seemed swamped with work anyway.
On top of that, she'd even formed and was running her own scouting unit.
Seeing Celia like that naturally brought a smile to my face.
"I picked the right lieutenant, that's for sure."
Starting as a 3-star succubus lieutenant, now a 6-star succubus overseeing the entire dungeon alliance.
That was Celia.
No need to burden her with more dispatches.
"No new packages, huh?"
Package purchases had bumped Celia from 3-star to 6-star.
The pity was no packages for pushing her to 7-star yet.
"Gonna have to farm soulstones separately?"
The upgrade package I'd bought before was filled with soulstones matching each star level.
To upgrade Celia now, I'd probably need 6-star soulstones.
If no relevant packages kept showing up, I'd have to gather these soulstones on my own.
"If a package comes out, I'll buy it right away, or else I'll have to look for soul stones."
With that thought, I turned my gaze to the monster list in my dungeon.
"I guess I can take out the Death Knight for a moment."
The dungeon was growing steadily and smoothly anyway.
I clicked on the Death Knight and pressed the dispatch button.
I dispatched the Death Knight to Azmo's dungeon and was about to press the exit button slowly.
But at that moment, another new alert popped up.
"Additional mission?"
It had been ages since the last mission.
The emergency one where I renamed Celia was the most recent before this.
"...?"
Not straight-up upgrading, but granting purchase rights for an upgrade package?
"Heh..."
At least the upgrade packages hadn't vanished entirely.
"Is this a blessing or a curse...?"
If this were a normal game, the aggressive monetization would've made me quit ages ago.
But since it wasn't normal at all, I followed the alert without complaint.
My finger clicked the Lich immediately.
"After all, the Lich probably doesn't have much to do right now."
Although I assigned the role of overseer, the dungeon was currently in a peaceful period.
There was no need for the overseer to be stationed around the clock.
"Yeah, you might as well come along with the Death Knight."
I dispatched the Lich to Dungeon "Temptation of Illusion" as well.
With that done, I hit close.
From past experience, these always led to good outcomes.
So dispatching the Death Knight and Lich had me feeling a bit expectant.
I pocketed my smartphone and turned to Maru.
"Let's go, Maru."
Maru nodded and fell in behind me.
Azmo, master of Dungeon "Temptation of Illusion."
Azmo had many worries these days.
"Humans are eyeing our dungeon again."
Unlike last time, they weren't blatantly scouting.
But something ominous lingered in the air.
As if they were probing with ulterior motives.
They were definitely up to some scheme.
"Must I request aid again?"
Last time, Azmo had called for help and averted crisis easily.
And they'd willingly submitted to the great being who aided them.
On top of that, that lord had provided daily sustenance.
Azmo's gaze shifted to one of the incubi.
A defiant one upon arrival, now quite obedient.
"Indeed."
The one who bestowed that incubus was a great and merciful lord.
Surely, another request would bring merciful aid again.
But they couldn't rely on this forever.
"If the great one's aid saves us once more..."
Azmo scanned the dungeon with a resolute expression.
"I shall offer the management rights of my dungeon to the great one."
Early dawn.
The sun still hid below the horizon.
Cold darkness enveloped everything, no light in sight, evoking a desolate hopelessness.
Silence reigned.
Breaking it, armed hunters took positions.
Phoenix Guild hunters.
"Everyone, get ready!"
The dungeon they aimed to conquer was one the Phoenix Guild had failed before.
The Incubus Dungeon.
Where guild leader's second son Jeong Woo-jin had met a gruesome fate.
Phoenix Guild hunters now prepared before it for another subjugation.
Leading this raid: A-rank hunter Seo Young-ho.
His face stern, he surveyed those entering with him.
This dungeon had a unique structure.
An Incubus Dungeon, yet the master was presumed a succubus.
Just one succubus amid many incubi.
An oddity even in name alone.
And the presumed succubus rank: S-grade.
Usually inflated estimates, but no less than A-rank at minimum.
The good news? They didn't charge head-on.
Per the vanguard's report, they relied solely on charm skills akin to mind control.
But those charms weren't mere trifles.
Hence the guild brass pegged the master at S-rank.
"Keep your heads clear, everyone!"
Seo Young-ho shouted to the hunters.
Then turned to the hunter specialized in dungeon detection.
"What's the internal status?"
Last vanguard scout had missed the succubus.
This time, fully prepped, the guild attached a detection skill specialist to the raid.
Seo Young-ho asked if there were issues, but the hunter shook their head.
"It's strange."
"What is?"
"Incubi are definitely there, but... no sign of the succubus."
"Hm."
Seo Young-ho pondered briefly.
The previous vanguard had scouted multiple times, concluding no succubus.
Thus, the all-male raid team returned in pitiful condition.
Only because the dungeon master whimsically spared them, no doubt.
Now, even with detection skills, no succubus presence.
'This is a headache.'
Hiding their presence, perhaps.
Freely masking aura alone marked them no ordinary monster.
Seo Young-ho glanced around.
The hunters in this strategy team are all at least B-rank or higher.
Moreover, more than half of them are composed of A-rank hunters.
A testament to showed how much the Phoenix Guild's had prepared for this.
They also paid attention to preparing against succubi and incubi.
Not only artifacts capable of resisting mental manipulation, but also a large number of hunters who can use related buffs were recruited.
At this level, their enchantment skills are nothing.
""Everyone, do a final check! Even though the opponent may be specialized in mental abilities, we must not neglect equipment inspection!"
Now it's time to enter the dungeon.
Seo Yeong-ho looked up at the sky.
Gradually, the sun rose, dispelling the darkness of dawn.
Light slowly illuminated the surroundings.
If a little while ago it felt like darkness was blocking the way ahead, now it seemed like only a hopeful future was waiting.
Seo Yeong-ho lowered his head from looking at the sky.
It was getting close to the time to enter.
He glanced at the watch on his wrist for no reason.
"All units, enter the dungeon!"