Chapter 73
Chapter 73
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Dungeon Infrastructure Development (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dungeon Monster Enhancement System.
I'd acquired this system when Maru gained enlightenment.
Thanks to that, I now understood how the system worked, so I gave Celia an order.
"Make sure everyone gains enlightenment."
Even I thought it was a pretty vague command.
So I wasn't expecting much.
Before long, alerts popped up one by one announcing that monsters were gaining enlightenment.
And they didn't stop at just one—they kept coming.
Even some of the rarer 3-star monsters unlocked the system through enlightenment.
"Celia really is capable."
To fulfill an order like "make them gain enlightenment" so effortlessly...
"I wonder what kind of training they're doing?"
I had no idea how Skoll gained his enlightenment, but Maru had done it through combat.
And all these alerts specified that they'd gained it through training.
"Is Celia drilling them hard?"
No, wait—was it even possible to gain enlightenment through training in the first place?
This easily?
Part of me wondered if this enhancement system was just some throwaway event.
Come to think of it, there had been two systems that unlocked when I acquired my traits.
One was this enhancement system, and the other was the level system.
"If it keeps going like this, we'll sort out the enhancement system in no time."
The alerts kept ringing nonstop.
At first, I thought things were going smoothly, but soon I noticed something odd.
"...Why are only the undead getting these alerts?"
Every enlightenment alert was coming from undead monsters.
Even named unique monsters were gaining enlightenment—and they were undead too.
"Whoa..."
A ton of monsters had unlocked enlightenment, but I couldn't exactly celebrate.
Aside from me and Skoll, they were all undead.
And the ratings were an issue too.
The highest-rated monster right now was still the 4-star Maru.
The rest were mostly 1- and 2-stars, with a handful of 3-stars.
But wasting enhancements on 1- or 2-star monsters felt like a poor investment.
Enhancements required sacrifices, after all. Using them on a measly 1-star?
Not cost-effective.
"What a shame. It would've been better if Celia or the Death Knight had unlocked it..."
Even just Celia unlocking the system would've been a huge win.
"Gaining enlightenment really isn't easy, huh."
Even among the undead, only a fraction had unlocked it compared to their total numbers.
There wasn't much I could do about it, though.
I couldn't exactly shove a sword to their throats and demand enlightenment.
Instead, I focused on a different issue.
"What's the problem here?"
Why were only undead monsters gaining enlightenment?
I immediately tapped the screen for Zone 1, where the undead gathered.
"?"
Unlike my expectations of some grueling regimen, Zone 1 looked downright peaceful.
An Arch Lich stood at the front, with the rest of the monsters training under its command.
"Looks like the Arch Lich has its subordinates well in hand."
Everyone followed its orders to the letter.
This incident really revealed the Arch Lich's true potential.
"Is that what a real leader looks like?"
I wondered if it could've thrived even without the Inspector title—maybe just slap "Leader" on it instead.
"Let's check the other zones."
After Zone 1, I tapped to the next area.
Zone 2.
Home to the goblins. Most of the space was crammed with huts pressed together.
In the one clear corner, goblins were training.
And they weren't half-assing it.
They were giving it their all.
If anything, they seemed even more diligent than Zone 1's undead.
"No, they really are working hard."
Training that intensely, yet not a single goblin had gained enlightenment.
That's when it hit me.
Why only the undead?
Why couldn't the other races?
What set the undead apart from the others?
I pondered what difference could produce these results.
I flipped back and forth between Zones 1 and 2, touring the dungeon.
Then a possibility struck me.
"A difference in facilities?"
Maybe it had something to do with the dungeon facilities?
"Facilities, huh..."
It made sense.
And it even explained why only undead were succeeding.
"...Well, undead aren't picky about their surroundings anyway."
Undead were already dead.
They typically appeared in gloomy spots like graveyards or battlefields—in other words, anywhere dark.
Time and place didn't matter to them.
Even a filthy sewer would do.
Location meant little to undead.
Zone 1 was packed to the brim, but they didn't care.
They didn't need rest or food.
They could stand around all day.
That set them apart from other monsters in a big way.
Maybe that's why only undead were gaining enlightenment.
Zone 2's goblins, meanwhile, trained right next to their huts for lack of space.
Some even went outside the dungeon to train—it was that cramped.
Expecting enlightenment in conditions like that? Too greedy.
"At the very least, they need a training ground."
At least I'd figured it out now.
"Time to develop the dungeon's facilities."
This dungeon and I were linked, after all.
If it got cleared, my life was on the line.
For the monsters' efficiency—and my survival—it was time to upgrade.
I tapped the screen to survey the dungeon again.
This time, not to watch training, but to scout needed facilities.
"Hmm."
The dungeon was divided into five main areas.
Zones 1 through 4, plus the core in the center.
No grand design there.
Just grouping similar races together—simple stuff.
One phrase summed it up perfectly.
"Residential dungeon."
Just living space for monsters.
Nothing to do there.
Of course, dungeons were probably meant to be simple like that for monsters.
But to me, from modern society, it looked barren.
Not full-on modern, but the dungeon needed infrastructure development.
Progress was inevitable.
"I wonder if high-rank dungeons are any different."
All the dungeons I'd entered were low-rank.
No status window meant D-rank at best.
Even during my two years on the Eldorado Continent as a porter, silver-rank was my highest.
So I had no clue how high-rank dungeons were laid out.
"Some reference material would be nice."
Could help with my own upgrades.
With a sliver of hope, I searched for dungeon info.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much.
What little existed was on low-rank dungeons; high-rank ones had zilch.
The search spat out dubious tabloid stuff.
"Tch."
One article soured my mood.
"Villains are popping up more these days."
Stories like that reminded me power was everything.
"Gotta keep getting stronger."
And right now, that meant developing my dungeon, so I returned to my smartphone.
I scanned the zones from 1 onward.
Zone 1: undead central, under the Death Knight mid-boss.
No urgent need to develop it, though.
"They're not exactly sleeping beauties..."
No huts required like for goblins.
I'd ponder it last, after checking the others.
Next: Zone 2.
Various goblins lived under the Goblin Lord's control.
"Yeah."
This place was way too cramped.
Adding living space with huts made it worse.
"I'd love to fix it right now..."
But post-monster wave penalties lingered.
Couldn't use most features like summoning or expansion.
A shame.
For now, I messaged Celia as a stopgap.
She'd handle it.
With game systems locked, analog it was: manpower expansion.
Better than waiting blindly for penalties to lift.
Once cleared, I'd upgrade properly via system.
For Zone 2, expansion plus a training ground.
"Zone 2 needs dungeon expansion and a training ground, at least."
Upgrade huts if possible.
I tapped the screen.
"Aren's doing fine."
Next: Zone 3.
No mid-boss here.
Man-eating plants dotted the central field, vampire butterflies flitted in the air.
Spiders claimed a corner—peaceful.
Weaving through it all was a little kid: Aren.
Aren wasn't officially mine yet, so no details.
Just "Vampire."
But Aren hustled harder than anyone.
Even now, fetching water from Zone 4's lake and tending the plants, managing the zone.
"Who's that next to him?"
Another figure caught my eye besides Aren.
Clicked—no dice, not dungeon-affiliated.
"Nariel...?"
At least the name showed.
Nothing else.
"Weird."
Zoomed in, but the hood hid their face.
Two outsiders already.
"Hmm. Hope it's fine."
Probably Celia let Nariel in too—she had reasons.
Still, delegating everything wasn't smart.
I resolved to demand reports from Celia soon.
Zone 3 didn't need much attention.
Nature theme from the start.
Plant and insect monsters—no big enlightenment worries.
"If anything, fire vulnerability."
Field and plants made it weak to fire.
"Need a dedicated squad for that."
If invaders set it ablaze, someone had to put it out.
"Goblins have plenty to spare."
Time to form a goblin fire brigade.
"Death Knight."
The Death Knight looked up at Celia's call.
It had been tidying the lakeside in Zone 4.
"The Master has issued a command."
The Death Knight perked up.
A command from the Master?
Finally heading out of the dungeon?
It waited eagerly for more.
"Take this first."
As Celia finished, a nearby Skeleton Knight handed it a pickaxe.
?
What for?
"We're expanding Zone 2 on the Master's orders."
"......"
The Death Knight's punishment continued.