Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Dungeon Corporation (1)
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A tremendous surge of power swept through the dungeon.
The aftermath raged like a storm, leaving craters scattered across the floor and part of the ceiling collapsed.
Even the undead monsters, who usually guarded their sections without a flicker of emotion, were now visibly agitated.
And their gazes all turned toward one being: the Arch Lich.
The Arch Lich looked exactly as always.
He wore the deep blue high-grade robe bestowed upon him by the great Master, and in his hands were a fountain pen and a notebook.
No matter how you looked at it, his outward appearance hadn't changed at all.
But something was different.
Precisely, it had changed after the events just moments ago.
For one, the power emanating from the Arch Lich felt much stronger.
Every time he took a step, the surrounding air trembled faintly. His aura had shifted to that extent.
On top of that, the mana density throughout the dungeon had thickened as well.
At this point, everyone could realize it.
All these changes had been brought about by the Arch Lich.
He had taken one step closer to becoming the dungeon's ruler.
All the undead monsters knelt on the ground, paying their respects to the Arch Lich and the great one.
"……."
But the Arch Lich himself paid no attention to the actions around him.
He first bowed his head to inspect his own body.
Outwardly, it was the same form as always.
But he could sense that something special had awakened within him.
The Arch Lich raised his bony hand.
With a slight exertion of power, a purple glow enveloped it.
The magical power he could wield had grown far stronger than before.
It was a strength he had never felt until now.
At the same time, he felt a deeper connection between himself and the dungeon.
It was dominion.
Snap!
After confirming the new power, his next action was to open the notebook.
Moments ago, the notebook had floated into the air.
He had quickly grabbed it, but there was a chance something had gone wrong with it.
The Arch Lich flipped through the pages one by one, checking for any damage.
And he found one thing that had changed.
New content had been added to the notebook.
Snap?
It wasn't the household ledger he himself had written, nor notes from his duties as inspector.
It was fresh entries about the mid-bosses of each dungeon section.
[1st Floor, Section 1 Mid-boss]
- Death Knight (★★★★★)
[1st Floor, Section 2 Mid-boss]
- Goblin Lord (★★★★★)
[1st Floor, Section 3 Mid-boss]
- Vacant
[1st Floor, Section 4 Mid-boss]
- Vacant
Though it was only recorded for the 1st Floor, this alone was monumental.
Now, no one in this place could stand against him.
Well, except for the great existence and the head administrator.
The Arch Lich continued staring at the notebook.
A hazy memory seemed on the verge of surfacing.
What was that memory again?
The Arch Lich racked his mind desperately.
Alarms rang out endlessly.
They announced that the Arch Lich had become the 1st Floor Guardian, with his stats rising accordingly.
Not only that, but his dominion had been strengthened as well.
Thanks to this, a major change occurred.
"So the dungeon runs itself like this?"
The newly appointed Guardian Arch Lich gained another authority: the ability to recommend mid-boss appointments.
Even as the number of monsters grew, I wouldn't have to agonize over who to appoint as mid-bosses myself.
"Arch Lich recommends, and I just approve."
I manage the dungeon too.
But I couldn't handle everything forever.
Besides, monsters living directly in the dungeon would know its ecosystem far better than me just watching through a screen.
All I had to do was summon monsters and occasionally intervene.
"That said, Sections 3 and 4 really need mid-bosses soon."
[1st Floor, Section 3 Mid-boss]
- Vacant
[1st Floor, Section 4 Mid-boss]
- Vacant
Up until now, Sections 3 and 4 had no mid-bosses.
Of course, with how sturdy Sections 1 and 2 were, it wasn't an immediate problem.
But it still felt lacking somehow.
"I need to acquire more 4-star monsters."
To appoint a mid-boss, the monster's rank had to be at least 4 stars.
Easier said than done.
In the occasional gacha rolls, even a 3-star was cause for gratitude, let alone a 4-star.
Of course, I didn't lack 4-star monsters entirely.
The half-goblins born just recently were 4-stars.
And the dullahan obtained through the Death Knight before was also 4-star.
"Hmm."
But appointing them as mid-bosses came with issues.
First, the half-goblins were too newly born to serve as mid-bosses.
And the dullahan, who carried its head in its hands, kept wandering outside the dungeon.
It spent most of its time in the forest, so I rarely saw it.
Making such a monster a mid-boss felt awkward.
"Might as well roll the gacha now."
The dungeon's current size had expanded beyond the 1st Floor into the 2nd Floor.
More sections and floors would be added in the future.
"Eventually, each floor will need its own guardian."
That meant more mid-bosses per section, requiring even more monsters.
Especially since floor guardians, unlike mid-bosses, required 5-stars minimum.
"I'll need a lot of high-rank monsters."
Thinking about it, there was no need to stick solely to gacha at this point.
Hadn't I experienced it at the banquet?
The auction alone offered far better value than gacha pulls.
Of course, whether auctioned monsters would be loyal to me was another matter.
'I'll ask Celia about that later.'
She'd probably handle such concerns effortlessly.
"Maybe I should wrap up here for now?"
I'd been working non-stop since returning from the auction.
Above all, I still hadn't spoken with the elf I'd brought back.
The moment I tried to turn off the smartphone screen.
More alarms rang out.
It was about the Arch Lich's true name.
"Necros?"
It was a name that suited the Arch Lich perfectly.
The system reflected this immediately.
Subsequent alarms used 'Necros' instead of Arch Lich.
[1st Floor Guardian]
- Necros (★★★★★)
Well, I couldn't keep calling him Arch Lich forever.
Especially now that he was a floor guardian—having no name wouldn't do.
"At this rate, he'll stay as the 1st Floor Guardian."
I'd briefly considered swapping him out if another 5-star appeared.
But after seeing the stat increase alarm and his new name, I changed my mind.
"Yeah, changing commanders too often isn't good."
I hoped Necros would manage the 1st Floor well and moved on.
The dungeon was finally starting to look the part.
"Now, time to talk with the elf?"
I was about to stand up.
"?"
What was this now?
It looked like rest was off the table today.
At the heart of the Incubus Dungeon.
Azmo sat there, his face filled with contemplation.
He was deep in thought, his mind on high society.
"True beauty lay there."
Suddenly, he let out a sigh of admiration.
What drew his admiration wasn't the banquet hall's splendor amid high society.
It was beautiful, certainly.
But not to the point of awe until now.
Then, was it that he, on Earth, had crossed to the Eldorado Continent?
Impressive, no doubt.
But it was possible only thanks to the great one's power.
Incredible as it was, it wasn't surprising given the great one's abilities.
The gap in power was too vast for Azmo to feel much.
Yes.
Azmo's mind held no thoughts of high society's glamour or the wonder of dimensional travel.
What truly amazed him was the Demon Realm Merchant Guild.
"Demon Realm Merchant Guild…."
To Azmo, the Demon Realm Merchant Guild was a shocking organization.
Their very purpose was to aid various dungeons and boost their survival rates.
Azmo closed his eyes, reminiscing about the past.
When he first awoke on Earth.
Azmo had built his dungeon alone, without any help.
He repelled invading hunters, developing the dungeon in the process.
There were dangerous moments along the way.
The world wasn't kind enough to go easy on a newborn dungeon.
Nor was there a culture of dungeon masters exchanging knowledge, making it even harder.
In the end, Azmo struggled desperately just to survive.
He captured invading hunters, using charm to extract information.
He even scavenged their weapons to bolster his forces.
Thus, every dungeon on Earth operated on individual survival.
Catch a hunter, and the dungeon master gained power.
Grow stronger, and things fell into place.
The dungeon expanded, monsters multiplied to defend it.
He knew this instinctively, without being taught.
But catching that first hunter was incredibly tough.
"What if a group like the Merchant Guild existed on Earth too?"
If something like the Demon Realm Merchant Guild had been on Earth, as Azmo pondered?
If someone provided consulting for new dungeons, aiding their growth?
Wouldn't Azmo have managed his dungeon more smoothly?
Then, why not help other dungeons based on this regret?
New dungeons' survival rates would surely rise.
Higher survival meant stronger dungeon forces overall.
'More dungeons mean easier suppression of hunters.'
It wouldn't stop at mere expansion of power.
'If that happens, we could offer this entire Earth to the great one…!'
Once, his misguided judgment had offended the great one.
The Monster Wave incident.
He'd only wanted to prove himself then, but now realized how reckless it was.
This plan was entirely different.
With that realization, Azmo nodded.
"Then, how can we provide aid?"
His planning looped back to square one.
How to help other dungeons.
The ultimate goal was a Demon Realm Merchant Guild equivalent.
But even imitating it right now was daunting.
Not just capital, but the sheer scale was overwhelming.
Even if Azmo tried copying them now, providing real aid to other dungeons would be tough.
"Hmm…."
Pondering, Azmo reflected on his own experiences again.
Truth be told, he'd been lucky.
Even after the initial phase, crises abounded.
His greatest stroke of luck? Meeting Head Administrator Celia.
She effortlessly crushed the hunters invading his dungeon back then.
Enamored by her power, he joined the great one.
And it was the right choice.
Later, he received aid from the Death Knight and Arch Lich under the great one.
Now, even a lieutenant had been dispatched to help manage the dungeon.
Azmo found his answer right there.
'I can't replicate the Merchant Guild yet.'
But couldn't he dispatch monsters at least?
And not just that.
'If I could borrow the Head Administrator's abilities…!'
Head Administrator Celia's charm was extraordinarily potent.
If used to control hunters?
He could dispatch hunters instead of monsters to dungeons seeking aid.
"Haha…."
The outline of an Earth-version Demon Realm Merchant Guild began to take shape.
A smile crept across Azmo's face.
He resolved to present this idea to the great one immediately.
That was the birth of Dungeon Corporation.