The Observer (1)
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Even if they’ve graduated from the dungeon training camp, their training period is only one week. Most of them are stuck on the first floor.”
It meant complete beginners couldn’t even enter the observer system.
“Then how long does it usually take for training camp graduates to reach the second floor?”
“If they go in every day, the fastest ones make it down in a month. Normally, you can expect around two months. During those two months, the wheat is separated from the chaff.”
“By ‘separated,’ you mean only the useful ones survive?”
“That’s right. For slave mercenaries, half usually die in the first month, and seventy percent of those remaining die within three months. After that, the survivors are capable enough that most become free men instead of dying.”
According to the vice guild master’s words, out of a hundred slave mercenaries, only about fifteen would still be alive after three months. The slave caravan that had arrived in Aiparak with us yesterday had brought a hundred and seventy slaves—meaning only around twenty-five of them would survive.
While doing the math, something else struck me as odd. Even though half of them died within a month, merchants kept buying slaves and sending them into the dungeon as mercenaries. The fact that the merchants continued doing so meant it was profitable. I couldn’t help but wonder just how valuable the dungeon’s byproducts were to make this worthwhile.
“Then what kind of compensation do observers receive? And does this count as an official request?”
“Since the guild formally issued the request, it will be treated as a guild commission. As for the observer fee, you’ll receive seventy percent of the profits earned by the mercenaries participating in the verification process.”
“So there’s no fixed amount.”
“Correct. Whatever they obtain in the dungeon—items or the belongings of the deceased—will be converted into currency, and you’ll receive seventy percent of that.”
Not setting a fixed price but instead taking a percentage of whatever was earned in the dungeon seemed like a reasonable arrangement.
“Then please come to the guild early tomorrow morning, and we can begin the observer duties. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
**
After dropping off my luggage at the inn the guild had recommended, I headed straight outside. Following the innkeeper’s directions, I arrived at a reputedly high-quality armor shop.
“I already have all the armor I received from the Mage Tower. We just need to get something for Yanne.”
Sezanne already possessed a robe reinforced with steel plates on the back and chest.
“Does the robe from the Mage Tower have shield magic on it?”
“Shield magic is high-level, so even the Mage Tower master’s robe probably doesn’t have it. Besides, activated spells like that require a magic circle to function, so unless it’s an ancient relic, you won’t find them.”
The war over magic circles seemed to have set magic back considerably.
“The only armor and protective gear that would fit the young lady here are Morc-style pieces, since their builds are similar. Unfortunately, those are all made of metal…”
The armor the shopkeeper brought out looked like something a dwarf would wear—solid plate and chainmail. When we tried it on Yanne, it technically fit.
“Master, if I wear this, I won’t even be able to run properly. I can barely lift my arms.”
Yanne mimicked drawing back the rubber band of her slingshot, but her movements looked like they were in slow motion.
“We’ll go with quilted armor instead. Cut the long hem short. A one-handed shield on her back should provide enough defense. As for the helmet…”
Nothing matched Yanne’s small head. There was a leather helmet available, but the quality was poor. I gave her my own leather helmet, which had a soft inner lining.
“We can just sew it at the inn to adjust the size.”
“What about you, Master?”
“I’ll be fine with that steel helmet over there.”
Since nothing suitable existed for Yanne, I had plenty of options for myself. There were dozens of helmets alone on the shelves.
“Oh, this looks like the helmet from Gladiator.”
It was a single-piece helmet forged from solid metal, combining the face mask and head protection. The crown featured a shark-fin-like protrusion and sharp spikes. The neck guard extended down to protect the wearer’s neck, which should keep the user alive. Judging by the bloodstains that hadn’t been fully cleaned off, it was probably someone’s relic.
It felt unsettling, but when I tried it on, it fit perfectly. Putting on the helmet I’d seen in the movie and taking it off again filled me with that familiar surge of excitement.
“My name is Maximus… commander of the northern legions, general of Felix, and loyal servant to the Emperor… khh…”
Even though Gladiator had become a classic, that scene still stirred something in any man decades later.
“I’ll take this helmet.”
Wearing the helmet, a studded quilted armor, a large kite shield, and an angular mace, I looked every bit the frontline warrior. The Gladiator vibe was so strong that I felt ready to fight at any moment.
**
“This is Lady Sezanne, who has come as an observer today. She’s a mage who has even completed war commissions. I hope you all demonstrate your abilities properly while she evaluates you.”
The party assigned for observation was a six-person group—the standard size for Aiparak Dungeon. There was a Morc spearman, a human-dwarf half-breed, and a barbarian-looking spearman with tattoos on both cheeks. A brown-haired young man properly armed with a sword took the front line. In the rear were a male and female mage, along with a female priestess.
“Those wearing cloth with a star embroidered on their left arms are slave mercenaries.”
Following the guild staff’s explanation, I saw that only the swordsman and the priestess among the six lacked stars. It was unusual to see free mercenaries forming parties with four slave mercenaries.
“This party, and the others I’ve seen, have quite a few mages. Did they come from the Mage Tower?”
From what I’d observed while wandering around, mages were extremely rare. That scarcity was why they were treated like minor nobles. Yet this party—and nearly every other party preparing to enter the dungeon—had mages. Some parties even had three. It was strange.
“The training camp forces this distribution.”
“Forced distribution? Does that mean they’re forcibly turned into mages?”
“Yes. When slaves enter the mercenary training camp, those with skills or large, strong builds are pulled out as warriors. The rest are all pushed into becoming mages.”
“And they can actually use magic after that?”
“They use the All-Purpose Stone to forcibly awaken mana perception. That way, everyone can sense mana and cast magic within a week.”
I found the guild staff’s explanation fascinating—and surprising that anyone could become a mage.
“Even so, very few of those artificially created mages actually survive as real mages. A single Fire Bolt depletes their mana completely.”
“Ah…”
In short, the training camp produced mages who had been forcibly awakened to mana just to cast one spell.
“If they survive in the dungeon, accumulate more mana, and continue learning magic, they could become true mages. But most die before that happens.”
The statistic that fifty percent died within a month finally felt real. Moreover, most of the mages’ armor consisted of nothing more than wooden boards covering their front and back, making them even more vulnerable.
Still, I’d gained a useful hint about teaching Yanne magic, since she relied on her slingshot. I could produce All-Purpose Stones, after all.
“I’m Rock, the party leader. Let’s move out.”
The free man holding the sword seemed to be the leader. As he took the front, the rest of the party followed, and we fell in behind them.
You have entered the dungeon. Due to the influence of the Demon Realm, buff-related stat increases are reduced by 20%.
Dungeon mapping has been applied.
Once inside the dungeon, the map that had previously appeared on my status window turned dark. The air felt heavier, perhaps because we were now under the Demon Realm’s influence.
Sezanne and Yanne stood behind the party, with me at the very rear. As we moved away from the entrance, it quickly grew dark. The spearmen hung glowing-stone lanterns on the tips of their spears. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the soft light from the stones provided enough visibility.
‘Hmm. Red dots.’
“Ah! Centipedes! Position A!”
Four centipedes the size of a human appeared. The spearmen quickly set their lanterns on the ground and used their spears to keep the creatures at bay.
“Duck! Fire Bolt!”
As Rock crouched with his shield raised, the two mages’ Fire Bolts flew over him and struck the centipedes.
Kueeeek—
“Good. Hold formation! We’ll take them down one by one as they approach!”
The party had clearly worked together for a long time—their positioning shifted smoothly. While the spearmen held the centipedes back, Rock darted in from the side and severed their legs. They finished off all four in no time.
“We’ll only harvest the carapaces and move forward.”
“I found a silver coin!”
“There’s a body in its stomach.”
Inside the bisected centipede’s abdomen was the partially digested corpse of a mercenary. When the barbarian spearman pushed the bodies aside, they began to melt into the dungeon floor as if it were covered in slime.
“The bodies are corrupted by demonic energy and absorbed by the dungeon. Anything not absorbed remains on the floor.”
As Sezanne said, the barbarian spearman collected the belongings the dead had been carrying. Rock and the others worked quickly to strip the centipedes’ hard carapaces and the meat beneath them.
“Can we eat centipede meat?”
“Yes. If you oil it and grill it, it tastes like veal. We eat it in the dungeon, and we can also sell it to the guild.”
“Really?”
Intrigued by the mention of veal flavor, I drew my dagger as well. The centipede meat felt like soft jelly. Protected by the thick carapace, the flesh remained tender.
After gathering what we could and waiting for the mages’ mana to recover, we moved forward again. Besides centipedes, there were grasshoppers that leaped about and large rats that drooled like rabid dogs. However, Rock’s party dispatched them with veteran efficiency.
“This is the staircase leading to the second floor. The first floor has insect- and animal-type monsters, while the second floor has goblins and kobolds. Let’s rest for a moment before descending.”
After observing them for about five hours, I could tell Rock was a capable leader. He didn’t discriminate against the slave mercenaries, and whenever the mages cast spells, he made them retreat while he held the front line with his shield. On top of that, he was handsome, so if the party grew stronger, he’d probably become popular as well.
“What do you think, Sezanne?”
“He seems decent enough from what I’ve seen. Their firepower is a bit lacking, though. They might manage against goblins on the second floor, but orcs would be questionable.”
I hadn’t seen any orcs yet, so I couldn’t comment.
When we descended to the second floor, the darkness felt thicker, though no warning messages appeared.
‘Five red dots. Goblins or kobolds?’
Thanks to the map, I could see enemies approaching from our flank immediately. Rock’s party hadn’t noticed yet. I considered speaking up but decided to watch for now.
“Tch! Ambush—!”
Two furry kobolds lunged at the barbarian spearman. He tried to block with his spear but took hits to the chest and side.
“Fire Bolt!”
Fortunately, the mages had been ready. Their Fire Bolts struck the kobolds in the back, brightly illuminating the area.
“Kobolds! Form B—crouch down!”
As Rock planted his shield and braced himself, the female priestess and two mages huddled behind him. The Morc spearman pressed against the side of the shield in a defensive stance, showing no intention of rescuing the barbarian.
“Close your eyes!”
[Flash!]
“Kekeng—!”
Along with the sharp-eyed priestess’s shout, a brilliant light burst from Rock’s shield. Even I, who had kept my eyes open, felt the pain. Forcing my watering eyes open, I saw Rock and the Morc spearman attacking furiously while the blinded kobolds flailed. The barbarian crawled away on the ground to escape.
“Fire Bolt!”
Whoosh—
With the follow-up Fire Bolts from the mages, they finished off all five kobolds.
“There’s a magic light stone!”