Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Wave Preparation (2)
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The dungeon Wallachia was nestled near the West Kingdom.
The Dungeon Master there was the True Ancestor Valentine.
This dungeon, operated by a vampire, was something the people of the West Kingdom actively avoided.
The dungeon was a treasure trove slumbering with countless magic stones, the most powerful resource in this world.
But if you asked whether those were more precious than life itself? Well...
From ghouls on up to vampires, it brimmed with powerful minions, along with devious and brutal traps. Only a tiny fraction of intelligent beings ever attempted to conquer Wallachia.
The extreme difficulty of conquering it certainly played a role.
But Valentine also possessed hypnotic powers capable of brainwashing even those blessed with immortality.
This was especially lethal to high-intelligence races.
And so Wallachia remained relatively quiet compared to other dungeons.
The atmosphere alone deterred anyone from entering.
She sat upon her jade throne, legs crossed, tilting a teacup filled with human blood.
Her gaze was fixed on none other than the Dungeon Gallery.
Thanks to the aforementioned reasons, this True Ancestor—who went by the nickname BloodLoveDog—had more time to spend on the Gallery than most other Dungeon Masters.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa..."
Aside from bloodsucking, her one and only hobby was Gallery browsing.
For someone with brainwashing abilities, conversing with those around her was less communication and more issuing commands.
Until now, she'd always soothed her boredom through interactions with other Dungeon Masters on the Gallery.
But lately, even this hikikomori routine was starting to wear thin.
And for good reason—endlessly Gallerying from a dark corner room day after day for decades straight had lost its charm.
Fewer intruders than other dungeons, too.
Yeah.
In Gallery terms...
Her daily life was dopamine deficient.
But then.
Right at this moment of utter boredom, a newbie had appeared.
He shattered the claims from the mods and other users that no new Dungeon Masters would ever show up again, appearing utterly unfazed.
He was like a blank white canvas.
It had been ages since she'd seen a total rookie who knew nothing.
Why had he appeared?
She didn't know the reason, but it wasn't all that important to her anyway.
Whatever the case.
True to his nickname, he was a newbie.
Humans are creatures who love pretending to know their stuff in fields they actually understand.
Vampires were probably no different.
What was it... a little cute, maybe.
The way he clumsily tried to follow her advice felt just like a small critter fumbling around.
"Heh heh... They vulgarly call it a 'noodle sack' or whatever."
It had been so long since a newbie showed up.
And he didn't seem like a bad guy personality-wise, so she personally hoped he'd stick around for the long haul.
When the clueless newbie asked if it was okay to use that method to prepare for a troll attack...
She was certain.
This guy was definitely going to survive a good long time.
"A human, was it..."
The reason for her nickname BloodLoveDog?
Simple: she liked humans.
More precisely, she liked the blood inside human bodies.
"I wonder what your blood will taste like?"
Among the Dungeon Masters active on the Gallery right now, there were no pure humans.
Newbie was one of a kind.
"I hope he doesn't pick some weird theme and change races..."
A Dungeon Master's body was heavily influenced by their dungeon's theme.
The reason she'd become a vampire was because she'd chosen the "Night" theme.
"Maybe I should gaslight him into keeping a human form somehow... Hing."
Still, as a senior, she couldn't just block her junior's path forward.
If he declared some bizarre theme choice later on?
She'd tell him to stockpile blood in a bottle ahead of time.
She couldn't leave right now, but who knew—maybe someday she could.
Slurp.
Sweetness lingered in her mouth.
"Personally, a human Dungeon Master's blood would be an incredible delicacy... Hehe, I'm looking forward to it."
Twelve hours until Newbie's first wave.
She'd been lurking in hopes he'd ask more questions, just in case.
That's when...
"Hm?"
Hey bros, got a question.
Found this while doing dungeon construction. What is it?
(Attached: photo of a purple stone embedded in the wall)
Newbie!
!!!
That's a magic stone!
What's a magic stone?
The reason countless races are obsessed with conquering dungeons!
For real?
I can say with certainty—it's the most expensive material in this world!
Research, weapons, ingredients, medicine, mana sources, body enhancements, efficient energy... Think of it as a universal item used everywhere!
Ooh... But then I've got another question.
If an unbeatable enemy shows up no matter what, couldn't you just abandon the dungeon and hand over the magic stone? Then you wouldn't have to defend it anymore, right?
Figures he'd ask that.
Newbie.
Yeah?
The magic stone is your life, newbie.
The magic stone was the heart of the dungeon.
The Dungeon Master and the dungeon shared a linked fate.
If the dungeon vanished, so did the Dungeon Master.
This was a law proven by the blood of Dungeon Masters over long ages.
If you don't wanna die, protect it with everything you've got, no matter what.
Got it??
Got it, thanks lol
"He's a smart one, so he'll get it, right?"
Newbie!
If you're thankful, send a selfie lol
That's a bit... lol;;
I'm super pretty, wanna trade pics?
Already checked your posts...
"Eek."
This newbie had a way of piquing her curiosity in all sorts of ways.
His face, his future—everything.
One hour until the wave.
I was currently in the heart of the dungeon.
The room where the magic stone resided.
The Gallery folks called this place the core room.
A massive purple stone embedded in the core room filled my vision.
They said pulling this out kills the Dungeon Master too.
Dungeons came with so many things to worry about. It was a hassle.
"Can I really pull this off...?"
I'd gotten help from the Gallery bros and scraped together some preparations, sure.
But this was my first wave ever, so I couldn't help worrying if it'd go smoothly.
Even in isekai trips, you usually end up conquering dungeons, not defending them.
"Haa..."
Calm down.
Even if you're thrown into a tiger's den, keep your wits and you'll survive.
I'm invincible.
I'm the strongest.
I can do it. If it's me...
"Fuck..."
Self-hypnosis failed.
No, who wouldn't be tense when failure means death?
At least I'm no iron-willed hero.
Guys I'm shaking... what do I do...
It's fine it's fine, just die if you fail lol
For real lololol
That's true enough
Even if you didn't choose to be a Dungeon Master, you'd have no choice but to tough it out with grit.
These assholes?
Cradle the newbie with overflowing love ㅠㅠ
You've prepared well so far
You'll be fine ㅇㅇ
No elves at least, have a drink
Yeah.
It'll work out somehow.
Looking back, my life had always been the same.
Back in school, when my family fell apart because of my parents' failed business.
When I gave up on college dreams to work in a factory just to eat.
When that factory went bust and I didn't get paid for two months.
When that "friend" borrowed 5 million won and ghosted me without a trace.
None of it threatened my life like this did.
But every time, I never gave up. I always pushed to find a new way forward.
And in the end, I got my money back through state agencies.
I wasn't at my dream uni, but I attended night school and studied what I wanted.
I cleared my parents' debts by renouncing inheritance.
Up until I got dragged into this shithole dungeon, I wasn't rich, but I was proud of the life I'd built on my own.
"Gotta do it!"
I slapped my cheeks twice.
If luck's against me, then I just have to make it happen myself.
Sulking and moping changes nothing.
Even if the world's a shitty place.
What can you do? Gotta suck it up and push on.
I gripped the "Sharp Dagger" I'd bought from the [Weapon Shop] for 100 points.
At least one piece of good news.
You got this...!!!
Don't tense up too much. You can do it.
You can still use Gallery functions during the wave. You know what that means, right?
This time, there were people cheering me on.
I didn't know their faces or even if they were human.
Newbie!
Fight on!
The feeling that I wasn't alone brought me some comfort.
[5 minutes remaining until Wave.]
Alright.
I'm invincible.
I'm the strongest.
I can do it. If it's me.
This time, the self-hypnosis took hold properly.
My heart pounded not from fear, but exhilaration.
[3 minutes remaining until Wave.]
[1 minute remaining until Wave...]
[5]
[4]
I took a deep breath.
[3]
[2]
[1]
Come at me if you dare.
[Wave commencing.]
[Intruders entering.]
[Confirmed intruders: total of 10 entities.]
[9 Goblin entities.]
[1 Troll entity.]
I'll smash them all to pieces.