Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Dwarf
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Dungeons might just be the most famous word in this world.
That makes sense, since they're treasure troves where the most valuable gems slumber.
Even those stupid goblins and trolls show interest in them.
Who could ignore the devilish allure of a dungeon?
In the northern continent where winter never ends,
there lies a city-state called Fire Forge.
The dwarves hammering iron there were also showing great interest in dungeons.
About a fortnight ago,
this unfamiliar dungeon appeared near Fire Forge.
"Dungeon! A real dungeon!"
"First time seeing one in person. So the entrance looks like this."
"Don't get too close. What if you accidentally go in?"
"Don't worry, idiot. You can freely exit for half a day anyway. By the way, Dreamland...? Never heard that name before."
Dungeons transfer periodically.
It was around the location change cycle, so in a way, it was natural.
The unknown dungeon called Dreamland had nested right in the dwarves' territory.
There had been quite a few dungeons appearing near Fire Forge until now.
But Dreamland was the first to garner so much attention from the dwarves.
"This is a newborn dungeon."
"Is that true?"
The reason was simple.
Because Dreamland was a newborn dungeon.
An unfamiliar name.
Probably the same not just for dwarves, but for other intelligent beings too.
In the past, when many dungeons existed, maybe not.
But nowadays, a newborn dungeon was like an extinct ancient creature.
No one knows why new dungeons don't appear.
Only the God of Oblivion knows—how would the dwarves?
But.
It wasn't important to the dwarves of Fire Forge.
A newborn dungeon was a place where magic stones slumbered, just like any other.
That was the key fact.
The news even reached Fire Forge's lord, Goldhand.
"We'll conquer it before the blessed ones do."
Mayor Goldhand resolved that the moment he faced Dreamland.
Other dungeons had existed in this world for hundreds of years.
Dungeons strengthened by facing countless invaders were nearly impossible to conquer.
But conquering the still-newborn Dreamland would be relatively simple.
The dwarves needed money.
Ambition wasn't exclusive to humans.
To accumulate more gold, hammer more iron, drink more beer—they had no choice but to covet magic stones.
Goldhand's mindset wasn't much different from those who'd invaded Dreamland so far.
He assembled his soldiers and selected the bravest and strongest to form the First Dreamland Raid Team.
"For the mayor! For Fire Forge!"
The dwarves brimmed with confidence.
For brave dwarf warriors, a mere newborn dungeon was no big deal.
Surely they all thought so.
The first raid began.
Goldhand watched the warriors' backs as they marched majestically into the dungeon.
He waited for the results.
A happy wait, no doubt.
In Goldhand's mind, only a brilliant future existed.
'We can devour the magic stone for power, or sell it for the national good to gather funds... This is truly great fortune for Fire Forge.'
He was quite intoxicated with the joy of obtaining a magic stone.
He spent his days always smiling.
However.
No word came from the raid team.
"It seems the raid team was completely wiped out inside the dungeon."
A fortnight had passed since the raid team's departure.
The aide delivered the worst news while gauging Goldhand's expression.
"......"
His face stiffened.
Entry Personnel: 12
Exploration Result: Total annihilation.
Before full exploration, the raid team used detection magic and observed the entrance area during the half-day free exit period.
No minions or traps were confirmed.
The dungeon master was absent as well—jamming possibility: 0%.
One very long corridor starts from the entrance.
Two wide cavern-like zones follow. Then the core room.
A white corridor illuminated by white lights exists.
Everything else remains unconfirmed due to total annihilation.
The first raid team never returned to Fire Forge.
A snowy mountain.
A bizarre crack lurked behind a gnarled tree, asserting its presence.
The arch framing the crack was piled high with powdery white snow.
Goldhand sighed as he stared at the report penned by his aide.
His breath, like steam from an internal combustion engine, materialized in the air before vanishing.
"Can't believe it."
The raid team had included a skilled mage.
They'd used detection magic and confirmed the structure.
This was the foundation of dungeon conquering established by past blessed ones.
Pinpointing traps and minion locations.
Detection magic made it possible. And there was no jamming.
Yet nothing had been found in this dungeon.
Jamming was, quite literally, magical interference.
It destabilized the mana in the space itself, preventing detection spells from reading flows—a form of counter-magic.
To emphasize twice: there was no jamming in this dungeon.
That's certain.
"Then why the hell was the raid team annihilated?"
They couldn't even detect the dungeon master, yet something was definitely there.
"We should figure out the reason first. Time to form a second raid team."
Goldhand decided to purchase escape scrolls.
If they couldn't succeed in one go,
it was rational to gather info step by step, uncover weaknesses, and conquer.
The first raid had yielded nothing.
Just confirmation of the entrance during the half-day escape window.
The expenditure was hefty, but unavoidable.
Better to see it as an investment for the future.
It was just a newborn dungeon, after all.
"Weren't escape scrolls more expensive than this before?"
"Ah, the mage tower lord recently developed a far more efficient escape spell formula. Production time's been cut in half, slashing labor costs. Quantity's up too."
"Still researching escape scrolls? I thought they were mostly for blessed ones now."
"East Kingdom, World Tree Forest elves, Diamond Forge, and more—plenty of factions still eye dungeons. Demand for escape scrolls has always simmered beneath the surface."
Goldhand invited a space faction mage he knew well to his mansion.
And on that very day, he heard good news.
Escape scroll prices had dropped.
Not cheap, by any means.
But he could acquire far more than planned.
Goldhand bought a total of seven.
A big outlay, but necessary spending, as mentioned.
After promising to buy more if needed later,
Goldhand assembled the proper second raid team.
Escape scrolls were limited.
Regrettably, he couldn't equip the whole team.
So he adjusted the personnel.
Two dwarf prisoners, two dwarf warriors, and one reliable dwarf mage commander.
That was the new raid composition.
The warriors were brave and loyal.
They'd follow the leader's word even to death.
For Fire Forge, they'd gladly lay down their lives.
Goldhand promised rewards to the warriors.
Even if they died in the dungeon, their families would receive a generous sum.
The prisoners? Meat shields, plain and simple.
With proper precautions, they wouldn't stir trouble inside.
This raid was more about scouting than anything.
It assumed everyone but the commander would die.
The members probably sensed it vaguely.
Goldhand waited quietly for the results.
Entry Personnel: 5
Exploration Result: 4 dead, 1 warrior survivor. 1 escape scroll consumed.
The escape scroll was definitely with the commander.
Yet the one who escaped Dreamland was warrior Tord.
We asked him—renowned for his loyalty and toughness—why.
He claims nothing from inside the dungeon remains in his memory.
Tord truly appears to suffer from short-term amnesia.
No contradictions in his speech or actions, no hint of deceit.
Unless he's been acting the part of a loyal, tough dwarf for years without raising suspicions from everyone in Fire Forge,
and lacks any moral compass—failing all that,
we judge his memory loss as 100% truth.
One concerning point, though.
Tord says he had a dream before exiting.
A grotesque cat appeared,
and it pulled out his brain to devour it—a nightmare.
The first raid explorers retained their memories intact.
At least during the half-day free exit period.
More verification needed,
but Dreamland may possess a special trap—or minion—that erases memories from inside.
Below is the log written by the commander.
Found among survivor Tord's possessions.
Walked the corridor while checking the map.
Initially, I was skeptical.
Could a dungeon without minions or traps really exist?
The first raid failed for a reason.
Invisible minions, manual traps—something.
I instructed the team to stay vigilant.
Luckily, nothing happened.
But at one point, a mechanism blocked the path.
We couldn't destroy it.
Even bombs seemed futile.
Only one choice left.
We had no option but to investigate the mechanism.
Below are the facts we discovered risking our lives to probe the mechanism.
I hope it aids the next raid.
1. The mechanism's name is Elevator. Must use it to reach the next zone.
2. Multi-person capacity—for smooth exploration, ride with as many as possible.
3. Never enter unlit corridors without lighting.
4. Bugmen sometimes board—must fight and win.
"Chase."
Goldhand called his aide's name as he read the report.
"Yes, Mayor."
"My take is, this dungeon feels completely different from normal ones... What do you think?"
Chase stroked his meticulously groomed beard.
"I agree. Honestly, I think we should call off the conquest here. But what's your view, sir?"
"Once a dwarf picks up his hammer, he has to strike something—even if it's a rock. How can we quit now? It's strange, sure, but still a newborn dungeon. Magic stones, the treasure, right before our eyes—quitting doesn't suit our rough lives."
"If that's your will, I'll follow. Though we do need to tweak the scouting method."
Goldhand nodded.
"This time, gather a large force like the first raid. We're unraveling this dungeon's mystery. Soldiers aren't required. Recruit those hungry for gold and brimming with courage."
The dwarves didn't stop.
Dreamland's impregnability might have ignited the mayor's competitive spirit.
And so, in Fire Forge,
recruitment for the Third Dreamland Raid Team began.
Today, too, Dreamland's surveillance cameras observed the intruders.
I sat at my desk, staring intently at the monitor.
What should I even call this?
Of course, as a dungeon master, it's a good situation.
But the last wave too.
This wave too.
Watching group after group boldly charge into the elevator...
This, this...
-Uwaaaaaaaaah!!
-Eueueueueueue...
Even I can't help feeling pity.
They're dying so helplessly.
"......Fuck, what the hell did you change it to?"
I stared at the grotesquely shaped animal statues.
Fearsome little bastards.