WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

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◈ Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster ◈

Chapter 14: This Dungeon Has Its Circumstances(?)

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Rotting Hollow, where death proliferated.

The sinister death energy that hung heavily over it was enough that no living being would even dare set foot inside.

Seated on the bone throne in the Boss Room, Kalandas rested his chin on one hand and mulled over what had happened there.

'Not every seventh-ranked boss is the same.'

The Death Knight Vargoer.

He was different from the Soot Monster of Shadow of Pangu, the former seventh-ranked boss.

Kalandas had felt intense disappointment when Vargoer, an undead, protected humans.

That disappointment had turned into killing intent, making him want to kill Vargoer on the spot. Still, he had no intention of acting without thinking things through.

After all, his opponent was a lower-ranked member of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

Moreover, he was the boss of a newly established dungeon with no ties to any of the other 72 Dungeons.

Even if Kalandas replaced him, no one would hold him accountable for acting alone.

Perhaps Valentia Rose Sha, ranked sixth, would take issue with it. The higher-ranked Lords of the Five Fingers would surely react with indifference.

If he killed Vargoer, the seventh-ranked Abyssal Palace would be replaced once more. The new member of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss would simply be replaced by another newly established one.

There would be some noise for a while, of course, but nothing worth worrying about.

'So it was true that he killed a Hero in one strike.'

Killing a Hero was easy enough, especially Balm Monk, the Hero of Faith.

But killing him in a single blow was not something even Kalandas could confidently claim he could do.

As if to prove the rumor was true, Vargoer had annihilated an artifact that had been with Kalandas for a thousand years as a warning.

It had been annihilated in the truest sense. No perceptible energy could be sensed, yet it vanished without leaving even a trace behind.

So despite being ranked seventh, his very nature was that of a Single-Entity Dungeon.

The higher-ranked members of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss had claimed their positions by commanding armies of tens of thousands. Vargoer alone had been born to reign at seventh place.

Still, that was not enough reason to back down.

Even if Kalandas died, he had a Life Vessel.

As long as either his Dungeon Core or Life Vessel remained intact, Kalandas was immortal.

If he died, that would be even better. He could revive, then use his forces to turn the situation against Vargoer politically.

"How foolish. Should I have recognized it from the start?"

Kalandas realized far too late that all those plans had been reckless moves he should never have considered.

During their confrontation, he had cautiously closed his eyes.

To open his third eye, he had to close the other two.

By losing their lives, Liches gained souls of a higher order.

An undead as powerful as a Lich King could even reach the realm of opening a third eye, the Spirit Eye.

The Spirit Eye was an eye that saw souls. Kalandas had benefited greatly from it over the past thousand years.

Once he opened the Spirit Eye, he could see the order of a soul, allowing him to distinguish his opponents before using his power.

No being could train their soul.

Third-rates trained the muscles of their bodies.

Second-rates trained the mana within their bodies.

First-rates perfected both body and inner mana.

Yet no one could train their soul, the very essence of their being.

Nor could souls be hidden or deceived.

Because that quality was innate from birth, it was called the soul's order.

"...It was an utterly alien soul."

If Kalandas had not cautiously opened his Spirit Eye then, his choice might have led to his death.

Normally, every undead soul had the same form, regardless of its order. They were all dead souls.

But if he was a single-entity member of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss....

Kalandas opened his Spirit Eye, just in case.

Vargoer's soul was not the soul of an undead.

No, its order could not even be measured.

Was it because it was so exalted? No, it meant something else.

Incomprehensible. An utterly alien soul.

It was so alien that it defied all understanding, as though it did not belong to this world.

Had he ever seen such a soul in over a thousand years of life?

...Only once.

'The Old One.'

The first-ranked Abyssal Palace, Place Where the Oldest Ancient One Sleeps.

Vargoer's soul reminded Kalandas of the Old One's soul he had seen there.

Because both were incomprehensible, their orders could not be compared.

Yet in form, both were alien, as if neither belonged to this world.

When Kalandas had first beheld the Old One, he had trembled from head to toe without even realizing how disgraceful he looked.

That unknown terror seemed to be creeping back up again.

"That one is truly dangerous."

And he was ranked seventh. Even accounting for him being a Single-Entity Dungeon, Kalandas had to question the ranking.

Was an Abyssal Palace's strength really so dependent on its subordinates?

Or perhaps, because he was a newly established Abyssal Palace, Vargoer's potential was limitless.

In a few years, he might surpass sixth place, and perhaps even Kalandas's own rank.

"...."

Kalandas closed his eyes as he dwelled on that memory.

Even now, that alien soul seemed to linger behind his closed eyelids.

* * *

They said that if you knew the enemy and knew yourself, you would remain undefeated in a hundred battles. Yet before I could even learn about my enemies, I realized I hardly knew anything about our own dungeon.

Before leaving for the tropical rainforest, Charlotte and I put our heads together over a dungeon map.

Isabella squeezed in beside us and stuck her head in too, but I ignored her.

"First, we need to reinforce the traps."

That was obvious. With our numbers lacking, we needed to rely more heavily on traps.

The dungeon was a labyrinth with seven floors.

Traps were placed from the first through third floors, but there were no stationed monsters below that. In practice, the lower floors were practically an open door.

"Ah, I should give this to Isabella first."

Charlotte took out a crystal ball.

It was a security alarm linked to the magical threads she had personally installed at the entrance.

It would react and ring if an intruder arrived, but since we had no proper way to return, it would be nothing but dead weight if we took it with us.

As she handed the crystal ball to Isabella, Charlotte continued.

"From my limited perspective, ordinary Extermination Parties won't even make it past the third floor. Even if they do, the fourth floor will stop them. As you know, a dark cavern is an extremely favorable environment for Vampires."

"Ahem!"

Isabella proudly thumped her chest.

"But I did say ordinary Extermination Parties. If even a somewhat powerful one invades, we'll be utterly crushed and driven back."

Cracks spread across Isabella's expression.

"Even if the Vampires and Balm Monk join forces, I believe they'll struggle against an A-rank Extermination Party. And the Seven Palaces of the Abyss are attacked by groups of at least A-rank Extermination Parties."

"Hm."

"No matter how much we reinforce the traps, they're ultimately passive obstacles. The dungeon needs active, powerful monsters."

"Can't we borrow the Merchant Association's help?"

"We've been looking for a supply of usable monsters, but there are no suitable ones. Even those aren't something we can bring in right away. They're only prospects I've scoped out for the future. At present, we can't ask the Merchant Association for help."

When I asked why with my expression, she immediately answered.

"We can't take on any more debt with the Merchant Association. Between monster hiring fees and dungeon construction, we still owe tens of millions. If the few kobolds stationed here leave, we'll lose our means of mining as well."

"...."

"The Merchant Association pursues profit. Even if we're one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, they won't care if they see no return."

Forget building up our foundation, we hadn't even paid off our debt yet.

I had really gotten ahead of myself.

"There is one method, though...."

Charlotte trailed off as she watched my reaction.

What could be so serious?

I casually tilted my chin.

"We could invoke the name of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss and request support from other dungeons. But if we do, our reputation as one of the Seven Palaces will be ruined."

She was right.

Even taking into account that we were newly established, imagine the rumor spreading that a member of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss wanted support from lower-ranked dungeons.

I could already picture us being completely disregarded at the upcoming gathering of the 72 Dungeons.

Then it would naturally lead to suspicion. Was this bastard really one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss?

"What if it's another of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss?"

Even if it was a higher-ranked dungeon, it would still hurt our pride, but there was a huge difference in degree.

Considering how the other bosses would see it, wouldn't they think it was understandable since we were newly established and they were highly ranked?

"An excellent insight. As expected of you, Boss."

"...."

Was she seriously making fun of me?

"But you've already fallen out with the fifth-ranked Lich King because of someone as insignificant as me."

"You're not insignificant. You're a capable adjutant."

"...Thank you."

I had subtly succeeded in earning her goodwill.

There was nothing to lose by raising a subordinate's morale.

"The other members of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss will likely know of that news by now. Even if someone helps us without knowing, they'll feel deeply betrayed once they find out. That will lead to conflict with another Abyssal Palace."

"What if they're already on bad terms with him?"

I knew of one boss who was hostile toward Kalandas.

Valentia Rose Sha, ranked sixth.

Charlotte nodded, as if she understood my thoughts.

"They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. She may even be willing to help us. But if this happens, our relationship with the fifth-ranked boss will become irreparable."

"I don't care. I didn't like him anyway."

Even now, remembering that time sent a shiver down my spine.

Why would I want to stay close to someone who tried to kill me?

I'd rather get close to a boss I could reason with, even if she was lower ranked.

"...You would go that far for me."

Charlotte had misunderstood on her own, but I didn't bother correcting her.

That was how we decided to seek the aid of the sixth-ranked Rose Sha.

Whether she would truly help was uncertain, but it was better than doing nothing.

"By chance, the merchant assigned to me also handles her. We can contact her through the merchant."

That Demon Merchant was connected to an Abyssal Palace boss too?

...Just how capable was Charlotte to have ties to an Abyssal Palace merchant?

When Charlotte tore a black ticket, the merchant came rushing out of the portal that appeared.

Charlotte immediately explained the circumstances. After listening to it all, the merchant's expression became a sight to behold.

"Huh.... You mean the sixth-ranked Lord?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious?"

"It is the Boss's decision. Refrain from asking further questions."

"Then what do you intend to offer as appropriate compensation?"

If something was given, something had to be returned.

For such large-scale military support, we had to offer something of equivalent value, and if we wanted to plan for the future, we needed to make at least a promise.

She would gladly send troops if I said I would join her faction, but that was a secondary option.

Since I knew nothing about forming a power base, I needed to be cautious.

I did have another idea in mind. The problem was that it sounded absurd, even to me.

In fact, it went beyond absurd. It was so rude that it made me wonder if I had any conscience at all.

'Still, I have to do it.'

According to Kalandas, the sixth-ranked Rose Sha was interested in me.

And from what I knew of her, she made every decision, great or small, based on whatever interested or amused her.

"Tell the sixth-ranked boss this. If she helps me, she can make a good impression on me before we meet for the first time."

"...Pardon?"

The merchant, looking dumbfounded, asked again without thinking. It was an understandable reaction.

Help me because I might have a good impression of you?

This was a request disguised as an order, something only a higher-ranked boss would say to one beneath them.

Even I thought it was crazy for the seventh-ranked boss to say that to the sixth-ranked one.

But Rose Sha liked this kind of insolent behavior, or, to put it more nicely, boldness. I knew that well.

It wasn't a definite answer, but it also implied that I was open to joining her faction.

If she knew about my conflict with Kalandas, she would surely send support.

"Go and deliver the message."

"...."

It was obvious from the merchant's eyes that they were terrified of getting crushed between two whales.

The merchant kept looking back in my direction with a gloomy expression before finally entering the portal.

"...Boss."

After the merchant left, Charlotte quietly spoke.

"It seems we're about to gain two enemies."

I shrugged.

We'd see.

* * *

"She gladly accepted. She says she has some leeway and will dispatch part of her standing army. Whew!"

The returning merchant was drenched in sweat, but their expression looked relieved.

See? I told you it would work.

When I glanced at Charlotte, her lips had parted slightly.

The Demon Merchant looked over a parchment and read its contents aloud.

"Let's see.... The support force will consist of one hundred Succubi, one hundred Incubus, one hundred Werewolf, and one hundred Vampires. She will provide a total of four hundred Minions of the Night. No further details were given."

Four hundred. It was a bit stingy for an Abyssal Palace, but at least she was helping.

Thinking about it again, I was more than satisfied because they were Minions of the Night.

Monsters that displayed their full strength at night or in darkness were collectively called Minions of the Night.

They would be able to take much better advantage of our defenses and the terrain.

"When will they arrive?"

"She said right away, but..."

Wooooong!

Before the merchant could finish, a pink portal opened.

Monsters stepped out of it one by one in a composed manner.

Succubus, Incubus, Werewolf, and Vampire.

As promised, a total of four hundred Minions of the Night gathered before me in orderly ranks.

So many were moving at once, yet there was not the slightest disorder.

They did not feel like a well-trained army so much as a group of well-educated elite servants.

"""We greet the master of the new Abyssal Palace."""

As if rehearsed, the minions all bowed at once.

I looked around leisurely, pretending to be relaxed.

[Lv. 35]

[Lv. 47]

[Lv. 58]

[Lv. 61]

Their levels varied wildly, but this was more than enough.

There was still a chance that they could betray me and seize the dungeon.

Honestly, I had no countermeasure for that.

Then I would just give up the dungeon. What else could I do? I wasn't bound to the Dungeon Core. I could simply flee somewhere else.

Still, I was certain that Valentia Rose Sha would not do that.

Backstabbing was something a sly snake like Kalandas would do. Rose Sha was smooth, but in this regard, she was a lady.

This was a pact built purely on mutual trust.

Just as I was about to withdraw my satisfied gaze...

[Lv. 41 (?)]

...What was that?

Beside the level of one bowing Succubus was a symbol that represented my current emotion.

I had never seen anything like that in the game either. What was it? A bug?

As if possessed, I found myself walking toward the Succubus.

"...."

The Succubus remained bowed before me.

Even from up close, the question mark beside the level was still there.

All kinds of questions and answers swirled through my head.

There was no way this was really a bug. There seemed to be some hidden reason, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

'...Could it be?'

Rose Sha was the Succubus Queen.

Among her many abilities, most were naturally racial traits, but she also had a unique ability unrelated to Succubi.

If it was that unique ability... it was enough to explain the question mark.

"I never thought you had such a strange hobby."

Flinch.

The Succubus's shoulders moved faintly. That confirmed it.

Pretending not to know was unlike her. She must have really wanted to hide it.

"I wanted to meet you in your true self for our first meeting."

Only then did the Succubus raise her head.

There was no trace of tension on her impassive face. Judging by appearance alone, she was an ordinary Succubus.

But there was no way I wouldn't recognize the being hidden beneath that exterior.

"Valentia Rose Sha. Remove your mask."

Grin.

The corner of Rose Sha's mouth lifted.

Before I could even process it, she suddenly wrapped both arms around the back of my neck and pulled me toward her in an instant.

At the same time, she rose onto her toes, bringing her face close enough that our faces nearly touched.

Caught off guard, I found myself forehead-to-forehead with her as we looked at each other.

"Darling. How did you know?"

Rose Sha licked her lips with a seductive smile.

Footnotes:

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