Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster - Chapter 34

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

◈ Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster ◈

Chapter 34: Look Before You Stretch Your Legs

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It had been ten years since Charlotte lost her homeland.

She wandered without purpose, living in a daze.

Her desire for revenge against the humans who had slaughtered her entire clan was pushed entirely to the back of her mind.

Survival was her first priority.

The Empire’s extermination decree dictated that once a Witch was discovered, their entire bloodline was to be eradicated at the root.

Charlotte had no choice but to keep her grand revenge close to her heart while searching for a way to survive.

A place where she could remain hidden from humans and be guaranteed safety.

A place where she could satisfy her thirst for killing and find companions willing to pursue revenge alongside her.

‘...The 72 Dungeons.’

She formed a plan and began searching for Dungeons.

But Charlotte was not only a Witch hunted by humans. As a human, she was also unwelcome in Dungeons.

Though she nearly died in countless Dungeons, Charlotte never abandoned her plan.

She hoped that someday, she would find a Dungeon that understood her and would join her cause.

Perhaps that hope had finally borne fruit.

After a long, arduous journey, she found a Dungeon that accepted her for the first time.

The twenty-first-ranked Abyss That Blooms at Night.

Its boss, Gergoer, had taken notice of Charlotte’s abilities.

‘Serve as the Keeper of the first floor.’

She had even been made a Keeper responsible for an entire floor. Charlotte could not have been more satisfied.

That satisfaction did not last long.

None of the Dungeon’s members welcomed Charlotte.

Of course, Charlotte considered her companions’ scorn and contempt natural.

How could Dungeon monsters possibly look kindly on a human?

She believed they would acknowledge her eventually, once enough time had passed and she proved her abilities.

Charlotte served as the Keeper of the first floor for a long time.

But the first floor had no deployed monsters. She had to defend it alone. In other words, she had been made to serve as a breakwater.

Charlotte knew she was being treated as a convenient disposable tool.

Even knowing that, she fulfilled her duty as one. She believed her treatment would change someday.

By herself, Charlotte repelled Extermination Parties invading the Dungeon dozens of times.

The only things that changed were the large and small wounds carved into her body and the gradual wearing down of her mind and body.

‘Please treat me fairly.’

Unable to endure it any longer, Charlotte met Gergoer alone.

There was no denying that the Dungeon had benefited greatly from Charlotte.

For over half a year, the first floor had never been breached, and thanks to Charlotte’s dedication, the monsters had suffered no losses.

It was only right for a boss to recognize such merit.

‘Know your place, human bitch. If you’re unhappy, get out.’

Charlotte learned too late that she was not even a disposable tool.

She was trash they would use to the fullest, then throw away without hesitation once she was spent. That was all she was worth to the boss.

And that was not all. Gergoer grabbed her by the neck and opened their mouth wide.

‘...I was food too?’

‘Human girls taste the best.’

She had nearly died there as well.

After barely escaping the Dungeon, Charlotte staggered onward, covered in blood.

Being betrayed by a Dungeon did not weaken her desire for revenge against humanity.

Charlotte’s emotions had already dried up completely, and this incident failed to stir much within her.

The other Dungeons that accepted her did not end well either, simply because she was human.

After that, only a lonely, tedious road of wandering lay before her.

Another season passed, and Charlotte placed her hopes in a Dungeon one last time.

If this one was no different, she would stop hoping and do it alone.

Then, by chance, she heard news of the newly established Seven Palaces of the Abyss.

The Seven Palaces of the Abyss needed no introduction.

What interested Charlotte more was the possibility that they might accept her.

Considering they were newly established and held little hostility toward humans, they were worth a try.

‘Welcome. I will accept you as this Dungeon’s adjutant.’

It was the first time she had heard those words.

Part of her still harbored doubts born from her past experiences.

Would this person truly treat me fairly?

That doubt seemed to have been proven right. This Dungeon did not treat her merely fairly either.

It treated her far better than she deserved, beyond what her abilities warranted.

For the first time, someone had welcomed her existence. The boss treated an adjutant who did nothing but make mistakes with more generosity than she deserved.

That was the kind of person the boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss was.

“I asked you a question. What are you doing here?”

“...I came as this Dungeon’s adjutant.”

Standing before Gergoer once more, Charlotte held her head high without shrinking back.

The adjutant’s dignity was directly tied to the boss’s dignity.

Lowering her head here would be no different from treating the boss’s name lightly.

“And this Insect?”

“A Keeper from the same Dungeon as me.”

“They’re all nothing but a bunch of rabble.”

Charlotte’s brow furrowed for a moment.

“Lord Gergoer. You should watch your mouth.”

“Ha! Watch my mouth? Did I hear that right?”

“I am the adjutant of Faith’s Tomb, one of the newly established Seven Palaces of the Abyss.”

That was enough to say in this situation.

Anything more could become an insolent threat.

Even as part of the newly established Seven Palaces of the Abyss, she was still only an adjutant.

If a human adjutant threatened one of the 72 Lords, it would disgrace her boss’s name.

“A pathetic human is an adjutant, and an Insect at the height of savagery is a Keeper? You bitch! How dare someone like you insult me?”

“Impersonating an Abyssal Palace is a grave crime for which death is not enough. You know that too, Lord. Why would I lie?”

She thought Gergoer would naturally believe her for that reason.

“You’re saying a bitch like you is an adjutant of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss... You expect me to believe that?”

Gergoer looked utterly unable to believe that the adjutant of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss was human.

Charlotte looked around.

Unfortunately, no one appeared to be Gergoer’s adjutant or Keeper.

There was not even a subordinate around to restrain Gergoer, and now she had to face this disaster.

Gergoer, ranked twenty-first, belonged to the faction of the eighth-ranked boss.

If Gergoer had been an independent boss, that would have been one thing. There was nothing to gain from clashing with a faction boss.

Of course, Gergoer would suffer far more losses than Charlotte’s side. But because the Seven Palaces of the Abyss were newly established, they would still have to bear political losses.

Charlotte hated the thought of causing harm to the boss because of herself.

‘No matter what, I need to end this without causing trouble and keep it quiet.’

Charlotte approached the situation pragmatically.

If she could smooth things over herself, she had to do it, even if it meant lowering the dignity of an Abyssal Palace adjutant.

Otherwise, the situation could spiral completely out of control.

Even if she had to deceive the boss, the best option was to bury this matter where no one would learn of it.

Once Gergoer learned at the Assembly that she truly was an adjutant of an Abyssal Palace, Gergoer would quietly let it go.

Gergoer would know that was better for both sides.

‘As if nothing happened...’

Charlotte was human too, and she desperately wanted revenge.

But if she acted on impulse, the backlash would fall entirely on the boss.

To make matters worse, the Assembly was only a day away.

If an unpleasant incident arose between bosses, things would clearly grow larger than expected.

Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head.

“I apologize. I was rude to an exalted Lord. But it is true that I am an adjutant of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.”

“....”

“This matter should end here, where no one learns of it. That will benefit both of us.”

She thought Gergoer would understand after she said that much.

When Charlotte slowly raised her head, a crisp impact rang out.

Smack!

Her neck snapped to the side.

The gas mask covering her mouth flew to the ground.

She caught sight of Balutak’s horrified face. Charlotte bit her lip and shook her head.

Understanding what she meant, Balutak could only stand there and watch.

The Demon Realm’s oxygen was making it difficult for Charlotte even to breathe, but she ignored it and met Gergoer’s gaze.

Gergoer had already snapped.

Werewolves were ruled by instinct and emotion rather than rational thought. Perhaps that was why they were monsters.

The fact that a human who had once been Gergoer’s subordinate had humiliated Gergoer was enough to send their emotions surging.

“I hope that satisfies you.”

Smack!

After the burning slap, Gergoer grabbed Charlotte by the hair.

Charlotte wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Dark blood smeared across it.

If her face was wounded any further, the damage would be irreversible.

“You fucking bitch. Consider yourself dead today.”

Smack! Smack!

Her vision jolted with every blow. A palm as large as a pot lid struck her face.

The one small mercy was that Gergoer had no intention of killing her.

If Gergoer had put their full strength into the first strike with the intent to kill, Charlotte would have died then.

These slaps were only an outlet for Gergoer’s anger.

Gergoer might not have believed she belonged to the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, but they seemed to believe Charlotte was a Dungeon adjutant.

‘Do I need to keep taking this?’

Though her vision spun, her thoughts cooled.

How could she respond and salvage even a little of what had already been spilled?

Physical threats went beyond the level of humiliation she could endure.

If an adjutant simply accepted this beating, the name of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss would be dragged through the mud.

Yet if the boss stepped in, the matter would grow beyond control.

‘...On my own.’

There was only one answer. She had to use force.

In terms of strength alone, Gergoer could not defeat her.

She had only endured it because she had no confidence in provoking one of the 72 Lords and dealing with the aftermath.

If this incident caused major damage, they could simply cut her off and claim it had been the adjutant’s independent action.

That would preserve the dignity of an Abyssal Palace, keep them from making an enemy of the faction, and end the matter without trouble.

If she thought longer, she might find a better method.

But the situation did not allow time to delay.

Having finished her calculations, Charlotte controlled her mana and gathered it in her hand.

If she accidentally inflicted serious injuries, it would all be over.

If she limited herself to self-defense, ensuring it could be proven that she had merely protected herself...

Smack!

That was when she saw the Death Knight in her sideways vision.

“Ah...”

The blue glow in the Death Knight’s eyes fixed on her.

The boss already had a hand on the sword hilt.

* * *

[Lv. 74]

A level seventy-four Werewolf with three eyes, including one in the middle of their forehead.

As far as I knew, it could only be Gergoer, the twenty-first-ranked boss.

I suddenly remembered seeing hints in the game that Charlotte had a long, ill-fated history with Gergoer.

I didn’t know the details. Whatever they were, I couldn’t overlook what was happening right in front of me.

I moved Hellbok behind me and grabbed the sword hilt strapped to my back.

The moment I unwound the tightly wrapped bandages, brilliant light burst forth.

“What’s that...?”

“A human? What’s a human doing here?”

The commotion drew spectators from the area.

It was true that I wanted to stand up for Charlotte out of anger, but that wasn’t the only reason.

Charlotte was the adjutant of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss. If I watched the twenty-first-ranked boss beat my adjutant and let it pass, my dignity would hit rock bottom.

With so many eyes already watching, everything depended on how I responded.

If this conflict had happened because of Charlotte’s mistake...

At least the Charlotte I knew would never do something so unreasonable.

I might be criticized for causing an unpleasant incident between bosses with only one day left before the Assembly. Naturally, it would cause a huge uproar.

But what was about to happen might give my authority even greater weight.

More than anything, one thing was certain.

After this, no one would dare lay a hand on Charlotte again.

Swoosh!

The floating Holy Sword shot forward like an arrow. At my will, it passed Gergoer with only a graze.

Blood sprayed through the air where the Holy Sword’s light had passed. The wrist Gergoer had raised to strike Charlotte was severed before they could react.

“Arrrgh!!”

Gergoer screamed, desperately trying to staunch the gushing blood.

The Holy Sword returned, and blood sprayed once more.

After a slicing sound, both legs were cut clean off. Gergoer collapsed like a falling building.

Was my heart becoming more like that of an undead too? Even seeing blood spray and limbs fall no longer stirred anything in me.

Perhaps all these reasons were merely rationalizations to justify my actions. My heart had already finished rationalizing them.

My slow steps soon brought me right before Gergoer.

The back of Gergoer’s remaining hand trembled.

I stomped on the back of Gergoer’s remaining hand and crushed it mercilessly, like a cigarette butt.

“You can’t. You mustn’t, Boss.”

Charlotte shook her head at the edge of my vision.

“You need to listen to me. First, calm...”