The Dungeon Gallery's Terrifying Newbie - Chapter 44

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Dungeon Gallery's Terrifying Newbie ◈

Chapter 44: Dwarf

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Dungeon might be the most famous word in this world.

After all, a dungeon is a treasure vault where the most valuable treasures lie sleeping.

Even stupid Goblins and Trolls take an interest in dungeons.

Who could ignore a dungeon with such irresistible appeal?

In the northern part of the continent, where winter never ended,

there was a city-state called Fire Forge.

The Dwarves hammering iron there

were also deeply interested in dungeons.

【Dreamland】

About fifteen days ago, this unfamiliar dungeon appeared near Fire Forge.

"A dungeon. It's a real dungeon!"

"This is my first time seeing a dungeon in person. So that's what the entrance looks like."

"Don't get too close. What if you accidentally go inside?"

"Don't worry, idiot. You can leave freely for the first half day anyway. More importantly, Dreamland...? I've never heard that name before."

Dungeons shifted locations at regular intervals.

Since it had recently been time for a Position Shift, it was only natural.

The unknown dungeon called Dreamland had settled within Dwarf territory.

Quite a few dungeons had appeared near Fire Forge before,

but Dreamland was likely the first to draw this much interest from the Dwarves.

"This is a new dungeon."

"Is that really true?"

The reason was simple.

Dreamland was a new dungeon.

It was an unfamiliar name.

That was likely true not only for Dwarves, but for other intelligent races as well.

Perhaps things had been different in the past, when many dungeons existed.

By the present day, a new dungeon was like an extinct ancient creature.

No one knew why new dungeons no longer appeared.

How could Dwarves know something only the God of Oblivion knew?

Still,

that was not what mattered to the Dwarves of Fire Forge.

A new dungeon was a place where a Magic Stone lay sleeping, just like any other dungeon.

That fact was what mattered most.

News of it eventually reached Goldhand, the ruler of Fire Forge.

"We'll raid it before the Blessed Ones do."

The moment Mayor Goldhand saw Dreamland, he made that decision.

Other dungeons had existed in this world for hundreds of years,

and dungeons that had grown powerful by facing countless intruders were nearly impossible to raid.

But raiding Dreamland, which was still new, would be comparatively simple.

The Dwarves needed money.

The desire to rise was not exclusive to humans.

To stockpile more gold, hammer more iron, and drink more beer, they could not help but covet Magic Stones.

Goldhand's way of thinking was not much different from that of those who had invaded Dreamland before him.

He gathered soldiers, selected the bravest and strongest among them, and formed the First Dreamland Raid Party.

"For the mayor! For Fire Forge!"

The Dwarves were confident.

It was only a new dungeon. Brave Dwarf warriors would be more than enough.

That was surely what they all thought.

The first raid began.

Goldhand watched the backs of the warriors as they marched boldly into the dungeon.

He waited for the results.

It was surely a happy wait.

Goldhand's mind was already filled with nothing but a dazzling future.

'I could consume the Magic Stone and gain power, or sell it for the national interest and raise funds... What incredible luck has come to Fire Forge.'

He was thoroughly intoxicated by the prospect of obtaining the Magic Stone.

He went about his days with a smile on his face.

But then,

there was no news of the Raid Party's return.

"It appears the Raid Party was wiped out inside the dungeon."

Fifteen days had already passed since the Raid Party departed for Dreamland.

His aide delivered the worst possible news and watched Goldhand's reaction.

"......"

His expression stiffened.

【First Raid Results】

【Author: Chase】

Number of entrants: 12

Exploration results: Wiped out.

▼ I

Before beginning their full exploration, the Raid Party used Detection Magic and observed the area around the entrance during the half day when they could leave freely.

As a result, no Minions or traps were found.

The same went for any sign of the Dungeon Master. Chance of Jamming: 0%.

A single, very long Passage begins at the entrance.

Two large, cavern-like areas. Beyond them is the Core Room.

There is a white corridor lit by white lights.

Nothing else was confirmed, as the Raid Party was wiped out.

The First Raid Party never returned to Fire Forge.

On a mountain where snow was falling,

an oddly shaped rift made its presence known behind rough trees.

A thick layer of powdery snow had gathered on the arch surrounding the rift.

Goldhand looked over the report written by his aide and exhaled.

His breath appeared in the air like steam from an internal-combustion engine before vanishing.

"I can't believe it."

There had been a skilled mage in the Raid Party.

They had used Detection Magic and confirmed the layout.

That was the foundation of Dungeon Raids established by Blessed Ones of the past.

Identifying the locations of traps and Minions.

Detection Magic made that entirely possible. There had been no Jamming, either.

Yet nothing had been found in this dungeon.

Jamming was, in simple terms, magical interference.

It was a form of anti-magic that made the Mana in an area unstable, preventing anyone from reading its flow and using Detection Magic.

To say it again for emphasis, there was no Jamming in this dungeon.

That much was certain.

"Then why in the world was the Raid Party wiped out?"

They could not confirm the Dungeon Master's existence, but something was clearly there.

"We should find out why first. I'll have to form a Second Raid Party."

Goldhand decided to purchase Escape Scrolls.

If they could not succeed in one attempt,

the reasonable approach was to gradually gather information on the dungeon, identify its weakness, and raid it.

The first raid had yielded nothing.

All they gained was a look at the entrance during the half day they could leave freely.

The cost would be considerable, but it could not be helped.

It would be best to think of it as an investment for the future.

After all, it was only a new dungeon.

"Weren't Escape Scrolls originally more expensive than this?"

"Ah, the master of the Mage Tower recently developed a far more efficient escape spell formula. The production time was cut in half, so labor costs have dropped considerably. There are quite a lot more of them now, too."

"Was there really that much demand that Escape Scrolls were still being researched? I thought they were items almost exclusively bought by Blessed Ones now."

"There are still many groups interested in dungeons, such as the East Kingdom, the elves of World Tree Forest, and Diamond Forge. Escape Scrolls have always had a steady demand, whether people realize it or not."

Goldhand invited a mage from the Spatial School, someone he regularly dealt with, to his estate.

As luck would have it, he received welcome news.

The price of Escape Scrolls had fallen.

They were not cheap.

Still, he could obtain far more scrolls than originally planned.

Goldhand purchased seven in total.

The expense was considerable, but as mentioned earlier, it was necessary spending.

After promising to purchase more if needed,

Goldhand began properly assembling the Second Raid Party.

Escape Scrolls were limited.

Unfortunately, they could not be distributed to everyone in the expedition.

The numbers had to be adjusted.

Two Dwarf prisoners, two Dwarf warriors, and one trustworthy Dwarf mage commander.

That was the newly formed Raid Party.

The warriors were brave and loyal.

They were the sort who would obey their leader even if ordered to die.

For Fire Forge, they would likely give their lives willingly.

Goldhand promised the warriors a reward.

Even if they died in the dungeon, he said, their families would receive a substantial sum.

The prisoners were, as people commonly put it, meat shields.

Suitable measures had been taken, so they were unlikely to cause trouble inside the dungeon.

This Raid Party was, in many ways, meant for exploration.

Everyone except the commander was expected to die.

The members probably understood that on some level as well.

Goldhand quietly waited for the results.

【Second Raid Results】

【Author: Chase】

Number of entrants: 5

Exploration results: Four dead, one warrior survived, one Escape Scroll consumed.

▼ I

The Escape Scroll had clearly been with the commander.

Yet the one who escaped Dreamland was the warrior Thord.

When asked why, Thord answered that he remembered nothing of what had happened inside the dungeon.

Thord truly seemed like someone suffering from short-term memory loss.

There were no contradictions in his words or actions, nor could any lie be sensed.

Unless Thord had spent all these years pretending to be a Dwarf known for his loyal and steadfast nature, every Dwarf in Fire Forge had felt no unease toward that performance, and he was an evil man incapable of feeling any moral responsibility, it can be concluded that Thord losing his memories is 100% true.

Still, there is one troubling point.

Thord said that before coming outside, he had a dream.

In that dream, he encountered a grotesque-looking cat.

It was a nightmare in which the cat took out and ate his brain.

The First Raid Party's memories had been intact.

At least during the half day when they could freely enter and leave the dungeon.

Further confirmation is needed,

but could Dreamland possess a special trap or Minion capable of erasing memories formed inside the dungeon?

Below is the journal written by the commander.

It was found among Thord's belongings after his escape.

▼ Commander's Journal

-P.01

We walked down the corridor while looking at the map.

At first, I had doubts.

Could a dungeon with no Minions or traps truly exist?

There had to be a reason the First Raid Party failed.

Perhaps invisible Minions, or traps operated manually.

I ordered the group to stay alert.

Fortunately, nothing we feared happened.

But when we reached a certain point, a mechanical device blocked our path.

We could not destroy it.

The machine seemed impossible to destroy even with bombs.

There was only one possible choice.

We had no choice but to investigate the machine.

-P.02

Below are the facts we discovered while risking our lives to investigate the machine.

I hope they help with the next raid.

1. The machine is called an Elevator. We must use it to reach the next area.

2. The Elevator can carry multiple people, and as many people as possible should ride it for smooth exploration.

3. Never exit into an unlit corridor.

4. Sometimes Insect Humans board it, and we must fight and defeat them.

...

"Chase."

As Goldhand read the report, he called his aide's name.

"Yes, Mayor."

"Here's what I think. This dungeon seems completely different from ordinary dungeons... What do you think?"

Chase stroked his carefully groomed beard.

"I think so too. To be honest, I believe it would be best to stop raiding this dungeon. What are your thoughts, Mayor?"

"If a Dwarf holds a hammer, he should strike even a stone. How can we stop now? It may feel strange, but it is a new dungeon. Giving up when the treasure called a Magic Stone is right in front of us doesn't suit our hard lives."

"If that is your will, I will follow it as well. Still, I believe we need to change our method of exploration somewhat."

Goldhand nodded.

"This time, prepare as many people as we had in the First Raid Party. We are going to uncover this dungeon's secrets. They don't have to be soldiers. Let's recruit people who want money and are full of courage."

The Dwarves did not stop.

Perhaps Dreamland's seeming invincibility had stirred the mayor's desire to challenge it.

And so, in Fire Forge,

recruitment began for the Third Dreamland Raid Party.

* * *

Today as well, Dreamland's Surveillance Camera watched the intruders.

I sat at my desk and silently stared at the monitor.

What should I even call this?

Of course, as the Dungeon Master, I thought it was a good situation.

But during both the last Wave and this one,

when I saw a whole group charging boldly into the Elevator, it was, it was...

-Aaaaaaaaaaah!!