WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Dungeon Gallery's Terrifying Newbie ◈

Chapter 64: Group Project

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A Blessed One had entered Dreamland.

Her name was arboralis, and she was quite beautiful.

But according to the Dungeon Gallery, she was also a vicious bitch.

She lingered in front of the Elevator, looking over the Dungeon Walkthrough.

It was probably something the Dwarves had provided. Ever since Chase came in, the Elevator had become far too easy to get through.

I had to assume she'd make it through.

For reference, it was possible to expand the dungeon, purchase Minions, and install traps even during a Wave.

There was the penalty of having to go to the location myself, but I could at least create Area 4 right in front of the Core Room.

All right, then. Where would be the best place to send her?

According to the information Love gave me, arboralis had a trait that nullified traps.

That was the ability I needed to be most wary of right now.

If arboralis overcame the Anomaly in Area 3, found the Elevator, and nullified the Elevator itself with that ability, a path straight to the Core Room would open.

Every path in a dungeon had to be connected.

That was a basic principle.

Because of that, the Elevator always had to be placed in a connecting Passage between areas. Even if a trap put the Elevator on the seventieth or eightieth floor, or somewhere like that, it was still considered to be installed in a Passage leading to the next area.

If the Elevator was temporarily disabled, the Passage to the Core Room would open.

Without an Elevator in the first place, that route basically became an exit.

So I couldn't just drop arboralis into Goblin Cave.

Not until she'd used that ability.

She also had an ability to read the memories of corpses.

I didn't know the exact range or cooldown of this Vision.

It might take a long time to use, and there were plenty of other possibilities.

There were intruder corpses left in Goblin Cave.

The best option would be to have Malrang clean all of them up.

But like the corpses in the School's Faculty Office, anything involving the corpses was beyond my control.

Maybe it was because it was an area with its own independent ecosystem. I didn't know why.

Even an Anomaly-theme Dungeon Master had lines they couldn't cross.

I couldn't say I understood everything.

That left the maze and the School, and the maze was definitely the better option.

It'd be best to bait her into using that ability in the maze, then fuck her up in the School.

There was also a chance she'd die to the Doppelganger or drown in the maze.

"Honestly, it'd be best if the Insect Human killed her..."

-Phew...

-That startled me.

That woman.

She didn't seem like she'd go down that easily.

She was remarkably decisive.

She'd already figured out how the Elevator worked and was pressing the number buttons one after another.

"Please go into the corridor without lights."

-The walkthrough said to ignore the corridor without lights.

Sigh, fuck.

Right. She had a Dungeon Walkthrough.

Hoping for dumb luck was asking too much.

For some reason, I could picture the Insect Human looking all dejected.

It's okay. It's okay.

You carried hard during the Branded Elf raid.

We can deal with her using other Anomalies.

As I silently offered encouragement they would never hear, I watched arboralis.

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arboralis somehow figured out the password.

-You're going to find out eventually anyway. Would it kill you to make it easy?

-So creepy and unpleasant. Is this what Dreamland's Dungeon Master likes?

-They looked pretty decent too. What a waste of a face.

She had just moved from the Elevator into Area 1.

How should I put this?

Ever since she entered the dungeon, it was like she knew I was watching.

She kept babbling to herself like a crazy bitch. What was the point of that?

Hmm.

Sorry, but a honey trap wouldn't work on me.

"Ulk."

I know.

Of course it wasn't a honey trap.

"It reminds me of playing a friendly five-on-five team game."

You know those assholes who start talking shit in all chat because their side has the advantage.

I didn't know whether she was trying to get under my skin.

Still, it was like she was proudly showing off how much she already knew about my identity.

-The Branded Elves were the first ones to enter, right?

-Did they get through the Elevator? Looking at the Dwarf's Dungeon Walkthrough, it seemed like a pretty brutal trap.

-Yuven didn't seem to have died in the Elevator.

-Which makes sense, since you personally came outside and killed him with your own hands... No, you drove him into a cave with a starving bear and got him killed.

-Won't you show yourself to me too?

-You're a Dungeon Master brave enough to leave the dungeon. Hehe, are you not confident in a one-on-one fight?

-I won't be rough with you. I just want to see you with my own eyes.

She was seriously talking absolute bullshit.

"Malrang. Go."

I immediately picked up a pen.

Then I wrote a note and held it out to Malrang.

"Ulk."

Well, I could humor some cheap provocation.

I was bored without the Gallery anyway.

* * *

「your mom」

arboralis blinked at the note.

"Hehe..."

This one sure had a temper.

I should keep this as a souvenir.

She tried to cut open the Slime that had delivered the note.

But like the Elevator, it was something that couldn't be physically killed.

Drip. Drip.

Water fell from the Sprinkler.

"Ah, cold."

arboralis looked up at the ceiling.

This didn't seem like a meaningless phenomenon.

It wasn't poison, just ordinary water.

What kind of trap was this supposed to be?

Could it be that the water would eventually start pouring down?

And fill this huge maze?

"Spraying water on a lady..."

arboralis walked through the maze.

Her mouth never stopped moving as she walked.

"You should at least serve tea in a cup... This dungeon has terrible manners."

Of course, it wasn't only to get under the Dungeon Master's skin.

It was closer to self-suggestion.

The corridor contained nothing but white lighting, minimalism taken to its extreme.

It was a long way to the destination.

If she simply walked without doing anything, it would be easy to lose focus.

In a place where anything could happen, letting her guard down was the fastest way to die alone.

Her tone was playful as could be, but her expression had hardened.

'What the hell is Oblivion thinking... letting a trash dungeon like this exist?'

It made sense.

Dreamland was a hellhole where you couldn't earn Achievement Points, Points, or even experience.

A dungeon where only death waited, with no rewards?

A more hot-headed Blessed One would have definitely been cursing.

Of course.

arboralis didn't bother letting such vulgar words leave her mouth.

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Like the Dark Mages who had been wiped out before, arboralis came face-to-face with Area 1's true secret.

The maze was obsessive.

The moment an intruder tried to leave Area 1, it changed its structure in real time and closed off the exit.

That wasn't all.

The droplets falling from the Sprinkler had turned into a stream, forming puddles across the floor. Drowning, something that had existed only in imagination, was slowly becoming reality.

Then.

Step.

Step.

"Ha ha..."

The moment arboralis saw what was approaching from up ahead, she couldn't help laughing bitterly.

It was her.

Not metaphorically. It was literally another arboralis.

"Who are you?"

"That's what I'd like to ask... Who are you?"

It wasn't just the appearance.

It knew all of her abilities, belongings, memories, and even her past.

That thing was presumably a Dreamland Minion.

The right answer with Minions was to defeat them.

But she was supposed to fight someone alone who had the exact same power as her and win?

There was a limit to this bullshit.

It was ridiculous.

"This is an absurd raid difficulty for a newly created dungeon."

"Tell me about it."

arboralis drew her sword.

That thing drew its sword too.

"Can a fake come back from death too?"

"Who knows? We'll have to try and find out, won't we?"

"I completely agree..."

Probably.

This fight would end in a draw.

Or with the victory of whoever got luckier.

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This time, the real arboralis was luckier.

She crushed the dead fake arboralis's head underfoot and let out a sigh.

At that moment, a sudden doubt came to her.

What if she was the fake one left in this dungeon?

The Copycat had been far too identical.

But the doubt faded quickly.

The Wave hadn't ended.

That was decisive proof that she was an intruder, not one of the dungeon's Minions.

'As expected, I don't get any experience or Points at all.'

Battered all over, she gulped down a High-Grade Healing Potion, and her wounds slowly began to heal.

She took out a journal from Subspace and began writing.

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arboralis wanted to figure out how to solve the maze.

But with the fake appearing, she thought dragging this out any longer could be dangerous.

'It's bigger than I expected. Bringing at least two people would make investigating it more efficient.'

She could disable one trap per Wave.

And this maze counted as a trap.

When she activated her ability, the sprawling maze narrowed into a single long corridor.

She walked down the corridor.

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She thought she was almost there.

But she couldn't go any farther.

Another version of herself was walking toward her from up ahead.

She had considered the possibility of it appearing, but it had reappeared sooner than expected.

"Haah..."

"Haah..."

Their reactions were astonishingly identical.

arboralis spoke.

"Hey."

"Yeah."

"If you were me, you'd be thinking the same thing right now, wouldn't you?"

"...That we should write in our journals before we start killing each other?"

arboralis nodded.

The fake smiled and nodded too.

When arboralis took out a journal from Subspace, the fake did the same.

Both of them looked away and moved their pens.

A moment later, daggers flew at the same time.

The sharp blades crossed and sank precisely into each other's necks.

Thunk!

She couldn't breathe.

arboralis and the Copycat clutched their own throats and collapsed where they stood.

It was clean work without any wasted movement.

Only then did arboralis fully accept it.

That monster could only be another perfect version of herself.

She had shown an opening while writing in her journal, hoping to exploit the other side's opening.

Apparently, her opponent had been thinking exactly the same thing.

Blood poured from her mouth.

As her breathing stopped, her mind began to grow hazy.

Even in that moment of death, arboralis saw another version of herself desperately moving a pen after taking out a journal.

That was when she realized how to solve this Anomaly.

'Maybe one of the ways to clear Area 1 is... to get along with another me.'

Once she understood the solution, making eye contact with another version of herself became genuinely enjoyable.

arboralis was different from ordinary people.

After all, she was an immortal being who revived even after death.

Maybe that was why she could enjoy this unpleasant situation.

arboralis slowly pulled out the dagger.

Blood flowed from her neck, but she endured the pain, took out an Elixir, and forced it down her throat.

It was a precious potion, and she only had three despite being a Blessed One.

She could barely swallow it and coughed up about half of it.

Still, she could breathe again, at least somewhat.

"Haah, cough... Ptooey."

Her voice returned.

Spitting out the blood filling her throat, arboralis asked, "...Another me."

Her other self had prevented the fatal wound in the same way arboralis had.

Seemingly thinking the same thing, it continued the conversation.

"Why are you calling me?"

"Do you want to come back to this dungeon?"

She shook her head.

"I got lucky this time."

No matter how much information she brought back from Area 1, her memories would be erased and the information manipulated.

Of course, she could start from a much better position than now.

According to Chase, Dreamland couldn't alter every piece of information.

She could infer certain traits of the Minions and traps before entering.

Still, even if she made it back to this area next time, could she expect a better result than this?

Most of the abilities she had built up so far were useless in this dungeon.

She had already used her trump card, which was limited to once per Wave.

That made what she had to do simple.

The fake and arboralis took out Escape Scrolls from Subspace.

Once again, it was at the same time.

"If this happens, could there theoretically be three arboralises outside?"

"Hehe, probably not. We'd be a disaster for the other Dungeon Masters."

The reason she was about to use the Escape Scroll now was because she wasn't confident she could avoid dying in the areas beyond.

She had no idea what was waiting, so she couldn't raise the stakes carelessly.

'Dreamland won't be easy to eliminate. To eliminate it, we'd have to give up more than we thought.'

This Dungeon Raid had been closer to reconnaissance and exploration from the start.

For now, learning this much and writing it down in the journal would be enough.

arboralis looked at the ceiling.

She felt as though she were exchanging glances with the Dungeon Master.

"If we meet again, then..."

She muttered something meaningful and escaped Dreamland.

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arboralis rubbed her head.

She couldn't remember a single thing.

The journal was the only way to infer what had happened inside.

arboralis read it.

"...The fake secretly tries to kill raiders. The fake has the same strength as the raider. Therefore, multiple people must enter, distinguish the fake, and kill it. The maze gradually fills with water over time, creating a danger of drowning. I received no experience or Points, and I almost died twice in Area 1 alone. Considering that Minions and traps cannot be destroyed and that the Dungeon Master can grow, clearing it requires being prepared to pay a heavy price in levels, Helpers, and so on?"

How should she put this?

It didn't feel real.

Did she really write this?

Without any memories, even the matching handwriting naturally seemed suspicious.

arboralis touched her throat.

She had never seen such a disgusting newly created dungeon in her life.

'First, I should upload this to the Blessed One Gallery.'

She moved her fingers.

She uploaded a post, including the fact that the Dungeon Master could leave the dungeon.

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*Blessed One Gallery

arboralis: That's it. That's the information I found on Dreamland.

└ sinclair: So that's what kind of place it was...

└ sinclair: No wonder that bastard Max died.

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arboralis: The view count is rising, but no one is responding.

└ arboralis: Everyone, please leave a comment.

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└ ahn: That's interesting!

└ ahn: Everyone should probably avoid a trash dungeon like that! T_T

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└ sartheon: Well, it's definitely unusual.

└ sartheon: But we can just not go there, like Wallachia... So whatever.

└ sartheon: No Achievement Points, and you don't earn Points or experience either LOL

└ sartheon: There's no reason to go. Yeah.

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└ gulak: Exactly LOL

└ gulak: You wrote it was super important, so I wondered what it was.

└ gulak: If that's all, I have nothing else to say either.

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└ arboralis: I clearly wrote in the post that Dreamland's Dungeon Master can go outside.

└ arboralis: I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts about that.

└ arboralis: I know everyone's busy.

└ arboralis: But isn't this something we should take seriously?

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└ obellin: Even if they come outside, what's the problem?

└ obellin: Even if Dreamland's Dungeon Master comes out and attacks people,

└ obellin: It doesn't interfere with my Dungeon Raids, does it? LOL

└ anke: Exactly...

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└ siz: Shouldn't we just ignore it?

└ siz: If we die messing with it, that's our loss.

└ siz: Wouldn't we just be helping the Dungeon Master grow for nothing?

└ arboralis: As long as Income exists as a means of growth,

└ arboralis: Dungeons are structured to grow no matter what.

└ arboralis: It could come back as a bigger problem later.

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└ kevin: Thanks for the information.

└ kevin: Good read.

└ maria: Thanks, thanks~​~

└ maria: You wrote it all out so diligently~​~

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└ arboralis: Let's assume Dreamland's Dungeon Master grows stronger.

└ arboralis: What if the Dungeon Master can enter other dungeons too?

└ arboralis: What if the Dungeon Master tries to use their power to support other dungeons?

└ arboralis: Don't you think it could interfere with our raids later?

└ arboralis: We'll definitely regret leaving it alone.

└ arboralis: We need to finish it ourselves before it grows any stronger.

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└ art: Can you be sure that Dungeon Master will help other dungeons?

└ art: I don't know why you're imagining things over something that hasn't even happened.

└ art: Looking at the post, theoretically we could clear it if we keep bashing our heads against it.

└ art: But you're saying the instant-death traps make it a setup where you can't help dying in the end.

└ art: You want us to risk penalties and dig up information with no gain?

└ art: And that information gets manipulated too LOL

└ art: Raiders are going to get fucked over hard.

└ art: Who's taking responsibility if our levels get cut in half and our Helpers die?

└ art: I don't want to lose anything. Later.

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└ sandrea: We should probably just ignore it?

└ sandrea: It'd be nice if someone took care of it, but I don't want to step up either.

└ sandrea: Instant-death traps, information manipulation, memory loss, and brutal difficulty.

└ sandrea: Plus, the Dungeon Raid rewards are fuck-all LOL

└ arboralis: No matter how I think about it, this isn't something we can ignore.

└ sandrea: Hmm LOL

└ sandrea: If you're so worried about the future, clear it yourself.

└ sandrea: Problem solved. Yeah.

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└ jetthejeff: Going there ourselves would be too much of a burden.

└ jetthejeff: How about leaking the information somewhere else to encourage a raid?

└ jetthejeff: Like saying there's an incredibly huge Magic Stone there... Something like that.

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└ taylor: It's obvious she doesn't want to go in either,

└ taylor: So she made this post to dump the job on us.

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arboralis let out a sigh.

"Was this a waste of time...?"

It seemed that only a very small number of Blessed Ones took this seriously.

Most didn't even want to discuss it, so there was no point continuing the conversation.

One of the words Oblivion had implanted in her was "group project."

This situation fit that term perfectly.

arboralis took out the note.

It had Dreamland's Dungeon Master's handwriting on it.

It was the paper she had obtained in the dungeon earlier.

She took a picture of it and uploaded it to the Gallery.

arboralis: 「your mom」

Dreamland was dangerous.

It was a dungeon that could one day interfere with them.

It was clearly rational for the Blessed Ones to nip the threat in the bud.

But the moment resolving it involved a loss, the majority instantly became individuals, and individual thoughts were bound to change.

There was always someone making sacrifices in a group project.

arboralis knew that someone had to put in the effort to get a good grade.

But she had no intention of volunteering to lead the group.

Not yet.

"...I should borrow a cigarette from Tors."

Before that, maybe she should at least prepare a temporary measure.

She headed for the North Kingdom beyond Fire Forge.

Footnotes:

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