The Dungeon Gallery's Terrifying Newbie - Chapter 72

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Ceaseless

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Dungeon Gallery's Terrifying Newbie ◈

Chapter 72: Haunted Mansion (2)

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I checked on the situation through the Surveillance Camera.

The intruders were currently split up as follows.

Four at the entrance Elevator, four at the School, and seven at the mansion.

The reason I split them up was simple.

After seeing what happened with the mercenary group, I figured that when those bastards had good teamwork, it was more efficient to split them apart than let them stick together.

There had been casualties, of course.

Even so, they conquered Goblin Cave at a rapid pace.

If it had not been for Chase's trolling, they could have easily advanced to the next area.

The more bullets there were, the more disadvantageous things became for an Anomaly.

I made the areas large mainly to wear people down, but the more people there were, the less time they spent exploring and the faster they came up with countermeasures.

So unless there was a clear sign they would split up on their own, I thought this was the more reasonable approach.

You know, The Art of War says something like this.

Dividing your forces is a bad strategy and should never be done.

Probably not something meant to be applied in a situation like this, though.

There were already few people to begin with. Wouldn't it be even more horrifying if they started dying one by one around each other?

That aside.

High-value resources like knights were not as plentiful as ordinary soldiers.

Even the Count had limits.

Buying Escape Scrolls would cost a considerable amount too.

It was good news in every way.

If I set No Entry Below Knight Rank as a restriction, the number of people who could even attempt a Dungeon Raid would be limited.

They would need several knights as well.

Most people would not even dare try.

Business required money.

Dungeon Raids were the same.

Until now, everyone and their dog had come in: party-kicked Helpers, Branded Elves, barons, Dwarves, and every other random nobody. Things would be different from now on.

Of course, that also meant the intruders would be stronger from here on out.

Dungeon Walkthroughs could also be shared.

In other words, the next intruder could pick up where the previous one had left off.

I would need to stay on guard.

It still would not be easy for the intruders to conquer the dungeon, though.

cowhead: These intruders are seriously on another level from the start

└ cowhead: They ran into the Discipline Committee Head the moment they came in LOL

└ cowhead: "Get lost. I have no belongings to give a bitch like you." LMAOOOO

└ antqueen: RIP Action Beam T_T

└ golemking: The Discipline Committee Head instantly went into Asura mode

└ golemking: Snapping his neck clean with all eight arms, they're a real physical therapist, fuck LMAOOOOOOOOO

└ dip: "Discipline Committee Head...? That's the Anomaly written about in the Dungeon Walkthrough LOL"

└ dip: Dungeon Gallery user who knows the truth = 💀

└ kongkong: Here and gone~

└ worldiscold: LMAOOOOOOOOO

└ worldiscold: So the School exploration starts with three people now?

└ psychward_mvp: Guys, breaking news, breaking news

└ psychward_mvp: Count Wolfhauffen, 32, tears off the third button of the shirt in shock!

└ kongkong: Isn't that bastard literally the only intruder who's died to the Discipline Committee Head at that point??

└ tvhead: Yeah, he's the first

└ tvhead: This is why fake information is so scary

└ tvhead: A fifty-percent gacha where you have to bet your life, what a fucking rip-off LOL

└ magichero: You still want to raid Dreamland after th-th-this...?

└ magichero: You guys are hardcore. Seriously...

"I could tell at once. Your level..."

It was not boring enough to make me want to die, though.

I should watch and see how much they figured out this time.

humanluvr: newbieee!

└ newbie: What??

└ humanluvr: Show us the mansion too, not just the School T_T

└ op_ghost: For real, I'm holding my breath waiting here

└ skullbones: How's it going over there???

Ah, splitting the intruders up made posting live updates kind of annoying.

└ newbie: I only have two arms, gimme a sec

└ newbie: I'll upload it soon

Still, what the Veterans wanted to see was the mansion side rather than the School.

Everyone was curious about Dragrade's situation.

Maybe I should focus this live update on this side.

"Blegh."

"I do not think we will need to move right now, but I'll let you know if I need you later."

I placed shrunken Malrang on my lap and petted Malrang over and over.

Especially motivated today, huh.

Without taking my eyes off the monitor, I uploaded the backlog of photos, videos, and posts to the Dungeon Gallery.

* * *

Dreamland Area 3.

In front of the mansion entrance, 16:00.

-Don't worry about the School. Focus on exploring Area 3.

"Understood."

There were seven people gathered before the mansion entrance.

Dragrade, Hector, Comfort, Bitters, Olivia, Leo, and Krok.

Dragrade was Wolfhauffen's famous retainer, no explanation needed.

The rest were knights of the Winter Wolf Knights.

"I've always dreamed of living in a mansion fit for a palace, but fuck, a mansion as big as a mountain? Dreamland is making that dream come true today."

Hector cracked a joke.

He was the oldest of the knights, known for being cheerful and foul-mouthed.

Aside from that, he was a veteran with a particular talent for monster-slaying missions.

"That is a shame. If I had been transported to the Academy like those who entered before us, I could have fulfilled my dream too, just like you, Hector."

Comfort picked up the joke.

He spoke lightly, as though trying to ease the stiff atmosphere.

He was not as experienced as Hector, but he was still one of the senior knights.

"..."

"I'm nervous."

Unlike the two projecting a relaxed mood, the other four looked somewhat tense.

They had only just joined the order, after all. Fresh-faced newcomers.

"Phew. The real Dungeon Raid finally begins. I just hope we can conquer this disaster safely."

Even so, the newcomers burned with determination.

They had the courage to move forward. That alone would be enough.

The knights looked toward Dragrade.

Dragrade's reputation was well known.

Even proud nobles would back down around him.

"Right."

The leader had naturally been decided.

"You'll know from the Dungeon Walkthrough, but stay sharp. Death lurks ahead. We came here for the world, but we must return alive. There are many people in the territory who need our protection, and death itself would dishonor the people of the territory and the Kingdom. Do you all understand?"

Everyone nodded.

Their preparations were complete.

They headed toward the enormous mansion.

The inside of the mansion was bright.

Brilliant lights had been installed along the walls and ceiling.

"It's cleaner inside than I expected."

Unlike its aged exterior, there was not a speck of dust, as if someone had been maintaining the place.

The group looked somewhat disappointed.

They had expected a vast, magnificent central hall, but the sight before them was a corridor stretching endlessly onward.

"This is closer to a maze than a mansion..."

Dragrade nodded at Bolarris's words.

He used Detection Magic to examine the overall structure.

"It seems to have eighty floors, like the Academy. There are dozens of long, narrow corridors, with rooms scattered here and there along them. I do not know what they are for. Strangely, though, I cannot see any stairs leading to the upper floors."

If Wolfhauffen's grand mansion had been built like this, the architect would have been buried.

"Starting with the entrance, does Dreamland's Dungeon Master have no eye for beauty at all?"

"I agree. I could teach you a thing or two about art myself. Hey, Dungeon Master. If you're listening, come down to the first floor of the mansion."

"Heh. Is this bastard crazy?"

Hector and Comfort began chatting among themselves, amused.

Watching the newcomers, who remained stiff with tension, Dragrade got a rough idea of how to divide the teams.

"Hector and Olivia, Comfort and Bitters, Leo and Krok. From now on, investigate the first floor of the mansion in pairs."

An atmosphere that was too light was no good, but neither was one that was too heavy.

Moderation was important in all things.

Pairing those without a sense of tension with those who were nervous should create the right amount of synergy.

Besides, there would likely be no need to use their swords in this dungeon unless they faced the Dungeon Master.

"Well, well. Starting out with a female rookie as my partner? I'm lucky already."

"Please switch with me. I cannot stand being paired with some dreary man."

"...H-how am I a dreary man?"

"Then are you a bright and cheerful man?"

Dragrade shrugged.

"Hector likes men more than women. He would probably prefer going with Comfort."

"Haha, that's a joke in poor taste."

"You all know Detection Magic, so there should be no concern about getting lost. Let's meet here again in an hour. As I said, this is a dungeon where you can die easily. Stay alert."

Dragrade reported what he had learned so far to the Count.

-There is no Passage to the upper floors... Are there windows on the outer walls?

"Yes. But they do not feel connected to the inside of the mansion. I believe there must be a way to reach the upper floors. I will investigate further and report back."

-Good. Be careful not to die.

"Yes."

He walked through the mansion alone.

There was nothing in the corridors.

That meant there was a high chance the rooms contained clues.

"Hector's group went north, while Comfort's and Leo's groups went east."

Dragrade headed south, toward the closest room that none of the other groups were investigating.

Rattle, rattle.

The door would not open no matter how he turned the handle.

It seemed to be locked.

'This door feels like I could break it down by force...'

Should I try?

Yeah, right.

The bait was too obvious.

Until now, he had only seen things that could not be broken by force.

A door that could be forced open?

'It must be a trap.'

Maybe if he found a key later.

For now, opening this door would be rash.

Dragrade turned away.

There was one more room to the south.

Dragrade walked toward it.

"This one isn't locked."

He turned the smoothly moving handle.

Then he opened the door and stepped inside.

It was a bedroom.

There was a luxurious bed, a chair and table, a suspiciously large wardrobe, and a full-length mirror against the far wall.

Dragrade searched the room.

He looked everywhere, from beneath the bed to inside the wardrobe, but found nothing useful.

"Hm."

Another wasted trip.

He let out a quiet sigh.

"It would be nice if the others found something..."

It was a coincidence.

It was truly a coincidence that his gaze fell on the mirror, which he had not spared a glance since entering the room.

Dragrade's expression stiffened.

A mirror was an object that reflected images.

So naturally, it should have reflected his own appearance.

But the person in the mirror was not me.

It was a figure that should never have existed.

"..."

Dragrade's breathing became ragged.

Someone who had died and vanished was staring back at him from within the mirror.

She resembled Dragrade in appearance.

A Dragonkin who was human, yet possessed horns, a tail, and wings.

Blood tears flowed from the deeply bloodshot eyes of the woman before him.

She was the Red Dragon King, Dragrade's creator.

"Ah..."

She reached out.

An arm passed through the mirror and seized Dragrade by the nape.

Before he could even scream, he was sucked into the mirror.

"Fuck, fuck!"

Dragrade shouted the moment he regained consciousness.

He was trapped inside the narrow mirror.

He could not lie down or stretch his arms comfortably.

It felt as though he had been locked in solitary confinement.

Communication Magic had naturally been cut off.

There was no way to explain his situation.

He stared blankly at his arm.

He should have seen dark, scaled skin.

Why had it turned so pale?

His voice was thin and high as well.

Which meant...

"Did I possess my Master's body...?"

Should he consider that fortunate?

Or unfortunate?

At least he had not died.

And he could still see outside through the mirror.

"..."

My body lay collapsed before the mirror.

The version of me that had regained consciousness slowly got to its feet.

That was not me.

It was my body, but it was not me.

I was trapped inside the mirror.

Dragrade had possessed the Red Dragon King's body.

That meant the being originally inside the mirror had most likely possessed Dragrade's body.

"..."

The thing wearing my body gave a faint smile.

Dragrade had never known a smile could feel so chilling.

After all...

"Sir Dragrade, are you all right!?"

"The Count told us that Communication Magic with you had been cut off, so we hurried over... In any case, thank goodness you're safe. What happened in the room?"

They did not know.

They had no idea what had happened.

It felt like he was trapped in a terrible nightmare.

"You idiots. That's a fake. A fake! Can't you see me!? Look at the mirror! Look at the mirror! I'm trapped in here!"

The impostor paused as if considering what to say.

After carefully choosing their words, the impostor shrugged and answered them.

"I was just as startled because my Communication Magic with the Count was cut off. There may be a device interfering with Communication Magic, or perhaps it is one of the Dungeon Master's tricks."

They left the room.

Left alone, Dragrade bit his lip.

I betrayed the Red Dragon King.

I drove a dagger into her with these very hands.

If the being trapped inside the mirror had truly been her, she would not leave the knights alone.

"This feels different from the Copycat in Area 1... There must be obvious flaws."

But.

Dragrade's expression only grew darker.

Suppose the group realized that thing was fake.

Even if they joined forces and eliminated it, there was no guarantee he would return to his original body.

Would I die if that thing died?

What would happen to me, trapped inside this mirror?