NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 68
– 1 –
– Crack!
“… Hey.”
The ominous aura behind me surged suddenly, and I sensed two presences stepping half a foot closer on either side.
Without even having to turn my head, it was clearly Xue and Eve.
“Lady. I want to teach that guy a lesson. Is that okay?”
– Crack crack.
Hmm.
It’s evident they were extremely pissed off, but should I commend them for asking my permission?
Or should I call it rude that they’re asking my permission when I hadn’t even decided if I’d allow it or not?
Either way, they both just look adorable, so it’s quite a dilemma.
In the midst of this, I couldn’t help but praise them for not stepping right up behind me.
“Lady. It seems like it’d be fine to give him a smack. He looks a bit out of it.”
What’s wrong with you, Scarlett?
“…”
Even with the subtle hostility… or rather, annoyance directed around us, Yuran was steadfastly gazing at only me.
It was as if she didn’t care what happened around us.
“Alright. Lan. Go ahead.”
“Really?!”
“Lady?!”
With a nod from me, her anxious face quickly transformed into one of joy as she approached me.
The joy on her face only grew stronger with time. She was really thrilled.
“Here.”
I felt a bit sorry.
While everyone was shocked and she was the only one delighted, I extended my hand to her.
“Uh…?”
Then, with a bewildered expression, Lan’s eyes went dull. I could tell what she was expecting, but I saw no reason to indulge her that far.
After all, it was our first meeting.
“A sworn kiss is enough on the back of my hand, don’t you think?”
“Ah…”
Still having slightly weary eyes, she nodded a couple of times, looking down at my hand.
That sight was somewhat bittersweet, but my position wasn’t changing.
At least not for now.
“That’s the kiss you wanted, Lan.”
“Ah, ah… Oh, yes!”
Smooch.
At least I managed to snap her back to reality; what’s important is that her decision is above everyone else’s satisfaction, and it seems like she shares that sentiment with the other two.
I suppose that’s a relief.
“… Right, I knew it.”
– Snap.
Xue and Eve.
You two have already been caught. Don’t pretend you didn’t know now.
Thinking that in my heart, I grabbed her chin, which was about to kiss my hand, and gave it a little scratch.
– Grrr…
While she’s of a completely different species, perhaps it’s because she’s a Felis; it seems she enjoys the same things as Xue.
“Bring it here.”
Creak…!
I directed towards my back, and several warriors who had come down with me brought a cart filled with the bodies of the Klymel faction.
As soon as she saw them, Lan’s eyes began to sparkle.
“Could it be…! Is that a gift for me?”
“It’s for you. Whether you use them as living corpses or as nutrients, do as you wish.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
Dungeons must consume humans to grow quickly. That’s not just limited to the magical energy absorbed by the dungeon core but also corresponds to ‘experience points.’
Though my body’s proficiency had somewhat diminished due to stopping training for a long time, a few human bodies with upper-tier strength.
For a dungeon that hasn’t leveled up in a long time, this would be like rain on arid land.
There couldn’t be a better housewarming gift for the dungeon.
Flapping!
She quickly took out a talisman from her pouch, expanded it wide, and covered the corpses.
That must be her ‘inventory,’ or spatial pocket.
The sight of the noble corpses disappearing in an instant affirmed my guess.
“Don’t just dispose of them at once.”
“I thought it might be an unsightly sight to show in front of my lord. It’s my desire to show only beautiful things to you, my lord.”
“If that’s the case, I won’t press you to do it immediately.”
After all, once something is given, it’s been given. As long as she doesn’t get caught up in the principles and lose practical benefits, I don’t mind.
Doing something foolish, like refusing to eat something she should eat when she’s on the verge of dying…
As long as she doesn’t do that, she’s free to do whatever.
‘[Dungeon Lord Info].’
Now that I knew her name and had made a contract, it was time to learn properly about her.
『Name – Yu Lan』
『Title/Entity Name – Imoogi (Normal Grade Nine-tailed Fox)』
I didn’t expect her condition would be good, but I had to know how to tweak things.
『Attributes – Strength 16 Dexterity 27 Endurance 12 Magic 32 Resistance 22』
『Traits – Nine-tailed Fox, Spirit Transformation, Specialization: Flame Magic, Specialization: Apothecary, Shadow Magic, Member of the Necropolis (Inactive)』
‘Surprisingly…’
“Not bad.”
“Excuse me?”
As I thought that, I couldn’t help but be surprised by the unexpected situation.
Her condition was truly better than I had imagined.
Both the attributes she held and her traits.
『Member of the Necropolis (Inactive) – This soldier is under your special protection. (Reason for inactivation: Dungeon Lord)』
『Nine-tailed Fox
■ Transformation of the Nine-tailed Fox
■ Specialization: Transformation Magic
■ Alchemy (Fox)
■ Millennial Fox Spirit
A composite trait combining these four traits. Its true nature is concealed at the moment.』
Even if the member of the Necropolis was inactive because of being a Dungeon Lord, I could overlook that.
But the trait called “Nine-tailed Fox,” which was now a legendary trait, certainly looked like it would become a ‘mythical’ trait.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like this since my alpha tester.
Though she can’t use much yet because she’s still at ‘two tails,’ that will unlock as she grows, so the high potential remains.
‘[Dungeon Info].’
『Maid ‘Yu Lan’s Dungeon Lv. 1』
『Continental Fame – 192 (Recognized by Guild Administrators)』
『Demon World Fame – 1 (None)』
『Core Activation – 122/124』
‘You really have managed things strictly.’
The reason became apparent as soon as I opened the dungeon information.
Looking at how finely adjusted the core activation was, I could vaguely guess how meticulously she monitored her state and adjusted her growth.
Seeing that made me feel like I had a glimpse into her essence.
Really…
“You’ve deceived the humans quite well, Lan.”
“Ah… I, Lan. You have no idea how hard I worked to survive until meeting you, my lord.”
“Yeah. I can see your effort.”
“Fufufu.”
After that, Lan’s story of her survival struggle went like this.
The food humans deliver to Dungeon Lords is usually beasts. And what she wanted to create from those beasts is zombies.
However, humans don’t want to venture deep into the mines. They only want the harvest, and they understand there can’t be a lot of that right now.
That’s what Lan focused on.
“So?”
“I created a secret room to gather the ghouls, changing their appearances a bit and only showing a few to trick them into thinking the number was increasing.”
“Impressive.”
That’s why she didn’t make the zombies’ outfits uniform.
To show that they were ‘different entities,’ there must be some individuality among them. I suppose she had stacked clothing in that place.
At first, the room where the ghouls were hidden was an ‘inactive’ room that didn’t apply magical elements, so there was a risk of being discovered since a passageway led to the room…
But she built that room deep in the mine to reduce the risk, and later she planned to make it a room accessible only through space movement when the magical energy gathered.
“So while I was waiting for an opportunity, I’ve been eating the beasts that humans kept bringing, or the foolish goblins that would appear underground without fear.”
“And that’s when I showed up.”
“Even though I didn’t get to see the result, how could I be disappointed that you came, my lord? Just being able to hold on this long was already its worth.”
Dungeons are visited by praise only after they successfully repel the ‘first human attack,’ so it seems she had been working hard on her own without any support.
She survived wonderfully in a situation that was far more dire than mine.
“If you hadn’t been discovered like this, you might have found me on your own. Well done. Truly.”
“Fufufu. This Lan is your glory like the sea.”
We both knew that time would never have merely lasted one or two months, but neither of us mentioned it.
Since we had already passed that situation, there was no need to speak of the bad times.
“Then, the first attack by the ghouls was because they created monsters beyond the core’s control, right?”
Among her monsters were a few of the formal grade monsters, not just the junior ones.
Those must have been her trump cards for her ‘comeback.’ If she builds up magical energy, she would have entered a fair amount of strength above the average tier to use as a dagger.
Monsters she couldn’t control would be pushed out to act as shields.
“Embarrassingly so, yes.”
Yu Lan covered her mouth with her sleeve, her face turning red.
Hmm. A stronger sense of discomfort is growing every time this happens.
At least it’s clear this isn’t her usual personality, but something in my intuition tells me it’s not “insincere” either.
I can’t perfectly understand the emotions conveyed from the summon beasts, but I can tell whether someone’s being sincere or not.
“I’ll mention this…”
“Excuse me?”
Given this, it’s something I can’t overlook once.
“I trust you won’t always wear a mask around me, Yu Lan.”
“Oh my.”
Huff…
With that, the mood began to lift between us.
Her golden eyes shimmered with a mix of golden and violet magical energy, vividly glowing.
Along with that alluring air she showed when asking for a kiss earlier, it was accompanied by an undeniable fierce desire.
… Yes. This is her true nature.
“I swear to my lord, all my actions towards you, Lan, are without any mask. They are all sincere.”
“Yeah. Then…”
As I watched her, although she only has two tails now, I felt like all nine of them were swaying behind her.
– 2 –
“Elenore.”
“Yes!”
“Although the head of the family has a different heir, you are the successor, right?”
“That’s correct. … No, that is correct!”
Her response was filled with energy.
If she had been observing the previous events, she would have understood that I’m the Dungeon Lord and a dangerous figure who, by any means, is operating outside the dungeon.
For her, being a fanatic of the demon clan, I suppose she recognized that I’m someone she’s originally meant to respect and now ‘must serve.’
“I’m going to close this mine and conceal the existence of the dungeon, so convey to the guild that it has been purged as needed.”
“What should I say is the reason…?”
“I thought you didn’t need to think that far.”
“Uh…”
“Say it was unavoidable because a magical stone is urgently needed.”
As I said this to her, who was covering her mouth in surprise, she quickly understood and bowed her head.
Dungeon cores can replace high-density magical stones. And this dungeon is recognized as a complete initial dungeon.
If it’s genuinely that urgent for magical stones, this excuse would be perfectly acceptable.
… She seems like the type who doesn’t think much, so I’d better make sure to clarify everything.
“Let them know that your family has relocated. Just don’t state it outright, let it slip subtly.”
“Understood.”
“Lan. Watch the amount she produces. It’s for your dungeon.”
“Do not worry. I will ensure this foolish human does not engage in any foolish acts.”
Her eyes sparkling brightly as she replied joyfully, Lan seemed cautious and smart, so I felt like she could handle anything Elenore might do.
“Don’t resist. This is just to make sure you properly follow my lord’s orders.”
“Gah…!”
“I told you not to resist. Lan needs to write up one more talisman.”
… Just as I thought, she stuck a talisman to Elenore’s forehead.
“Ah…”
The first one simply burned away, and the second one caused the light to disappear from Elenore’s eyes.
It’s evident at a glance. It’s some sort of hypnosis.
Hmm… Yep.
Yeah, she really is cunning.
‘I think I understand why Xue dislikes this.’
She seems to hate when someone is doing underhanded tricks from behind the scenes.
Though she has never shown me any signs of displeasure, she also seems to avoid waiting behind the scenes.
“Once that’s done, divide the nobles and send half to my dungeon. I’ll send my subordinates who were guarding the entrance, so have them escort them.”
“Understood, my lord.”
“Leave Elenore here. Sending her first might lead to an accident.”
“I shall ensure that doesn’t occur.”
On the other hand, I suppose I’m better suited for this. My personality is one that seeks benefits under conditions of maximized safety.
Just as it is now.
“Scarlett. We need to commission the Elder Gremlins to close and develop this mine. Say the payment will be 20% of the precious gemstones uncovered during the development.”
“I’ll prepare the contract and the person in charge right away!”
“Thank you.”
From what I’ve heard from Lan, who has already explored the depths of the mine, it appears this mountain contains more than just iron ore.
Though it may not be diamond, it seems there are quite a few rubies whose value cannot be deemed lesser than that of diamonds in this world.
They’ve already extracted a significant amount as well.
The value of gemstones in this world is not only based on their intrinsic beauty but is significantly influenced by ‘magical energy,’ and rubies are considered to have slightly better magical yield even though they’re treated as inferior to diamonds for their gemstone value.
Having confirmed that precious metals hold no value to her, I think it’s fine for me to take the development rights for the mine.
…
Looking at her vacant neck, I felt a desire to adorn it with something.
It’s particularly slender and strikingly white, drawing my attention every time.
“Eve. Check the status of the dungeon and bring it to me. I need to check the storage. There might be almost nothing right now…”
– Snap!
“How embarrassing.”
“Xue. Can you contact Serika? I should request the shards of the core.”
“Uh…”
As I wrapped up the matters at Lan’s dungeon, I prepared for the next steps.
I figured the last task of this outing would involve recovering Serika’s core, likely located at Sonataph.
The long outing I had felt like it was finally drawing to an end.
‘I hope nothing goes wrong this time.’
I sincerely wish for that.
One surprise loss is enough.