CHAPTER 102: CHAPTER 102

Ahh, the forest is so calming to look at. Beautiful trees, delicious air, leaves dancing in the wind, combatants training with boulders on their back...

I shouldn’t have let Damrung use the fourth floor to "retrain" the goons that tried to invade the Dungeon two days ago. It’s ruining the scenery big time!

"Garami! Concentrate!" - Alf

Yes, yes~. Let me have a moment of escapism now and then.

"Ehem, let’s get back to business. Meaning, combining the information gathered during the many scouting trips." - Alf

Well, this had to come sooner than later. I looked at the map over the desert region, with a white Queen- and Pawn piece placed close to each other-, hey, wait! Why’s the first Dungeon the Queen!? Are you picking a fight with me?

"The result is... we’re surrounded from all directions except for the east." - Alf

Surrounded? What’s that supposed to mean?

Iron started to place black chess pieces around the board. One on each cardinal direction of the Pawn-piece, the second Dungeon, plus one more south of the first Dungeon...

"Wow, we’re splendidly surrounded~." - Garami

I can’t do anything but laugh at this horrible situation. Rather, it’s damn impressive that we managed to ignore these guys and go to the werewolf ruins.

Alf gave me the documents with the collected info about the five enemy Dungeons. Please let them be pushovers...

Volcano Dungeon (found by Iron)

Location: East of the second Dungeon.

A huge mountain that spews smoke. No lava was detected outside.

Flare Lizards have been spotted.

Subordinates-rank is likely at least D, going by the existence of the D-ranked Flare Lizards.

No info regarding Dungeon Level.

Strange shadows have been seen at the top of the volcano.

Cave Dungeon (found by Alf)

Location: West of the second Dungeon/North of the first Dungeon.

A lonesome cave. Looks the same as our Dungeon.

Many different snake-type monsters were found. Mostly Sand attribute snakes.

The subordinates’ ranks are believed to be high. However, due to the lack of any races that specialize in certain status values, it’s assumed that the Strength-, Mystic-, and Movement stats are low.

Dungeon Level is unknown. Presumably 1, due to the snake’s low level.

Bamboo Dungeon (found by Mira)

Location: South of the first Dungeon.

A bamboo forest in the middle of the desert(?).

Many Dungeon Goblins and Automatas have been spotted. They were all armed with strong items.

It’s believed that both the Strength- and Treasure-stats are high due to the quality of the weapons.

The Dungeon Core has been located on the ground floor, making this a Level 1 Dungeon.

Strange smoke has been seen close to the Dungeon Core’s location.

Lake Dungeon (found by Mira)

Location: South of the second Dungeon/East of the first Dungeon.

A gigantic lake with various paths made of solid rock. Looks similar to the third floor of the first Dungeon.

No monsters located. Probably underwater.

The Dungeon Core has been located in the middle of the lake, inside a fancy building on that island.

Temple Dungeon (found by Noire)

Location: North of the second Dungeon.

A massive temple.

Several mummies have been seen walking around the temple grounds. For some reason, they’re not affected by the sun.

Beast-type creatures are also been seen. Mostly canines, or more precisely, jackals.

From watching the monsters, the Subordinate-stat is probably high. Same with the Mystic-stat.

The Dungeon Core is yet to be seen. The Dungeon Level is therefore unknown. Likely to be above 1.

Yikes. What a mess to be in the middle of...

"Hey, isn’t this kind of bad?" asked Noire, the last of us four in the Mansion’s strategy room.

"It’s not ’kind of’, it IS bad." - Alf

True that. And if my theory is correct, then the Dungeons with status values at D-rank or higher will have a special ability.

The werewolf probably had one, a "power-up within the Dungeon domain"-kind. That would explain the stupid-high power of his, and why he waited until we arrived at the building that concealed the Dungeon Core, instead of facing us head-on. It must have come from either Strength or Mobility, but I’m betting on Strength.

My Dungeon has the Facility-stat at D, and that allows me to customize the Dungeon even when people not related to the Dungeon are inside it, as long as they don’t have hostile intents. Plus, "that" thing.

And as a finisher, the highest "natural" status value a Dungeon can start with is E, making it all more possible for the D-rank to be connected to something special. I told this to the others.

"Then, we should snuff these lovely neighbors out before they can grow to the point where they can amass D-rank stats?" - Noire

"Pretty much. We gotta squash them like ants." - Garami

"You girls are damn scary!" - Alf

"More importantly, what are our plans?" - Iron

Alf gave Iron a wordless smack with the harisen we got from one of Mira’s failed draws. Hmm, a plan...

"Then, how about this:" - Garami

---

Mira’s PoV

Out to the desert, we go~!

"H-how can you stay so happy while walking in this natural oven?" - Lily

"You have to keep your tension high~!" - Mira

"That’s not answering my question at all!" - Lily

Tch, this junior is pretty snappy... and fashionable, now that I get a good look at her.

The Chimera girl is wearing a dark-red vest on top of a black t-shirt and short pants. It’s an outfit that focuses heavily on easy movement. Even so, she’s got some fancy accessories like a fang-earring and a tribal necklace. She gives a "wild"-image, so to say.

Speaking of wild, her appearance, in general, is the same. She’s got long, dark-brown hair that she’s tied into a braid at the end, striking orange eyes, and she’s having a bull-like horn and a reptilian tail. That’s a chimera for you...

"This may come outta the blue, but what are your thoughts about Garami?" - Mira

"That’s really outta the blue!" - Lily

Well.., that’s ’cause...

"But, if you have to ask... she’s cool. As in, incredibly cool! She’s got the Assassin class AND Necromancer! And she’s got those severing threads, can control poison like she’s an Esper, and she commands dragons of darkness! Dragons! Of! Darkness!! And-" - Lily

...Now I get why Chimeras are being used as the animal to represent the Ultimate God of Chaos.

"Then, what is Mira’s relationship with leader Garami?" - Lily

She’s being called "leader"...

"What, you say... partners? Yes, partners for life." - Mira

"FOR LIFE!?" - Lily

"Why the horrified reaction?" - Mira

"I’m going to protect Leader’s purity... rather! Her wallet!" - Lily

Garami’s got no purity left to protect...

"What are you talking about? And put away those claws. And fangs. And the horn." - Mira

"Y-y-y-y-you a-a-a-are o-o-offering y-y-y-your b-b-b-body t-t-t-to t-t-trick l-l-l-lea-" - Lily

"Ah, that? That’s just to give Garami a reason for using Random Creation. She seemed interested in it herself, and the monsters are just added to the Dungeon’s workforce, so it’s not like I’m tricking her or something." - Mira

I mean, most of my draws end up in monsters, meaning they’re losses for me...

"Th-th-then, y-y-you-" - Lily

"As for the other part, it’s to train up Garami. What if someone with those intentions appeared one day? Despite looking aloof all day, Garami’s got quite the perverted mind." - Mira

"...Is that the real reason?" - Lily

"Well, it’s 95% because I enjoyed it more than I had thought I would. Compared to those three times I was short on money... but that’s a different story. Forget I said anything." - Mira

"...Miss Mira, do you fancy girls more than men?" - Lily

"Well... I’ve got nothing against either pretty boys and cute girls~." - Mira

"So, is that the reason why you joined with Garami?" - Lily

Her face is turning more and more into someone looking at some useless person, this rude Chimera.

"Not exactly. Well, it’s partly the reason, along with that I thought she could help me earn some easy money and good food." - Mira

"...Hedonist-Sprite." - Lily

Don’t tell that to anyone, please.

"Anyway, the main reason is that she looked so lonely, alright?" - Mira

"Lonely?" - Lily

"Yes. From what I heard, the closest thing she had to a friend was a bird that was planning on going back home to a Celestial continent, a place demons have trouble living at. And then there’s Alf and Noire, who were practically borrowed by the organization. Garami had no one she could borrow their shoulder from. A feeling I’m well experienced with." - Mira

"...And that’s why you wanted to help leader?" - Lily

"Hmm... not 100% like that. Maybe it was more like love at first sight?" - Mira

"Love? Now you’re taking things too far..." - Lily

"No, I’m serious at that point. Or maybe ’soulmates’ is a better word for it? There was a spark I can’t explain so well with words, but there was something I felt back then." - Mira

I’m just true to my other desires alongside that feeling. Even if I’m keeping a small secret here and there, but Garami’s doing the same, so we’re square. It’s nothing important to her anyway. So stop staring at me while looking like a tomato.

"Not that I’m unwilling to share. So, wanna join~?" - Mira

"Wha-!? N-n-n-n-n-n-!" - Lily

Tch~. Just joking. While it would be enjoyable, I rather keep things like it is at the moment. Garami seems stressed by managing the Dungeon lately, so putting more on her shoulders...

*Thug, thug*

"Boss, we got a problem, ~ssu."

Ah, the goblin guy. He got stuck on my search party and evolved, so I dragged him along this time as well.

"Your story got the waterwork of the others’ working ~ssu." - Goblin

Huh? Wait, why’re the rest of the group crying!? We’re in the desert so save your body fluids! Especially when we’re about to crash a Dungeon!

"...Huh? One, two... we’re missing one." - Mira

My party, consisting of the Dungeon Goblin Rogue, the first Dark Elf Garami created, a Grotto Scorpion (evolved from the Cave Scorpion), a Ushi-Oni, and a Greater Demonia Bat, are all present. Lily’s party should be made of two Cave Scorpions, a Lesser Fiend, a Zerbreus, and...

"Where did that samurai-spider walk off to!?" - Mira

"Over there, ~ssu." - Goblin

Over that hill? Just you wait, you damn...

"Hey, that thing over there," I started, after seeing the spectacle behind the dune, "isn’t that the E-ranked Sandworm monster?"

The Goblin and Chimera-girl joined me on the top of the dune and paled when they saw the horrible remains of the chopped-up Sandworm. No, isn’t it closer to mince-meat by now? I have to praise myself for figuring out what its identity was before.

Around it was the samurai-spider, the Minimum-Nacha, dancing around the corpse while wearing that "haori" and headband with a cartoon-spider on it. Why did Garami go all the way to make that? And you, don’t swing those katanas around like that! It’s dangerous!

"...That thing’s something only Garami could draw out from the Random Creation." - Mira

"*Nod, nod*" - Lily & Goblin

"Argh, we’re wasting enough time here! The bamboo forest Dungeon is close by, so step on it! The other guys are going to beat us to it!" - Mira

No way I’m going to end up last in this "Dungeon Conquest Race"!