LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 17
Boss of the Seven Lairs?
That Death Knight?
To Lionheart, the Seven Lairs held a dignity that couldn’t coexist with something like the Death Knight.
Yet, the situation before him shattered such narrow-minded thinking.
The Death Knight, arrogantly crossing his arms and tilting his chin.
A wave of anxiety crept down Lionheart’s spine, cold sweat pouring down like rain.
“Lionheart, can you take responsibility for your words?”
It was the Death Knight that broke the suffocating silence.
What should’ve been a moment for mocking, the Death Knight’s glance became an overwhelming pressure that dominated the room.
The dark connection of the Seven Lairs had been conquered and updated.
And the ruler of that place was none other than the Death Knight right in front of him.
Boom!
Lionheart slammed his forehead against the table.
“I have committed a grave sin. My foolishness led me to not recognize the master of the Seven Lairs.”
…
The return reaction was silence.
Cautiously lifting his gaze, he was met with the suffocating stare of the Death Knight.
“A grave sin, you say? If this is all it takes to be a grave sin, then what does that make your minions? The one who threatened to kill me and acted on it?”
…What does that even mean?
Suddenly, the things he had dismissed about the Death Knight overlapped in his mind.
If they were truly minions, he would’ve realized and treated them properly long ago; that thought was nothing more than a futile expectation. If he had offended them even more than this, who knows what would have happened.
His head spun, and the world before him turned dark.
Not only was he ousted from the old dungeon, but now the boss of the freshly established Seven Lairs was right here. Why was this reality in front of him so real?
Lionheart just wanted to believe this was all a dream.
“Lionheart. The humiliation you inflicted on me today was quite degrading. It will linger in my memory for a long time.”
“I-I’m sorry….”
“Merchant. You tell me. A lower dungeon had the audacity to issue blatant insults and even threats against the Seven Lairs. How should this be dealt with?”
“You can execute them unilaterally or come to an agreement. The choice is entirely up to the boss.”
At the mention of execution, Lionheart’s face drained of color.
The gap between what he had expected and the reality hitting him was monumental.
“Lionheart. Do you want to live?”
“Great Lord, please spare this wretched life….”
“First of all, bring that to me.”
What the Death Knight pointed at was Lionheart’s solid gold pendant.
A chill ran down Lionheart’s spine. That pendant was his most cherished treasure.
The boss of the Seven Lairs seemed to have a keen eye, instantly seeing through him.
Yet, no treasure was worth more than his life.
“H-here it is.”
The Death Knight took the pendant and got to his feet.
Is it… over? Lionheart let out a sigh of relief deep down.
It was regrettable to part with the pendant, but surviving was worth the price.
“This is insufficient. Next, Charlotte, let that guy know your thoughts as the deputy.”
“Thank you, boss.”
“…What?”
A deputy? That human?
Ignoring Lionheart’s doubts, the human plopped down in the empty seat.
“I dislike wasting time, so let’s get to the point. Firstly, I will require 100 million sel as a settlement. Even that is a small amount, but thanks to the boss’s generosity, I’ve gotten it cheap. And…”
For the next hour, Charlotte relentlessly picked apart the dungeon without a single gap in her narrative. Lionheart sat before her, completely still, like a corpse.
*
“I think we handled this quite well—not too harsh, not too soft. If this news spreads, the boss’s reputation will improve even more.”
Well, I think it’s a bit harsh.
Be that as it may, looking at the results, thanks to Lionheart, the dungeon debts were all cleared, and we ended up with some useful items.
[Golden Pendant of the Lionheart (A+)]
[Upgrade Chance: 5%]
[Warning! If the upgrade fails, it will be automatically destroyed!]
[If the upgrade fails, cooldown resets.]
[Would you like to upgrade the Golden Pendant of the Lionheart (A+)?]
[YES/NO]
Should I really upgrade a pendant that makes you immune to most debuffs just by wearing it?
The main goal was to recruit Balutak, but surprisingly, profits were reaped instead.
“Now, we just need to take some useful insects with us.”
Charlotte said it as if it were easy, and indeed, it was as simple as she suggested.
All thanks to Lionheart. With insects toiling away like slaves, the work became smoothly manageable without anyone even noticing.
It was ironic that what started as recruiting dungeon monsters had turned into a saga of saving slaves.
If Balutak realizes the favor, he will likely see us as benefactors.
Of course, that’s just a plausible guess, and it could turn out differently once we dig deeper.
So, what situation should I create to effortlessly recruit Balutak as ‘completely on our side’?
I had thought of a method ahead of time.
Like Lincoln’s emancipation of slaves, freeing all the insects to earn Balutak’s favor? That’s not even worth considering; it’d just be a futile effort.
They’re not even at war with each other; these insects feast on their own kind. If I set them free, they’d just think, ‘So what?’
“There’s no benefit in antagonizing rank fourteen unnecessarily.”
I only extorted the settlement from Lionheart. Anything more would cross the line.
If I were to meddle with the insects used as laborers, it would hinder dungeon construction.
So, I devised the following method.
“However, boss, is there some truth behind this idea of pushing that insect to the brink of death?”
As Charlotte mentioned, I had instructed Lionheart to work that insect to the edge of death.
That insect was indeed Balutak.
“From what I gather of your true intentions, boss, you saw potential in that insect. Thus, you pushed it artificially to the threshold of death. After all, salvation in the worst situations resolves every deficiency while also creating a dependence. This is how I interpret it with my limited understanding—am I correct?”
To gauge the boss’s true intentions, it seems he caught a glimpse of that insect’s potential. So, he intentionally pushed that insect to the brink of death. After all, salvation in the worst situations resolves all deficiencies while also creating a dependency, right? I interpreted it like this with my limited insight—am I correct?
…Do I really think alike with a witch whose hobby is skinning humans?
There’s also the other reason of evolution, but of course, Charlotte wouldn’t know this.
“That’s not entirely wrong. However, it’s also not quite right.”
For some reason, I desperately wanted to deny the fact that I shared the same thought process as Charlotte.
“Indeed, it’s true that you valued that insect’s potential. It’s also correct that you created an artificial situation. However, you missed one thing.”
“One thing… what do you mean?”
“All creatures only truly grow when they feel they’re about to die. And the brink of death is also a creature’s limit. I’m trying to capture that fleeting moment to closely observe its limits and potential for growth.”
What I said was pure nonsense.
Just dressed up in fancy words; it was closer to utter nonsense.
“Indeed… Such thoughts could never grasp the boss’s grand vision. As an unworthy subordinate, I’m learning so much from the boss.”
Yeah, sure. You fell for it, so I’m satisfied.
You want to figure out the limits and growth potential of an insect on the verge of death? I don’t have that ability, and even if I did, I wouldn’t want to.
I’m no psychopath, nor do I have a hobby of watching dying insects like some silly kid.
But since I’ve already said it, I need to keep up appearances.
“So, if that insect fails to meet the boss’s expectations, you intend to let it die just like that?”
“…We’ll see.”
Why let it die?
If there’s no Balutak, what’s the point of being here?
*
The weak get eaten, and the strong eat the weak to evolve.
In the jungle of insects, it’s a continuous cycle of killing and being killed at every moment.
In such a jungle, the choices for the weak were limited.
Either get eaten or submit to the strong.
Balutak of the Poison Fang tribe was the leader who commanded the most followers.
While other insects lived solitary lives without forming groups, Balutak subdued the weak to form a colony.
He was not only strong but also clever.
He knew how to handle and exploit his subordinates.
As his power grew and he evolved further, a single goal began to emerge for Balutak.
To subjugate all insects and become the one true king of this jungle.
Insects that resisted his subjugation would be eaten, and he’d evolve to become the strongest.
That goal was shattered into pieces by beastmen from the magic realm.
The goal I had was shattered by the beastmen from the demonic realm.
“Kirik…”
It’s been a month since the beastmen claimed the forest.
It’s been about the same time that Balutak has been treated like a slave.
The strong prey on the weak.
The beastmen were strong, and the insects were weak.
But Balutak never imagined he would be treated like this.
He thought even if he lost, he would be eaten. Instead, he found himself in a situation where he barely had food or drink and was forced into hard labor all day.
Naturally, he rebelled at first and even tried to escape.
But now, he couldn’t move an inch and would get scared at the mere sight of the beastmen holding whips.
During those days of exploitation, Balutak gradually devolved.
His six limbs were no longer limbs, and his peripheral vision became unstable.
At this point, Balutak was clearly a weakling.
But he wasn’t being eaten; instead, he was always hungry and used only for labor.
“Kirik… It’s so tough…”
For some reason, today felt particularly bad.
Even long after the sun had risen and set, he hadn’t been given food or even a sip of water.
They didn’t even let him rest for a single second, as if squeezing out his strength.
Whack!
If he rested for even a second, a flurry of whips would come down.
“Kirik…”
Balutak felt his life was in danger.
This was beyond devolution. At this rate, he would die soon.
The evidence was that his consciousness was gradually fading away.
Suddenly, he felt a sensation all over his body, the feeling he had when he lay on the grass.
Balutak was unknowingly lying flat on the ground.
“Ki, rik…”
While navigating the jungle, all he wished for was survival and evolution.
But as the last moment approached, his desires grew.
Prey, water, and freedom.
Balutak closed his eyes to see the freedom that was soon to come.
Shed your skin.
Along with a faint sensation, that one phrase reached him.
Slowly, his consciousness became clearer, and his blurred vision brightened.
His eyes widened at the changes he felt in his body.
Being a creature that evolved repeatedly, he instinctively knew.
The feeling he sensed throughout his body was a precursor to evolution.
Balutak thought it must be an illusion.
How could evolution happen when he couldn’t even eat, struggling on the brink of death?
Yet, as if to deny that it was a lie, Balutak’s body began to recover gradually.
Balutak lifted his head.
What came into view was the silhouette that had poured water on him when he was about to collapse, just as his consciousness faded.
He thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t a dream.
“Kirik. A skeleton…”
Even in his hazy mind, he instinctively realized.
The skeleton standing in front of him had evolved him when he was on the brink of death.