Chapter 89: Master of the Fake Dungeon (2)
The dungeon monsters keep offering sacrifices 089
EP.89 Master of the Fake Dungeon (2)
A pack of gnolls with hyena-like faces led by Crimdor.
They stepped into the dungeon.
Upon entering, they were greeted by the quiet darkness giving way to torches on the walls.
Its bright.
The torches lined up in a row slowly illuminated the cave interior with a flickering light, providing a sense of psychological comfort.
Crimdor scanned the surroundings and resumed his steps.
The floor was covered with soft pebbles, muffling the sound of his footsteps.
Its well-maintained.
He ran his hand along the wall, but not a speck of dust came off.
It meant that the dungeon was meticulously maintained.
Must be to the masters taste.
The ambiance and maintenance of a dungeon varied according to the masters preference.
The dungeon they visited this time had a clean yet austere atmosphere.
But for a succubus dungeon, it feels too bland.
Crimdor expressed his doubt as he surveyed the surroundings.
There had been a time when he visited a succubus dungeon like this.
It wasnt the dungeon of the Succubus Queen but one under her influence.
His impression upon seeing a succubus dungeon for the first time was Beautiful.
Indeed, like a dream.
The dungeon itself was an enchanting and mysterious space.
It harbored a quiet yet dizzying allure as if one could fall into fascination.
It was adorned with red, black, and glamorous magenta decorations, and the portrait of the Succubus Queen hung in the center was truly lethal.
Although it was a thing of the past, even now, illusions seemed to flicker before his eyes.
That was how captivating the succubus dungeon he first saw was.
But look at the dungeon now.
Is it too austere to be called a succubuss domain?
Its strange.
Of course, it could just be a matter of taste difference.
But as he came here, one suspicion arose.
Why did Association tell us to investigate this dungeon?
Perhaps there was information even Association hadnt uncovered, leading them to be assigned this mission.
Does that mean we can be sure this is truly a succubus dungeon?
Thats not it.
The Demon Merchant Association did identify this dungeon as a succubus dungeon.
But they didnt mention how far the succubus, the master of this dungeon, had risen.
Nor did they say anything about the abundance of goblins in the forest.
This is a dungeon even Association doesnt know well!
That was the conclusion.
Even Association, who assigned the mission, didnt seem to know much about this dungeon.
Then there was no guarantee that the master of the dungeon was a succubus.
Crimdors thoughts reached this point.
Certainly, his thoughts were on target, but unfortunately, when he received the mission, Association only mentioned it as a succubus dungeon.
There was no guarantee that Crimdors own thoughts were accurate at the moment.
Hmm
As he walked through the dungeon cautiously, he heard a distant sound.
Crimdor concentrated on the sound using all his senses.
Water?
It was the sound of water.
A gentle sound of water rippling from deep within the dungeon.
Is there a lake in the dungeon?
The sound seemed too vast to be just a simple puddle.
Various thoughts crossed Crimdors mind.
The size of the dungeon was much larger than he had thought.
And the information Association provided wasnt reliable, which also bothered him.
Stop.
Crimdor halted his subordinates who were walking with him.
They, too, had undergone various tasks with Association.
Among those tasks were missions to investigate dungeons like this and missions to directly subdue dungeons.
Through such experiences, he thought he could grasp the current situation.
After catching his breath for a moment, Crimdor shouted loudly enough to echo throughout the dungeon.
I am an inspector from the Abyssal Council!
Their actions had been exposed since they entered the dungeon.
Perhaps even before we entered
In an instant, he recalled the goblins in the forest.
Perhaps those goblins werent wandering in the forest but belonged to the dungeon.
Such unease suddenly struck him.
At times like this, it was better to declare oneself as an affiliate of Association and approach it legitimately.
Whether that was the right decision or not, as soon as he shouted, a monster appeared to greet them.
Goblin
The monster that came out to greet them was a goblin.
The problem was that the goblin looked armed just like the ones in the forest.
Does it mean theres no need to hide?
Crimdors expression momentarily distorted.
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Crimdor and his subordinates followed the goblin.
Three paths appeared, and the goblin headed down the first one.
Normally, his subordinates would have split up to explore the second and third paths, but for some reason, they felt hesitant.
So Crimdor and his subordinates followed the goblin without a word.
As they headed down the first path, they encountered numerous undead monsters in the first open area.
Among them, skeletons predominated overwhelmingly.
There werent any high-grade monsters, and so far, it seemed like an ordinary dungeon.
But when they reached the next location, he was astonished.
Death Knights!
At the sight of the presence there, Crimdor involuntarily exclaimed.
To think there were creatures of 5-star!
But why are Death Knights here?
There was a large lake at that location.
He wondered if the sound of water he heard near the entrance of the dungeon was from this lake.
But there was one thing he couldnt understand.
If there were Death Knights with shovels digging near the lake.
?
It was incomprehensible.
If a Death Knight of the 5-star was practically the master of the dungeon.
In Crimdors mind, the existence of a succubus had already vanished.
Originally, the master of the dungeon was a Death Knight, and Associations mistaken information was undoubtedly wrong.
If Association had known that the dungeons master had a 5-star, he wouldnt have sent him in the first place.
Instead, he might have tried to establish a good relationship with the dungeon.
Surely, the Death Knight, who was undoubtedly the master of the dungeon, continued to dig the ground with a shovel.
Is the situation in the dungeon not good?
Sometimes, in dungeons with poor financial situations, the master participated directly in work.
But something was off.
The Death Knight, who was thought to be the master of the dungeon, was diligently working here, but the undead they had seen earlier were just standing still.
Hmm.
Perhaps the master of the dungeon was diligent.
Regardless of the exact details, it was impolite to just watch silently.
Crimdor greeted as politely as possible.
I am Crimdor from Demon Merchant Association.
He had thought it was just an unremarkable dungeon because he had only heard of succubus.
But in reality, it was a dungeon with a Death Knight as the master.
Since the actual master was of 5-star, Crimdor had no choice but to be cautious.
Is it really a Death Knight?
Even though Crimdor greeted him, the Death Knight just continued to dig without paying attention to his words.
Hes intentionally ignoring us.
Well, the one who commands so many goblins in the forest must be quite something.
A person like that would surely take great pride in their strength.
Crimdor addressed the Death Knight once again.
I am Crimdor from Demon Merchant Association. It seems you are the master of this dungeon, but
But his words didnt continue until the end.
It was because the Death Knight, who had been diligently digging until a moment ago, reacted to Crimdors words.
Huh?
He was puzzled by the Death Knights actions.
The Death Knight brought his finger to his lips.
It was a gesture for silence.
Whats this?
Why would he want silence?
Then the Death Knight resumed digging.
Was this being ignored?
No matter how high-ranking the presence, it felt disrespectful.
Crimdor himself visited as an affiliate of Association.
No matter how impressive the dungeon, in front of Association, it was like a cat in front of a mouse.
But this treatment crossed the line.
No! Even if youre the master of the dungeon, this treatment is
But once again, his words didnt reach the end.
Huh?
The goblin that had greeted him before was gesturing for them to come over from afar.
Whats this?
There were too many oddities in this mission.
For now, following the goblins gesture, Crimdor moved away from the Death Knight.
And another location appeared.
Just how vast is this place?
Even the lake they had just seen was impressive in size.
But another location emerged.
Huh?
There were humans being held captive there.
It definitely seemed like something the master of the dungeon would do.
Have you come?
And another entity greeted Crimdor and his group.
Succubus?
At a glance, he noticed that the other party was a succubus.
Her enchanting appearance and dress caught his eye.
Even her horns on her head were alluring.
But the power he felt from her was nothing special.
No, it was as if it didnt exist, perhaps because her power seemed weak.
Was it really like that?
The existence of a succubus.
Finally, he realized why Association had said this was a succubus dungeon.
So the succubus seduces the master of the dungeon!
Succubus were beings treated as demons along with incubus.
They seduce other genders with their charm.
Typically, succubus seduced males, but their ability was not limited to humans.
Sometimes, they even seduced the same type of monster, and this was exactly such a case.
Ha, a succubus seducing and acting as the master of the dungeon
Certainly, there was no doubt about it.
Currently, the Succubus Queen was hiding her presence.
In such a situation, there couldnt be a succubus higher in rank than the queen.
Even if there were, their name wouldnt be unknown.
In short, the succubus in front of him was seducing the Death Knight, the master of the dungeon, and acting as the master.
Haha. This is hilarious.
Crimdor couldnt help but laugh incredulously.
Its ridiculous.
Association probably didnt know this fact either.
At the same time, the Death Knight who had been defeated by just that woman seemed insignificant.
Whats so funny that I could know too?
The opposing succubus laughed and spoke.
She appeared dignified, indicating that she was well-maintained.
But to Crimdor, she was just a pretty flower.
Its just too funny that a fake is pretending to be the master of the dungeon. Hahaha!
This time, laughter truly burst out.
He might be rude from the start, but anyway, the opponent was a succubus.
A mere woman who relied solely on her appearance couldnt intimidate him.
Moreover, as soon as he heard it was a succubus dungeon from Association, both he and his subordinates wore equipment immune to mental attacks.
Well, since the master of the dungeon is such a pushover, it makes sense for a succubus to act as the master.
Crimdors words became increasingly harsh.
Now, he realized that it was truly an insignificant dungeon, and he felt like a fool for coming here.
He felt pathetic.
He felt angry.
To release the anger he felt now, he shouted loudly.
But the more he shouted, the more contorted the other partys expression became. But was that enough?
Who do you think you are to make such an expression?
But his words were cut off midway.
Huh, when did she!
Sure enough, the succubus in front of him had suddenly approached and covered his mouth.
Quiet down.
Her cold words sent shivers down his spine.
And Crimdor couldnt release her hand because of her unexpectedly strong power.
No matter how he struggled, it was futile.
Of course, as soon as the leader was subdued, the followers raised their weapons, but it was useless.
The goblins who approached immediately subdued them.
Even among the goblin crowd, there was a hobgoblin.
G-Goblin Lord?!
The most noticeable was the goblin wearing a crown.
The so-called Goblin Lord.
Why?!
In addition to the Death Knight, there was also a Goblin Lord in the dungeon.
Moreover, the succubus was not an ordinary creature either.
Only then did Crimdor realize that something was seriously wrong.
Even so, he couldnt escape from her grasp.
I dont mind insults toward me, but insulting my master is unforgivable.
Although she spoke quietly, there was power in her voice.
Crimdor could tell as well as she was angry.
Ugh ugh!
Even if he wanted to speak, he couldnt.
And at the same time
Swoosh
Thud
His subordinates around him began to fall to the goblins blades.
Ugh!
Then, the succubus in front of him, Celia, released her grip.
Only then did Crimdor protest loudly.
How dare you touch the Demon Merchant Association!
To be precise, they had a contractual relationship with Association.
However, right now, escaping from the dungeon even by selling Associations name was a priority.
No matter how powerful the other party was, mentioning Associations name would make them back off.
They had to back off.
But contrary to his thoughts, Celia just smiled.
Indeed. Are you causing such trouble because you believe in Associations name?
Celia had no intention of letting Crimdor go in the first place.
He insulted their esteemed master.
For that alone, he deserved to die a hundred times over.
At Celias gesture, this time the Goblin Lord moved.
Thud
With a deafening noise as if his ears were being torn apart, Crimdor felt pain in his abdomen.
What?
As he touched his abdomen, he felt blood.
Even after this you think youll get away with it!
If a monster affiliated with Association was killed, the dungeon would be finished.
Knowing this fact, Crimdor pressured his opponent with a loud voice.
But the opponent wasnt intimidated at all.
Do you think Im afraid of such words?
The more Crimdor raged, the more Celia smiled.
It seems you were assigned by Association after all.
Perhaps this place was the destination.
If Crimdor went missing, this place would be the first to be suspected.
But unfortunately, you were attacked by wandering goblins on your way here.
Crimdors expression turned pale at her words.
What, what is this!
At the same time, Celia flicked her finger.
Then something astonishing happened.
Kii! For the masters sake!
Several goblins cried out faintly as they stabbed knives into their own throats.
Some stabbed themselves in the stomach.
Seeing goblins taking their own lives, blood splattering everywhere, a sense of madness filled the air.
Crimdors expression darkened.
You, who fought fiercely with your subordinates against the goblin attack, ended up dead.
Celia pointed to the corpses of the goblins who had just taken their own lives.
But still, killing goblins before dying is quite impressive.
Her smile felt sinister, like that of a demon.
As Crimdor stood there in shock, Celia gave an order.
Shadow, take the bodies as far away as possible. Make it look like they killed each other.
The corpses of Gnolls and the goblins still retained warmth.
If the scene was manipulated properly, Association wouldnt suspect a thing.
Her words left Crimdor in disbelief.
This place is insane.
And that was his final word.