Chapter 411: Sub-Dungeon
“Why the heck?”
Oops, I accidentally let a Kansai dialect slip out. I never expected that famous line to come up, but all I can think is, if you want to die, go ahead.
“W-what… You didn’t come here to take my Dungeon, did you…?”
As Rizelade asks this, cold sweat trickling down her face, I let out a sigh in my heart.
“Even if I did take it, managing it would be a hassle.”
It’s a bit hypocritical for me to say this, considering how much I’ve been throwing at Mesaria-san, but a troublesome thing is still troublesome.
“…Huh?”
Rizelade looks at me with a blank expression, but I’m not lying. Sure, it seems like there are more things we could do with the Dungeon, but leaving such an easily conquerable low-difficulty Dungeon as it is would be terrifying. It would surely take a lot of time to modify.
“S-so, that’s the only… reason?”
“That’s right.”
She gives me a look of disbelief, but it’s the truth, so I have no other way to explain it.
“However, there is always the possibility that you might change your mind halfway through.”
Her wide-open eyes narrow slightly, but it’s true that words alone don’t mean much. So what should we do? I honestly have no idea. I glance around, and Rio returns a wry smile while Ivan shrugs his shoulders. Phonia, meanwhile, clings to Rizelade, looking up at me with sparkling eyes. I can’t think of a good solution, but I feel a strange pressure coming from Phonia.
“…But how did you realize that I am the Dungeon Master?”
“Well, that’s obvious. You entered the Dungeon.”
“Huh?”
When I answer honestly, Rizelade furrows her brow, her expression shifting to one of confusion.
“When… When did you enter my Dungeon!?”
Suddenly, she looks panicked, but the truth is, Iām in it right now.
“This floor we’re on is that Dungeon.”
“What!?”
Rizelade’s shock causes her to rise slightly, glancing around in disbelief. To the naked eye, it looks like just another room in a mansion. The floor, walls, and ceiling are designed to feel natural even when entering from the hallway. Since it’s a room for the Dungeon Door, there aren’t any unnecessary pieces of furniture, but there are tables and chairs set up for use as a waiting area.
Normally, anything brought in from outside the Dungeon would be absorbed, but that can be adjusted through settings.
“It doesn’t look like a Dungeon at all… If that’s the case, then I must appear as a threat to you… Why are you so calm about it?”
“Even if you call me a threat…”
Sure, the threat level is there, but it doesn’t seem that significant to me.
“W-well, my threat level is showing as 284…!?”
She stutters out that number, trembling, and it certainly sounds like an overwhelming threat level. Compared to 2, it must be quite formidable.
“That’s impressive. Mine is showing as a threat level of 2.”
“…Huh?”
Her eyes go wide, resembling a bewildered old man who just learned his combat power is 5, and she slowly lowers her gaze to the ground, dejected. At the same time, a message flows into my mind, indicating that Rizelade has fully surrendered.
“Request from Dungeon Master: Rizelade to designate Woznik Dungeon as a Sub-Dungeon of Machina Raise Dungeon. Do you approve? Yes/No.”
Huh, what’s this? A Sub-Dungeon? …Like a vassal state?
“What the heck is this?”
I can’t help but voice my confusion, but it seems Rizelade didn’t hear me, as she continues mumbling to herself while staring at the ground.
“…What happens if I approve?”
I have no idea, so I explain what just happened and consult with everyone.
“Are there any downsides?”
“I don’t know.”
“If there’s no other explanation, then we might as well try it, right?”
Ivan’s logic is sound. If I choose ‘No,’ the situation will remain the same. Plus, with no other information available, we can only conclude that we have no basis for judgment.
“Then let’s just go for it.”
Even if it becomes a part of our organization, I should be able to delegate management. With a light heart, I select “Yes,” and Rizelade slowly lifts her face to look at me. She has an expression that seems to mix relief, as if she just set down a heavy burden, with confusion over how things turned out this way.
“My threat level… has disappeared…?”
As she mutters this, I wonder if anything has changed and visualize the Dungeon menu in my mind.
“Oh, a new settings menu has appeared.”
“The menu for the Dungeon?”
Nodding at Rio’s question, she pulls out the Dungeon Tablet from her Dimensional Box.
“You’re right. There’s a new option for settings.”
I decide to leave the settings menu to Rio and check if there are any changes in the other menus. When I open the map, I can now select the Dungeon, and the list of Monsters includes those that appear in Woznik Dungeon. It seems I can also Create now.
“Wow, it looks like we can create Monsters that appear in your Dungeon over here too.”
Upon hearing more details, it seems we can permit the TYPE Series to be placed in Woznik Dungeon, and we can add a fee on top of the DP required for creation. While items from the Sub-Dungeon can be used freely, the reverse requires permission and can drain DP.
“W-what… is that? And what is that black tablet!?”
Amidst the lively discussion about what we can do in the Dungeon, Rizelade’s voice rises in a panicked shout, clearly feeling left behind.