I was told something quite rude, but since it was the truth, I held my tongue. After a few seconds of contemplation, I finally voiced my question.
“Then, what about the benefits for players who provide funding or the connections within the Guild members?”
“Unfortunately, the Production Guild isn’t a corporation. We don’t distribute profits from sales or offer discounts on products. That’s something the Resale Guild does,” Claude stated firmly.
Magi-san continued, “I wouldn’t expect pure goodwill… but I think there are quite a few players who would find it convenient to have a Production Guild. The Guild is open to all players, not just those in the Production Class.”
“That’s true,” I thought, taking a moment to digest what was said.
“That’s fine. Even if it’s a small amount for funding, I don’t have the means right now, so can we settle this for a later date?”
Magi-san sighed in relief at my words, as did Lily and Claude, who seemed confident in the outcome.
“Is it okay if the amount is within what I can manage?”
“Yes. Thank you, Yun-kun. We’ve been trying to gather funds ourselves lately, so this takes a bit of weight off my shoulders. However, if we use the materials from Claude’s dungeon, we might be able to gather funds a bit more easily.”
“Hey, Claude. Can you really make that much from a dungeon?”
“Just like Lily said, maintaining a stable operation requires quite a bit of preparation, but it’s decent enough. It’s about time we take a look.”
With that, Claude moved his fingers in the air, visualizing a menu for us to see. A translucent screen expanded to the size of a large television, fixed in a position that was easy for us to view.
“This is the current layout of the dungeon.”
What appeared was a map-like display filled with intricate squares in shades of brown and black. Several maps were shown, each numbered by its respective floor, with white dots representing players moving around in real-time.
“Honestly, even if you show me this, I have no idea how to interpret it,” I admitted.
“Right, then how about this?” Claude replied, and the grid-based map transformed into a 3D representation. However, due to the increased amount of information, only the first layer was displayed.
“Now, let me explain the dungeon’s concept. The main focus is on ‘bringing back materials.’ It’s all about ‘returning alive.'”
“Wait a minute! Didn’t a player-operated dungeon similar to yours pop up recently? I heard it was extremely unbalanced and no one wanted to go there…” Lily interjected.
Claude responded, “That’s a good question. To create a dungeon, you need DP. The basic ways to gather DP are through natural recovery, defeating players, and collecting the MP consumed by players within the dungeon. There’s also a financial measure where you can exchange 10,000 G for 1 DP, and some people are actually making a profit that way.”
“Wow, so 1 DP costs 10,000 G? That sounds pretty steep,” I remarked.
“Unfortunately, it’s not that convenient of a system. The maximum natural recovery amount is 10,000 DP at the dungeon’s initial level. As the level increases, it goes up by 1,000, but the natural recovery rate is only 100 DP per hour. Even if you convert money to DP, it’s just a small amount and hardly makes a difference. Plus, there are limits on the DP rate: when converting money to DP, it has to be less than one-tenth of the natural recovery amount, and when converting DP to money, you need to have more than the natural recovery amount, with a rate of 10,000 G for every 100 points. It’s not worth it.”
With a sigh, Claude paused for a moment before continuing.
“Back to the topic at hand. The dungeon Lily mentioned is one that focuses on defeating players to earn DP.”
“I see. So the difficulty is high for defeating players, which is why no one wants to go there. No one would choose a place with a high risk of death penalties for leveling up.”
“Exactly.”
“So, how does Claude earn DP then?”
At Magi-san’s insightful question, I voiced my own curiosity.
“In my case, I run a low-cost dungeon that stays below the natural recovery rate of DP. I mainly focus on collecting the MP consumed by players. That said, it’s not a completely safe dungeon.”
Claude then showed us a 3D hologram of some dungeon installations.
“This dungeon is structured like an oil cave, with materials that can be harvested or dropped placed throughout. It also randomly generates treasure chests to provide incentives for players…”
“Hey, Claude? Why are the production materials so heavily skewed towards ‘snow story’ types?”
“Of course, it’s for my benefit. I provide information about the dungeons I create to players and buy the materials they bring back at a premium. Isn’t it a fantastic self-sustaining cycle?”
“Claude, that’s unfair! You should prepare materials for ‘woodworking’ too!”
“Since it’s a cave dungeon, you should also include places to gather ores. Right now, I’m summarizing the construction of the Production Guild…”
“You’re trying to go solo while we’re all involved!” Magi-san and Lily half-joked, raising their voices in protest against Claude’s monopolistic approach to gathering production materials.
Ignoring their complaints, Claude manipulated the menu, a sly grin spreading across his face as he zoomed in on a specific area.
“Oh? Are you ignoring us, Claude?”
“More importantly, it looks like something interesting is about to happen. A player has just ventured deeper inside.”
It seemed Claude wanted to wrap up our discussion about funding the establishment of the Production Guild. He pointed at the translucent screen, enlarging that particular section.
What we saw was a group that looked almost entirely like warriors. They were armed with clubs, spears, hand axes, and blunt instruments. The typical imbalance of a hastily assembled party without a proper role was evident as they walked straight ahead.
“3, 2, 1,” Claude began counting down. The moment he reached zero, a purple glowing magic circle activated beneath the party’s feet.
“Trap!”
“Correct. And the effect is…”
“What? What just happened?”
“Watch out! It’s a trap!”
“If it spawns monsters…”
“Yikes! Form up!”
In the brief moment before the light settled, the party quickly formed a circle, covering each other’s blind spots. But nothing happened.
“What the…? Nothing’s happening. Was it just a scare?”
“That was surprising. It gave me a bit of a scare. But I might have been a bit too relaxed. We need to stay alert.”
“Thanks for the meal. There are ways to profit from traps too.”
The players on the other side of the screen breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of immediate danger, but Claude quietly observed the increased DP count on the edge of the menu.
“—Did you gain DP, Claude? You didn’t defeat any players or use any Skills or Arts.”
“I see, Claude. The trap type is 【MP Absorption】.”
“Oh, I get it now. It directly siphoned MP.”
I nodded in understanding. The MP consumed within the dungeon was converted into DP. Claude’s concept of earning DP without defeating players was indeed fitting.
“But why not set up traps in narrow passages or single paths to earn like a toll?”
“Unfortunately, the placement of these traps changes randomly over a certain period, and they can only be set in areas that can be reliably avoided. However, since they aren’t damage traps, the cost is low, making them a nice source of income over time.”
“I see… got it.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a player who had just passed through the MP absorption trap suddenly vanish. No, it would be more accurate to say they fell into a trapdoor.
“Oh, what a spectacular drop!”
“But is the hole surprisingly deep? It’s filled with water, but it’s not a drowning trap, right? It can’t be a trap just for discomfort from getting wet.”
“Yun, that’s unlikely. Look closely.”
Claude adjusted the angle of the visible footage, making it easier for us to see. From that angle, we could confirm the depth of the hole—it was just shallow enough for an adult male to jump out easily. The bottom was filled with water, rippling with countless floating orbs. I recognized them, and the familiarity turned my initial anxiety into relief.
“Oh, it’s just a pit filled with blue slimes.”
Claude’s cryptic comment made me wonder what kind of clever trap he had set up, only to find out he had simply tossed in a bunch of low-cost slimes. I relaxed and took a sip of my tea.
Getting a bit too engrossed in the conversation, I quickly finished my now-cold tea and poured myself a fresh, steaming cup.
“Well, it’s begun.”
Surrounded by the bobbing, floating slimes, the party looked more dazed than anything else as their HP slightly decreased.
As I watched the changes while sipping from my cup, I noticed my HP decrease by mere millimeters. In the next moment, it began to plummet rapidly, and before I could react, all my HP vanished, leaving the players trapped within the slime.
“Buuuh! P-P-Puh cough cough!”
“Whoa! P-P-P-Lily got caught!”
“My HP melted away in an instant…”
Lily, who had choked on her tea, coughed repeatedly. I glanced at the slime pool, trying to be discreet in public. Magi-san looked on in disbelief, unable to respond.
“This is a trap designed to maximize the use of each small slime MOB. It’s called the ‘Slime Hell.’”
“Uh, it looks exactly like that…”
“The concept is to recover DP at a low cost. First, the pitfall is designed to be escapeable, allowing for low-cost construction. At the bottom of the pit, a slime spawn point is set, causing slimes to spawn at regular intervals and drop players into the created slime pool. Finally, the overwhelming saturation attack from the slimes relies on a chain bonus to crush the players! Moreover, even if the trap is discovered, eliminating this many slimes requires appropriate Skills or Arts. This ensures that even with the option to eliminate, DP can be secured in the black, and with time, repairs are possible! In terms of cost-performance, it’s an exceptionally efficient combo trap!”
Claude stood up, passionately explaining, while the rest of us looked up at him with our mouths agape.
“Seriously, you don’t have to go on about it like that… I mean, is it really that easy to fall for a trap? If the activation rate is low just because it was built, isn’t that a waste?”
“Fufufu, that’s why I have this.”
He rubbed his fingers together and snapped, causing the scene to change. A wide corridor branched off into a side path, with stairs leading down to a lower level visible in the distance.
“Oh, stairs leading down!”
“Alright, we can move forward now. I heard there are good armor materials ahead, so let’s gather them and take them back.”
“Let’s go with all our might!”
Distracted by the stairs leading to the lower level, the moment we stepped into the intersection with the side path,
“Waaaaahhh!”
The ground at the intersection shot up, sending the players standing there flying into the side path. The moment they fell into the darkness beyond, a splashing sound echoed.
“And this is how the bounce-up floor trap works to guide players; it makes Slime Hell quite useful.”
The reactions of the players who fell into the side path’s Slime Hell vanished.
“Cold-blooded man…”
One by one, Lily, I, and Magi-san threw words at Claude.
“What are you saying? A low-cost trap that triggers a chain reaction to accumulate damage is wonderful! Praise it more!”
Claude wore a satisfied expression, as if he wanted to say that. I couldn’t help but interject, “You’re not even trying to hide the fact that this looks like a villain’s lair. Can you tone it down a bit?”
I pressed my fingers to my temples and let out a small sigh. When I shot a glare at Claude, he shrugged as if to say it was all part of the show. “Sorry, I didn’t realize my jokes wouldn’t land.”
I turned my gaze away from the displayed scene inside the dungeon to see Magi-san and Lily watching Miu and the others’ dungeon exploration with keen interest, occasionally gasping in awe.
Emotionally, it felt like watching a physical challenge show on TV. The challengers breezed through a complex and difficult course, racing against the clock. Even on the same course, the individual skills, strategies, and personalities of the participants created entirely different dramas.
Indeed, the fact that the developments could change infinitely depending on the challengers was a commonality with such shows. With that thought, I found myself nodding in agreement and decided to observe closely.
“I don’t really know much about Miu and the others’ actions after all.”
It was a good opportunity, so I thought I’d take my time to watch them, pouring myself another cup of tea.
The first layer progressed smoothly, collecting MOBs and materials along the way, all while maintaining a cheerful atmosphere.
The traps around here were still at a relatively mild level, more of a nuisance than a real threat.
Occasionally, they passed by MP absorption traps, but Toutobi, acting as the tank, was capable of avoiding or disarming them.
The traps were mostly of a type that evoked laughter, like shallow pitfalls or mud pits designed to hinder movement, and escaping them was easy.
As long as one had the Sense, they could avoid or disarm them. Even without it, brute force would suffice.
However, one point of concern was…
“By the way, the other day, Sei-nee said…”
“Seriously, Miu really loves her big sisters, huh?”
“Well, it’s family love.”
“Fufufu… what a wonderful family love. I can almost see flowers blooming in the background. Mainly yuri.”
“Lily, come back! No, don’t trip out on me!”
The cheerful atmosphere continued as Miu dominated the conversation, not with battles but with lively chatter.
Miu happily recounted stories about me and Sei-nee, sharing various amusing anecdotes. Rukato listened with a smile, while Toutobi and Hino participated in the conversation, effortlessly dealing with the occasional MOB while grinning.
Lily had already drifted into her own world of fantasies. With a blissful expression, her face flushed, and her heavy breathing looked almost seductive. Kohaku tried to shake her back to reality, but it seemed she had given up quickly.
More than that,
“Ugh, this is so embarrassing!”
I shouted in a suppressed voice towards Miu, who was too far to hear. Magi-san, Claude, and Lily watched me with amused expressions, as if to say they found my predicament entertaining.
“That time on our day off, even though I had snacks stocked at home, I picked up a pudding from the store and stood there for over five minutes contemplating it. How cute is that?”
“Isn’t it fine? It’s just pudding. You wanted to eat it, right?”
“Well, I did have other snacks at home. It was more about the mood at the time; cravings can be fleeting. I thought I shouldn’t buy what I didn’t need.”
“Wow, you’re really serious about this. You’re weighing your financial sense against your desires, debating whether it’s okay to buy something you don’t need. So, what was the outcome?”
“I ended up being forced to buy it by Miu. She said since I didn’t really want anything else, I should just go for it. It was a specialty pudding shop, so it was delicious.”
The pudding turned out to be surprisingly delightful, with its smooth texture and just the right amount of caramel bitterness. Personally, I found it satisfying without being overly sweet, making it a worthwhile purchase. Given that the pudding had a long shelf life compared to the quickly perishable snacks, I couldn’t help but think later on about what a silly thing I had worried over.
“To put it another way, should I see it as suppressing my desires from the sidelines? Still, you all get along so well. It’s strange that you didn’t form a party sooner.”
“Geez… There are various reasons on my end too. And besides, I’m not one of the three sisters; I’m a guy.”
Even though we got along well, we weren’t together all the time in real life, and our gaming styles were quite different. It felt best to engage occasionally rather than force ourselves to interact all the time.
As we enjoyed our tea and snacks, chatting animatedly, Miu and the others had made significant progress.
“Alright, we’ve cleared the first floor and are now on the second. The enemies aren’t stronger, but how do we handle the traps?”
“Hey, Claude. How many floors does this dungeon have in total?”
“It’s a simple multi-floor dungeon. That said, the final floor is mostly a straight shot, so it feels like three floors plus a boss room. The journey there takes time, but if we take the shortest route back, we won’t take more than a few minutes to exit.”
As I glanced back at Miu and the others, I saw them skillfully dealing with enemies and navigating through the points of that Slime Hell.
“…Excuse me. There’s a rather large trap here. It’s a pressure-sensitive trap.”
“Everyone, halt!”
Toutobi alerted us to the trap’s presence, and Rukato stopped, calling out the halt command in a clear, loud voice. After a few seconds of contemplation, Rukato sought the party’s opinions.
“The trap types might have leveled up with the change in floors. I think it would be wise to trigger it once to understand it better. What do you all think?”
Rukato’s suggestion received agreement from Miu and the others, and Hino was chosen to activate the trap.
“Hino, could you do it?”
“Okay, Rukato. Should I just hit this spot with my hammer?”
With that, she swung her large hammer down on the trap with all her might, triggering a pitfall.
Claude, who had proudly set up the Slime Hell trap, watched the scene with an expressionless face.
“Whoa, it’s packed with slimes. They’re all jiggly.”
“I can’t handle this on a physiological level. Hey, Miu, Rirei, what should we do?”
“Well, the situation with the slime is quite niche, isn’t it?”
“You! What are you saying?!”
“Hehehe, well, putting that aside, I’ll burn it all away! (Flame Burn!)”
A torrent of flames rained down, instantly filling the pit and causing fire to erupt from the trap.
“Wow! Rirei, as always, you sure know how to make an entrance.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Miu.”
“No, we should have consulted before doing that. Honestly, Rirei…”
Miu looked up at the flames shooting up from the pit, while Rirei wore a somewhat proud expression. In contrast, Kohaku, Rirei’s usual restraint, let out a tired sigh, and Rukato and Pihono exchanged wry smiles. Toutobi’s expression was hard to read, but he seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere.
“If the second floor continues like this, we should be fine,” I thought, but the man right next to me wore a very serious expression.
“So far, we’ve only activated Skills and Arts once. I used area attacks to deal with the traps, but the DP return rate is low compared to the power. This means someone has equipped either the MP Consumption Reduction or Magic Attack Increase Sense. Considering the DP consumption from the defeated Mobs, we’re at a loss. We need to go on the offensive.”
Claude muttered something suspicious under his breath.
On the second floor, there was a trap set behind the selection area, and Miu nearly fell into a pitfall. Just as her body was halfway in, she activated the Action Restriction Release Sense, kicking off the wall and performing a three-dimensional maneuver to avoid falling into the pit. She showcased quite a skillful move, and that Slime Hell was soon engulfed in Rirei’s flames.
Then came the third floor, which Claude referred to as the effective final floor. Upon entering, Claude issued commands within the dungeon.
“【Leaf Urgent Command】. Engage and repel the 40 Undead and 30 Curse Flames on the third floor. All Spirits that appear on the third floor are to be relocated to the fourth floor, acting as needed.”
Under Claude’s orders, the mummified undead and the black flame spirits began to move slowly, armed with spears and bows. I didn’t think the strength of these Mobs would be enough to stop Miu and the others, but…
“…Thank goodness. It’s not horror-themed.”
Given that they were called Undead, I had imagined something a bit more terrifying, but they resembled dull-colored wooden puppets and mere black lights, lacking in true horror. However, the size of their hollow eyes and mouths gave off an unsettling vibe.
They formed a line in the narrow corridor, raising their spears in formation.
“It’s hard for me to get in close with my dagger.”
We should suppress them with Rirei and Kohaku’s frontal attacks.
Toutobi remarked about the short reach of his weapon, while Rukato, with his oversized bastard sword, struggled a bit to maneuver, using the side of his sword to deflect spear attacks. Hino switched her weapon from a large club to a long spear, preparing to engage while waiting for magical support from behind.
“Whoa! Something just came out of the wall!”
“Darn! This black flame doesn’t have much attack power, but it inflicts a 【Curse】 status effect!”
Hehehe, troublesome indeed. If we get hit by the 【Curse】, it’ll be a problem, but for now, let’s ignore it and unleash some magic.
“That sounds good. Aero Bash!”
“Going for brute force, huh? I like it! Light Wave!”
The three casters positioned at the back unleashed their spells, striking the mummified soldiers. Claude watched from the other side of the screen, a cheerful smile on his face. The situation was clearly unfavorable, and since he had summoned the Mobs in a hurry, his DP was significantly reduced.
“Hehehe, everything is proceeding as planned.”
“Claude? Seriously, stop pretending to be tough and just focus on clearing the dungeon!”
Magi-san narrowed her eyes slightly, looking a bit amused. But deep down, she was likely looking forward to seeing how much Claude would struggle.
I told you, this is a low-cost combo dungeon. By combining multiple elements, we can create the ideal situation. This isn’t just a battle for DP; it has turned into a fight to recreate the dungeon scenarios I imagined! I’m not worried about losses!
“Losses, huh? You’re losing the Mobs you just summoned.”
“No, something feels off.”
Lily pointed out the anomaly, and I noticed the change. What did Claude summon with that emergency command? He issued commands to two types of Mobs and relocated one type. However, the relocated Mobs weren’t originally present on the third floor. They had escaped from the bodies of the mummified soldiers.
What emerged was a blue-hued spirit. It slipped through the wall and vanished.
“Something came out! (Light Wave)! Ugh, I let it escape.”
Miu noticed the blue-tinged spirit and managed to take one down with magic, but several others disappeared into the wall, and soon the mummified soldiers surged toward the now-empty space.
Miu, while dodging a sudden black fireball emerging from the wall, slashed at it with her sword, dispersing it.
“Now, let me introduce the concept of the boss that will emerge from this third floor.”
Claude stood up from his chair, striking a pose.
“First, let me explain the roles of each Mob. The Undead will hold the players in place while ensuring that the Spirits appear in large numbers. And the Curse Flames, which can move through walls, will inflict the 【Curse】 status effect.”
“Why Spirits? Why do we need to spawn so many Mobs?”
“That’s the setup for the boss. But, well, you’ll understand if you just watch. We have to save the fun for later.”
With a chuckle, Claude resumed his explanation.
“Now, here’s a question. Why do you think I’m spreading 【Curse】 with the Curse Flames?”
I placed my hand on my chin, pondering. The 【Curse】 status effect was supposed to reduce MP by 1% per second and inflict random negative effects, but MP reduction means…
“I see. What you’re implying is that the 【Curse】 will help secure DP through MP reduction.”
“Moreover, if we take our time recovering from the curse, we can continuously earn DP, and even if we use Healing Magic to dispel it right away, we still gain DP from using our Skills.”
Claude nodded in satisfaction at the responses from Magi and Lily. In fact, as Miu was using the Healing Magic known as Dispel, he waited for the perfect moment to unleash the curse once more with Curse Flame. However, with each subsequent attempt, the success rate gradually decreased, and ultimately, the Undead and Curse Flame were unleashed. Several Spirits were defeated, leading to the complete annihilation of the third-floor MOBs.
“…At last, the flow of enemies has stopped. There are no more foes ahead,” Claude remarked.
“Then let’s take a short break before we move on. Miu has been the most active, defending, attacking, and healing.”
With a relaxed sigh, Miu leaned against the wall of the corridor, and the party members looked on with fond smiles. They decided on a set time to rest, and once the break was over, they replenished their MP with MP Potions before pressing deeper into the dungeon.
“Now, for the final gimmick! This is the boss of the fourth floor, the Hellhound, which serves as the cornerstone of the third floor!”
In the only room shaped like a pillow on the fourth floor, there was a single dog. It was smaller than a medium-sized Boss MOB. Surrounding it were dozens of Spirits that had been spawned just moments ago.
“Is that the boss? And didn’t someone run away earlier?” Hino scoffed.
Reacting to her words, the Hellhound rose from a crouched position and howled at the ceiling. In response to its echoing voice, the Spirits floating nearby were drawn in, merging with the Hellhound. With each Spirit absorbed, the Hellhound grew larger, eventually transforming into a size befitting a Boss MOB.
The sight left Magi and Lily, along with myself, gaping in astonishment.
“The Spirits are MOBs with no offensive capabilities. The only Sense they possess is ‘Ruler.’ By merging with their target, they grant a boost to stats based on the level of their Sense. That’s thirty-two Spirits. A few were defeated along the way, but the Hellhound absorbed the rest. It’s not an opponent to be taken lightly.”
With each Spirit it absorbed, the Hellhound unleashed a pressure that felt almost suffocating.
And thus, the battle with the Hellhound began.
Despite its medium-sized Boss MOB stature, the Hellhound dashed across the ground with its inherent agility, attempting to tear through the party’s formation with powerful charges.
“Ha! Too easy!”
Rukato swung his bastard sword, sending the Hellhound flying.
“Neck Hunt!”
As the Hellhound regained its posture mid-air, Toutobi leaped ahead with a high-mobility Arts, brandishing his dagger in reverse grip. He struck down with a powerful slash aimed at the thick neck of the Hellhound, sending it crashing downward.
In that brief moment before it could rise, Miu and Hino closed in, weapons raised.
“Fifth Breaker!”
“Grand Hammer!”
With a flurry of strikes, Miu unleashed a series of five rapid blows against the Hellhound’s flank, glowing with a pale blue light, while Hino’s massive hammer followed suit, crashing down with a bone-crushing force.
The Hellhound rolled twice on the ground, regaining its stance.
And for the final blow—
“Hehe, I’ll finish you off with maximum firepower!”
“I’m ready for the big move!”
Kohaku and Rirei positioned themselves at a ninety-degree angle, their staffs aligned perfectly with the Hellhound.
“(Flame Circle)”
“(Little Tornado)”
Rirei’s fiery ring encircled the Hellhound, sealing off its escape routes. The ring, compressed to its limits, erupted in an explosion that engulfed the Hellhound.
Kohaku’s small whirlwind further intensified the flames, lifting the engulfed creature higher into the air.
The sight of a fire tornado suddenly erupting within the underground dungeon was enough to leave even those watching through the screen in awe.
“The miscalculation on Claude’s part was giving Miu and the others such a spacious area to work with.”
[Who would have thought Claude prepared so thoroughly, only to be so easily cornered by their combination?]
Lily’s analysis and Magi’s cough reminded me once again of the strength of Miu’s party. Despite consuming a massive amount of DP to enhance the Hellhound’s abilities, it was almost pitiful how easily they handled it.
Considering the damage dealt to the Hellhound, it was clear that the MVPs of this encounter were Rirei and Kohaku. Rirei’s maximum firepower combined with Kohaku’s perfectly timed wind magic created a synergistic effect, unleashing even greater damage.