novelraw Chapter 107 : Chapter 107
Chapter 107 : Chapter 107
Chapter 107. Dungeon Construction (1)
Beyond the crystal ball, the abyss-like eyes seemed to pierce through him.
Nox couldn't bring himself to lift his head.
The majesty of the Lich King who had commanded the world just a moment ago was nowhere to be found.
Only the humiliation of defeat and remorse towards his master remained, crushing his emaciated body.
"I am ashamed to face you."
The voice he barely squeezed out sounded pathetic even to himself.
However, the figure in the crystal ball, Primus, was surprisingly calm.
"That's enough. Raise your head."
Nox reluctantly raised his head.
Primus was still staring at him intently with an unreadable expression.
His gaze went beyond simple observation, seeming to pierce deep into Nox's soul.
"You've become a Lich King. To think you'd absorb Kaliditas, the first Demon King. Huhu."
Primus paused for a moment, letting out a strange laugh that was either satisfied or mocking.
Unable to grasp his intention, Nox lowered his body even further.
"That alone is enough. You showed the best you could do. Never mind what happened there, cross over to this place."
"Yes?"
Nox was bewildered. This place? What did he mean by this place?
"If you mean this place... where are you referring to?"
"Reubungwo. A distant island nation to the east."
Reubungwo? Nox tilted his head at the place name he had never heard before.
The only world he knew was the Continent of Ista.
"Is there something for me to do there?"
"That's right."
Primus answered curtly.
"The resistance is stronger than expected."
'Resistance?'
Nox was inwardly horrified.
'Is there really a force that can stand against Sir Primus?'
To think there were those who dared to oppose the primordial being who could create and destroy the entire world.
As if reading Nox's thoughts, Primus continued in a low voice.
"It's not like that. But the amount I have to handle alone is too much. That's why I need your help."
At the words that his help was needed, Nox felt both honored and puzzled.
But the master's command was absolute.
He hurriedly bowed his head.
"I will do whatever I can! But I don't know how to get there."
Reubungwo was an unknown land whose exchanges with the Continent of Ista had been cut off for a long time.
Some even dismissed it as nothing more than an imaginary island.
How could he possibly go to such a place?
But Primus flicked his finger lightly as if it were no difficult matter.
Snap!
With a clear sound, the space around Nox began to distort.
His body began to faintly disappear from the tips of his toes.
"Wh-what?!"
While the flustered Nox couldn't even scream properly.
His existence was instantly erased from that spot.
In the place where Nox had disappeared, only the desolate sound of the wind echoed emptily.
***
As the light faded, the familiar scenery of the mansion's reception room came into view.
Noemi's transition magic was always amazing to experience.
To leap through space and move in an instant.
"I'll bring my sisters right away too!"
Without even a moment to catch her breath, Noemi spread her magic circle again and disappeared in an instant.
In the place she left, only Noctavira, with a look of clear bewilderment, and Anonymous, still in my arms, remained.
Noctavira fidgeted and only looked around, but I had no time to spare for her.
Right now, the only thing important to me was Anonymous in front of me.
I hugged her tightly once more.
The tension of the battle just now and the fear of having almost lost her came rushing in belatedly.
She too hugged my back tightly without a word.
For a long time, we remained silent, feeling each other's warmth.
Finally, Anonymous slowly raised her head and met my eyes.
Her red eyes were filled with relief and a deep longing.
"I missed you, Master."
A low voice.
That one phrase filled my chest with a heart-wrenching emotion.
"Me too. Never again... I will never lose you again."
I grabbed her shoulders and said it like a promise.
Then I lifted Balisardo from my waist and showed it to her.
"Thanks to this, I was able to know that you were in danger."
Anonymous looked at the sword with a puzzled expression.
Then she noticed a faint crack in the red jewel embedded in the center of the sword and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh? Why is this cracked?"
It seemed she only realized the situation after seeing the crack in the jewel.
"Seeing this, I had a hunch that something was wrong with you. Because this is a treasured sword you put great effort into making for me."
Anonymous smiled faintly and nodded.
"I see. Well, this jewel is a part of my heart."
"A part of your heart?"
I asked back, flustered.
"Is it okay to cut your heart?"
As if reading my worry, Anonymous smiled brightly and nodded.
"It's fine. Unlike humans, dragons recover quickly even if a part of their heart is cut out. The moment it comes out of the body, it crystallizes and turns into a jewel, but it seems it was still connected to me."
She added playfully.
"Still, I don't give this kind of thing to just anyone. I didn't give it to Arus."
The words that she had given it only to me.
That alone was enough.
I smiled with satisfaction and stroked her head.
"Of course. You are my woman. You shouldn't give something like that to anyone but me."
At the words 'my woman', Anonymous' face lit up brightly.
She smiled like a child and buried her face in my chest again.
"Heehee."
Then, Anonymous' gaze suddenly turned elsewhere.
She slightly turned her head, found Noctavira huddled in a corner, and tilted her head.
"But why is she like that? Her atmosphere has changed a lot……. She doesn't look like a vampire anymore."
I glanced at Noctavira for a moment, then briefly explained to Anonymous what had happened.
After hearing the whole story, Anonymous laughed as if it were satisfying.
"I see. Huhu. How dare she provoke me, and this is what she gets in the end. Serves her right."
Hearing those words, Noctavira bit her lower lip, but she couldn't offer any rebuttal.
Her opponent was the queen of dragons, and she herself was now an ambiguous body that was neither vampire nor human. She had no choice but to accept this situation.
Just then, the floor flashed once more, and familiar faces appeared.
Noemi had returned with her sisters.
Now, everyone was finally gathered together in one place again.
The house felt full.
***
A few days later.
I convened Rude and Isabel, as well as my daughters and Anonymous, and Mammon and his brother demons, and all the other key figures of the alliance in the largest conference room of the Continental Alliance headquarters.
You ask where Noctavira is?
She was locked up in the underground prison to resume her humanization.
'The one suffering in this ambiguous state will be her, not me. I need to normalize her as soon as possible and make her a loyal subordinate.'
Once everyone except Noctavira had gathered, I broke the heavy silence and opened my mouth.
"I have an important announcement to make to everyone."
My voice carried a determination different from usual.
All eyes in the room turned to me at once.
I caught my breath for a moment, then made a declaration like a bombshell.
"I am thinking of creating a huge dungeon in the basement of this place, Lumen Fortis."
"A dungeon?"
The first to react was Adel.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
The others had similar expressions.
"Yes, a dungeon."
I nodded and continued.
"I realized it when I clashed directly with Nox this time. Our current power is not enough. Even Nox, who has evolved into a Lich King, is this strong, so Primus, who is controlling him from behind the scenes, must be unimaginably powerful. We have no chance of winning in this state."
At my words, a heavy silence fell over the conference room.
Noemi asked cautiously.
"But why a dungeon of all things? I don't understand the meaning of what you're trying to do, Dad."
I answered as if I had been waiting for that question.
"A good question. But there is no place like a dungeon where you can test your individual limits in an environment like real combat, and break through them to become stronger quickly. We must become stronger amidst the constantly appearing powerful enemies and unpredictable traps."
I motioned with my chin to Mammon, who was standing quietly beside me.
He nodded as if he understood, then stepped forward and unfolded a large parchment scroll.
Inside it was a meticulously drawn dungeon blueprint.
Mammon cleared his throat once and began to explain triumphantly.
"Ahem. This is the ideal dungeon that I have envisioned for a long time."
He pointed to the blueprint with his finger and continued his explanation.
"It consists of a total of one hundred underground floors, with powerful monsters and traps lurking on each floor. And at the end of each floor, there is a special boss called a 'Floor Master'. Of course, on the lowest floor……."
Mammon paused for a moment, then gave a wicked smile.
"I, Sir Mammon, will be waiting personally."
He added that he and his demon brothers would directly manage several of the lower floors and deal with intruders.
Everyone held their breath and listened to Mammon's explanation.
It was a truly unimaginably large plan.
When the explanation was over, Iris was the first to raise a question.
Her voice was still tinged with coldness, but it was a serious question.
"You're saying you'll artificially construct a dungeon? Is that even possible? And where will you get the monsters and traps?"
I answered instead of Mammon, who was about to open his mouth.
"It's possible. The core of a dungeon is the Dungeon Core. We can find a Dungeon Core sleeping deep in other ancient ruins, bring it here, and transplant it into the dungeon we will create. The Dungeon Core has the power to generate its own magic and create monsters and traps."
At my explanation, everyone looked astonished and dumbfounded.
"Th-that's possible?"
It seemed most of them were hearing about the existence of a Dungeon Core for the first time.
I smirked to myself.
To think that knowledge from the game would be this useful.
'How annoying is it to go all the way to a dungeon? That's why some users brought the Dungeon Core from other ruins and turned the area near Rarc Village into a dungeon den.'
Of course, this dungeon construction plan had another hidden purpose.
'This isn't just a training ground. It's the best bait to lure the strong from all over the world here.'
A dungeon managed by someone, where safety is guaranteed, and opportunities to constantly become stronger are provided.
Even if you get hurt, you can recover quickly using the hot spring water.
'If rumors of this spread, numerous adventurers, mercenaries, and knights from all over the world who seek strength will flock to this place, Lumen Fortis.'
Recruit useful talents from among them to build up the power to oppose Primus and Nox.
That was my real intention.
'Now, the stage is set.'
I slowly looked around at the faces of those gathered in the conference room and foresaw the dawn of a new era.
However, contrary to Mammon's conviction, I plan to set a different person as the Floor Master of the lowest floor.
Who would that be?
Shouldn't it naturally be the best among them?
For example, someone like me when night falls, or a former hero, or the leader of the alliance.