Chapter 22
This is an old post.
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Title: My personal impressions while dealing with the Branded Elves... (Long post, beware of wall of text)
Author: Chongchong Sage
The really creepy thing was... I'm dealing with these guys in the Forest of Life right now.
Honestly, they looked like bastards with absolutely no sense of guilt.
I'm not expecting humanity from bastards who've committed grave crimes and been abandoned by their own kind, of course.
They buy human slaves (the reason is fucking ridiculous, lol—because they're the cheapest, apparently) and use them as meat shields.
They even used a child. Seeing that really messed me up...
In short, they have no boundaries.
They're the kind of bastards who'll do anything for profit.
It's ridiculous even saying this, though.
Even though I'm a dungeon master and consider creatures outside the dungeon to be potential enemies...
At the very least, I don't think I could act like the Branded Elves.
If the dungeon gets completely wrecked and I have to hand the mana stones over to someone...
If that someone were the Branded Elves, I think it'd be horrifying.
So be careful, too.
Let's pray to Oblivion that we never come to the Forest of Life.
Dungeon life, hang in there.
Let's survive for a long, long time!
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***
Forest of Life.
Outskirts, entrance to Dreamland.
"So the dungeon really does show up."
"Reverio and Zius have disappeared."
"No wonder. They probably went into the dungeon and died there. Those two assholes were always the ones strutting around with the most swagger, and the patrol area was around here too."
"Like hell I don't know that, idiot."
"That bastard, stupidly..."
The Branded Elves gathered at the dungeon entrance.
They stared at the bizarre, ominous thing, like the legendary Black Gate passed down in stories.
"Dreamland?"
"Cute name."
"It's a brand-new dungeon. That's why Reverio and Zius went in. Greedy bastards, the lot of them."
They were different from the two elves who had died in the dungeon.
They also weren't all that confident in their own abilities, just like Zius and Reverio.
The biggest reason, of course, was the precedent set by those two idiots who had gone to their deaths by acting selfishly.
"Let's go back. We should report to the elder first."
"He's away right now."
"Just ask Lady Tir and contact him through the communication orb, idiot. Why the hell do you keep breaking the flow from the start, you bastard...?"
The Branded Elves went back to the center of the forest.
Reverio and Zius's disappearance, the brand-new dungeon.
They told Tir exactly what they'd seen.
"Confirmed."
Every faction has a leader.
Tir was the secretary to the elder, the master of the Forest of Life.
As soon as she heard the report, she contacted the elder.
Even though the elder was busy at the moment, he still always answered Tir's calls promptly.
"Yes, yes, yes, understood. Yes, I'll properly organize the people and lead an expedition. Ah, yes, I know there are about three escape scrolls, but ah, is it really all right if I use one...? Yes, thank you. I won't disappoint you."
Tir ended the call.
And immediately told her subordinate.
"Tell the ones who have nothing to do right now this: if we clear the dungeon together this time, we'll pay them an unimaginable amount of money."
"Ah, understood."
Dungeon.
If you don't know that name in this world, you're an idiot.
A trove where the world's undisputed greatest treasures slumbered.
Everyone here knew the value of mana stones.
At least not in this forest, where the elder was the one in charge.
Of course, that was because it was such a dangerous place.
Normally, it would be only natural for the Branded Elves not to even dare.
Dreamland was a brand-new dungeon.
Just as Reverio and Zius had been captivated, Tir and the other Branded Elves likely would be too.
There was a possibility.
History proves it.
A past that feels distant, or brief, depending on perspective.
When dungeons had just appeared in this world, dungeon subjugation was only natural.
Nowadays, clearing out rotten dungeons was impossible.
But ravaging the dungeon of a dungeon master who hadn't even been born six months ago was judged to be entirely possible.
Gathering the dungeon exploration team was simple.
The Branded Elves thought the same way Tir did.
"All right. Let's go in first."
"Yes."
Tir checked the dungeon's maximum entry limit first.
In any case, they could still get out without escape scrolls for up to half a day.
She led her subordinates into Dreamland and then back out again.
Of course, that process wasn't simple or quick.
They even slept in some unknown space.
And they'd also checked out a creepy, pure-white corridor.
A full week had been consumed.
'Twelve, including me.'
If few, then few.
If many, then many.
Could they do it?
It was hard to gauge, since this was their first dungeon clear.
Escape scrolls were expensive and hard to get in the first place.
Even the elder, who had the most money, only had three.
Two chances.
And on the last one, they'd have to risk their lives.
But.
By then, greed had long since blinded Tir.
The other Branded Elves were no different.
A criminal's life isn't exactly pleasant.
A broke criminal's life was even worse.
Most of them were poor.
Originally, their lives had been fairly comfortable.
Recently, as crackdowns intensified in various kingdoms, the Branded Elves' work had been dwindling.
A reversal of fortune.
A rise in status.
How sweet and precious those words were.
Every crime carries risk.
Killing people is no different, and neither is selling drugs.
It wasn't a matter of guilt.
The moment they were ever caught, that would be the end of their lives.
"Hoo... let's go."
Tir took the escape scrolls.
And headed for the dungeon with the Branded Elves.
***
Day 1 of dungeon exploration.
"This is different from what you said at first. The path's blocked, fuck, and half a day has already passed..."
"What is that unidentified machine? I've never seen this kind of design before. Is it a trap?"
Creak, creak.
Just like the dead Zius and Reverio.
The Branded Elf expedition led by Tir also stopped in front of the old elevator.
"It won't even break... troublesome."
Their options outside the elevator were limited.
They hadn't gotten any worthwhile gain either.
Tir stroked her chin.
It looked uninviting, but there was no other way.
"If we set up camp and wait out here, it'd be meaningless. We have no choice but to go in. First, let's split into teams of three. Moving together will be safer than acting alone."
Being the elder's secretary was quite a high position.
At the very least, it put her among the top five in the Forest of Life.
"Squad 1 will be me, Squad 2 will be Stings, Squad 3 will be Dardan, and Squad 4 will be led by Ray. Is there any squad willing to be the first to enter that machine? We'll split the rewards fairly, but I'll also be giving strong weight to performance inside the dungeon."
Of course, Tir herself had charisma.
Even in such a bewildering situation, the Branded Elves stayed under control.
"My squad and I will go in first."
Dardan, as if he'd already finished discussing it with his teammates, raised his hand proudly.
He was usually pretty confident.
"Very well. I'm counting on you."
"Guys, let's go! Geez, you cowards are dragging your feet!"
Dardan snickered at the other squad leaders.
He gave them a thumbs-down and jeered, but it probably wasn't sincere.
"That bastard really never backs down."
"First to rape women, first to finish, first in scouting too... starting today, your nickname is Dardan the Fastest."
"Hey, you fucking bastard, have you ever even fucked me?"
Thanks to Dardan's cheerful antics, the mood improved considerably.
The gloomy expressions of the group, blocked by that unsettling corridor and unidentified machine, eased up.
Dardan and his squad entered the elevator without hesitation.
"Nothing out of the ordinary."
"There's a button inside, and the interior is worn down like Dardan's house. Luckily, it's not dirty."
"The dungeon master must be a neat freak..."
They exchanged trivial remarks as if nothing were wrong.
As they said that, Tir also tried to approach the elevator, but...
『The door is closing.』
BANG!
It happened so fast.
Before the party could react, the elevator door closed.
When Tir stared ahead with a dumbfounded expression...
The number 1 disappeared from the display and a new message appeared.
【Capacity Exceeded】
.
.
.
.
.
Crunch!
Crunch-crunch!
Crunch-crunch!
At the same time, blood began to seep from the gaps.
A grotesque sound came from inside the elevator.
It was like a giant's chewing motion.
The sound was so loud it seemed to drown out the screams.
Everyone stared at the closed door with horrified expressions.
『The door is opening.』
The people who had been in the elevator were no longer identifiable.
They were closer to minced meat than to corpses.
A bead of sweat trickled down Tir's forehead.
From behind her came a sound like retching.
She took a deep breath and tried to make sense of what she was seeing.
"What in the world..."
Dreamland.
Something wearing the shell of a brand-new dungeon.
It was firmly etched into everyone's minds that this was a space where they could never afford to let their guard down.
The tiny surveillance camera attached to the ceiling
was quietly watching them.