Chapter 6
Title : This Wave's Reward
Author : Newbie
【You have successfully defended the wave.】
【Rewards will be calculated according to difficulty.】
【Difficulty is measured by acquired points, the level difference between the highest-level intruder and the dungeon, and the number of entities.】
【Calculation complete.】
【This wave's difficulty has been classified as Very Hard.】
【Level increased.】
【Level increased.】
【Level increased.】
【Level increased.】
【Points have been awarded.】
──────
LV. 10
Class - Dungeon Master
Dungeon Theme – Null
Population – 0/50
Device count: - 2/50
Point - 50000
STR - 13
DEX - 13
CON - 13
MP – 13
UN – Newbie
UC - dm_6_666666666
──────
Comments
Newbie : The reward came in like this, what do you think??
ㄴKingJjang Evil Spirit : The very first wave being Very Hard, hahahahahahaha. Honestly, I was worried when a troll came in, but you somehow held it off...
ㄴSealed Conqueror : Those level gains and point gains are insane... shit
ㄴSealed Philosopher : What is this, Solo Leveling or something—did you get bugged???
Newbie : Isn't this the normal reward for Very Hard??
ㄴKongKong : Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope—absolutely not
ㄴSquint-Eyed Character : Very Hard rewards are pretty generous, but they don't give this much.
ㄴI'm the Only One Without Minions : Nice, nice! Let's keep this going!
ㄴMagic Hero : C-congrats... could you maybe reply just once...
ㄴNewbie : I replied!
ㄴMagic Hero : Thank you!!
Why does this guy keep asking me to reply to him?
The Gallery's reaction was mostly congratulatory.
The veterans had talked about using minions, traps, growth, and such.
What I focused on was the dungeon expansion function.
'Dungeon expansion, dungeon theme, dungeon minions... Ugh, why are there so many? This UI is total garbage.'
I noticed it almost by chance while looking for traps.
This could add a second floor, and it could also expand the width.
There were various other ways to expand the dungeon, but if I assumed I was only making a straight-line corridor, it could be made longer than I'd expected.
I also had the 【New Dungeon Master Bonus】, which meant I could install a long corridor in the dungeon worth a whopping 45,000 points.
No matter how powerful a monster was, it couldn't escape the swamp of thirst and hunger; adding debuff traps with the leftover points would be the icing on the cake.
Of course, this wasn't an achievement I pulled off on my own.
I had also gotten opinions in advance from people in the Gallery on whether this plan was possible.
Even during the wave, I used the 【Surveillance Camera】 function to upload the live situation to the Gallery,
and got real-time updates on the troll and goblin situation, as well as what actions I should take in the event of a battle, and the proper positions and timing for triggering traps.
Everyone said the idea was good, though.
In truth, it was thanks to the people in the Dungeon Gallery.
Newbie : Thanks to you guys, I was able to hold them off safely... seriously, thank you...
ㄴTV-Head : No need to be humble
ㄴI'm the Only One Without Minions : You did it. You can be proud of yourself.
ㄴ3M Hamster : Seeing you get those rewards makes me a little jealous... but I'm glad another excellent Dungeon Master comrade has joined us hehe...
Anyway.
The wave reward I got this time seems to be larger than the average reward others receive.
About that, Ikdo-ham said.
Anonymous Butcher : We don't fully understand the system either, though.
Anonymous Butcher : Based on the Gallery users' experiences so far, difficulty is broadly divided into Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Nightmare, and Madness.
Anonymous Butcher : Wave rewards are granted in proportion to difficulty, so they're measured comparatively.
Anonymous Butcher : In other words, the higher the Dungeon Master's level and current points climb, the easier the difficulty becomes relative to that, so it feels like the rewards shrink.
Anonymous Butcher : Anyway.
Anonymous Butcher : The Dungeon Gallery rule of thumb was that on Very Hard, levels usually go up by around 3 to 4 and you can get up to 10,000 points.
Ikdo-ham said that this time I had completely shattered that formula.
I guess I should be happy about that... ?
In the end, I got more rewards than other people.
ㄴOrange★ : Hmm...
ㄴOrange★ : That means your growth rate is several times faster than average.
ㄴOrange★ : Becoming a Dungeon Master this time too... you're unusual in a lot of ways.
Come to think of it, there was something I was curious about.
ㄴNewbie : Hey, head mod.
ㄴOrange★ : Yeah.
ㄴNewbie : You said before that no new Dungeon Masters could appear. Could you explain that?
The immediate crisis had been put out.
There were at least three days left until the next wave.
I decided to clear up the question that had been bothering me.
ㄴOrange★ : To put it simply, let's say there's a huge warehouse?
ㄴOrange★ : The warehouse is huge, but it's packed full of goods, people, and everything else, so there's not a single empty spot, and then a one-ton cargo suddenly appears in the warehouse out of nowhere.
ㄴOrange★ : And we don't even know how the cargo got in, lol.
ㄴOrange★ : What's more, it didn't even harm any of the other items or people already in the warehouse.
ㄴOrange★ : The cargo is also kept intact, exactly as it is, which is so damn uncanny, yeah...
ㄴNewbie : Ah, I see.
ㄴOrange★ : If I figure anything out about this, I'll let you know.
ㄴNewbie : OK, OK.
The head mod said the reason I could see the Dungeon Gallery and the hologram was thanks to Oblivion.
The warehouse must be referring to Oblivion.
If I were to compare it to a game,
it's like the server is full, no user has left, and yet I somehow forced my way in.
Devious Love Dog : Newbie-ya!!
ㄴNewbie : Huh??
ㄴDevious Love Dog : What are you going to do with 50,000 points...?? Are you going to choose your theme first, after all?? T_T
Is this what a free ride feels like?
Honestly, I didn't expect to rack up 50,000 points this quickly.
Hmm.
I had heard before that once I accumulated a certain amount of points, I should choose a theme.
Before following the veterans' advice to the letter,
I asked ahead of time in case I might be able to exploit a loophole in the system.
ㄴNewbie : You said this was the Low Zinrat Great Mountain Range, right?
ㄴDevious Love Dog : Mhm.
ㄴNewbie : So wave rewards change in proportion to difficulty, yeah.
ㄴDevious Love Dog : Right?
ㄴNewbie : Then wouldn't it be fine not to prepare anything right now?
ㄴNewbie : You said the only thing I need to watch out for here is trolls. Even with the dungeon in its current state, I can handle trolls just fine, so if I prepare anything here, wouldn't that actually lower the difficulty and just cut the rewards I get?
ㄴDevious Love Dog : Haha, I know what you mean.
ㄴDevious Love Dog : But difficulty is determined by adding in your current points anyway, so it doesn't matter whether you spend them or not, yeah...
So there was no loophole.
That was a little sad.
ㄴDevious Love Dog : Trolls are known as the strongest race in Low Zinrat, but that's ultimately old information, and a fair bit of time has passed since then. Something unexpected could still happen, so even when it's Gallery info, it's better not to trust it completely. Always be thoroughly prepared!!
ㄴNewbie : Then it'd be best to start preparing now...
ㄴDevious Love Dog : Exactly! Our Newbie is so smart, hehe!
But just how much did Devious Love Dog have to love humans...
ever since revealing their race, they'd gone into 24/7 headpat mode.
I don't dislike it, though.
But judging by how they usually treat other users, they don't seem like someone with a bright personality.
It's kind of scary.
Newbie : I actually had something I wanted to ask you guys.
ㄴDIP : Ask away.
ㄴGolem King : I'll answer kindly as far as I know.
Newbie : What's the hidden theme, by any chance??
ㄴDIP : ?
ㄴGolem King : ?
ㄴAnt Queen : What's that??
Huh, even these veterans don't know?
Newbie : After I killed the troll this time, a message popped up saying 【Hidden Theme – Anomaly has been unlocked】, and it got added to the theme list just like that, yeah.
Let's add a proof photo while I'm at it.
My post went quiet for a while, like a notice post moderated by the head mod.
"What is this, some 0.01-second domain expansion or something...."
I scratched my cheek.
***
The aesthetics of a dungeon are fear.
It was a line the Dungeon Master known in the Gallery as Anonymous Butcher and in the outside world as Sword Demon Ataraxia always insisted on.
Even today, she cuts down intruders who rush in without a trace of fear in a single stroke.
Her lustrous hair, as fine as jet-black silk, is always stained with blood.
Her tachi, the same color as her hair, was no different.
The dungeon's name is the Tomb of Swords.
As befits its name and reputation, the minions who follow her also all use swords.
Ataraxia shakes off the blood on her sword and sheaths it.
And then she stared at the photo Newbie had uploaded.
Oh?
Lately, a new routine had been added to her days.
That was to read one user's posts from start to finish.
"You've brought something interesting again this time."
Ataraxia hates unnecessary communication with people.
So for her, who hadn't often logged into the Dungeon Gallery, this must have been a highly unexpected action.
"A hidden achievement, huh. Was there a system like that in Oblivion before?"
The minions found Ataraxia's behavior—staring into space, stroking her chin, and muttering to herself—extremely strange, but they couldn't say anything.
If they were to upset her.
They knew very well what would happen to them in the end.
Newbie : But the other themes are free, while the Anomaly theme has a selection cost.
Newbie : You have to pay a whopping 50,000 points... what do you guys think?
Ataraxia strokes her chin.
The Gallery's reaction was explosive.
Because it meant that a mere newcomer had uncovered a new rule even veteran Dungeon Masters who had been active for a long time didn't know.
ㄴI'm the Only One Without Minions : It's really my first time seeing an Anomaly theme.
ㄴDungeon Master Was Disappointed : Hmm... what on earth is this?
ㄴSealed Philosopher : Interesting... Newbie becoming a Dungeon Master this time too, and all sorts of strange things keep happening lately, lol.
ㄴSealed Conqueror : If it were me, I'd choose Anomaly as my dungeon theme, yeah.
ㄴChief Patient of the Psych Ward : They said it's a hidden theme, lol. I can't pass that up.
ㄴMagic Hero : S-so-so-honestly, I think it suits you, Newbie-nim...
ㄴThe World Is Cold : If you used the power of Anomaly, couldn't you wipe out all the elves in this world??
A hidden theme.
And it apparently costs a whopping 50,000 points to choose.
It was a mysterious phenomenon the Gallery had never dealt with before.
The veterans commented with excitement, as if it were their own affair.
ㄴWhale Whale Yeah : Still, wouldn't it be better to choose a theme carefully?
ㄴSquint-Eyed Character : Following the path someone else has already cleared is more stable than pioneering your own.
ㄴGolem King : But steampunk is really good... I could tell you all about it more entertainingly than anyone else...
ㄴDIP : Let's go with winter, yeah.
ㄴAnt Queen : Would you like to lay eggs too, Newbie-nim?
ㄴNewbie : Dude.
Ataraxia personally hoped Newbie would choose Anomaly.
The method Newbie had shown during this wave was identical to the aesthetics Ataraxia pursued.
Overwhelming fear.
Showing so clearly that no intruder would dare intrude.
You had to show that a Dungeon Master's dungeon was by no means a place filled with dreams and hope.
Because that is what protects the lives of the dungeon and the Dungeon Master.
Oblivion is one of those things that makes its price crystal clear.
Even if Dungeon Masters don't do it of their own free will.
It gives Dungeon Masters power and a dungeon in exchange for memory as collateral.
When you successfully defend a wave, it awards points and levels.
It wasn't handing out rewards for no reason.
And if it was Newbie, who had shown cleverness this time...
ㄴAnonymous Butcher : Let's go with Anomaly.
ㄴAnonymous Butcher : I think you'd use it well.
The choice was Newbie's, though.
Ataraxia wrote a comment, putting her wish into it.
And a little while later.
Newbie : Thanks for all the good suggestions, everyone
Newbie : This time, I'll go with my gut, yeah.