How to Survive as a Dungeon Manager in Another World

42 – Metamorphosis

Ludine and Adina were conversing in front of the training grounds.

“So, you’re saying you know nothing about his true nature either?”

“Nope. Not a thing.”

Ludine nodded slowly.

In truth, her own knowledge of Luke Richter was woefully limited.

A subtle question was beginning to bloom between them.

Ludine and Adina, being powerful figures beyond the norm themselves, were acutely aware of just how abnormal the eccentricities they had witnessed while with him truly were.

But until now, they hadn’t deeply considered his identity.

Even though the power he wielded was strange and his martial prowess of lord-class calibre, they had believed it lay within the realm of humanity.

But now, that belief was beginning to crack.

Ludine had long recognized that Luke was no ordinary human, but for Adina, this realization came as a considerable shock.

Last time, she had fainted upon encountering a Calamity-class beast, preventing her from truly confirming anything, but this time, she had witnessed it with her own two eyes.

A monster so vast it could have been mistaken for an Outer God from myth, cleaved in two with a single blow, without even a proper fight.

No, simply “cleaved” was far too simple a description for what transpired.

The cross-section of space created by his strike was as if gazing into the reverse side of the world itself.

It was strength that defied reason and common sense…power so far beyond human comprehension.

Just what could he be, and what kind of life had he lived to remain unknown to the world as such an overwhelming force?

Perhaps it was idle curiosity, but Adina couldn’t shake the question.

The only thing she could truly ascertain was his peculiar nature.

His actions were unpredictable, even incomprehensible, whether abruptly transporting them to uncharted lands or risking his life to protect her from the White-Haired Tribe.

‘A truly unknowable man.’

Adina flicked her luxurious silver tail and asked,

“Don’t you know anything? You were the first to become one of his companions, after all.”

“Hmm… that Selena woman who came to the office last time, she called Luke a Yonggari.”

“…Yonggari? Are you saying, like, a dragonkin?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“…Are you sure? The dragonkin are supposed to be utterly extinct.”

“Didn’t you see Luke use his power? That’s Words of Power. And he’s strangely averse to doing just about anything.”

“Come to think of it… it was suspicious how much he knew about the Baekmo Clan….”

“And he already knew about my madness, too.”

“Madness? What madness are you talking about?”

“The madness of wanting to kill anyone I see.”

“…”

Of course, this was all just a hypothetical.

To definitively call him dragonkin, there were far too many inexplicable things, but to nitpick each of those trivial doubts, Luke’s presence was far too overpowering.

From Rudine, his companion, to the vast knowledge he possessed, and even to his every action.

It was as if nothing about him was ordinary.

“Haa…”

With a soft sigh, the scene from that time flashed through Adina’s mind.

He stood with his back to them, and his strike, as if cleaving the world in two.

Suddenly, a wave of shame washed over her.

At first, she had simply thought of him as a weak human, but that was ultimately a display of her own ignorance.

Unlike herself, who was frozen in terror before the Outer God, he had calmly walked forward and destroyed it.

She was still stuck in the same place.

Past or present, she was paralyzed by the unknown fear, and had never once overcome that wall.

It was just one step. She couldn’t bring herself to take that one step, and once again, she had been protected by someone.

Finishing her meeting with Rudine and heading towards her private room, Adina repeated inwardly.

‘I want to become stronger.’

Adina’s talent was undoubtedly exceptional.

She herself was well aware of this.

Although her control over the White Wheel was unstable due to the Karma race’s unique hereditary disease, in return, she was born with the most powerful amount of magical power within the race.

Moreover, even the Karma condition could be overcome with the help of Elfriede, who called herself a saintess, once everything was over and she returned to the office.

Even so, she constantly doubted herself.

Even with the most brilliant talent, no matter how much stronger one became with the passage of time, Adina couldn’t even begin to imagine surpassing the overwhelming power Luke had displayed against the foreign emissaries.

‘…I will become stronger.’

Adina clenched her fist tightly, suppressing the trembling emotions.

Pushing away doubt and filling herself with conviction, she etched a new goal into her heart.

Clearing away the fog of fear, she was finally ready to take a step forward.

For the first time, she had a clear objective.

To shed the shame of her timid clan, to gain formidable power, and to one day make her name known to the world.

Using the overwhelming strength of the man named Luke Richter as her guiding star.

Fueled by the pride of being one of his companions.

She was finally ready to move forward.

And after steeling her resolve like that, the first action she took was…

“……”

Adina glanced around, quickly surveying her surroundings.

Maximizing her senses to confirm that no one was nearby, she raised her right hand.

As if mimicking the way Luke Richter looked just before using his abilities.

After a moment.

She drew up her magical power and murmured in a slightly prim voice.

“…Acceleration.”

—Chirp chirp.

Only birdsong echoed, slicing through the silent air.

Embarrassed by the silence, she gathered her magical power once more.

Creating a small electric spark at her fingertips, and once again.

“Domain.”

……As expected, nothing special happened.

The electrical spark she had made with magic merely scratched at the empty air.

But for some reason, it felt like the magic’s power had increased, just from imitating Luke’s incantation.

It was clearly just a delusion, but she became engrossed in her appearance as she spoke the incantation, even feeling a strange intoxication.

“Reverse, Sever, Time, Void.”

For a long while, Adina wagged her tail as she mimicked Luke Richter.

“…Hehe.”

Twitch!

With a twitch of her fuzzy, triangular ears, she was basking in a feeling of self-satisfaction.

And so, a month or so had passed.

Having completed all ability assessments at the Main Assembly and regained my normal condition, I was on my way to Arkan.

It was too short a time to travel to the office by carriage, so we decided to return via the teleportation scroll she possessed.

Rudine and Adina, too, looked refreshed, their faces full of life, having seemingly gotten enough rest.

Everything was just as it always was.

Except for one thing…

“…Just what is going on here?”

“Can’t you tell? I’m trying to follow.”

“I *know* that, which is why I’m asking. What if something happens with the Grand Overlord absent from the Main Assembly?”

“Ah, it’s fine. Who would come to a building tucked away in the corner of the Demon Realm?”

Our party had gained a stalker, the Grand Overlord herself.

She had always shown me a stubborn interest, but now it seemed she was completely intent on following me around.

I wanted to chase her away right then and there, but knowing she wouldn’t back down, I simply decided to leave her be.

And so, we all placed our hands on the scroll together.

Just as always, we teleported to the office…

“???”

Something was off.

It wasn’t merely a feeling.

Looking around, I could see that too much had changed from the office I remembered.

Several significant changes stood out, the first being—

“Loyalty! Greetings to the new master of Blackmore!”

The personnel dispatched from the Monarch Council, who would normally offer a light bow as greeting, were now bending at the waist at a ninety-degree angle the moment they saw me, their voices stiff with military discipline.

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment as not just one or two, but dozens of personnel greeted me in perfect unison.

The second change was—

“…Just where *is* this?”

The office had vanished. Or, to be precise, it had been replaced with something else.

The shabby, cramped office, as if through some dark evolution, had transformed into a rather imposing architectural feat, reminiscent of a stronghold.

From materials to facade, nothing was ordinary, and countless Imperial laborers were still continuing construction.

Balkan, spotting me from afar, rushed over, seemingly delighted.

“What in the world is going on here?”

“We were awaiting your return, to greet you before you meet the Emperor, and to introduce you to the Lord’s Fortress.”

“…Lord’s Fortress?”

“Yes, His Imperial Majesty issued an Imperial edict, dispatching a massive workforce here.”

Ah, so that was it.

The Emperor, it seemed, was determined to exploit me as a lifelong slave.

Strange men, following behind Balkan, introduced themselves in turn.

“Delkin, of the Department of Internal Affairs. I have been dispatched to the Sixth Lordship as an administrator, under Imperial order.”

“My name is Chiron, head butler.”

“I’m Iason, dispatched as the accounting officer.”

“……”

Speechless, I found myself. Each face was vaguely familiar, all prominent talents from the Department of Internal Affairs.

The Imperial Household had dispatched such individuals here, their sole purpose to assist me.

“…Wait a moment.”

Unable to maintain my composure, I stepped out of the office.

Even at the entrance to Blackmore, this was a situation utterly beyond comprehension.

However, an even more astonishing sight awaited.

“Ah, Holy Maiden! Save my wife, fallen ill with disease!”

“My mother hovers near death! I beg you, anything at all… please, grant salvation…!”

“To the newly appointed Lord, I offer my body and soul! Please, reattach my severed arm!”

Shylock, a domain bordering the Duchy and the Empire, specifically, the gateway to Blackmore.

A rather vast territory, yet an unusually large crowd had gathered specifically at the Blackmore entrance.

One peculiar detail stood out: countless commoners thronged together like clouds, each one crying out for salvation.

When someone cried out for salvation, a golden light flashed.

Then, weeping, they prostrated themselves, chanting the names of Cavilla and the Sixth Lord, as if in prayer.

And that wasn’t just once, but repeatedly.

And the figure at the center of that commotion –

“…Elfriede Trivia?”

The seed of apocalypse I’d personally plucked from beyond the boundary, Elfriede Trivia.