It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

When I came to my senses, it was inside an empty cave.

All that could be seen was a single giant orb.

It speaks.

-Devour and grow.

It’s a space with no one around, and that orb endlessly shines light on itself. Although I don’t know what it is yet, according to the knowledge in my head, it’s light that seems like ‘sunlight’.

It had been gradually pouring necessary knowledge into my head.

But there wasn’t enough time.

“What’s this? A dog here…?”

“Hey. This isn’t a dog, it’s a fox.”

“Wait. This jewel. It’s a dungeon core. Could this fox be…”

“A Dungeon… Lord?”

-Grrrr…!!

Before summoning my first summon, I encountered humans and rushed at them with rising hostility.

“Here, food. Eat this and summon right away.”

“I really wonder who came up with the idea of controlling dungeons like this.”

“It’s the Sage. The Sage. Thanks to him, we can produce infinite demon byproducts by offering beast cubs.”

And the price for that was endless loneliness and emptiness.

Not even allowed to commit suicide, just endlessly providing labor and prey with the dungeon core’s magic power.

A reality with no hope or stimulation…

Becoming such an existence with nothing.

“May I ask your name?”

One day, a change intervened in that reality.

Whether it would give eternal rest, or another pain.

-… I don’t have one.

Or perhaps, a change that might become real hope.

* * *

Creak… creak…

The inside of the mine without people was dark and utterly quiet.

The ore dust spread on the floor rises up with a whoosh whenever people move, and old unlit oil lamps on the ceiling sway at that force, making lonely sounds.

In short, it looked like a place where it would be difficult for someone to even stay overnight, let alone make a living.

“It seems you didn’t even clean this place if you were going to use it.”

“Clean… a mine…?”

“It may be a mine to you, but it would have been living space for that child inside.”

“Child…?”

Eleanor muttering as if she couldn’t understand, and her family following behind her, terrified.

Since neither seemed to intend to answer my question, I just shook my head.

“Come out.”

Since we had already entered the dungeon anyway, there was no need to hide, so I called out all my children.

-Clatter!

-Tack!

Swish. Click.

‘Warriors’ holding one weapon each, ‘soldiers’ holding shields and short spears, and ‘archers’ walking out wearing their respective armor and weapons.

Since they are all at least formal rank, except for the soldiers, each has their own specialized weapon.

There are even twelve high-rank individuals including Mire and Axe.

To create or summon high-rank skeletons, I need to raise the magic power held by the core, but I don’t know how much trouble I went through to find sacrifices for magic power in a state where all the demons near the dungeon had run away and dried up.

“Skeletons…?”

“No way. A summoner…?”

Of course, there are humans who can summon and control skeletons and such.

However, they are not subdivided into necromancers or vampires like Dungeon Lords or demon races, but are simply called ‘summoners’.

They can obtain specialized attributes for each type of individual, but even so, they cannot obtain attributes as useful as demon races, and they cannot directly create summons other than contracted ones.

I’ll probably see them later.

“No, but summoners…”

“Why only skeletons…?”

Anyway, the advantage of such summoners is that they contract with various summons in advance and then take them out to use where needed, but in a cave like this, it’s normal to take out ghosts or zombies as well, not just skeletons.

That’s why they are expressing doubt. Wondering ‘why not do that’.

It means they also have the fixed idea that ‘a Dungeon Lord wouldn’t come out of the dungeon and act alone’.

“Axe and the jesters. I’ll leave all the soldiers and archers, so have the lieutenants guard the entrance and look for any other entrances to the mine.”

-Clunk!

“Be careful of people’s gazes since the village is nearby, but don’t hesitate if discovered. You are the most important to me.”

-Tack!!!

I’m leaving all the soldiers and their high-rank individuals, the ‘lieutenants’, and the archers.

If luck is really bad, the demons that supported the Claimel family might visit here today, so I needed minimum personnel for communication and response combat… and perhaps reception.

Of course, only if they come.

“Warriors, come with me.”

-Clatter!

“Eve. I’m counting on you for the rear.”

-Tack!

Among the warriors each holding one specialized weapon, there were two each that gave a special feeling.

The high-rank individuals promoted to warriors, the ‘fighters’ and ‘berserkers’.

The fighters specialized in ‘technique’ held relatively light weapons, while the berserkers with enhanced ‘durability/resistance’ held heavy weapons, so it was easy to distinguish just by eye.

It’s rather uncommon for them to replace weapons with ‘characteristics’ without holding weapons like Xue.

“Ah. Wait a moment.”

-Clatter?

I stopped Eve who was heading to the back with the fighters among the high-rank warriors, and approached her as she looked at me questioningly.

-Tack!

Eve’s body, which always moved leisurely, stiffens. When my arms pass by her sides and caress her back.

“If you were upset today, let this make up for it.”

-C-Clatter!

“Huhu. Let’s go.”

“…What was that?”

I heard some commotion from behind, but of course I didn’t mind. Of course, I didn’t need to care about the price they would pay to my summons later.

“Um, if we’re going into the dungeon, we should have weapons too…”

“Didn’t you say the inside of the mine was emptied? You all.”

“B-But still…”

Now that we’ve come this far, even the nobles seemed to guess the purpose of coming here, as their expressions were full of uneasiness.

I could guess what they were thinking.

“I don’t intend to feed all of you to that child. Don’t worry.”

The fallen nobles calmed their expressions, though not completely reassured by my words.

Whether they believe it or not, this is sincere.

Anyway, depending on the situation, they might meet an end where simply being devoured by a Dungeon Lord might be better, so I have no intention of torturing or tormenting such people to squeeze out pain.

Leonis and I weren’t close enough for that…

In the first place, isn’t there someone more suitable as the owner of revenge against them? Someone who should decide their treatment before me.

[Senior…!!!]

In Sonia’s heart, this matter would not have been concluded yet.

Unprepared farewells are all like that.

It’s only been two months since she lost a friend, and now she’s lost someone who could have been a pillar of her mind, so there’s concern that she might break if not careful.

‘So whether it’s revenge or whatever, I have to make sure it’s properly concluded.’

You ask if Eleanor alone isn’t enough for revenge? Isn’t it burdensome to make her kill the whole family?

Well.

I honestly think the possibilities of revenge and forgiveness are half and half. I think bringing all the family members like this will be a good choice either way.

Whether to really use them as slaves, or recycle them.

“Huh…?”

As we were entering the mine interior like that, at some point a voice filled with doubt burst out from Eleanor.

It was right after a certain room was revealed before our eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, this room…”

I examined the appearance of the room Eleanor was looking around.

Overall, it looked like an ordinary room inside a dungeon. Empty, but looking like monsters could jump out at any moment…

‘An ordinary room? For a Dungeon Lord said to have been raised from birth?’

“There wasn’t a room like this here originally, right?”

“Y-Yes…”

“How did this…”

Around the time I realized the anomaly, Eleanor also confirmed that anomaly with her family.

Everyone gave answers affirming that doubt.

“Warriors. Be on guard. Enemies might appear. Xue, Eve.”

“Okay.”

-Tack!

I changed the formation.

I sent both of them forward, and I retreated to take position at the back. The two berserkers who were originally with Xue guarded my sides.

Rather than for my safety, this is the most efficient formation.

‘Looking again, it is strange.’

These nobles already said they were using manpower extracted from the dungeon for mine development. But we haven’t seen that manpower at all so far.

As if they had gone somewhere.

“What kind of monsters were originally here? I think you said you were using them as manpower.”

“That… they were zombies.”

Eleanor finally starting to use honorifics at the end of her words.

It seems she’s starting to guess my identity… well, she can do as she likes. I haven’t decided whether to kill or spare her yet, so it doesn’t matter what she does.

“Zombies… Didn’t you say the Dungeon Lord was a werebeast?”

“Yes. That’s right. So I thought it was strange. Those were definitely animal ears…”

“Animal ears…”

The Dungeon Lord ruling dungeons mainly composed of beast-people in the Eastern Continent is the ‘Weredragon’.

However, this isn’t because they are actually dragon-people, but because it’s a direct translation of the ‘dragon’ from the Western Continent.

And the dragons in this world are not fixed in the form of long-bodied reptiles.

All ‘powerful, intelligent and sacred/corrupted beasts’ are called ‘dragons’ in this world.

In other words, although called weredragons, they could actually be other animals of the zodiac, or even insect or cat people.

‘But such cases are rare.’

Because in the Eastern Continent, beasts that powerful are usually ‘dragons’, and even lowering the standard as much as possible, they are large species like lesser dragons, phoenixes, or krakens.

So it’s strange.

Dungeons usually generate Dungeon Lords as beings that are ‘familiar’ and ‘easy to gather fear’ in the respective continent.

There are almost no fearsome beasts with animal ears in the Eastern Continent. There are some, but they’re too weak compared to species like krakens.

Therefore, there were almost no beings born with animal ears among Dungeon Lords.

…Unless they deliberately change their appearance later because of that ‘preference’. I mean ‘customization’.

“Why…”

A Dungeon Lord with animal ears. And a dungeon that can summon zombies.

This combination I know only appears in one case.

‘Why is a yokai from the Western Continent here?’

It’s only in the case of an Oriental-style dungeon. That is, a Western Continent-style dungeon in this world.

Eastern Continent Dungeon Lords can also summon or create and handle other types of demons, but that’s only after reaching at least high rank and learning summoning magic or learning magic from other Dungeon Lords.

‘On the other hand, in the Western Continent, this restriction is a bit looser.’

The demons that appear in their dungeons are beings they call ‘yokai’. In other words, there are almost no standardized species for each dungeon.

The Dungeon Lord becomes similar to their first summon, but unlike in the Eastern Continent, they don’t necessarily summon only yokai of the same type.

Thanks to this, they are better at responding in more diverse situations. Instead, they have the disadvantage of being difficult to organize into an army except for the ‘Night Parade of a Hundred Demons’.

-Grrrrk…

Thwack!

That guess turned into certainty when I encountered a being deeper in the dungeon.

“It’s a jiangshi.”

“What’s a jiangshi?”

“You don’t need to know, Eleanor.”

Although clearly similar to zombies, its movements were stiffer, its skin harder, and its skin clean as if well-preserved after death. (tl/n: jiangshi – also known as a Chinese hopping vampire, is a type of undead creature or reanimated corpse)

People from the Eastern Continent wouldn’t be able to distinguish and would just call it a ‘zombie’, but this was a ‘jiangshi’.

As is known, there were no talismans on the forehead or fancy Western-style clothes, but instead it was wearing ragged clothes.

But the clothes are slightly different for each individual.

“Why is a Western Continent here?”

“Th-That.”

-…

I’m concerned about Xue and Eve’s reactions.

The two have been intentionally avoiding eye contact with me since learning about the existence of the ‘Dungeon Lord with animal ears’ and ‘jiangshi’.

They clearly know something. That.

I’m sure they wouldn’t have hidden it if it was information that could harm me, but it’s a bit disappointing.

Why do they have so many secrets from me?

-Grrrk…

-Gaaah…!

For now it’s not something to worry about, and as we kept going deeper into the dungeon, the number of jiangshi gradually increased.

I discovered something strange right after encountering the fourth jiangshi.

“Wait. Children. Don’t attack.”

“Okay.”

-Tack!

As we were attacking and taking down jiangshi, as soon as my order fell, Xue stopped in place and threw away the jiangshi, and Eve retreated.

Following them, the skeletons also retreated, and I walked forward instead.

Seeing me walk forward, the jiangshi froze and then immediately prostrated itself in a deep bow.

“Lady. Danger…”

“You knew it wasn’t dangerous, didn’t you, Xue?”

“Um…”

Xue sweated, but did not avert her gaze. Eve beside her doesn’t have such a confident attitude either, but she didn’t avert her eyes.

The lack of confidence is probably because they didn’t inform me of the information they knew.

Nevertheless, not avoiding my gaze means they didn’t do anything to be wary of me at all.

It’s not that important information that the jiangshi haven’t attacked us at all since meeting them a few times at first.

“We weren’t certain.”

“Next time, tell me even if it’s just a possibility.”

“Okay…”

-Tack.

Leaving the two nodding their heads, I walked around the jiangshi and examined its state.

The jiangshi walking out now moved much more smoothly than the ones we saw at first.

Movements that felt like they had some will, you could say.

I’ve never heard of jiangshi bowing in the first place.

“Let’s go. They’re inviting us.”

From that moment on, we kept moving deeper into the dungeon while maintaining only minimal vigilance.

And at the end, we met ‘her’.

“Ah…”

Although it was inside a cave, she was standing against the background of what should be called a village shrine or small temple that could clearly be seen…

She turned to look at me and expressed deep joy on her face.

“My lady.”

A black-haired, golden-eyed woman looking back at me with fox ears on her head and two tails drooping below.

“This humble one has been waiting desperately for your arrival, my lady.”

Her identity was, as I had expected earlier, a two-tailed fox from the Western Continent.

An ‘imiko’.

In other words, a kumiho or cheonho that has only grown two tails yet. (tl/n: kumiho – aka Japanese ‘kitsune’ – is nine-tailed fox spirit in Korean folklore; cheonho is just another term for kumiho, means ‘celestial fox’)

‘There are no restraints.’

The restraining shackles that the Claimel family said they had put on her were nowhere to be seen on her body.

…These fallen noble bastards are completely incompetent.