chsdbacks Chapter 149: The Demon Merchant Association's Spy (1)
Chapter 149: The Demon Merchant Association's Spy (1)
Chapter 149: The Demon Merchant Association's Spy (1)
The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 149
EP.149 The Demon Merchant Association’s Spy (1)
“Excuse me. I am Suu from the Demon Merchant Association. Ah! My department is Dungeon Support!”
A somewhat awkward yet clear voice echoed through the dungeon. The owner of the voice was Suu, a monster affiliated with the Demon Merchant Association. In the form of a human woman, she slowly walked through the dungeon, her eyes filled with curiosity.
‘Ah... there really is a dungeon here!’
Suu looked around the dungeon with an expression of awe. Although she had been with the Demon Merchant Association for quite some time, she had not had the opportunity to manage a dungeon until now.
‘This is the first dungeon I will be in charge of!’
Her peers, who had joined the Association at the same time, were already managing multiple dungeons. As this was her first assignment, Suu appeared tense.
Clap—
At that moment, someone clapped their hands, capturing Suu’s attention.
“Greetings. I am Kaleido, serving Lord Necros.”
Clap—
Kaleido clapped again, introducing Necros.
“And this is Lord Necros, the master of the dungeon.”
“Clink-clink.”
(Pleased to meet you. Welcome.)
At Necros’s greeting, Suu bowed her head and smiled brightly.
“Ah, I am Suu! Nice to meet you!”
As Kaleido and Necros warmly welcomed her, Suu felt a sense of relief.
‘I’m glad they seem to be kind-hearted people.’
She had heard stories of dungeon masters who treated merchants harshly, but this place seemed far from that atmosphere.
More than anything, Suu felt a strange sense of familiarity in this dungeon. It was as if she had come to a place she had known for a long time, enveloping her in a warm feeling.
“Ah, and I apologize for being late.... I wasn’t supposed to be this late, but our Association has been quite hectic lately....”
Suu bowed her head, offering her apologies. Her words were half-true. The Demon Merchant Association had indeed been busy, especially since they had invested most of their intelligence resources in the Sael Kingdom, leading to a shortage of working monsters. However, the Association was a massive organization with many departments, so there was no real shortage of merchants to manage dungeons. The real reason for her late visit had a hidden story.
[Hmm. A new dungeon has appeared, but its location is terrible. It’s right in the middle of a heavily trafficked human area.]
The words of Balor, the head of the Dungeon Support Department, echoed in her mind. As the team leader had mentioned, the location of this dungeon was less than ideal. Being situated in the midst of a human-populated area, its survival until now was nothing short of a miracle. This had been a topic of discussion within the Association.
[And for some reason, the energy of the new dungeon suddenly vanished. None of you should be ignorant of what that means, right?]
The disappearance of the dungeon’s energy likely meant it had been raided. Despite this, Suu had come here due to a suggestion from her colleague, Evangeline.
[But Team Leader, wouldn’t it be better to at least check it out?]
Evangeline was a monster of the harpy race. Despite being a harpy, she couldn’t be underestimated; she had the blood of high-ranking demons. Therefore, even the team leader couldn’t ignore her opinion.
[Hmm, it seems like a waste of time... but we don’t have anyone else to send anyway.]
At that point, Evangeline had pointed to Suu.
[Then how about sending Suu? She hasn’t managed a single dungeon yet, so this would be a good opportunity. Besides, since the dungeon is in a human-populated area, a doppelganger like Suu would be perfect, wouldn’t she?]
From there, the process moved quickly. Despite the uncertainty of the dungeon’s existence, Suu was chosen as the manager of the new dungeon solely because she was a doppelganger. It was a poisoned chalice. If the dungeon had indeed been raided and its energy had vanished, Suu would be left holding the bag.
“.......”
Suu was well aware that her current situation was largely influenced by her colleague, Evangeline. For reasons unknown, Evangeline disliked her. Perhaps Evangeline’s influence was the reason Suu hadn’t managed a single dungeon until now. It was just a suspicion, though. There was no real reason for Evangeline to dislike someone as inconsequential as Suu.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter now.’
Contrary to the concerns, the dungeon was intact.
‘All I have to do is follow what I’ve prepared!’
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Suu continued to follow Kaleido around the dungeon. As they toured, she noticed someone working alone with a pickaxe in a corner.
“?”
This figure had a different build from the ghouls she had seen so far. Suu took a step forward and stared intently at the figure.
“...Gasp!”
Another shocking sight unfolded before her.
“O-oh, oh... a five-star Death Knight!”
The aura of death emanating from it was unmistakable, especially to a merchant of the Association. The ominous black armor it wore was particularly striking. Moreover, the Death Knight carried a shield with a maid outfit attached to it.
“That’s...!”
It wasn’t just any maid outfit. Even if others might not recognize it, Suu’s keen eyes, armed with thorough theoretical knowledge, could not miss it.
‘I can feel an incredible aura! This is no ordinary maid outfit.’
The sight of a Death Knight wielding a shield adorned with an unusual maid outfit while working with a pickaxe was bizarre. However, one thing was certain.
‘A being that can command a five-star Death Knight as a mere worker...’
Suu glanced sideways at Necros. Though his identity was concealed by a blue robe and mask, there was no doubt he was an extraordinary being.
‘What exactly is the master of this dungeon...!’
Various possibilities flashed through Suu’s mind. If someone could use a five-star monster as a simple laborer, then...
‘They must be at least at the pinnacle of five-star power!’
She particularly noted the thick tome Necros was holding.
‘Is that a magic book? If so, could he be of the lich lineage?’
If it was indeed a magic book, then Necros was likely a spellcaster. Given that he commanded a Death Knight, it was highly probable that the dungeon master was also an undead. The first monster that came to mind when thinking of a spellcasting undead was a lich. However, liches were four-star monsters. This meant that Necros was at least an Archlich, if not something greater, like an Elder Lich.
But since six-star monsters had not appeared for a long time, Suu shook her head.
‘That’s impossible. If this were the Demon World, maybe, but not here.’
Information about dungeons in the Demon World was top-secret, even within the Demon Merchant Association. Only a select few among the executives had access to such information. Hence, dungeons in the Demon World were shrouded in rumors. If this dungeon were in the Demon World, it would be reasonable to suspect a six-star Elder Lich , but unfortunately, this was not the Demon World.
Nevertheless, Suu knew she couldn’t let her guard down.
Suu continued to explore the dungeon. As expected of a wealthy dungeon, numerous workers were busy expanding it.
Clap—
Once again, Kaleido clapped his hands.
“This place....”
The atmosphere in this part of the dungeon was different. A strange aura enveloped Suu. For a moment, she felt as if she were in a trance, her mind becoming hazy. It was as if something had brushed through her thoughts.
‘This place....’
She felt an inexplicable sense of unease. However, she soon shook off the feeling as Kaleido’s voice drew her attention.
“From here on, this is the dungeon’s secret area. Would you like to take a look?”
It was a sudden proposal. Was this place different from the areas she had seen so far? The word “secret” made Suu tense up, but she nodded.
“Yes! Please show me!”
After all, Suu was the one in charge of this dungeon. She had a duty to inspect every corner.
“Then, shall we proceed with the exploration together?”
Clap—
Kaleido clapped his hands again.