Volume 3 prologue (2/2)

Furthermore, Demon Lords had the ability to use [Storage]. This ability allowed me to store up to 10 monsters in a different dimension and bring those monsters wherever I went. With this, I could pull off a stunt like releasing my slow but powerful monsters in the middle of the enemy's stronghold.

So for those reasons, I was going to set out to conquer my enemy's dungeon instead of being safe within my own.

All that said, I had to go back to my crystal room for the moment.

There were still a lot of important things that needed doing.

◇

I made use of my privilege as the dungeon's Demon Lord and transferred to the crystal room. When I arrived, Stolas was busy watching the going-ons within the dungeon through the screen being projected by the crystal.

”So it'll begin soon, huh? Did you come to do some final preparations?”

She was my last line of defense and as such, she was standing by at the crystal room.

Should it come to the point that even this room was about to attacked, we had agreed that she would fight to defend my crystal.

She was but a single person but with her ability, she was worth an army.

”Yes, something like that. After all, I have to protect the city we worked so hard for.”

The first floor of my dungeon contained my city while the floor beneath it served as the dungeon proper designed to annihilate any and all intruders.

If left as it was, the city we worked so hard to build and develop would be destroyed.

”[I Shall Compose]”

I recited the words of power and took out a book.

And then, by using [Floor Swap], exchanged the city floor and the dungeon proper.

Moreover, I changed the outer appearance of the dungeon into the cheapest and most standard: a cave.

From being a city filled with lush greenery, my dungeon within the white space became an unimpressive cave.

And thus, the city was protected. That was, of course, unless the enemy had somehow managed to get pass the dungeon proper.

”The humans truly did vanish, huh.”

”I know, right? I heard it before but I'm still surprised.”

As was explained to us beforehand, the humans, the animals they raise, and even the wild creatures in the city were gone.

When the participating dungeons were connected at the start of a war, all creatures except Demon Lords and monsters within the dungeons were to be transferred to a place where time was stopped.

Moreover, time in this white space flowed much faster than it did normally in the world. Even if a day had passed here, not even ten seconds would have passed in the normal world. The humans would not even know that a war took place.

I who ran a city found this set up to be extremely helpful.

The Floor Swap was complete so next was to mobilize the units for dungeon conquest.

I should move my attacking troops outside of the dungeon before the actual start of the war unless I wanted the enemy monsters to clog up the entrance of my dungeon and effectively block my troops from coming out. But then again, if my troops went outside too soon, my enemies would catch wind of my plans.

To compromise, I had decided to just position my troops very near the entrance wherein they would be able to go out as soon as the fighting starts.

”But it is frustrating to not be able to place a transfer array on that white space, isn't it?”

”Is that so? Thanks for telling me.”

Even with the help of a monster that could use [Transfer], transferring outside one's own dungeon could only be done by jumping from one transfer array to another.

I was of the thought that if there was an array somewhere in the white space, I could freely send out some of my monsters to perform a pincer maneuver on the attacking enemies.

”But then, I can just make an array as long as I am inside the enemy's dungeon.”

The crow monster that the [Time] Demon Lord had provided me could use [Transfer] so I was going to bring it with me.

I had already prepared an array on my dungeon and as soon as I have broken an enemy's crystal, I intended to transfer back.

”And that completes my final preparations. I'm off, Stolas.”

”Good luck. I'll watch your dungeon defense from here and studiously analyze your every tactic.”

Said Stolas as she made a mischievous smile.

I was hesitant but it was the least I could do for her.

”Yeah, sure, but do keep in mind that my dungeon will have changed a vast amount next time so there really is no point of knowing my dungeon as it currently is.”

She smiled and for a moment, I thought she looked amazed.

And now, to transfer to out.

[1]I'm going to leave this vague for now. It says that demon lords can use the abilities of their named monsters. I'd rather wait until he can use a skill of theirs himself.