Chapter 21-24: 2000 vs 800 (1/2)

Chapter 21-24: 2000 vs 800

[TL Note] The author uses a few Korean words to make sounds that are supposed to be Chinese word. Without the actual Chinese characters, it is hard for me to determine the words so I just guessed the meaning. These instances would have a bracket next to them.

10 days.

Yoo Eun-hye completely changed.

Her confidence rose and she acted more aggressively. Her physical abilities rose to a state similar to a warrior. With a little more help, she could take care of the dungeon alone.

Then after a long time, I finally returned to the top floor of the dungeon.

‘I need to find a skill book for Yoo Eun-hye. An electric current is flowing through her body so she needs to move onto the next step.’

In a previous life, I was a solo person. I did everything alone and tried to get as strong as possible. It took me more than 10 years to realize what was wrong.

Now wasn’t the time to be stingy. Besides, Yoo Eun-hye was very important to my plan. There was no reason to refuse just because of money.

I hadn’t seen Yihi in a long time but there was no change. She was sitting on top of the Dungeon Core with a troubled expression.

Then her wings flapped once she realized that I came.

“Ah, Master! Why did you only come now?”

“What’s going on?”

“The 2nd floor has been broken through. At this rate, wouldn’t they continue breaking through the 3rd and then the 4th floor?”

“Already?”

I had judged that the 4th floor would be impenetrable for the next 6 months. But it was already breached? Yihi nodded at my question.

“They gathered quite a lot of people and are rushing. People from an unlikely country. There are also some white and black people. Yihi was creating a garden on the 3rd floor when those guys came up and surprised me.”

Yihi kicked the Dungeon Core with her feet.

While creating a garden on the 3rd floor, foreigners had entered the dungeon. 72 dungeons existed in the world and mine was the only one in Korea. Why did they bother coming to Korea just for a dungeon?

I thought about it for a while before finding the answer.

‘They are seeking treasure.’

This was the only dungeon where treasure was unearthed. That gossip had spread across the world and the greedy ones had heard it.

“How many people are there?”

Yihi moved her hands to draw a great circle.

“As much as th~is!”

“Accurately.”

“I don’t know the exact numbers. Initially a group of more than 100 people entered…ah, they were also Chinese. How do I know? Yihi has scanned and picked up 3 languages. Chinese is one of them.”

“Many people.”

I acknowledged the seriousness after hearing Yihi’s words.

“Hing! Yihi has seen at least 500 Chinese people. Together with the other humans, aren’t there thousands of them? Of those, 200 people had died on the 2nd floor.”

“What about the current situation on the 3rd floor?”

“They haven’t engaged yet. The leaders are wary.”

“Status of the creatures on the 3rd floor.”

“There are 5 goblin bosses, 4 kobold bosses and they all have 200 troops each. There are also 200 orcs.”

From the 3rd floor onwards, there were goblin and kobold bosses. They had intelligence and knew how to use tactics. Hitting them recklessly would just cause defeat.

“Impenetrable.”

“I agree.”

Yihi agreed.

Even if they had a lot of numbers, many limitations existed. There was no chance if he placed creatures in large quantities.

The orcs were in the minority and it would be great if there was an orc lord. However, an orc lord was an advanced creature and required 120,000 points.

If an orc lord was placed on the 3rd floor then all the Awakened that stepped foot there would die. The kobolds and goblins would also disappear.

Could it be moved to a different floor after the war? However, there was nowhere to place the orc lord. The 120,000 points couldn’t be ignored. It wasn’t easy to use the points.

Apart from the 20% given to the Dungeon Core’s guardian, I needed to use them on all floors.

The 1~4th floors were places for the Awakened to level up. I could leave the orc lord on the empty 5th floor but it was unlikely for anyone to reach there so the summoning would be wasted.

‘I will reserve the summoning of the orc lord.’

I contemplated for a moment before saying.

“I have to meet the goblin and kobold bosses. I needed to check their intelligence. Yihi, how many points are left now?”

“About 560,000.”

“…Did I hear it wrong?”

“It is exactly 562,433 points.”

When I last checked, I had 320,000 points remaining. In the two months I had been away, I had gained 220,000 points.

Usually I earned 5,000 points a month. Every time a weak Awakened was handled, I would earn 200 points. Handling the elites would earn a little over 600?

Humans tended to team up in groups of 8 or 12 people when entering the dungeon. I thought that earning points moderately was good and didn’t feel the need to release stronger creatures on the 1st floor.

In my absence, I could gain 600 points with every Awakened that died. No, I needed more points than that to build my dungeon.

“Ha. Quite a few people have barged in.”

A group. I couldn’t ignore the power of human unity.

Yihi flew over and sat down on my shoulder.

“In addition to the humans uniting, quite a few from foreign countries are wearing gear to sneak in. Quite a few of them were exterminated on the 1st floor. Yihi thinks that it serves them right.”

“Right now there are 800 Awakened on the 1st floor.”

“Won’t Master lend a hand? Right now Master is capable of stepping on the humans like ants.”

“Certainly…but, okay.”

In my previous life, I had rushed out alone. But now I was unwilling.

I didn’t want to lost the dungeon like I did in my previous life but I also didn’t want to be on the sidelines as the other demons devoured the world.

I envied the demons that could move a large number of creatures. Fighting alone on the battlefield couldn’t compare to the contributions from a large number of creatures.

‘Okay.’

War, war.

My dungeon was engaged in a large scale attack. There were many foreign Awakened. They voluntarily entered my dungeon.

Then shouldn’t I directly go and sweep them away?

I grudgingly acted. Confronting them in person wasn’t difficult but it would take away all the fun.

It was only in name but I had received the title of Earl in the Demon World. I didn’t have any creatures that followed me.

‘I placed treasures on each floor. Humans are quite partial to treasure. They tend to lose their lives over it.’

Human greed was a strong animal. It was easy for them to die over greed.

‘By the way, the Chinese. Their quantity is different.’

As time passed, the number of Awakened increased. Right now, one in ten thousand people awakened but that ratio would gradually go higher. But China had a large population. Now more than 100,000 had awakened so 500 people wasn’t a lot.

“Master. There are many points so shouldn’t you release the golem? The golem can take care of the enemies and won’t cause trouble to the ecology of the 3rd floor. The plants will also grow faster so the surrounding scenery will become better. The garden that Yihi placed will make the scenery very lovely.Yihi~”

Yihi gave some selfish opinions.

Her goal was advanced creatures like orc lords or golems. However, there were different good parts among the advanced creatures. An orc lord that cost 170,000 points was 50,000 more expensive but it wouldn’t affect the ecology.

However, the nature of the golem was too much. It was a destroyer that would wipe out the balance. For now I didn’t need it.

‘I will take over the role of floor master.’

A floor master existed on each floor. It was only of the essential requirements for constructing a dungeon but I still hadn’t arranged such presences. Because I didn’t think there was a need to place a floor master on the lower floors.

But this time a floor master was required to rally the creatures. A war with many saints on the 3rd floor. I couldn’t ask another floor master for assistance so I would handle such a role directly.

I shook my head and said.

“The creatures right now should suffice. 200 orcs and 1,800 kobolds and goblins, for a total of 2,000.Compare it to the 800 Awakened. We have the upper hand in terms of numbers.”

“The Awakened on the 3rd floor have a significant level. In particular, two people among the Chinese have fairly strong skills. It looks like a rare skill so won’t Master have a hard time fighting?”

One orc could take care of two Awakened.

The problem was the goblins and kobolds. In order to take care of one Awakened, at least five were necessary. Looking at the calculations, it would be a close battle. There were 2 Awakened with a rare skill.

‘I hope there is a sea.’

I felt my heart beating faster. I remembered fighting against advanced creatures. I wanted to taste a similar power with my own hands once in a while.

Moving units in battle according to my command. Excitement rose up just imagining it. In my previous life, I quickly lost the dungeon and didn’t even have such thoughts.

Gathering points to strengthen myself. Soon I hit the limit but realized it was the wrong choice too late.

In fact, I had experienced a large number of creatures following behind demons after going to other dungeons.

“First I will meet with the kobold and goblin bosses.”

There was a shallow smile on my face.

***

The dungeon’s 3rd floor.

A magnificent view unfolded. About 1,800 goblins and kobolds were gathered in one place.

The 9 bosses were standing in front of me.

“Dungeon Master! I came here with all my henchmen. Kobolds are stronger than goblins.”

“Dungeon Master! I came as well. Goblins are strong unlike the snot-nosed kobolds.”

“Dungeon Master! I am the best. My kobolds are the most durable and strong.”

The 9 bosses started talking in a display of their personality. It was a funny competition to see who was stronger.

Two hours ago, I used magic to inform them that I was the Dungeon Master and to gather. The Dungeon Master’s rights were absolute. The goblins and kobolds absolutely couldn’t ignore my commands.

“It is good to see you.”

I said briefly before the 9 bosses started talking again.

“I am also pleased to see you.”

“I am even more pleased.”

“I am the most pleased.”

The bosses naturally had bad brains. They were goblins and kobolds.

The 9 bosses simultaneously welcomed me but there was no rudeness.

‘My goals.’

I pressed my hand against my forehead. Could I really take these guys to war?

‘Crazy.’

Anyway, my role was to direct them.Winning a difficult fight would make me feel an even greater pleasure.

“Humans have come to the 3rd floor. Does everybody know about it?”

The heads of the 9 bosses nodded in unison. They weren’t nervous about the intruders.

“I know.”

“It is disgraceful.”

“I’ll obliterate them.”

Their hostility was excellent. There was a common enemy so the troops weren’t going to be split apart.

“Those fellows have entered my dungeon in order to seek treasure. As a Dungeon Master, I can’t condone this so I am giving you a chance.”

“Condone?”

“Dumb goblin, you don’t understand. It means to eat them.”

“No. Condone is the name of my friend.”

I should refrain from using hard words. In the meantime, I had thought that Yihi was simple. Rather, now Yihi seemed smarter.

I said with exceptional patience.

“It means they can’t be forgiven. I won’t let the humans go.”

“Okay. I also hate humans!”

“I will show you the bravery of the kobolds!”

“Grrruk! I hate humans.”

Unified hearts.

However, their motivation was a little lacking. They already weren’t seeing the humans as enemies. I needed to increase their willpower.

‘I guess I need a reward.’

Just like slaves, those without motivation would have their efficiency deteriorate.

A whip and carrots.

This approach wasn’t just limited to humans but any beings with intelligence.

“I will give a reward to the boss with the most merits during this war. Do any of you have a wish?”

And they were given hope.

The goblin boss on the very left of the line replied immediately.

“Females! There are only males. I want to spread my seeds.”

“I agree. Under these circumstances, there can only be matings between males.”

“I can do all by yourself!”

One of them answered and the rest of the bosses agreed.

The 1,700 kobolds and goblins gathered here were all males. I had summoned a number of female orcs for breeding but the goblins and kobolds were pending.

Their inbreeding was too complicated and the orcs’ reproduction was superior. Of course, half of them were likely to die of birth defects before they turned 1 year old.

Meanwhile, the orc’s population would be controlled through hunting.

‘In the first place, goblins and kobolds have the same roots. They hate each other but had to calmly admit it. However, their selfishness means they reject other species as superior. In particular, they might threaten the lives of the orcs unlike the ale snakes or meat bats on the 1st floor.’

It was a situation where the orcs still needed more numbers. A proper balance was the most important factor when organizing the ecology of a dungeon.

‘Their numbers will significantly reduce in this war. Not bad.’

Even if their numbers multiplied indefinitely, they would be reduced during a war.

I nodded.

“Okay. If you eliminate a lot of humans then I will bring in some females.”

“Kiek! I’ll work hard!”

“I will catch more than the goblins!”

“I will catch the most.”

The advantage of these guys lay in their numbers, not their brains. From the beginning, they couldn’t even count all of their fingers and toes. It would be a hassle to have those brains follow a plan to kill the Awakened but I could leave it to Yihi.

They jumped as Yihi popped out with a small laugh. It was an unflattering appearance.

“We will be organizing the troops from now on.”

A confrontation was inevitable. If the orcs joined the fight then the odds of winning would increase. So it was necessary for separate units in order to operate them effectively.

I remembered the wars I saw in the past and started assigning the roles to the bosses.

***

The party of 800 Awakened was located at the entrance to the dungeon’s 3rd floor. They were divided into 6 groups and gathered at their respective bonfire.

They lost a number of colleagues on the 2nd floor so the atmosphere was depressing.

But some weren’t affected. The Chinese Awakened. There was a lot of them so they had suffered relatively less losses than the other Awakened.

“Hao! Henhao!” (hen=very, hao=good in Chinese)

“Hahaha!”

A Chinese person was dancing with an orc skull while the people around were clapping their hands in response. The majority of the dance was like acrobatics.

The eyes of the rest were on the dancer.

“They are having a festival.”

Daniel who was sitting in front of a bonfire spat out bitterly.

The American called Daniel had come to the dungeon with five people and one of them had died on the 2nd floor. Naturally it was impossible for him to feel good.

“Leader. Shouldn’t we act separately? If we find treasure then we can monopolize it. Then we won’t have to wait our turn.”

A huge man with red hair like a chicken said. He seemed to have lived a wild life as his whole body was scarred.

Daniel shook his head.

“No. We don’t know the creatures and their numbers on the 3rd floor. We can’t escape from this group until we check it out. If a more annoying creature than the orcs exist then we’ll be killed on the spot.”

“Do you remember those gargoyle like monsters in the Middle East?”

Foreign people had participated as mercenaries when the monster wave occurred in the Middle East. There were other creatures in addition to the kobolds, goblins and orcs.

In particular, the gargoyles that resembled 2 metre large eyeballs were powerful. They fired a short-ranged sharp beam that could cut the body as soon as it hit. The gargoyles also had sharp teeth and excellent resilience to attacks. If they were petrified, after a short time their physical strength would recover.

Many Awakened fell victim to them. Although they were eventually intercepted by dozens of fighter, the thought of them was enough to make him piss in his pants.

“When thinking of the treasure that exists here, it isn’t surprising that creatures more demanding than the gargoyles exist. If there are only 5 of us then we will definitely be wiped out.”

Daniel’s opinion was valid. As the leader of the team, it was natural for him to worry about the lives of his team members.

The chicken haired man clicked his tongue.

“But I don’t like the Chinese people. They are the black society (common Cantonese reference to the triads, the Chinese organized crime). Look at that festival atmosphere after people died from the orcs. This might actually stimulate the creatures instead.”

“I don’t like them either. However, be patient. The atmosphere will slowly return.”

“Leader. By the way, is there really treasure? There was only one staff found on the 2nd floor. Doesn’t it only increase magic efficiency by a little bit? It is a questionable treasure.”

“There are things greater than the staff. The Korean Heaven’s Will guild found remarkable things. In particular, the spatial jump scroll would be worth a lot. Just obtaining one of those would make this expedition a success.”

The spatial jump scroll could really be used a lot.It could be used as an extra life or for malicious things. If it was released at a secret auction then many people would come to buy it.

The chicken haired man scratched his head.

“But everyone else will be thinking similar things. That’s why all these guys surged into the dungeon.”

Daniel laughed.

“Right now humans are greedy animals. In that sense, we can’t blame the Chinese for sitting back and watching. All those gathered here…it is thanks to them that we easily reached he 3rd floor.”

It didn’t matter how many people came in, whether it was separately or together. The Chinese or other foreign Awakened were capable people.

The place they came from might be different but they penetrated through the 2nd floor thanks to that. Although one of the team members was sacrificed.

The chicken haired man opened his mouth with disgust.

“Ah, I don’t know. I just hate those guys. Leader, we should act properly this time. We have to live well for the sake of the dead, Jack.”

“We will do that.”

Jack was the name of their colleague killed on the 2nd floor. The atmosphere become solemn for a while as they ate their soup.

“Koheok!”

At that moment, screams were heard out of nowhere.

Daniel and the whole team hurriedly held their weapons as they looked in the direction of the screams.

The Chinese person dancing while holding the orc skull had a wooden arrow sticking out from his head.

“Fuck!” (Chinese)

It happened in an instant. The Chinese people stood up carrying weapons.

Daniel and his team nervously looked ahead.

Kiruk.

Kieeek!

At the same time, they could see hundreds of kobolds dripping saliva. The leader of the kobolds was the size of an adult male and had a crossbow aimed.

He was the one who fired the arrow towards the dancing Chinese person.

“Kill them all!” (Chinese)

The Chinese people firmly ran towards the crowd of kobolds. Their appearance was quite different from those seen in a video medium on YouTube. Their attitude was a problem but the sight of 500 people coming out was certainly impressive.

Hwiiik.

Pasak!

The arrows that came flying were cut by the swords of the Chinese. After the element of surprise was gone, the Awakened can easily deal with the sloppy archery skills.

“Grruk! Kieeeek!”

After the arrows were blocked, the kobold boss immediately turned and shouted. It seemed like they were giving up.

The kobolds started to flee in an orderly manner. They were followed by crowds of Awakened.

Even if they failed to get treasures, the Cores were still money. It was easy to obtain a number of Cores.

“Leader. Shouldn’t we go after them?”

The chicken haired man said while watching the Chinese run after the kobolds.

Daniel shook his head.

“Our team will remain in place. There is something strange.”

“What does that mean? Those guys are kobolds. Isn’t that why they ran away?”

“It is the one in the front. The boss. He knows basic strategy.”

“Hey, Leader. He is still a kobold.”

Once a kobold, always a kobold.

The chicken head man was well aware of the levels of the Awakened. Even if it was a boss, it couldn’t deal with the Awakened.

“I don’t have a good feeling.”

Daniel’s instincts were very good. He knew the moment Jack died on the 2nd floor and informed the rest of the members.

“We don’t know the geography of the third floor at all. A great number of people will die going out there.”

“Well. I understand. Understood. I will do as Leader says. But will we move at a later time?”

“We weren’t going to accompany them until the end anyway. They are only guides to prepare for a situation. We will act separately as soon as I grasp the situation.”

The chicken haired man clapped at Daniel’s situation.

“This is why I like Leader!”

Daniel was able to calmly analyze the situation.

“Richard, you are our quickest member so I want you to scout. Determine whether it is a trap or not.”

“Okay.”

“Andy. Secure the perimeter.”

“Understood.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“A simple thing.”

“Me? Me? What do you mean, Leader?”

The eyes of the chicken haired man shone.

Daniel looked at the pot that was half filled with soup and said.

“Eat the soup. There is too much left.”

***

The number of those chasing the kobolds gradually decreased.

The geography of the cave was very complicated and the numbers dropped one by one as they couldn’t keep up the speed.

At first there were 500 people but now only 100 remained.

The people in the lead realized that something was weird but it was too late by the time they tried to turn back.

Chwiik!

Chwiiik!

The Awakened were dismayed. Creatures sprung up from every direction. They wouldn’t have been surprised if goblins or kobolds emerged. But the creatures that appeared were 200 orcs!

Despair appeared on all their faces.

‘There are more than I thought.’

I used a crystal ball in order to determine the battlefield in real time. I had two crystal balls and magic could be used to show the scene surrounding the other crystal ball.

The crystal ball showed the battlefield with the orcs. Thus I could view the battlefield in real time from a remote location. It was a magic tool that cost 5,000 pt.

‘It is simpler than I thought.’

I ridiculed the 100 Awakened that had followed until the end. They never even imagined that the kobolds would be a lure.

They thought the kobolds were running away scared. Most of the Awakened that came this far were the Chinese whose thinking was too narrow.

This was the worst result.

‘This is a ridiculously good result for a 1-time operation. Now I will slowly bleed them dry.’

I had the power of my home ground. Furthermore, this operation brought a few advantages.

Now, what method would annoy them?

The smile on my face couldn’t be erased.

***

Each of the Awakened had red eyes. The skin at their mouths was peeling.

Over the last few days. They hadn’t been able to sleep.

The goblins, kobolds and orcs roaming around randomly attacked so they had to pay close attention 24 hours a day.

Some of the Awakened that stormed off in anger didn’t return. Dozens of Awakened had died. The number of Awakened had dropped below 700.

There was a proposal to exit the dungeon but the Chinese didn’t agree. They only received one staff so they maintain an unwavering attitude not to leave. The large black society also helped quite a bit in the battles. To be honest, the creatures were no match for their power.

There was still hope.

“The situation isn’t good.”

However, Daniel’s thoughts were different.

“The kobolds, goblins and orcs are united. Their movements aren’t common. Someone behind them…who is it? They must be very strong to exert influence over the creatures. Advanced demon? Or…Dungeon Master?”

The situation was enough to cause him anxiety. Daniel had an excellent sense of smell, especially regarding danger.

Now that feeling was at its peak. He hadn’t felt such apprehension since awakening. Even his time as a mercenary in the Middle East wasn’t as high as this.

“There is something. The opponents haven’t lost their leisurely air. Confidence that they can wipe us out anytime…What are they playing at? Have I been careless since the beginning?”

Daniel had a habit of talking to himself when he was extremely nervous. It was at that moment.

“Leader?”

The chicken haired man asked Daniel with confusion as Daniel stood up.