Gacha Kingdom Building

Chapter 22: The Rampage Of The Dragon's Nest

With a few days left until I started the event, the difficulty slider had yet to change.

I felt like we were making quite a bit of progress in multiple areas, we got level-ups and new skills, and some of the most useful ones got strengthened.

However, the predicted difficulty didn't seem to decrease at all.

My first theory as to why this might be the case revolves around the name of one of the Events.

Although it's a war, the description didn't state specifically that I had to fight.

I may have to find a way to end the war diplomatically to reach a good ending, for example.

In this case, it makes sense that increasing my power wouldn't make all the difference regarding my chances.

The only problem is the second event. The one that seems to suggest I should gather resources.

Like the other, its difficulty slider is also not moving.

However, I'm sure this one implies I'll have to fight, as there are creatures whose sole purpose is to defend the resources.

Thanks to this hole, this theory is not that strong.

As for the second one... It might be that the sliders aren't a reflection of my strength.

There's a chance that the difficulty is measured by something else, perhaps elements present within the Event itself, outside of my control, and thus, I'm unable to change them.

While there's no way to confirm this of yet, I'm not too confident in it either, and if that were the case, I wouldn't be able to do anything anyway.

What makes me doubt this one is the existence of the slider in the first place.

After all, what would be the point of a slider if it doesn't change?

There's also the fact that the loyalty bar uses the very same bar, and yet, my very actions directly affect it.

This leaves me with the last theory.

Although the most plausible, it's also the least desirable for me, so I try to not think about it too much.

However, I have to face it nonetheless...

Regarding both Events, it might be the case that I simply didn't get strong enough to make a dent in the predicted difficulty.

This, of course, leads to a bunch of problems.

I think the way we are currently doing things is actually rather impressive.

Without even considering the addition of Claire and Licia as my [Citizens], I think I became much stronger in just a few days.

Our pace is quite good, at least for Earth's standard, even taking into account that my generation is advancing faster compared to the last one thanks to all the information present.

It's a bit grim to think that even after doing all this, there is no change in our predicted chances.

However, aside from what we are currently doing, there's not much I can use.

We have a surefire way to progress at a good pace, so it is hard to give it up.

As such, I decided to put my faith in what we are already doing, hoping it is for the best.

These thoughts distracted me a little during breakfast, making me absent-minded.

But either thanks to the skill I acquired or my own experience, it wasn't enough for me to make a mistake.

Yet, it did make me unable to pay complete attention to something else that was going on in the living room, just next to me.

Licia: "Is that... a Dungeon Rampage?"

Only after she spoke familiar words in such a worried tone that I start paying more attention.

Claire: "Yep, quite a big one at that..."

The two of them were waiting for me to finish while watching TV.

It was on the news broadcast, and they seemed a bit shocked by what they were seeing.

Miwen: "Is everything alright?"

Licia: "W-well..."

Claire: "From what you said, this box shows what's happening in the city and country, right?"

Miwen: "Yes...?"

This ended up being the simplest way I had to explain things to them.

Just what it does, and not how it functions.

They are slowly getting used to things though, so it shouldn't take long before we have similar frames of reference and I can explain even the way things work by using everyday examples.

Still, it's useful that they are so attentive to the news.

Licia: "If what the box is saying is correct. We might have to evacuate from this city"

While she was nervous at first, once she had my confirmation, she proposed a plan.

Although judging by the images I was seeing, there was no need for us to go that far.

Miwen: "...It's about the boss of the Dragon's nest, right?"

That dungeon is pretty hard, and thus it ended up earning this name online as it has lizard-like monsters on the explored floors.

It's said that the boss from the third floor has descended all the way into the first, and no one seems confident enough to take it on, even though the authorities have tried offering a bounty for it.

And so... It was about time for this dungeon to rampage considering people weren't facing it.

Due to its difficulty, even in normal times, it was only frequented by veterans, so there was always a lack of personnel to keep it in check.

The boss of the third floor has already been defeated a few times in the past, but it seems like there wasn't much interest in exploring that place further, which led to him going to the lower floors after enough time had passed without its defeat.

Claire: "Have you decided what to do about it? I won't blame you for moving out in this case."

Miwen: "Eh... I don't think I will do that..."

Both Licia and Claire seemed pretty confused about my nonchalant statement.

Miwen: "It will be taken care of, so no need to worry."

Claire: "How can you be so sure? It looks pretty bad."

Although always dangerous, there's an advantage in letting a boss get out of the Dungeon.

Some boss rooms have gimmicks of their own, which can make a boss battle way harder.

Outside of the Dungeon, that doesn't apply, making the battles reasonably easier.

Another factor is that the level caps don't exist outside the Dungeon, so high/top rankers are often called in times like this.

People with lower levels also gather to gain easy experience thanks to their effort.

Of course, they also receive some monetary incentive to participate.

It ends up being an event that gathers a lot of people.

Miwen: "That place was already under watch. It's bad timing since some of the strongest parties around are already doing explorations in other places but... this one will simply become a hunting ground."

Licia: "It is amazing that your people are so quick to mobilize, but given how many ways you have to access information, I guess that's to be expected...."

Earth's preparations go way beyond just containment, which would be the first phase.

We also learn a bunch of signals in school that determine the danger of the emergency and the need for evacuation.

In this case, I could see that the area around my house was not in too much danger.

At most, there was a chance for a few strays to end up near here, but the odds were low and they were probably going to be killed way before reaching this place.

Claire: "Well... since you are the one telling us that it's alright, I'll believe it as you know more about this world. But I'll at least advise you that in my world, that kind of dungeon getting a rampage would lead to at least a few villages being destroyed, if not worse until a Knight Order managed to subjugate it."

Their worry was understandable.

It seemed like in their worlds, people were much less organized, and thus, even a single Dungeon Rampage was like a calamity for them.

However, it takes much more than that to break Earth's humanity.

While a little dangerous, this is at the level where it's not worth we stop living our lives or change our ways.

If it were multiple dungeons, a boss from a floor that had yet to be defeated, or even a Dungeon that is closer to us, like the one we are currently exploring, then it would be cause for concern.

The biggest risk is that of a stray somehow making it all the way here, but since the Dragon's Nest is not that close to the city, surveillance systems are almost sure to pick it up before something major happens.

It's not such a calamity...

At least not like the dungeons sky-high or deep underwater.

When one of those rampages, an entire fleet is needed.

Even after the rampage is dealt with, the monsters that manage to remain still cause enough damage for cargo ships to need escorting from fighting vessels.

Overall, dungeon rampages are a lot of trouble, but we are usually able to deal with them.

We've also adapted enough to know when one is a real problem.

One way or another, life had to go on.

We make sure to take care of what is really impactful, but it's impossible to prevent any incidents from happening.

Miwen: "I'll be honest with you if it is worth worrying about. Luckily, this one is not, so you can relax. Although I'm glad you told me about it."

Even after I told them it wouldn't impact our plans today, they still kept a watchful eye on our way to the dungeon.

However, I couldn't blame them too much.

Back when I was a kid, we didn't have such luxury either due to the amount of Dungeons that were always rampaging and the average level of adventurers, so I understand their reaction.

Also, keeping your guard up is always best anyway.