The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

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.

‘It’s fascinating, though. Not being able to sense the dungeon’s energy….’

Suu marveled at the dungeon’s ability to conceal its energy. Without the guidance of a human, she might never have found it. She saw another possibility here.

‘I never imagined they could even control humans. They must be truly remarkable!’

Suu’s gaze turned to Necros. Though his identity was hidden behind a robe and a white mask, it was clear that an extraordinary aura emanated from him.

Clap—

Kaleido clapped his hands, addressing Suu.

“Now, I, Kaleido, who serve Lord Necros, will guide you, Suu.”

Kaleido emphasized the name of Necros as he led the way into the dungeon.

“Yes! I’m in your care!”

Suu responded eagerly and followed behind Kaleido. Necros, the master of the dungeon, moved his steps slowly behind them. As they reached the deeper parts of the dungeon, Suu’s eyes widened in amazement.

“Wow—”

She exclaimed at the sight of the majestic and ornate interior of the dungeon. Grand chandeliers, statues adorned in gold, and marble floors—it was a scene reminiscent of a Demon King’s palace, and Suu was captivated.

“This is incredible…”

But there was more. In the center of the room stood a large golden fountain, surrounded by piles of various treasures that were dazzling to behold. Suu couldn’t help but let out exclamations of wonder at the magnificent sight.

‘Is this really a dungeon that’s not been around for long?’

Not only did it control humans as if they were limbs, but the dungeon had also accumulated an immense wealth. It had the richness and dignity that one would believe belonged to a dungeon that had been secretly operating and evading the Association’s notice for a long time.

‘Is this what dungeons are normally like…?’

For Suu, who was managing a dungeon for the first time and had only learned about them theoretically, it was a profound shock.

Clap—

“How do you find it? Our Lord Necros has amassed such wealth.”

Kaleido clapped his hands, drawing Suu’s attention. His words held no falsehood. The wealth that Necros had diverted—or rather, honestly accumulated—and the profits from running the arena were all here. Although some were sent to the dungeon where Celia resided, the income was still substantial.

“Now, let us continue the tour.”

Kaleido took the lead once more.

“We are currently undergoing expansion work in the dungeon. So, some areas are still unfinished.”

“No! It’s already incredible!”

As they ventured deeper, the atmosphere changed. Unlike the polished area they had seen earlier, this section had a more rugged feel. Unlike the marble-tiled floors from before, this area was still under construction. Ghouls were busy with pickaxes, moving materials around.

‘Despite the wealth, the quality of the soldiers is lacking.’

Suu’s eyes turned to the ghouls. Ghouls were two-star monsters, somewhat mediocre as dungeon guards. For a dungeon overflowing with treasures, relying solely on two-star ghouls for protection seemed unreasonable. Perhaps the dungeon master was aware of this and might request a trade with the Association.

‘I’m sure of it!’

To protect such immense wealth, they would surely want to improve the quality of their soldiers. Various thoughts raced through Suu’s mind.

‘What if they decide to purchase a large number of high-quality monsters? Does the Association even have that kind of stock right now…?’

It was a pleasant dilemma. A large order from the dungeon she managed would be entirely credited to Suu herself.

‘If that happens, I might surpass the legend of the Association!’

There was a merchant in the Demon Merchant Association known as a legend. Despite facing discrimination for being a half-succubus, she had become an unrivaled legendary merchant, Moru. Who would have guessed that the first dungeon she managed would be such a massive success?

‘That was definitely a succubus dungeon.’

Moru, who had achieved tremendous results, continued to climb the ranks. It seemed like an unattainable feat, but now Suu had a chance to follow in those legendary footsteps.

‘I must seize this opportunity!’

Suu resolved to do everything in her power to ensure she could manage this dungeon. She was determined not to give the dungeon master any reason to request a change in their assigned merchant. Although this was her first time acting as a merchant, Suu had one significant strength: her extensive theoretical knowledge. She had studied various fields such as dungeons, monsters, items, and artifacts in preparation for this day.

‘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.