abcnovels
Chapter – 34
Chapter – 34
Chapter – 34
EP.34 Surrendering to Her Beauty
Someone was walking inside the dungeon. His face resembled that of a toad, clearly having an appearance that couldn’t be called human by anyone.
His name was Gurlon, currently a manager in the internal audit team of the Demon Merchant. Given his position, he was flanked by escorts; Skeleton knights surrounded him, numbering at least twenty.
“Hehe.”
Who wouldn’t receive such formal escorts? These Skeleton knights were nothing other than 3-star monsters.
Of course, overall, their grade wasn’t extremely high. Nevertheless, the current escort was deemed formal given the circumstances.
Naturally, this was an accommodation extended by the Demon Merchant due to his affiliation with the audit team.
Gurlon looked around the dungeon with a satisfied expression.
‘The dungeon interior is just so.’
It lacked sophistication, presenting a rugged appearance devoid of any finesse.
“Hmm.”
Despite its rough appearance, Gurlon refrained from assessing the entire dungeon based solely on its appearance. What kind of place was this? Wasn’t this the place that transformed Moru, who had zero achievements within the Demon Merchant, into someone with the highest achievements? That would imply significant trade volume and, in other words, that the master of this dungeon had an abundance of wealth.
Hence, Gurlon’s visit to this dungeon. Of course, there were separate handlers for transactions. Among the rules of the Demon Merchant was not arbitrarily changing handlers, even if they belonged to the audit team, they didn’t possess the authority to violate that rule.
Gurlon had no interest in such matters. He had other business for visiting here. While walking with the escort of Skeleton knights, three paths emerged.
“…Quite something.”
As far as he knew, this dungeon hadn’t existed for long. There had been an expansion project through the Demon Merchant for the dungeon, but could that alone have caused such a significant expansion? To Gurlon, it seemed close to impossible.
“Indeed, does it possess such capabilities?”
Newly formed dungeons usually received the lowest ratings in credit scores. There was always the risk of external attacks and various uncertainties, making it a considerable risk from the Demon Merchant’s perspective. However, this dungeon, although newly formed, was one that the Demon Merchant was watching. Demonstrating this level of capability was indeed fitting for the attention of the Demon Merchant. Standing at the intersection of three paths, someone emerged from the right path.
“I’ve been waiting. I’m Celia, in charge of managing the dungeon.”
Gurlon looked at the person who greeted him first. She was a person of outstanding beauty and dignity. Her attire added even more grace to her presence. Gurlon, momentarily captivated by her appearance, quickly regained his composure.
“Ah, my apologies. I am Gurlon, the ‘Manager’ of the Audit Team in the Demon Merchant.”
Gurlon deliberately emphasized the word ‘Manager.’ It was a move to take the lead in the conversation with the other party.
“Pleased to meet you, Manager Gurlon. Please allow me to guide you this way.”
Celia smiled without any change and directed Gurlon towards the right path. Gurlon followed her without sensing any particular energy. Usually, it could mean one of two things, either the opponent had an energy level undetectable by oneself or deliberately concealed their energy using skills or artifacts.
‘Probably the latter.’
Why would someone hide it? Sometimes, individuals like that existed. Those who were cautious about revealing their background to the Demon Merchant. In other words, it was an intention not to lose.
‘In fact, this place might not be that special.’
Perhaps, by chance, they caught a wealthy adventurer, making it appear as if they had a lot of money. Various speculations ran through his mind, but Gurlon remained expressionless and silently followed Celia.
The first place they reached was a field. There, amidst the blue grass, flowers, and butterflies, were monsters. They weren’t ordinary creatures but monsters.
‘Lower grade than expected.’
Too low, even lower than expected. It seemed like a dungeon that would be easily breached with just a bit of adventurer experience.
‘I should report back to the Demon Merchant when I return.’
If it had reached this level, there seemed to be no need for much attention. With such thoughts, Gurlon moved on to the next location.
There, a vast lake existed. Near the shore, goblins were seen fetching water. Gurlon kept turning his head while observing this scene.
‘It seems goblins are positioned elsewhere.’
Although it was a new fact, there didn’t seem to be any significant point to pay attention to yet.
Moving around the lake, he arrived at the dungeon’s center. Gurlon first examined the position of the core, which could be considered the heart of the dungeon. This showed the dungeon’s level based on how it was managed.
‘The security seems relatively good.’
Troops were stationed around the core. Though they were covered in large robes, their identity remained unknown. Nevertheless, it was evident they paid attention to security.
“Oh… Is that a human?”
And another figure. Behind bars, a human woman was visible, her belly appearing swollen.
“This is the fate of those who dare to come here without fear.”
Celia replied with a smile unchanged. Her response slightly elevated Gurlon’s evaluation of the dungeon. Such ambition was necessary for a dungeon.
Passing through a prison, Gurlon’s eyes caught sight of a facility. Several Skeleton knights were guarding it.
‘Ah…’
It was undoubtedly an unusual space. Perhaps, the Skeleton knights stationed there were seen as a demonstration of the dungeon’s power. It seemed a space akin to protecting the core.
Gurlon remembered this fact and continued moving, still resolutely on his way.
Eventually, he reached the end of the center. There, a chair adorned with gems was placed; it clearly looked like the seat where the dungeon’s master sat.
A throne.
“Come to think of it, do you know where the dungeon’s master is?”
Gurlon looked around. No one seemed worthy of being called the dungeon’s master.
“Oh, the master isn’t here right now. But don’t worry. I’ve been granted all authority by the master, so you can speak to me.”
Gurlon briefly doubted Celia’s words but soon concluded.
‘It’s clear this person is the master.’
Who, as the master, would abandon the dungeon? Especially after notifying the Demon Merchant about it.
‘This is nothing but propaganda.’
“So, then…”
Gurlon wasn’t a fool to openly speak his thoughts.
“I’ve visited here for one particular reason, to make sure of one thing.”
He smiled charmingly towards Celia and clapped once.
– Clap –
At that moment, one of the guards standing nearby had bloodstains all over him. It was Jewel, the superior of the merchant Moru, horrifyingly mutilated.
Her eyes were sewn shut like her mouth, and blood dripped from her bound body. Her ears were plugged with something unknown. She was in a state where she couldn’t see, hear, or speak, completely deprived of all freedom.
Gurlon glanced at Jewel and then turned to Celia, his greedy intentions bubbling within.
“What do you think? One of our associates at the Demon Merchant behaved very rudely yesterday. This is the minimum courtesy for that.”
Gurlon bowed.
It was a gesture of respect for the dungeon that had recently increased the Demon Merchant’s sales, as well as the final act of teasing such a dungeon.
“This person is no longer associated with the Demon Merchant. Please do as you wish, the dungeon master… No, Celia perhaps using her like a human woman for monster breeding methods would be good too. Hehe.”
Gurlon laughed like a devil.
His intention was to demonstrate the Demon Merchant’s cruelty, yet Celia, in a different sense, was surprised.
‘That’s how you’d call punishment.’
Until now, she had underestimated herself too much.
From now on, Celia thought that ignoring beings like the master warranted such punishment. As Celia remained silent, Gurlon chuckled and continued speaking.
“Of course, this doesn’t end with this. In the future, in terms of deals, discounts, and special treatment will be arranged.”
Gurlon took out a card from his pocket. It had a different appearance from the black card. It was a white card with a golden star drawn on it. Known as the ‘White Card’, it represented the elites of the demonic market. The number of stars indicated the grade, and even possessing one star was significant.
The White Card wasn’t issued to just anyone. Those who owned this card received special treatment in the market and had the privilege to participate in exclusive auctions. Giving a White Card to a dungeon that had been established not long ago? Just that fact showed how much attention the Demon Merchant was giving.
Celia, who had some experience managing a dungeon in the past, paused for a moment. She knew about the incubus who had invaded her dungeon. She had planned to punish Jewel soon, as she knew she was behind it. However, she was annoyed that the Demon Merchant knew and had already taken action. But since they were eventually labor for the master, she decided to overlook it.
“I see. If it’s from the Demon Merchant like this, it’s hard to refuse.”
Celia accepted the card Gurlon handed her.
“By the way, the masters of nearby dungeons are having a banquet tonight. How about you, Celia, attending?”
Gurlon hinted, raising his hand.
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I mentioned it to you because the master isn’t here right now.”
“Thanks for the useful information.”
“That’s nothing much. We’re always sincere at our market. Then, until we meet again…”
Celia expressed her gratitude, and with that, Gurlon left the dungeon.
Celia pondered how to handle Jewel, lying sprawled on the floor, and then mulled over what Gurlon had said.
“Yeon-hee…”
The restraint had been lifted once again. Their scope to leave the dungeon had increased. Even the dungeons that were farther away than before would likely be conquerable.
Celia considered the banquet’s purpose as a prelude to conquering.
====
***
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“Chwiik, to everyone attending this banquet…”
An orc, speaking, stopped abruptly. Rubbing his eyes cautiously, he opened them again.
” Chwiik?”
It was strange. It was a gathering to foster camaraderie among those in similar positions. Yet, a being of a different caliber had appeared among them.
“Uh…”
The orc stuttered, bewildered.
“I surrender.”
Starting with the orc’s words, everyone attending the banquet declared their surrender at Celia’s appearance.
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