The yellow stone and purple stone shown by the master of the kobold dungeon.
They were unmistakably gold and magic crystals.
‘I have to secure this, no matter what.’
A dungeon rich in gold and magic crystals…
That alone was more than enough reason to do business with this dungeon.
Better adjusted his posture and sat up straight.
“Now then, shall we discuss the terms of our deal?”
Then he swiftly pulled a document from inside his coat.
It was a contract.
Better began adding and revising the necessary clauses in the contract he had prepared.
Even as he drafted the contract, Better’s mind rapidly recalled the past.
Better had originally been a slime monster.
A lowest-rank slime that, to begin with, had not even possessed the act of thought.
Then one day, he had been abducted by a group of humans who had invaded the dungeon.
That became the turning point in Better’s life as a slime.
After being abducted, the slimes, including Better, were locked inside a laboratory for a long time.
Inside the laboratory, they were subjected to various experiments by the humans.
While the slimes who had lived in the same dungeon died one by one, unable to withstand the experiments, only Better was strangely special.
Better alone survived the various experiments.
As the experiments continued for a long time, changes occurred in Better as well. The first was that he gained the intelligence to think.
Using that as a foundation, Better was able to grasp what kind of situation he had fallen into.
But he did not show it.
And the second change was that he gained the ability to transform into other beings.
Of course, Better did not show that either.
He hid his newly acquired ability and simply waited quietly for the right time.
The researchers inside the laboratory also looked at Better, who kept surviving, with astonished eyes, but that was all.
Because Better deliberately concealed the changes that had occurred in him, he did not seem particularly special aside from his survival.
Even so, the experiments continued.
In particular, as time passed, the researchers spoke of many things in front of Better, and this provided Better with a good opportunity to learn about the world.
Thanks to that, to the Better of the present, all manner of knowledge was practically something he had learned in the laboratory.
‘Magic crystals, huh…’
In truth, gold was not especially important to Better, who was a monster.
Even from what he had heard the researchers say in the past, it was safe to assume that gold’s use was merely to decorate appearances.
Still, if sold to humans, it would fetch money.
But magic crystals were different.
Even as Better moved his hand while drafting the contract, he glanced at the magic crystal.
A purplish stone.
It might look that way in a kobold’s eyes, but magic crystals were said to be the rarest of gemstones.
The researchers at the laboratory had also handled magic crystals with care.
That was how important a resource they were.
‘I’m certain they said the uses for magic crystals were endless.’
He suddenly recalled something the researchers had always said when he was in the laboratory.
The existence of dungeons threatened humanity, but at the same time, they had given humanity new opportunities.
Namely, resources.
Unlike the resources limited to Earth, dungeons continued to appear, and inside them were overflowing resources that could not be found on Earth.
Thanks to that, humanity had been able to make another leap forward.
Among them, magic crystals were especially rare.
Demand was great enough that they were used in many fields, but supply was low.
As rare as they were, their price was not even on the same level as gold.
And yet, such magic crystals had appeared in a kobold dungeon?
If others had known, they would probably have rushed in with their eyes blazing.
He had been the first to discover the value of such a dungeon.
This was nothing less than an incredible opportunity.
“Now, I believe the contract should be about like this. Would you take a look?”
Better finally finished revising the entire contract.
There had originally been a general framework, but this was a dungeon from which magic crystals emerged, no less.
Better was not foolish enough to shove an ordinary contract at a dungeon like this.
The kobold began reviewing the contract Better handed over.
【Contract】
[Contracting Parties]
- Dungeon Corporation (hereafter, “the Company”) and the master of the dungeon (hereafter, “the Kobold Dungeon”)
[Terms of Contract]
1. Obligations and Compensation:
The Company shall do its utmost to effectively protect the Kobold Dungeon from adventurers.
In addition to monetary compensation for the dungeon guardians, the Company shall possess the right to obtain a certain portion of the yellow stones and purple stones mined from the Kobold Dungeon.
2. Acquisition of Gems and Gold:
The Company shall be provided with accurate reports on the mining output of yellow stones and purple stones discovered in the Kobold Dungeon at each regular interval.
The Kobold Dungeon shall transfer 90% of the monthly mining output of the yellow stones and purple stones during the applicable period to Dungeon Corporation according to the ratio designated for the Company.
3. Contract Period and Termination Clauses:
The contract shall remain in effect as long as the safety and security of the Kobold Dungeon are maintained.
Should the Kobold Dungeon violate any clause of the contract, the Company may correct the corresponding violation or interfere in the management rights of the dungeon according to due procedure.
4. Miscellaneous Clauses:
This contract may be modified according to the agreement of both parties.
The Company shall possess the right to provide special support and assistance to the Kobold Dungeon.
[Effective Date of Contract]
- This contract shall take effect for life from the date of signature by both parties.
[Signatures]
Dungeon Corporation (Company): (Signature)
Master of the Dungeon (Kobold Dungeon): (Signature)
“……”
The expression of the kobold who read the contract changed in real time.
“T-this is…”
It was the expression of someone who had seen something he should not have.
“Hard! Contents, too much!”
Unfortunately, the kobold did not possess the intelligence necessary to understand the contract.
But even at the sight of such a kobold, Better wore a faint smile.
Since he was, in his own way, in sales, he decided to kindly explain it to the kobold.
“It is not difficult. We will protect and defend this dungeon ‘for life’ as if it were my own life. In return, Master of the Dungeon, you need only give us the yellow stones and purple stones ‘for life.’”
Better pointed with his finger at the stones the kobold possessed.
Hearing Better’s simple and clear explanation, the kobold nodded.
It was certainly easier to understand after hearing it explained in words.
“I see! Understood completely!”
Thanks to that, the kobold’s expression brightened.
They would protect his dungeon for life—what a wonderful contractual relationship this was.
Moreover, all he had to do was give them these yellow stones and purple stones.
“The Company is truly a kind place.”
The kobold signed the contract then and there.
Watching that, Better smiled and said,
“Now, we are just like one family. Welcome.”
“Family! Good thing!”
Better and the kobold clasped hands where they sat and shook.
With this, the contract was established.
“For now, I will bring troops here as soon as possible.”
This dungeon had to be protected at all costs.
A place this excellent could not be allowed to be taken by others.
If he had his way, he would deploy a large number of troops immediately, but realistically, that was impossible.
Since the Company had only just begun, the system that kept it running was still inadequate.
‘I’ll have to deal with the Black Sun Guild quickly.’
Better was a slime, but currently, he was using his ability to take on a human form.
The subject was the hunter Ji Seongmin, who was in Azmo’s dungeon.
And he intended to visit the Black Sun Guild, to which that hunter supposedly belonged.
Not just here—if they wanted to smoothly deploy troops to various dungeons in the future, they would need to borrow human hands.
‘Come to think of it, “borrow” is not the right expression.’
This was a world over which the great one would one day reign.
It was more correct to say they would make use of humans.
In any case, if they made use of humans, would it not be possible to secretly transport large numbers of troops?
To do so, they had to find the headquarters of the Black Sun Guild, to which Ji Seongmin belonged.
He planned to find it and place their organization under his command.
But this plan had a problem from the very beginning.
Had Ji Seongmin not said so himself?
The Black Sun Guild was a cell organization, so even if one belonged to it, it was difficult to find other members.
Better clasped the kobold’s hand and smiled, but he continued to ponder how to find the Black Sun Guild.
And at that moment.
“Wow—what’s all this?”
Uninvited guests appeared in the kobold dungeon.
They were armed and carrying weapons.
They were hunters.
As befitted hunters, several of them had the corpses of kobolds in their hands, dead and bleeding.
The intruders’ faces were filled with vile smiles.
“Look at that bastard’s necklace and ring. This place is a total gold mine, isn’t it?”
A man standing at the front spoke as he looked at Better’s necklace and ring.
“Haha. Boss, I told you I wasn’t wrong, didn’t I? I said he was a big catch at first glance.”
And the guy beside the man rubbed his hands together as he spoke. He was someone even Better recognized.
He was definitely the one who had checked Better’s hunter ID before he entered this kobold dungeon.
At first, he had thought it was a simple inspection, but as it turned out, it had been a trap.
However, to Better, their existence was not a major problem.
The variable was that the master of the dungeon was beside him.
“Invaders! Invaders have come!”
The master of the dungeon, the kobold, shouted at the invaders.
Fortunately, unlike before, Better was in the dungeon now.
And there was even the more powerful Maru.
“Lord Maru…”
Leaving the shouting kobold behind, Better looked at Maru.
Maru also looked at Better and nodded.
Their problem was not the intruders.
Rather, they were worried that the contract with the kobold dungeon might be broken because of the intruders.
And at last, what they had feared occurred.
The intruders had also spotted a certain thing.
“Hm?”
Someone voiced a question.
Their eyes all turned at once to the kobold’s hand.
Among them, the one who had checked Better’s hunter ID earlier spoke first.
“Boss, that’s… a magic cryst—”
But his words did not continue to the end.
“Lord Maru!”
Better immediately shouted to Maru.
They must not let the kobold learn of the existence of magic crystals.
Maru, who realized that fact as well, quickly drew the demonic sword and threw it.
The demonic sword Maru threw pierced the throat of the man who had been speaking.
* * *
“So such things happened?”
The heart of the dungeon.
Celia was working diligently again today.
Recently, the dungeon had grown in size.
As such, she could not help but think about the direction they should take in operating the dungeon.
At the same time, even now, information continued to flow in from the Kingdom of Seil.
As the general administrator, Celia had to compile their information and consider what moves they should make going forward.
For that was loyalty to the great master.
And the document she was looking at now was a letter sent by Azmo.
The contents of the letter were simple.
Currently, he was carrying out the master’s orders on Earth, another dimension, and that was the establishment of a company.
But the company was not ordinary.
To borrow Azmo’s words, it seemed the master had plans to create a company that encompassed the world.
“I see.”
On the continent of Eldorad as well, there was the Demon Realm Company, which dealt with dungeons.
Of course, aside from the Demon Realm Company, there were also wandering merchants, but all of them were people who dealt with dungeons.
There were occasionally monsters who traded with humans, but their main customers were, ultimately, dungeons.
But the great master was not ordinary after all.
“He intends to begin reigning over the world in earnest.”
The master had begun to move.
That was joyful, and at the same time, it pressured Celia.
The fact that the master had moved personally was certainly joyous.
But the fact that he was acting directly also meant that they had fallen short of the master’s expectations.
“I cannot simply remain still.”
As the master’s first servant, she absolutely could not remain idle.
She had to do something.
Fortunately, she was able to find the answer in the letter Azmo had sent.
‘An institution that will swallow the world.’
The company Azmo spoke of was nothing more than a simple smokescreen.
Celia could tell.
The master did not want a mere company, but an institution that would control the world.
“Clack!”
At that moment, a skeleton knight entered beside Celia.
“Clack clack clack!”
The skeleton knight said something while bringing humans in behind him.
They were all armed adventurers.
To be precise, they were banshees controlling adventurers.
Celia looked at them and quietly opened her mouth.
“Now, the great master’s command has been given.”
Everyone focused on Celia’s words.
“From this moment on, you will cross the wall known as the dungeon and head into the world of humans.”
Most monsters, including Celia, were restricted in the areas they could go outside.
However, as a result of various experiments Celia had conducted, humans controlled by banshees were able to surpass that restriction.
“Our devotion and loyalty will bring glory to the great master.”
The skeleton knights outside handed each of them a pouch filled with gold coins.
“It does not matter whether it is the royal family or the Adventurers’ Guild. Prove your worth there. Advance toward higher places.”
Though for now, they were nothing more than small pieces.
But if each of those pieces grew in size, how would the story change?
“For the day the master calls us again—”
As soon as Celia’s words ended, the adventurers began to step out of the dungeon.