“Fuck!”
A man dressed in black from head to toe spat out a curse.
A black suit, neatly groomed hair, and black glasses on his face gave the man an intellectual air.
But beyond his lenses, his eyes blazed with rage.
The man’s name was Serinu.
As a demon, he was an executive of the Demon Realm Trading Company.
He was in charge of overall management, and the reason he was angry was none other than this.
“How the hell did you fail to find one measly vampire?!”
A hole had been blown in the work he was managing.
Thanks to that, the subordinate demon who had delivered the report trembled all over and lowered his head, terrified that Serinu’s fury might turn on him.
“That insane vampire bitch dares!”
Serinu slammed his desk and roared.
The one he was currently pursuing was Baalcherit.
She owed the Demon Realm Trading Company an enormous debt, but Baalcherit had no ability to repay it.
On top of that, due to a surprise attack by the White Order, Baalcherit’s forces had been annihilated to the point of near extinction.
However, even if she could not repay her debt, it did not matter to Serinu.
No, if anything, it had become an even better opportunity.
Baalcherit was a 5-star vampire.
And she had been born with the blood of the Vampire King.
A being like that was extremely valuable.
Thus, under the pretext of debt repayment, Serinu had seized the management rights to Baalcherit’s dungeon.
Now, all he had to do was use the dungeon he had seized as leverage and manipulate Baalcherit to his liking.
If he had managed that, everything would surely have been perfect.
But Baalcherit had slipped from his grasp.
She had already vanished, and even when he tried belatedly to find her, there was not a trace.
Even if the dungeon Baalcherit had left behind remained, it could not compare to the value of a 5-star vampire.
For Serinu, who had been managing the affair, it was the worst possible situation.
“Find Baalcherit at once! No matter where she’s hiding, drag that bitch back here!”
His shrill voice rang thunderously through the office.
The subordinate demon seized the opportunity, nodded, and hurriedly left.
Left alone in the office, Serinu let out a deep sigh.
“Hoo… useless bastards.”
Things were not going his way.
Recently, everything he touched had ended in failure.
The social gathering and auction he had hosted earlier had both ended in failure, and all the auction items had been taken by some damned bastard.
‘The Arch Lich and that black-masked bastard….’
The one who had taken the items was the fellow wearing a black mask at the time. And beside him had been an Arch Lich.
He knew the location of the dungeon to which the Arch Lich belonged, but he had yet to uncover the identity of the one in the black mask.
“There must be something there.”
Just from the behavior of the black mask and the Arch Lich at the social gathering, it had seemed as if the Arch Lich was following the black mask.
As the two of them were leaving the banquet hall together, the black mask had suddenly disappeared on his own.
He had literally evaporated.
As though he were a being who had never existed on the continent of Eldorad.
Moreover, not long ago, a 7-star Calamity had appeared in the Sale Kingdom.
A Calamity that had appeared for the first time in hundreds of years.
It was a major incident that anyone belonging to the Demon Realm Trading Company would be interested in.
Serinu, too, wanted to rise to a higher position within the company.
That was why he had sent informants to the Sale Kingdom even at considerable risk, but this, too, had yielded no particular results.
‘At this rate, my position will be in danger.’
Serinu was brimming with ambition, but his recent string of failures had shaken his standing.
In such a situation, losing Baalcherit as well was a painful blow.
If only the matter with Baalcherit had gone according to plan, he could have made up for his past mistakes.
Perhaps he might even have been promoted within the company.
But reality was cold.
Baalcherit had disappeared without a trace.
Even Serinu had a headache trying to figure out where on earth he should look for that woman.
“Hmm.”
What would happen if he failed to capture Baalcherit?
A demotion would probably be unavoidable.
Even after rising rapidly, the moment he made one major mistake, he would lose his place in the Demon Realm Trading Company.
The company was a vast and cold organization.
In the end, Serinu himself was nothing more than a small consumable part supporting it.
‘I have to avoid demotion at all costs.’
Somehow, he had to find a way to break through the current situation.
Serinu ground his teeth and clutched at his hair.
“What can I do?”
His subordinates would continue searching for Baalcherit.
As for clues regarding the 7-star Calamity, no one had found any yet, so there was no need to rush needlessly.
That left one thing: finding the one who had taken all the auction items.
Of course, tracking his whereabouts was impossible for the moment.
But did he not know of a being connected to the black mask?
“The Arch Lich.”
The Arch Lich had certainly devoted himself to that black mask as though serving his master.
If he interrogated the Arch Lich, he would probably be able to obtain a clue.
“How should I handle this…?”
The problem, however, was the approach.
Serinu could not step forward personally.
“Is there anyone who could fight the Arch Lich in my stead?”
As Serinu sank into thought, one being suddenly crossed his mind.
“Right. There was that one, wasn’t there?”
Serinu ground his teeth and clenched his fist tightly.
In his eyes, the flames of revenge blazed.
* * *
Lamia.
A race of monsters whose upper bodies took human form while their lower bodies were shaped like snakes.
The dungeon in which those lamias lived was filled with dark, humid air.
If an adventurer had entered, they would likely have found the temperature stifling.
Soft earth covered the floor, and in the corners, small ponds flowed, raising the humidity within the dungeon.
If one walked while looking at the walls carved with the shapes of snakes, they would arrive at the center of the dungeon.
The center consisted of a large hall, where candlesticks burning with green flames drove away the darkness, however faintly.
Following the flames a little farther in, one would be able to see a gorgeously decorated throne.
Upon that throne sat the master of the dungeon, Arkanea, with an arrogant expression.
“Lady Arkanea, this is a messenger sent by Lord Serinu.”
Stia, the dungeon’s adjutant, lowered her head and introduced Serinu’s subordinate.
There stood a small, fat demon, smiling as he nodded.
“Greetings, Lady Arkanea. I am Lord Serinu’s faithful servant, Kandeul. I have come because Lord Serinu has a message to convey.”
However, Arkanea’s expression did not look very bright.
“Hmph. I wonder what business that bastard has to send me a messenger again.”
She stared quietly at Kandeul, then wriggled her lower body and rose upon the throne.
At the same time, the snake scales embedded in her skin gave off a faint glow.
“Speak quickly. Do not waste too much of my precious time.”
A long tongue flicked out between Arkanea’s lips.
She was a being of great pride and equally great self-regard.
The fact that Serinu had sent her a messenger must mean that he needed her help.
That fact filled Arkanea with delight.
‘The company isn’t so impressive after all.’
For that reason, contrary to her expression, she was in an excellent mood.
Kandeul knew that as well, so he opened his mouth with the same smiling face.
“Of course. Then I shall get straight to the point. Do you perhaps remember the Arch Lich you met at the last banquet?”
In that instant, a flame flashed in Arkanea’s eyes.
“How dare you… mention a pile of bones before me.”
At the last company social gathering, Arkanea herself should have been the one to receive the most attention.
The 5-star Succubus Queen’s whereabouts were unclear, and Baalcherit, another 5-star, was also in a poor situation after falling into debt to the company.
So naturally, it only made sense for Arkanea, who stood on the verge of becoming a 5-star, to receive the most attention.
But once the banquet began, a scene completely different from what she had expected unfolded.
Everyone’s eyes had suddenly been drawn to an Arch Lich that appeared from who knew where.
In short, the Arch Lich had stolen the attention that should have been hers.
Because of that, Arkanea had remained in a foul mood even after the banquet ended.
If she had had her way, she would have faced the Arch Lich in the duel event held during the banquet.
But the Arch Lich had taken all the auction goods and left early.
Even now, thinking back on that incident made her insides twist.
“Oh dear… we understand how you feel very well, Lady Arkanea. Is that not precisely why I am here now?”
“Hoh.”
What commendable words was he about to say?
Suppressing the anger welling up inside her, Arkanea looked at Kandeul.
“If Lady Arkanea intends to subjugate the Arch Lich’s dungeon, my master, Lord Serinu, has promised unsparing support.”
But Arkanea was a 4-star.
No matter how close she was to becoming a 5-star, it was questionable whether she could defeat an Arch Lich who was already a 5-star.
As if he had seen right through that, Kandeul wore a subtle smile.
“Of course, we also intend to bestow upon you a special power so that you may subdue the Arch Lich without fail.”
Then he took a small vial from his breast.
“This is an elixir that forcibly awakens one’s power, an exceedingly rare item. If you consume it, Lady Arkanea, you too will become a fully fledged 5-star being.”
At those words, a smile spread across Arkanea’s lips.
“Hehehe… Yes, you should do at least that much. I will show you all exactly how much stronger I am than that pile of bones.”
She licked her lips with her red tongue and laughed.
Cruel madness gathered in her eyes.
Kandeul, too, laughed coldly inwardly.
‘Stupid bitch.’
His master, Serinu, had long since seen through the fact that Arkanea felt an inferiority complex toward the Arch Lich.
Before Kandeul came here, Serinu had said this:
—A snake’s jealousy is terrifying. If we leave them to bite at each other, it will make for quite an amusing spectacle.
Seeing her down the elixir without the slightest hesitation, he knew that Serinu’s judgment had been correct.
Arkanea emptied the entire elixir Kandeul had offered into her mouth.
A sweet yet bitter taste touched the tip of her tongue.
Then, in that instant, her body began to convulse.
It was as if something were writhing beneath her skin.
Arkanea gasped for breath and looked at her own arm.
Her scales grew darker and darker, then began to turn gold.
“Urgh… Th-this power…!”
Behind her, the body of a snake swelled.
Her lower body grew even larger and more rugged.
Though Arkanea let out pained groans, she did not stop laughing.
“Hahaha… At last, at last I have risen to the ranks of the 5-stars!”
The golden scales that coiled around her entire body were the symbol of the new power she had obtained.
The transformation was not limited to her lower body.
Her upper body, too, transformed into a form even more beautiful and threatening.
Her blue hair shone radiantly, and sharp fangs protruded from her mouth.
Arkanea slowly raised herself.
Intoxicated by her newly acquired power, she asked Kandeul,
“If I defeat the Arch Lich and obtain its soul stone… who will that belong to?”
Her ambition did not end here.
If she had the chance, she intended to take another leap forward and aim for 6-star as well.
For that, she would need two soul stones of the same grade.
That was why Arkanea asked who would take ownership if she dealt with the Arch Lich and a soul stone appeared.
Even if she personally stepped forward and killed the Arch Lich, had she not grown stronger thanks to the elixir Serinu had given her?
For that reason, it was ambiguous whether she could claim full ownership.
Kandeul quickly understood Arkanea’s concern.
“Please do not worry about that. All spoils obtained from this battle will belong to Lady Arkanea.”
Kandeul showed her a meaningful smile.
They had their own objective, so it did not matter if they yielded that much.
“Hoh, I like the sound of that very much. Once this matter is over, I shall convey my thanks to Serinu.”
Arkanea, too, did not hide her joy.
Feeling the new power envelop her entire body, she was convinced that no one could rival her now.
“Ahh—”
With this much power, she would be able to place not only the Succubus Queen but even Baalcherit beneath her feet.
Of course, the being she had to defeat before anyone else was the Arch Lich.
Arkanea declared to Kandeul,
“In the name of I, Arkanea, with the company as witness, I shall declare war upon the Arch Lich!”
Under the company’s approval, a war between dungeon and dungeon began.
* * *
—The master of the Lamia Dungeon, “Arkanea,” has declared war on Lee Kanghyun’s dungeon.
—Form a force to stop Arkanea’s army.
What on earth was going on?
‘Hm, this is troublesome.’
I didn’t know who the opponent was, but with my dungeon’s combat power, we would have more than enough to defend against them.
But I did not want to end it like this.
“How dare they declare war on me?”
It was absurd.
A bastard like that needed to be trampled.
Above all, this current situation.
Ever since Baalcherit came to my dungeon, strange things had been happening.
“Baalcherit, you should take responsibility for this.”
Baalcherit was not a member of my dungeon, so I could not mobilize her for battle. However, there was a way to make use of her.
I immediately gave an order.
【Have Baalcherit stop the intruders.】
That was by forcing her through Celia.