I enjoyed a leisurely moment at the café, drinking coffee.
On the smartphone in my hand, the game screen was busily running.
- Celia has been dispatched to the Goblin Shaman’s dungeon.
There was one thing I had realized while playing this game so far.
Celia was definitely a capable being.
‘This must be because of her lieutenant stats too, right?’
Even when I left the game alone, she developed the dungeon on her own.
She had even increased the number of monsters stationed in the dungeon.
‘I made the right choice setting Celia as my lieutenant.’
Even if it was just a game, if you didn’t adore a lieutenant who worked that hard, who would you adore?
“She’ll handle this mission on her own too.”
The content I played this time was sending support to another dungeon. And I sent Celia there.
The place I sent support to was close to the mountain range where my dungeon was located.
There was a reason I chose a dungeon in a nearby region.
‘I need to know what kind of guys will be invading in the future.’
As such, if you were a gamer, it was only natural to have a grasp on information.
That way, you could respond no matter what situation arose.
Currently, my dungeon was located in the mountain range of the Seil Kingdom. At the same time, it was a place adjacent to the Demon Realm.
But a nearby dungeon was asking for help?
That meant something had happened around here.
As a neighbor who had built a nest called a dungeon in the same district, I naturally needed to know what that something was.
“Let’s eat some cake while I wait.”
After placing my smartphone on the table, I turned my gaze to the cake.
Celia, my most reliable lieutenant.
Since I had dispatched her, the result was obvious even without looking.
I wondered what it would feel like to have such competent subordinates.
At the very least, wouldn’t it be nice not to have to pay attention to every single thing?
Ding—
Sure enough, an alarm popped up right away.
- Celia is conversing with the master of the relevant dungeon.
‘That’s right.’
Depending on what kind of conversation comes out of there, my strategy will change.
Now, go dig up information on why they asked for help.
Celia, you can do it!
- The dungeon master has knelt before Celia.
Huh? What kind of situation is this?
- The dungeon master “Goblin Shaman” has surrendered to Celia.
- Congratulations! You have successfully subjugated the Goblin Shaman’s dungeon.
- 1 Goblin Shaman and 14 Goblins will belong to the dungeon “Nest of the Evil God.”
No, what is this supposed to mean?
Didn’t you go to support the dungeon?
I clearly dispatched you to help, so what are you doing?
Was what I was doing actually not support, but conquest?
Just in case, I checked again, and it was indeed dungeon support.
The content where you went to help other dungeons had instantly transformed into content that expanded my dungeon’s forces.
“Was she originally this kind of character?”
The Celia I had in mind had an intelligent yet obedient image.
Ah, is this what a father feels when watching his daughter enter puberty?
Well, that can happen.
There should be moments like that from time to time.
If someone is too consistent, it isn’t fun.
This kind of irregular event might actually be what makes the character Celia stand out in a more three-dimensional way.
Celia had done well up until now, so I understood.
You couldn’t go too straight in one direction.
‘Speaking of a straightforward nature, that would be the Death Knight.’
The Death Knight I had obtained as my first 5-star from the gacha.
Since then, the Death Knight was, how should I put it?
He had the firm image of someone who quietly defended the dungeon, even without much presence.
He was probably still silently protecting the dungeon even now.
Ding—
- The Death Knight has successfully subjugated the dungeon “Giant Spider Hatchery.”
- 6 Giant Venomous Spiders will belong to the dungeon “Nest of the Evil God.”
“……”
Ha… What is this?
Now that I think about it, was I the one failing to keep up with the game?
Why did this Death Knight guy come out instead of guarding the dungeon?
Even if the restriction had been lifted and he could go outside the dungeon, I had never given such an order.
At least I had personally dispatched Celia.
The Death Knight had left the dungeon entirely without permission and was subjugating other dungeons.
“Huh….”
That meant my dungeon had been defenseless for a brief period of time.
Of course, there was the Goblin Lord, but what if an existence it couldn’t stop had come?
‘Is the difficulty being adjusted with such erratic settings?’
Since it turned out well in the end, I supposed it didn’t matter.
However, I would have to play while paying attention to this part from now on.
- Lieutenant “Celia” has submitted a report to Master.
Just then, an alarm popped up saying Celia had submitted a report.
I immediately tapped the alarm and checked it.
“Hmm.”
After checking, the rough contents were as follows.
The reason the Goblin Shaman had requested help was that the number of paladins nearby had recently increased.
‘Paladins?’
On the Eldorad Continent, the only paladins were from the White Order.
However, the Order occupied the southern region of the continent, and my dungeon was in the mountain range of the Seil Kingdom.
Since the Seil Kingdom was in the northern part of the continent, it could be said that it was extremely far from the Order.
On top of that, paladins were apparently operating in a mountain range, not even in the kingdom.
‘Why did they come all the way here?’
I continued reading the report Celia had submitted.
Since paladins had appeared in the vicinity, she asked me how to deal with them if they encountered them.
Oh.
Once again, I was impressed by Celia.
She really was someone who did a good job.
‘Anyway, paladins, huh….’
If this had been just yesterday, I would have ordered them to be eliminated without question.
However, the unpleasant feeling I had earlier made me hesitate to give that order.
Perhaps it was just my imagination. Still, my mood had already reached a state where I didn’t feel like giving such an order.
Instead of selecting from options like last time, the command was given in a way where I typed it myself.
I touched the screen and began carefully typing out the words.
- Even if you encounter paladins, don’t kill them. Show them generous mercy. I mean spare them. Got it?
I wrote the command up to that point and was about to press confirm when a thought suddenly came to mind.
“It was sacrifices, right?”
In the game, I had received alarms twice so far saying sacrifices had been offered.
The targets of the sacrifices had all been people.
I added one more sentence to the command.
- Ah, I appreciate the sacrifices, but instead of that, try offering an artifact sometime.
I hadn’t paid attention to anything related to sacrifices until now.
So this time, I gave an order to offer an artifact instead of a living being.
It was also to check, after all.
“Ha….”
Even I thought it was absurd.
Still, in order to get rid of this uneasy feeling, this was the right answer.
- You always work hard, and I trust you’ll handle things well on your own. Good work.
In the end, I pressed the confirm button.
I wrote the words “good work” simply for my own satisfaction.
Doesn’t this really make it seem like I’m giving orders to a subordinate?
Before closing the game, I entered the shop window.
Then I purchased 20,000 gems.
That was a whopping 220,000 won worth of gems in cash.
This game was unusual in that it developed the dungeon on its own even when I wasn’t there. It consumed gems in the process.
“This should be enough.”
I was going to be busy again for a while.
Mana Sensitivity, an A-rank trait.
For now, sensing mana still felt alien to me.
That was why I needed an adaptation period.
For the next few days, I planned to do some light training to adapt.
If I made the trait completely mine and acquired just one suitable skill, the rest of my life would be a flower path.
Imagining a hopeful future, I closed the game.
“Shall I head home soon?”
I had finished both my coffee and cake.
Just as I was about to slowly get up from my seat.
“Excuse me.”
Someone spoke to me.
When I turned my head, a woman had approached beside me.
What kind of situation was this?
I set down the smartphone I was holding and quietly looked at her.
When I said nothing, she quickly greeted me.
“My name is Jeong Yerin, a hunter affiliated with the Firebird Guild.”
The other party introduced herself, stating her name.
At the same time, she handed me a business card.
On the business card, the Firebird Guild logo was printed together with the name Jeong Yerin.
“Ah, yes. I’m Lee Ganghyeon. I don’t have a business card.”
For now, matching the other party’s introduction, I introduced myself as well.
Since I wasn’t affiliated with any guild, I simply told her my name.
But after the introductions, the other party remained silent for a while.
“……”
No, seriously, what am I supposed to do?
I couldn’t understand why she had suddenly come over and introduced herself.
Could she be calling me out because I had been too noisy while playing the game?
I didn’t know if that was really the case, but the woman in front of me continued watching me.
I didn’t know what the situation was.
Since it had come to this anyway, I couldn’t show weakness here.
This was a world where only the strong survived.
I looked back at her as well.
With a confident expression that seemed moderately arrogant.
A short while later.
“Well, thank you. Thanks to you, my worries have been resolved.”
After spouting words I couldn’t understand, the woman rose from her seat.
“If things go well, I’ll come find you again.”
“?”
Just what kind of situation had I gone through?
I couldn’t understand why the other party had left after saying such a thing.
One thing was certain: she had ordered me a slice of cake before leaving.
“What was that? I have no idea.”
She seemed like the dangerous type I shouldn’t get close to.
“Jeong Yerin, huh….”
I’d have to remember her.
As someone I should not get close to.
* * *
Celia was looking at the dungeon with a satisfied expression.
She had successfully carried out Master’s order.
“This much is only natural.”
She was His faithful servant.
She had a duty to succeed at any order, no matter what.
Failure did not exist.
“As expected of the great one.”
At first, Celia had racked her brain trying to understand the meaning of Master’s command.
They were already busy subjugating the surrounding dungeons, so why was He suddenly telling her to go provide support?
For a moment, she had doubts, but it was Master’s command.
Following the command, she tried to help the dungeon Master had mentioned.
However, if she thought about it carefully, would Master have truly given only such a simple order?
If that were the case, He wouldn’t have ordered her to do it.
From that point on, Celia continued thinking.
What, indeed, was Master’s intention?
After thinking, Celia arrived at one conclusion.
‘The order to support another dungeon meant to save that dungeon from its difficult situation.’
Salvation was Master’s mercy.
And mercy meant entering Master’s embrace.
In Celia’s mind, a strange formula had already been established.
Help another dungeon = You belong to our dungeon now.
“I understand clearly. Master!”
As expected of a great being!
“Today as well, this Celia feels as though I have taken one step closer to Master!”
At the same time, she had reported her conversation with the Goblin Shaman to Master.
‘Paladins are certainly troublesome beings.’
The Goblin Shaman had said so.
Recently, paladins had appeared in the mountain range.
Their purpose was unknown.
However, anyone could tell that they had not come with good intentions.
As the dungeon’s lieutenant, Celia had a duty to ask Master what should be done about them.
Master’s answer was as follows.
【Mercy, generosity, eternal life】
【Artifact】
【Do your utmost for the glory to come.】
“As expected, I am keenly aware of my inadequacy before Master’s profound insight.”
He had told her to show generous mercy toward the paladins.
Mercy meant Master’s embrace.
Even if they belonged to the Order, Master intended to embrace them as well.
And Celia focused on the final word: eternal life.
“You are telling me to turn them into ghouls!”
They would surely be able to enjoy a comfortable life forever in Master’s embrace.
She muttered that she would have to cooperate with Sir Death Knight on this part.
It was the moment when the future treatment of the paladins was decided.
“By the way, if it’s an artifact….”
Naturally, an artifact befitting the great one’s status was needed.
Just because He had merely said “artifact” didn’t mean she could offer Him anything at all.
“I will obtain a legendary-grade artifact! Please wait for me, Master.”
Today as well, Celia faithfully followed Master’s command.