- Dungeon support was successfully carried out.
“So this time it ended normally.”
About two hours had passed since I dispatched Celia to the Incubus Dungeon.
And at last, an alert popped up saying it had succeeded.
It seemed Celia had helped properly this time.
- Your relationship with the Incubus Dungeon “Temptation of Phantoms” has been raised to friendly.
“Oh. So there’s a system like this too?”
Right, if she helped like this, favorability would build up and everything would be great.
If I sent her to help and she went and merged with or acquired the dungeon like last time, I’d be flustered.
Still, Celia was Celia after all.
“She’s my lieutenant for a reason.”
Was there anything I could give Celia as a gift for working so hard?
- Azmo, the master of the Incubus Dungeon “Temptation of Phantoms,” has gone beyond friendly relations and sworn obedience to Celia.
“?”
- Azmo, the master of the Incubus Dungeon “Temptation of Phantoms,” reveres the great Master and has sworn obedience and loyalty.
What the hell is going on right now?
- Congratulations! The dungeon “Temptation of Phantoms” has become subordinate to Master.
Huh….
The mood had definitely been good.
She had helped well, and it had even said the relationship was friendly.
So how did it end up like this?
This time, it was awkward to scold Celia because the other party had subordinated itself on its own.
But since it was in another dimension, would it even be of any use?
Even if it were in the same world, if it was far away, I’d wonder whether being subordinate meant anything….
But this wasn’t a matter of distance. They were simply in different dimensions.
“Still, another dimension… This is the first time I’ve heard of something like that.”
Until now, the game had essentially been set on the continent of Eldorad. You could say it had faithfully implemented even the small, minor details of the setting.
It had only been two years, but since I had also been on the continent of Eldorad, there were times I’d been impressed by how accurate the details were.
That was how meticulously made the game was.
But another dimension?
It didn’t even show the name of the dimension.
“Wasn’t it only based on Eldorad?”
But no matter where I looked in the game, there was nothing related to dimensions.
Thinking there might be something on the internet, I immediately started searching.
“…….”
However, another problem soon arose.
No results related to the game “Eldorad” came up.
No, when I searched Eldorad, countless results definitely appeared. The problem was that they were all information related to the real Eldorad, not the game.
“Am I just not finding it?”
But that didn’t seem to be the case.
If I searched with all sorts of different terms, normally at least one small clue should have come up, but nothing appeared at all.
Even the text message telling me that the game I had pre-registered for had launched and to install it had vanished at some point.
This was enough to make a ghost wail.
This time, I shifted my focus from the game’s name to the game developer.
“What was the developer’s name again?”
I went into the settings inside the game.
Usually, places like this had contact information or information about the developer. I could just check that.
But my expectations were thoroughly betrayed.
No matter how much I searched, there was absolutely no information about the developer, the website, or anything of the sort.
Wait, this.
“…Is this a trash game?”
Even a newly established company that had just been formed would usually include basic information about the developer or creators.
But this game?
There was truly nothing.
‘I even spent real money on it. It’s not going to shut down, is it?’
Just as a sense of emptiness was surfacing in my heart—
I suddenly felt the same sense of dissonance I had felt a few days ago.
This eerie feeling, as if something was crawling over my skin.
What is it?
The mana around me was fluctuating.
It was a phenomenon that had continued to appear ever since I obtained Mana Sensitivity a few days ago.
But soon, the mana grew quiet again.
- You have made contact with a dungeon from another dimension for the first time.
- You have achieved a unique achievement!
- Warning! The law of causality is being readjusted.
“The law of causality?”
It was a term I’d never heard before.
- Due to the drastic change in the law of causality, emergency mode will be set for Lee Ganghyeon, the master of the dungeon “Evil God’s Nest.”
An alert suddenly popped up with my name displayed on it.
Why is my name written here?
Had I ever entered my name?
“…….”
Ah, I had, once.
Early on, when I gave Celia clothes as a gift, she had asked for my name.
At that time, I definitely….
Huh?
But why am I so sleepy?
- Lucid dreaming will temporarily activate.
Unable to withstand the sudden drowsiness that rushed over me, I closed my eyes.
* * *
“Huh?”
When I came to my senses and opened my eyes, an unfamiliar landscape was before me.
Instead of the room I had been in just moments ago, an entirely different place greeted me.
Judging by the terrain around me, it was like a cave—no, this place was a dungeon.
Why am I in a dungeon?
It was definitely a place I was seeing for the first time, yet it felt strangely familiar.
That wasn’t all.
Far from being bewildered by the current situation itself, I even felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.
Is this a dream?
I lightly pinched the back of my hand.
But the sensation was truly ambiguous.
If it hurt, it hurt; if it didn’t, it didn’t. But this feeling was neither one nor the other, and it was hard to put into words.
It wasn’t just a simple feeling.
The mana was fluctuating again.
A phenomenon that had appeared ever since I obtained the trait called Mana Sensitivity.
At first, I had thought it was simply because I hadn’t adapted to it yet.
But I had the feeling that wasn’t the case.
As I was pondering what it might be—
“You have finally come.”
I heard someone calling to me.
The owner of the voice was a woman standing before me.
Her appearance was also very familiar.
Two large horns growing from atop snow-white hair.
A bewitching gaze and beauty that seemed capable of captivating anyone.
And even the maid outfit she was wearing.
The moment I saw her, I immediately realized who she was.
“Celia.”
It was the succubus Celia, whose appearance I had seen countless times while playing the game.
If there was one difference, it was that Celia, who had only existed on the game screen, was now standing right in front of me.
‘So it really is a dream.’
Otherwise, there was no way Celia from the game would be in front of my eyes.
Perhaps because I had called her name, Celia smiled brightly at my words.
“To finally behold the noble countenance of my great Master… I am truly overwhelmed with emotion.”
Celia bent deeply at the waist and greeted me.
“Allow me to formally greet you. By the mercy of my supreme Master, I was granted a new life, and now, according to Master’s will, I manage the dungeon. My name is Celia.”
Celia continued speaking.
“However, Master is currently in an unstable state. At present, all I can do is hold your noble mind here for a brief moment. I apologize for my inadequacy.”
Celia apologized for something I didn’t understand and lowered her head.
‘The mana again….’
At that moment, the fluctuating mana began to run even more wildly.
I took a deep breath.
It should be fine now.
In any case, this was only a dream.
There was no need to think too seriously about it.
Seeing as I was thinking and moving consciously, it was probably a lucid dream.
If it was a dream, I should be able to control it even more easily.
As I thought that, the mana began to calm down.
‘That’s much better.’
“Right. May I look around the dungeon?”
Now that I had some room to breathe, I asked Celia if I could look around the dungeon.
At my words, Celia brightened and said,
“Of course! For a lowly one such as myself to guide Master through your dungeon… I shall consider it the honor of a lifetime.”
The corners of my mouth rose at the words “honor of a lifetime.”
It was because the way Celia treated me so excessively was amusing and cute.
‘That aside, I should change her clothes sometime.’
The maid outfit Celia was wearing.
The outfit I had thought would suit her quite well was actually diminishing Celia’s charm.
Thinking that, I followed behind Celia.
“The first place I will explain is the most important location, the core at the center of the dungeon!”
It was something I could understand without her saying it.
If the core was destroyed, the dungeon would be destroyed at the same time.
In the end, the core was no different from the dungeon’s heart.
It was common knowledge that every hunter—no, even ordinary people who had not awakened—knew.
However, the core of my current dungeon was completely exposed.
The area around the core was wide open, with nothing there.
In effect, it was no different from saying, “Please destroy my dungeon.”
If it were an ordinary dungeon, there would have been many traps and obstacles around the core, which was no different from its heart, as well as monsters stationed there.
But I was different.
Since it was just a game anyway, I hadn’t paid much attention to it.
Most of all, with Celia here, would the day ever come when this dungeon was breached?
Still, seeing the core called the heart exposed like this didn’t sit very well with me.
‘I’ll have to improve this.’
Even if it was a dream, there was a big difference between seeing it only on the game screen and seeing it like this. It made me think of many things.
Celia immediately began explaining another place.
“This is the space where I work!”
This time, she explained the lieutenant’s office.
Since it seemed Celia had a lot to do on her own, I had made her a workspace.
So she could rest a little if need be.
“At the same time, it is also my private space. It is a meaningful place where Master gifted a private room to a lowly being such as myself!”
Celia explained with a proud look.
Seeing it again, she really had a tendency to praise me far too much.
“Hmm.”
Certainly, the lieutenant’s office located in the center of the dungeon looked luxurious.
If there was just one thing that caught my eye, it was that the skeleton soldiers lined up in front of it looked shabby.
A luxurious-looking lieutenant’s office paired with the lowest-grade monsters….
I hadn’t noticed it when seeing it in the game, but looking at it like this, there was a certain sense of incongruity.
Celia was the dungeon’s administrator.
If such an administrator was guarded by the lowest-grade monsters, how would others see it?
Most likely, every single one of them would look down on her.
I could not tolerate anyone daring to look down on my Celia.
‘I’ll have to do more pulls.’
If good monsters came out, I would place them in the lieutenant’s office first.
Thinking that, I reached out to open the door to the lieutenant’s office where Celia lived.
“Ah!”
Hm?
Celia suddenly freaked out.
“N-no…! Um… Master?”
Celia’s flustered expression.
This was precious.
The way she fidgeted in anxiety made her look even cuter.
At the same time, I realized just how indifferent I had been toward the other person.
Celia was a woman.
When I thought about it, a man opening the door to a woman’s home as he pleased?
That was bad manners.
I immediately took my hand off the door.
Then I could see Celia behind me letting out a small sigh of relief.
After taking a brief breath, Celia resumed her explanation.
“Next is the altar. Through this place, offerings are presented to Master.”
Ah, offerings.
An altar and offerings.
For a moment, I felt a sense of déjà vu.
The moment I saw the altar, the mana that had been fine just a moment ago began to fluctuate again.
‘Was the trait called Mana Sensitivity always like this?’
Once again, I felt a sense of dissonance.
“…….”
Looking at the altar, I asked one question.
“What is the correlation between offerings and me?”
The sense of dissonance I had been feeling continuously for the past few days.
The mana that only went wild at specific times.
The beginning had been Kim Minjun.
Kim Minjun, who had been offered as a sacrifice in the game.
Kim Minjun, whose name I had seen on the villain board as I was leaving the dungeon.
The former Kim Minjun had been offered as a sacrifice, and I had obtained a trait.
The latter Kim Minjun was someone who possessed the same trait as me.
And from there, one absurd conjecture emerged.
I needed to know the true nature of the uneasiness I had felt.
It wasn’t about who had been offered as a sacrifice or who had suffered because of me.
Those things didn’t matter.
Recently, absurd things had been happening to me.
A status window had appeared, and I had even obtained an A-rank trait.
At first, I thought all of it was a coincidence.
I thought it was compensation for my status window appearing late.
But perhaps that wasn’t the case.
That was why there was only one thing I wanted to confirm here.
Because it was something so absurd, I needed to drag out what I had hidden deep within my heart.
What I was doing right now—was it really a game?
Or was it reality?
The mana began to run even more wildly.
The continuing sense of dissonance.
I wanted to resolve this problem.
That was why I had to ask this question.
By offering sacrifices, what did I gain?
A few days ago, in order to know precisely, I had set the offering in the settings to be an artifact.
But that could not be the answer.
What kind of effect did the offerings have on me?
At my question, Celia smiled and answered immediately.
“They allow Master to regain your power.”
“Power….”
“On the day you regain all of your power, the world will kneel before Master.”
As soon as Celia finished speaking, she knelt.
I see.
I silently nodded.
Suddenly, one thing came to mind.
The words Celia had first said to me.
“When you first saw me, you said this, didn’t you? That right now, you were merely holding on to my mind.”
Celia nodded at my question.
- Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Lee Ganghyeon!
- Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Lee Ganghyeon!
- Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Lee Ganghyeon!
- Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Lee Ganghyeon!
- Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Lee Ganghyeon!
- Warning! An error has occurred in the emergency mode set for Lee Ganghyeon!
Alerts continued to pop up.
The alerts I had only ever seen inside the game were now blocking my vision.
“I realized it. Master has not yet fully recovered your power.”
- This is an unexpected process.
- There is a risk that the law of causality will be greatly distorted.
- Activating defense mode.
- Emergency termination of lucid dreaming.
“Ha….”
I could see a clue to the uneasiness I had been feeling until now.
Whether this was reality or a dream wasn’t important.
Just a small clue—that one thing was enough.
I quickly said to Celia,
“Then from now on, offer everything to me.”
- You are waking from the lucid dream!