It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

“Ah…”

“You need to wake up, Sonia.”

Facing the painful reality, Sonia, who had once crumbled, slowly began to recover both body and mind under the care of the kind and beautiful cabin owner—who, in truth, was her friends’ enemy.

Every day, I brought her meals, attended to her basic needs, turned her over from time to time, and changed the bed sheets soaked with fluids that she expelled while almost losing consciousness.

Above all, I always kept the conversation going.

“… W-why are you being so nice to me?”

To me, who had taken care of a forgetful grandmother or people who honestly wouldn’t mind if they died, it was merely something one should do when caring for someone.

Those who sincerely contemplate their own death generally don’t care about bodily responses.

However, for her… or rather, in the context of this world, it seemed like quite a devoted act.

Seeing her reaction confirmed that.

“Is there really a need for a reason when it comes to saving a life?”

Ironically, such words came from someone who had killed her friends for survival, yet this was indeed my usual thought.

People kill people. People save people.

These actions, in themselves, are neither beautiful nor ugly.

The reasons and motivations attached merely serve to embellish the hatred or respect towards those actions. Sometimes it’s necessary to diminish that value, but this wasn’t one of those times.

‘Allies close, but enemies closer… was it?’

For now, I just needed to wrap my selfishness and survival instincts in a prettier package.

“Thank you. From here on, I’ll take care of things myself.”

“Really?”

I nodded.

Whether my answer was taken genuinely or not…

Right after that simple exchange, Sonia began to move on her own and quickly started to recover.

She mentioned it was thanks to my help, but I believed the real reason for her rapid recovery was her innate kindness.

Had she lacked that, my ‘power’ to reshape her to my desired state would not have had such an easy time taking effect.

“It wouldn’t do to trouble such a good person any further.”

She possessed an unusually high amount of magical power.

In typical circumstances, her power would be at a level where a novice like me couldn’t infiltrate her mental magic. At the same time, her strength was astonishing, considering she had survived this long.

Her genuine thought of not wanting to trouble those who helped her created an opening to inject various thoughts I needed into her mind.

This, in turn, helped accelerate her physical recovery.

“There are people I must inform about this…”

Of course, I didn’t say it immediately, but perhaps a reason like ‘I need to avenge my dead friends’ might also exist.

However, not many can think about others amidst their own despair and use such reasoning to recover.

Especially someone who had thought nothing of her own demise and had let everything go.

Regardless, thanks to the synergy of it all, it took a mere four days for her to awaken from her despondency and regain mobility.

It didn’t take long for her to open her heart completely to me, either.

This brought about unexpected benefits for me.

『Name – Sonia Medivh』

『Occupation and Rank – Apprentice Mage』

『Affiliation – Dungeon Exploration Magic Guild, Eye that Grasp Truth』

The first and foremost revelation.

To gain information on adventurers, it was unnecessary for the individual to have succumbed or be loyal to a Dungeon Lord.

If one can open their heart, it was possible to access information without needing to kill them, much like viewing a summon.

Of course, this was generally an almost insurmountable challenge.

Whether the adventurer regards the Dungeon Lord as an enemy or not feeling the need for such from the Dungeon Lord’s perspective.

『Attributes – Health 2, Dexterity 6, Endurance 4, Magic Power 32, Resistance 8』

My eyes landed on the words glowing dully in purple among Sonia’s status window.

Magic Overadaptation.

An epic, hero-level trait.

That was likely the secret behind the turbulent magical activity simmering within Sonia. It would also be the source of her overflowing magical power.

I could soon discern why she had managed to survive thus far with such stats through our conversation.

“Remia might be quiet, but she’s always kind and gentle… and Jack, who was always cheerful and led the mood except for in the field, genuinely liked her. He never complained even when he had to deal with burdens like me…”

Opening her heart, she voluntarily divulged information that she had never been able to pry from Remia.

“If those two were really as good as you say, they wouldn’t have thought of carrying you like a burden.”

“Do you think so? No, they wouldn’t. I really was a nuisance…”

“Even if that were true, you are the life and legacy they saved. So you need to change going forward, so you won’t have to be ashamed in front of them.”

“Is that really possible? Can I truly…?”

For instance, the complicated relationship they had together.

One of the reasons her self-esteem had plummeted might have been the trajectory of a life dependent on those two she was grateful for.

The thought of being a burden to someone precious often rots a person from the inside.

Just like when I was trapped in my own ‘misunderstanding’ back in the day.

“‘Magic Overadaptation’… I see. That explains why I feel an excessive amount of magic radiating from you.”

“Because of my condition, I always needed medicine to stabilize my magic. The two really struggled with that.”

It was another story regarding her condition, which explained why her friends continued to carry her.

“But one day, an opportunity presented itself. My magic guild told me that if they succeeded in stabilizing my condition, I could become a great mage.”

“So you became an apprentice.”

“Yes. It was a great honor, even with such a frail body. The two were truly happy for me.”

Hearing her speak, I naturally delved into ‘Magic Overadaptation.’

『Magic Overadaptation – Innate trait. Magic accumulates naturally without any special efforts required to do so. The limits of magic stability and magical usage increase.』

It was a luscious trait.

Just hearing the explanation, there appeared to be no drawbacks. Which made it all the more dangerous.

If the amount of magic exceeds the stability limit, growth will be stalled unless the magic is suppressed, and should it exceed a malignant limit, it could even consume one’s lifespan.

Her combined endurance and resistance totaled to 12. The stability limit was likely 18, and even if increased by the trait, it should have been around 23-25.

And the malignant limit was probably around 30.

The reason her endurance and resistance, which typically grow naturally as one matures, remained at a level almost comparable to that of an ordinary person or even below, despite the high levels of magic, was definitely due to this trait.

In other words, her magic must have exceeded the limits at a very young age, and ever since then, she had been barely staving off the consumption of her lifespan with those medicines.

Perhaps she was trying to earn money through adventuring to find ways to handle her medication. As evident from the detection and protection magic she was currently learning at the apprentice level, she could still cast small spells even in her state.

Despite doing all that, her magic continued to grow and finally reached that level.

“Are you sure you’re ready to move? Your body hasn’t fully healed yet.”

“Yes. As I mentioned before, there are people here who need to know.”

“People to inform… your family?”

“Yes. That’s right. My family all live in the city.”

“Thank goodness, there are guardians for you.”

The most useful information apart from that was about their family.

“Yes. My sister Maria is a member of a guild active in the metropolis. If I let her know about this, she will definitely help. So too, my… ugh, friends’ remains.”

“She certainly will. But going alone is…”

Especially the existence of Remia’s sister, the high-ranking adventurer Maria Olas, was something I had to keep in mind. If I hadn’t known, a dangerous enemy could have sprung up before me at any moment.

These details about her condition and all her relationships became the reason behind my resolve to devote myself to her even more.

“Alright. I’ll accompany you.”

“W-what?! But it’s too much trouble…”

“I can’t send you off alone. If someone I saved dies in a place where I’m not, it will weigh heavily on my heart.”

“But…”

This was also the reason I began to momentarily leave the dungeon and head toward Solemio.

It was a reconnaissance mission for a city that might one day become part of my territory and a journey to adapt to this new world.

“And… there’s still something I haven’t mentioned, isn’t there?”

“Really… Thank you so much.”

“What are you talking about?”

As I smiled while meeting Sonia’s bright blue eyes, she beamed back at me in sincere gratitude.

Though she lacked strength, it was an adorable smile.

– 2 –

Even in Mill Don 1, the now-powerful Dungeon Lord could project their power outward.

By leading other users or NPC Dungeon Lords, they could form clans comprised of Dungeon Lords and bring the surrounding regions under their influence.

While I hadn’t seen it directly, I assumed the six Grand Dukes had probably created their own ‘Magical Realm’ in such a manner.

‘With that in mind, I too need to grasp the state of the local ecosystem and surrounding cities.’

Though this was the outskirts, there surely existed hidden or surviving Dungeon Lords, as well as especially powerful wild monsters.

After moving, it’s customary to visit neighbors with a rice cake, isn’t it?

I needed to ascertain.

Whether they could be turned into allies or if they had to be defeated as enemies.

Identifying if there were other Dungeon Lords could be adequately handled by sending subordinates, but human strongholds required my personal involvement for maximal effectiveness.

Now that I had come to this world in human form.

“Not this way?”

But then, my journey for that purpose stumbled right at the start.

The biggest obstacle to my progress toward Solemio was not the obvious facts—such as how a Dungeon Lord weakens the farther they are from their core or that I shouldn’t reveal myself as a necromancer.

– Thud!

My soldier, Evangeline. She was that very obstacle.

Incredibly, she lay down in front of me as I tried to exit through the gate from the cave to the cabin, insisting that if I wanted to leave, I must step on her to get by.

It was amusing and yet dull.

The dull aspect was her overprotectiveness, while the amusing part was that even though I knew what I had to do was absolutely necessary, I didn’t want to tread over her like that.

Her vivid goodwill and loyalty felt so palpable.

“Ivy. My soldier. You know this is necessary, right?”

– Clatter!

Even though I was speaking gently, she shook her head vehemently, clearly expressing her disdain.

Perhaps it was because verbal communication was still unachievable for her. The emotional expression conveyed through her body language had grown more intense and elaborate over time; at times, she displayed such child-like behavior.

“You’re acting childishly for once. I’ve never seen that before.”

I gently took her head in both my hands.

That alone was enough to make her stop shaking her head.

Despite providing no strength and knowing she could easily push me away if she exerted herself, she seemed not to want to do that at all, possibly out of concern for my safety.

However, her two blue eyes turned away as much as they could from me.

There might be a fear of being persuaded, but in truth, she also felt a bit embarrassed to show such a demeanor.

– Thud!

While doing that, she pointed at me with one hand while alternating with her skeleton companions, Mire and a few others, and bumped her jaw again.

She was clearly saying that if I took them, why couldn’t I take her?

“The dungeon may be well hidden, but it’ll be discovered eventually. If not you, who will guard it? Those shabby wild-born goblins? Kobolds? Or the newly created rogue skeletons?”

– Clatter.

With her eyes vibrating wildly, this time, she pointed to herself and then outside.

Again, it was a clear show of intent. She’d rather go herself.

“How do you expect to hide your appearance?”

– Clatter…

Of course, her intention was promptly shot down.

I firmly secured her head to make her look at me and lightly tapped her forehead with my finger.

“I believe in you. You’ll do well, won’t you?”

– … Thud.

Only then did she rise from her spot and bow deeply, indicating her well-wishing for my journey. It was likely ‘I believe in you’ combined with my heartfelt gesture that made her trust me so strongly.

She was, after all, somewhat weak in my presence.

I gave her forehead another gentle tap, urging her to look up at me and then ruffled her hair a couple of times.

– Clatter!

She always wore a bright expression in these moments, and this time was no different.

“The core and my room are well hidden, so I have to prioritize you over the dungeon’s space being destroyed. If you’re hurt when I return, I’ll be very sad. Got it?”

– Clatter.

She nodded trustworthily before raising her head again.

The expression she sent back to me was a heartwarming acknowledgment of the promise that she too ought to be well.

“Alright, as much as I’m willingly parting with you, I’ll make sure to return.”

– Thud!

Thus, I could set off from the dungeon with Evangeline left behind.

To survey the city that might one day become my territory. And to gather information on someone who might also become my enemy.

“Maria…!”

“Sonia? You…?”

It was merely three days later that I encountered Maria’s group, who had set out from Solemio in search of Sonia and her friends.