It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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The battle did not start at the entrance of the dungeon located midway up the mountain, but rather at a mountain cottage near the path leading up to it.

In the past, there used to be bandits, but now it was an old mountain cottage that had either turned into a zombie of the dungeon or provided some nutrients for a meal.

There, the vanguard of the expedition army seemed to encounter an army of wild Greenskins and zombies.

Monsters whose eyes were all burning a fierce red.

“It hurts… here… if you can’t heal me right away, at least give me some medicine…!”

“That won’t kill you! Your insides are all twisted!”

As a result, half a day later, the support camp was already filled with the wounded coming in from the vanguard.

Even though our capabilities were superior, it was only natural that there would be casualties when both sides threw themselves into the fray without holding back.

“They were waiting for us… it’s certain!”

“Well, is that really the case?”

In my opinion, the sudden situation and injuries seemed to throw their understanding off-kilter, making them feel as if they were a real army, but in reality, they were just a ‘mob’ that wasn’t even true comrades.

In any case, it seemed their numbers were beyond imagination. Simply counting, there were hundreds just in that mountain cottage alone.

This far surpassed the number of scouts that had gone up in the vanguard. Listening to the conversations among the administrators revealed why their numbers were so great.

“Where did so many monsters come from…?”

“They were already here.”

“Already?”

“Did you not know? Just because a dungeon disappears doesn’t mean all monsters vanish as well.”

Since the Dungeon Lord first appeared in the world 200 years ago, countless dungeons, with a record of at least a hundred thousand, have emerged and vanished in this world.

So many humans have died that it’s almost incomprehensible, nations have faded away, and somehow, they’ve managed to overcome this catastrophe in the end.

However, some dungeons of powerful Lords have become Magical Realms and settled into the world, while other dungeons erased their Lords and cores but didn’t succeed in killing all the monsters.

“There are many monsters that we’re just unaware of, living like wild predators without attacking humans. They must have been drawn by the arcane rampage this time.”

“Peace seems a long way off…”

“We must work for the next generation.”

Thus, monsters that were no longer needed in the Magical Realm or those that survived in the vanished dungeons began to spread into the world and reproduce.

Monsters that bred in the mountains and rivers would sometimes ambush humans or prey on wild animals, steadily increasing their numbers.

These monsters are likely the main culprits behind the significantly deteriorating security outside the cities of this world.

“Well, if there are that many, doesn’t that just create a new ecosystem?”

People in this world seem to think of monsters as something to be exterminated, but I have a different thought.

Those wild monsters have already become akin to ‘mosquitoes’ or ‘freshwater snails’ in this world. Overwhelmingly larger and much more violent, but still.

“If all the manpower from the continents converged to focus on exterminating the monsters, maybe they could capture them all someday.”

But how long would that take?

A hundred years? Two hundred years?

Monsters breed quickly, and those that have already gone wild know how to hide well. They would recognize humans as the superior predators.

There must certainly be more wild monsters near my dungeon than I either take with me or kill. They’ve merely learned to scatter when they grow into large groups to avoid extermination.

“Oh…”

Then, there might be a way to lure them, creating an artificial monster wave by spreading them out. That’s an unexpected profit.

I should keep that in mind.

Anyway, having strayed a bit, let’s return to the main subject.

– Kyaaaaak!!!

– Kuwak!!

Right now, the main force of Copgerin was spilling out of my sight. Monsters rampaging down the mountain had drawn aggro from the battle at the cottage.

It looked like a tide of green and gray was overturning a wave of metal.

“Long-range support! We can’t join the frontline anyway! All mages and archers, come out now!!”

Of course, chaos ensued in our mid-camp as well.

If the main forces were pushed back and we suffered heavy losses, the confusion and casualties here would rise uncontrollably.

“[Lance of Marking]!!”

“[Fireball]!”

“[Hand of Protection].”

“Wait a second! Now!! Fire – !!”

Those with slightly lesser abilities had just stayed back to support, but their magic or arrows could harm the enemy just as well.

The reserve mages waiting in the camp unleashed their spells according to their respective characteristics, and when those with bows shot their arrows in unison at the signal, the primary forces, who had been pushed back by the fierce momentum, started pushing the monsters back up the mountain again.

“Is it alright now?”

“Hey! Are you trying to tempt fate?!”

Seeing that scene, the people in the camp regained some composure.

The fact that the primary forces coming from the heights could push back the enemy again proved that our strength was overwhelmingly superior.

‘Should I shake things up a bit?’

While I was considering if there was a way to slightly reinforce the weaknesses of our dungeon.

– Kuwak!!

– Kuraak!!

I heard eerie cheers from over there.

From afar, you could tell immediately it was the roar of two giant zombie giants, each with enormous size.

“Abomination.”

“You know the name of those terrible things, Lady.”

Abomination. Literally means a horrible thing or a monstrosity.

A massive zombie created by merging either a giant creature’s corpse or several smaller corpses through magic, and on the battlefield right now, one of each type was rampaging, turning the battlefield upside down.

As I unconsciously muttered the name, the administrative knight Elias walked over to speak to me.

“I have a keen interest in dungeons.”

“Treasure, perhaps?”

“Wouldn’t it be strange for a merchant not to be interested?”

“Haha. That’s true. But it seems like there’s more to it than that.”

As soon as I heard that, a sense of vigilance arose from deep within me.

What is this man sensing from me, I wondered, and when I took a glance, he looked at me with such honey-dripping eyes.

The moment I met his gaze, my wariness vanished in an instant. Instead, it was replaced with a chill.

Ah, I see.

Even though I’m short, I must still be considered pretty. Perhaps my small stature is even more appealing to knights like him.

You call it protective instincts, right? It could also be a desire to conquer.

“Such a beautiful lady is venturing out as a merchant, isn’t there some special reason behind searching for dungeons on your first expedition?”

“Wars are always an opportunity for merchants.”

“For someone who says that, you don’t seem to have brought many goods. Usually, a merchant would borrow money for more wagons.”

It seems I had a flaw there.

I wouldn’t know unless I had been in the position of a merchant or a salesperson.

“I didn’t realize it was big enough to go into debt for. If I had known, I would have too.”

“Haha. Really?”

His eyes didn’t seem to believe me.

It looks like I appear to be a woman hiding some ‘secret’. Perhaps a fallen noble or the daughter of a fleeing aristocrat.

A cliché familiar in romance novels that are everywhere in this world.

– Kuwak!!

Ignoring him for now, I observed the appearance of the monsters that had just emerged.

Abominations, as the name suggests, are frightening creatures among the summons operated by a vampire Dungeon Lord. However, they are also one of the most cost-effective.

The originals are just zombies, so they require little upkeep, yet their strength rivals that of ogres and can easily have abilities added according to the Dungeon Lord’s preferences.

– I’m going to eat it all!!!

– Chomp chomp chomp!!

Even now, there were special traits visible among these monsters.

The giant made from the body of an ogre was spewing out a nauseating sludge-like liquid as a breath attack, while the giant made from zombies exhaled green steam from its body cracks.

“Argh! Ow!! It’s hot…!!”

“Cough…! Water, get away! It’s a plague!”

Those hit by the liquid began to writhe in place, expressing their suffering, while those who inhaled the steam caused others to retreat with coughing.

Rapidly growing festers erupted with pus and blood from those rolling on the ground, while those who had been coughing soon started vomiting a greenish liquid and collapsed, unable to move.

“[Antidote Barrier]!”

“[May the grace of vigilance be upon us]!”

– Bang! Bang!!

Kwalbang! Kwalbang!!

The sources of the sickness were blocked with magic and divine methods, but that proved insufficient.

These elite-level giants possessed the strength to break through even the mages’ protective barriers, and the subordinate zombies and greenskins came charging in regardless of the disease.

It was only natural that the front line started pulling back as the monstrous giants spreading the rapidly-transmitting skin and lung diseases appeared.

Additionally, as they could talk, it was evident they were even smarter than zombies.

Kwachik!

“P-please spare me…!”

“Jason…!!”

One of them was using an injured person as a shield or cudgel in one pair of its four arms.

– Nowara!! Nowara!!

Another one was throwing rocks or wood nearby, adding pressure to the shield with its subordinates.

From the perspective of humans watching the monsters, it was an unbearable spectacle.

“Are you alright not going to help?”

As the situation turned unfavorable once again.

However, the knight beside me still showed no sign of moving.

“My duty is to protect the support forces here. Moreover…”

“Moreover?”

“If I rushed in, I would rather draw scorn. The prideful lords are already at the front.”

“Hmm.”

“They are on their way now.”

Hearing his words, as I redirected my gaze to the front line, just then, I began to see those ‘prideful lords.’

“For the Kaisen – !!!”

“Eliminate the enemies of Copgerin!!”

A man dressed in half-plate and chainmail covering different parts of his body, wielding two double-headed axes.

A woman in full plate armor, one hand holding a mace and the other carrying a shield that looked large enough to be a tower shield.

It was obvious at first glance that they were ‘knights’, leading a charge with those clad in shining plate mail behind them.

“Senior knights of Copgerin, Lord Gent and Lady Odellin. They are the next generation of talents from the city.”

“They seem impressive.”

“… Their abilities are excellent.”

There seemed to be a hidden emotion in his words.

No surprise, the look in the knight Elias’s eyes as he watched them was slightly twisted. It wasn’t the gaze of someone looking at reliable allies.

That sight reminded me of something.

‘This era likely values strength over character.’

If there’s a worship of power, this place is far stronger than Earth’s medieval or prehistoric periods. It’s a world where one can casually say “superhuman.”

Because of this, the nations in this world emphasize loyalty to their states and superiors as a virtue.

Such superhumans, heroes, and warriors focus on their achievements.

And the subjects upon which they accumulate such achievements…

Are always monsters.

‘I might be able to use this.’

Even today, I’ve achieved two results.

I feel good.

As I was hiding the smile that was about to appear, I gazed up at the sky ahead.

Sssss…

“They’re coming.”

There, crimson mist poured in like an evening twilight. Not figuratively colored, but literally a mist made of blood.

… Flash.

In the middle of that mist, I could see a particularly bright red light glimmering.

– There’s a lot of fertilizer.

Along with someone’s presence.

“Lady? What did you just say… Lady? Angelita!!”

As Elias turned his head towards me, I had already disappeared from that spot.