The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 154

EP.154 Plundering Monsters

The sky turned red as the sun set, and lights began to flicker on one by one in the streets. Among these lights, a notable building stood out, marked by a sign that read “Tuska’s Barrel.” Inside, the warm yellow glow from a brass chandelier softly illuminated the tavern’s interior. The building was old, and the floor creaked with every step, but no one paid attention, their laughter and songs drowning out the noise as they drank and chatted excitedly.

The tables were filled with a variety of adventurers, each clinking their glasses together.

“Ah! Nothing beats ending the day with a drink! Tuska, another round here!”

One adventurer shouted, gulping down his beer to wrap up his day.

“And that’s how I single-handedly took down that damned orc chieftain!”

At another table, someone boasted about their adventure while drinking.

Some tables were busy dividing the rewards from completed quests, while others were loudly bragging about the items they had acquired. Despite everyone being engrossed in their own stories, one topic was on everyone’s lips.

“Ah, you mean the one about the mansion owner? They say he found an incredible treasure in some dungeon.”

“Yes, that’s the one. At first, I thought it was just a wild tale, but it seems to be true. And they say he’s missing an arm.”

A newly emerged wealthy man had recently become the talk of the town, having acquired a luxurious mansion in the capital. If he had been an ordinary noble, it wouldn’t have been much of a story, but the new mansion owner was far from noble. The fact that he was missing an arm hinted at a special backstory.

As they pondered this, an intriguing rumor began to spread.

The rumor was that the owner of the luxurious mansion had discovered immense treasures in a dungeon. Despite losing an arm, the treasure he found was enough to ensure a lifetime of wealth and comfort.

“They say you can become incredibly rich if you find that dungeon.”

“I heard it too. They say it’s dangerous but worth the risk. Apparently, it’s near the Silent Mountains.”

Rumors were always prone to exaggeration. Yet, every table buzzed with this story. The fact that the mansion owner was missing an arm made the rumor seem even more plausible. However, no one knew where the rumor had originated. It was clear only that it had started in a tavern a few days ago and spread rapidly.

But who cared about the origin? The idea of a treasure-filled dungeon was too enticing. Adventurers couldn’t help but imagine themselves becoming as wealthy as the mansion owner. It was a scenario every adventurer had dreamed of at least once, now seemingly within reach.

“So, I’m planning to check it out myself. I want to see what kind of dungeon could spark such rumors.”

Several adventurers declared their intention to embark on a quest to verify the rumor. Most of them felt the same way. Finding the treasure would be great, but even if they didn’t, the adventure itself would be worthwhile.

‘Tsk.’

However, there was one man at a corner table who listened to the chatter with disdain. His name was Lloyd. Once a noble, his family had fallen into ruin, and he had become a commoner. Yet, he always dreamed of restoring his family’s former glory.

‘A dungeon filled with treasure? Ridiculous.’

Lloyd clicked his tongue. ‘Do they really believe that nonsense about finding treasure in a dungeon?’

ssReviving his family required a substantial amount of money. However, Lloyd wasn’t the type to get caught up in absurd rumors. From his experience, stories that seemed too good to be true usually had some flaw.

“Should I check it out anyway?”

But he couldn’t completely ignore the rumor, as he desperately needed money. What if the rumor turned out to be true and he did nothing? He didn’t want to regret it later.

‘I’ll just take a quick look.’

If it seemed too dangerous, he would flee immediately. With this thought, Lloyd stood up. At this point, no adventurers had acted on the rumor yet. It was evening, and darkness had already fallen outside.

“Thanks for the drink, innkeeper.”

Lloyd handed over a silver coin and stepped outside. Waiting until morning would only increase the number of competitors. He decided to act on his impulse.

“If it looks dangerous, I’ll just run away.”

Lloyd fundamentally didn’t trust others. He tended to distrust anyone who wasn’t connected to him by blood. Therefore, he headed to the mountains alone. Forming a party with other adventurers could lead to betrayal, so he preferred being alone. His distrustful nature also meant he carried his money with him, not trusting anyone else to hold it.

Having experienced his family’s downfall, he knew better than to trust others with his money.

“The world is a lonely place.”

As he approached the mountains, Lloyd drew the sword from his waist.

He planned to climb the mountains from now on. However, the mountains cloaked in darkness were filled with dangers, so he remained vigilant.

====

***

====

Lloyd began his ascent, holding a torch in one hand and his sword in the other. As expected, the mountains at night presented a chilling scene. The wind blowing through the forest was cold, and the moonlight filtering through the branches cast eerie shadows. Unidentified rustling sounds from the rocks heightened Lloyd’s tension. Nevertheless, he swallowed hard and cautiously continued his steps.

How long had he been climbing? The destination still seemed far away. However, it wasn’t entirely fruitless.

“……”

Lloyd saw someone ahead. ‘Adventurers?’ He spotted two figures. They were likely heading to verify the rumor, just like him.

‘One in a robe and the other in armor….’

A knight and a mage, perhaps? Lloyd tilted his head in curiosity and quietly followed them. But then,

“……!”

He sensed something strange behind him.

“When did they…!”

Ghouls had appeared behind Lloyd! It wasn’t just one or two; there were many of them.

Moreover, each ghoul was armed with a pickaxe or shovel, so they weren’t empty-handed. Despite having a sword, Lloyd knew he couldn’t handle this many ghouls alone. And it was nighttime, making visibility poor and the battle even more disadvantageous.

Lloyd pondered his options. Then he remembered the adventurers ahead.

‘Right. I need to ask for help now.’

Although he generally didn’t trust others, he had no choice this time. With that many ghouls, they needed to join forces.

“Hey! You there! Help me out! There are ghouls here!”

Lloyd shouted with all his might as he ran towards the adventurers. Hearing his plea, the adventurers stopped in their tracks. Just when Lloyd thought he was saved, his expression crumbled.

The figures he had called out to were not adventurers. They weren’t knights or mages. In fact, they weren’t even human.

“What the…?”

The beings inside the robe and armor were undead monsters, reduced to mere skeletons.

“A lich! And… a Death Knight?!”

Seeing the monsters before him, Lloyd felt his blood run cold. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst from his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Why were such high-level monsters here?

Lloyd despaired. Before becoming a fallen noble, he had been an adventurer and knew well that encountering monsters like Death Knights and liches was rare.

These were not monsters one would easily encounter in such a place.

‘This is bad… really bad….’

Moreover, why were such beings wandering outside a dungeon? For a moment, Lloyd regretted coming up here. Most adventurers avoided climbing the mountains at night due to the inherent dangers and the unpredictable monsters that could appear. Yet, Lloyd had made that very mistake.

‘I got carried away by the rumors….’

Just a while ago, Lloyd had scoffed at the rumors in the tavern. Yet, a small hope had lingered in his heart that there might be treasure. The dream of rebuilding his family with gold and silver had led him to make this mistake.

“Click-clack?”

The lich seemed to be speaking, making clicking sounds with its bones. It then began to jot something down in what appeared to be a spellbook. The Death Knight beside it remained silent. However, Lloyd felt immense fear and dread towards the Death Knight.

‘Why… is it wearing that…?’

The sight of a maid uniform attached to the Death Knight’s shield was bizarre and enough to paralyze Lloyd’s rationality. Faced with such an absurd scene, maintaining his sanity was a struggle.

‘This is not the time for this… Get a grip.’

There was an old saying that keeping one’s wits could help escape danger. Lloyd tried to think as clearly as possible.

‘I must survive, no matter what.’

He recalled hearing that some monsters occasionally negotiated with adventurers. Desperate to find a way out of this perilous situation, Lloyd suddenly remembered the wealth he had on him.

The wealth he had on him was money he had saved to rebuild his family someday. It consisted of jewels and gold coins, easy to carry. Though this wealth was meant for his family’s restoration, it would be meaningless if he died. The value of the money paled in comparison to his life. If he could survive, he could always gather more wealth later.

It was a humble resolution, but in this desperate situation, it was the best choice Lloyd had.

‘Please….’

Lloyd offered the jewels and gold coins to the monsters. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. The die was cast. He hoped the monsters before him would understand his intention. Silently, he prayed.

“Click!”

After a moment, the lich took all the jewels and gold from Lloyd’s hand.

“Click-clack-click.”

It said something, but Lloyd couldn’t understand the monster’s language. He could only hope and pray that they would pass by.

“Click-clack. Click-clack-click.”

The lich continued to speak, handing some of the jewels to the Death Knight beside it.

“……”

The Death Knight silently accepted the jewels and turned to move forward. Lloyd watched the situation in a daze.

For a brief moment, he stood there, stunned. Then, the ghouls behind him also began to move past him.

“Click-clack! Click-clack-click.”

The lich, or what appeared to be one, said something before turning its back. Though Lloyd couldn’t understand the words, it sounded like a warning.

“……”

Lloyd couldn’t move until their figures disappeared from sight. He just stood there, staring blankly ahead.

How much time had passed? Only then did Lloyd come to his senses and start running down the mountain.

‘What? A place filled with treasure? Damn it!’

Instead of treasure, he had encountered monsters that robbed him of his money.

‘I’ll never believe such rumors again!’

The mountains had proven to be a harsh place for Lloyd.