The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 159

EP.159 A Day in the Life of Baalzerith

The dawn sunlight gently filtered through the branches. The mountain range, greeting the morning, was serene. However, there were those who broke this tranquility.

“Kyoda!”

“Kyoda! Krk!”

They were goblins from the reconnaissance unit guarding the forest around the dungeon. The morning shift goblins and the night shift goblins were swiftly exchanging duties. Even if the mountain range was quiet, the reconnaissance unit’s mission to protect the dungeon allowed no rest.

As the goblins outside the dungeon changed shifts, the dungeon’s interior was also ready to start the day. The Death Knight from Area 1 headed to Area 4 for the never-ending fortification work. The sight of the Death Knight carrying a shield adorned with a maid’s uniform on its back, followed by various ghouls and humans in a line, was a chilling spectacle reminiscent of a death march.

In Area 2, the goblins were uniting under the leadership of the Goblin Lord.

“Hunt! Hunt!”

The goblins responded energetically to the Goblin Lord’s booming voice. While Area 2 was lively, Area 3 was quiet. Recently appointed as the honorary mid-boss of Area 3, Aren was still lost in dreamland. Next to him, Baalzerith was also deep in slumber. It was a natural state for their kind, as they were both vampires.

However, shortly after, Baalzerith woke up. Normally, she would have preferred to sleep longer, but she had a mission to fulfill.

“Ah, Lady Riche, you’re awake?”

As Baalzerith woke up, someone called her. The name ‘Riche’ was an alias she used to conceal her true identity, so everyone in the dungeon referred to her as Riche.

Baalzerith turned to the person who had called her.

“Yes, you’re working hard as always.”

She looked at Nariel, who was managing the writhing plants amidst the dense foliage. Nariel, an elf, had been captured while living as an adventurer. Thanks to the elves’ high affinity with plants, Nariel was not a slave but held a crucial role in managing the plant monsters of Area 3.

“You’re truly remarkable. Reviving all those plants… just like an elf,” Baalzerith genuinely admired.

Previously, lamias had invaded and devastated Area 3. The lamias’ poison had left the carnivorous tentacle plants with only their roots, and the flying bloodsucking butterflies were all killed. But Nariel had revived the plants from their remaining roots. As the plants grew back, the eggs once laid by the bloodsucking butterflies hatched into larvae. These larvae metamorphosed into butterflies, laid eggs, and Area 3 returned to its original state.

“Hmm…”

Baalzerith quietly took in the scenery of Area 3. The lamia invasion had been a significant turning point for her as well. After the invasion, Baalzerith became an official member of the dungeon. It wasn’t a result of her own choice. She had fainted, and when she regained consciousness, she found herself affiliated with the dungeon.

‘I still don’t understand what happened back then.’

She still didn’t know why she had become part of the dungeon. Initially, she was bewildered, having unexpectedly become a member of the dungeon.

However, looking back now, she realized it wasn’t entirely a bad situation.

‘This place is truly unique.’

The sight of various monster species coexisting in one dungeon and faithfully following the command structure was quite appealing. Even now, she found it fascinating. She never imagined that vampires and elves would share the same area.

But that wasn’t all. Nariel, the elf, tended to the plants while a water spirit behind her sprinkled water on them. Watching this absurd combination gave her a peculiar feeling.

“……”

While Baalzerith was momentarily lost in thought, Nariel called out to her.

“Lady Riche, are you heading outside the dungeon again today?”

Nariel said this as she began to gather something.

“Today, the plants have produced seeds, so I’ll give you some seeds.”

She carefully placed the seeds into a small pouch. This was related to Baalzerith’s mission. The task had been assigned by Celia, who managed the dungeon. The mission was simple, plant the seeds of the plant monsters from Area 3 outside the dungeon.

At first, she had tried to delegate the task to Aren, a lower-ranked vampire. However, after being caught and scolded by Celia, she had been diligently performing the task herself.

Once the master of the dungeon and a descendant of vampire royalty, she now found herself doing such menial tasks because of Celia’s orders. Celia was the dungeon’s chief administrator, and Baalzerith knew well that Celia outranked her significantly, so she followed the orders without complaint.

“Here you go, Lady Riche,” Nariel said with a smile, handing over the seeds.

“Ah, Lady Riche, make sure to plant the seeds at regular intervals. If not, they might end up cannibalizing each other as they grow.”

Nariel advised with a cheerful expression, sharing important tips for planting the seeds.

Despite her status being akin to that of a hostage and her close mage friend being imprisoned somewhere in the dungeon, Nariel lived her days with vigor. Managing plants was always a joy for an elf.

“Alright then, I’ll be off. Keep things well.”

“Safe travels, Lady Riche!” Nariel replied.

Baalzerith took the pouch of seeds from Nariel and bid her farewell. Before heading outside the dungeon, she glanced at Aren. Deep in sleep, Aren had a worm the size of a forearm wriggling in his embrace. According to Celia, this worm was the dungeon’s manager.

‘That’s the dungeon’s assistant manager…’

Baalzerith thought, bewildered. Given that this creature was brought by the esteemed master of the dungeon, she had no choice but to hold her tongue. This place was full of wonders and incomprehensible phenomena.

First and foremost was the size of the dungeon. The first floor alone spanned from Area 1 to Area 4. Additionally, there was another underground level, the second floor. According to Celia, the master had expanded this enormous dungeon solely through his abilities.

‘What kind of incredible being could create such a dungeon?’

But that wasn’t all. Besides herself, there were three other 5-star monsters in the dungeon. Even the Arch Lich, originally a 4-star Lich, had been elevated to a 5-star by the master’s power.

‘…….’

No matter how much she thought about it, it was unbelievable. She, too, had been the master of a dungeon before the White Order’s ambush.

Expanding a dungeon and freely upgrading monsters with just abilities? It was absolutely impossible. Even as a vampire who had lived for a long time, she had never heard of such a thing. However, she knew well enough that this dungeon was anything but ordinary. Thus, it was hard to outright deny the claims.

Could even the ancestors, once hailed as the great vampire kings, have possessed such abilities? If she had such remarkable powers…

‘If I had such abilities…’

She could have made her dungeon stronger. Then, she wouldn’t have been so easily ambushed by the Order.

‘But that’s all in the past now.’

Baalzerith was no longer the master of a dungeon. To be precise, her dungeon had been seized by the Demon Merchant Association. She had incurred a massive debt to them to fend off the White Order’s attack, and lacking the means to repay it, she had lost her dungeon. All of this had become an irrevocable part of her past. Now, she only needed to follow Celia’s orders.

Baalzerith shook off her distracting thoughts and stepped outside the dungeon. Following Nariel’s instructions, she began planting the seeds in the ground.

As Baalzerith was busy planting seeds, goblins emerged from the dungeon.

“Hunt! Hunt!”

“Krk! Our Lord is heading out!”

The goblins, surrounding the Goblin Lord, moved toward the forest. Baalzerith watched the goblins heading somewhere.

“Goblins are always so diligent.”

It wasn’t just words.

The goblins were indeed diligent. They handled various chores in the dungeon, patrolled the surrounding forest, and prepared for any emergencies. If she had been as prepared as they were, she might not have fallen victim to the Order’s ambush in the past. A sense of regret welled up within her.

As the goblins disappeared from sight and she was about to resume planting the seeds, a new sound caught her attention.

“Clack, clack, clack.”

This time, it was someone else—Necros, the Arch Lich. The pockets of Necros’s robe were filled with gold coins and jewels. Behind him, skeletons were carrying pouches filled with more gold coins.

At that moment, the Death Knight emerged from the dungeon.

“Hmm?”

Baalzerith wondered why the Death Knight, who should have been busy with fortification work, had come out. She watched them quietly.

“Clack, clack.”

Necros glanced around and pulled out some gold coins and jewels from his robe, handing a portion to the Death Knight.

“……”

The Death Knight nodded silently and accepted the gold coins from Necros. With no other place to store them, the Death Knight stuffed the gold coins and jewels into the pockets of the maid uniform attached to his shield.

But Necros’s actions didn’t stop there. When he met Baalzerith’s gaze, he pulled out a few gold coins and handed them to her as well.

“Clack, clack.”

(A gift.)

Necros was always a cautious Arch Lich. If he kept everything to himself, it would be a bribe, but sharing it made it a gift.

“……”

Of course, Baalzerith couldn’t possibly know Necros’s true intentions. Necros and the Death Knight disappeared into the forest, followed naturally by the skeletons.

“Perhaps it’s because they’re both undead that they get along so well.”

Baalzerith mused, envying their camaraderie. The overall atmosphere of the dungeon was shaped by such small relationships. With such strong bonds, they could overcome any threat to the dungeon.

She was particularly touched by Necros’s gesture of sharing the gold coins with her.

“This is what a true dungeon should be like.”

She realized it too late.

When her own dungeon faced danger, those who claimed to be her loyal followers were the first to abandon her. They had always professed their loyalty, but when Baalzerith was in peril, they turned out to be traitors who fled first.

A wave of melancholy washed over her. If she had had allies like Necros, she might not have lost her dungeon so easily. But she quickly shook her head. What was the point of regretting it now?

Still, Baalzerith formed a small plan in her mind. If she ever managed to run a dungeon again, she would fill it with individuals like Necros. That would surely improve the dungeon’s atmosphere.

As Baalzerith resumed planting the seeds, another visitor appeared. It was Dullahan Werther, lifting his head with his left hand. The head, separated from the body, kept muttering incessantly.

“Demon… sword… power… want… demon sword…!”

As Werther’s detached head passed by, it looked at Baalzerith.

“…Demon, sword?”

The eyes of the head scanned her entire being.

“Not… demon sword.”

Losing interest, Werther turned his body away.

“Demon… sword… power, want….”

And with that, Werther’s figure disappeared somewhere.

It could have been a bewildering encounter, but Baalzerith saw Werther’s actions in a positive light.

“Indeed, to protect the dungeon, one must have power.”

For monsters, it was natural to seek power. But why did monsters pursue power? To survive. And with that power, they could protect the dungeon. Ultimately, the more monsters that sought power, the higher the chances of defending the dungeon.

“That one has high loyalty.”

Baalzerith nodded. In her mind, Werther’s value rose a notch.

“It might not be so bad to stay here for a while.”

The reason Baalzerith had fled to the Sael Kingdom was singular: to find the owner of the mysterious voice that had once approached her. But for now, mingling with these beings didn’t seem like a bad idea. The goblins’ diligence, the strong bond between Necros and the Death Knight, and the constant pursuit of power—all these elements combined to make this dungeon truly special.

It was a precious experience, allowing her to witness the true strength of a dungeon, something she hadn’t understood before.

“This place is really strange.”

A faint smile forming on her face.

And so, another day in the life of Baalzerith passed.