The Evolution of a Dungeon Master

Leonhardt knew that the goblins that died would be revived using dungeon points later, but ever since being born, they were the ones who helped him train and improve his knowledge of magic and his limits.

He walked through the Third Square at a brisk pace, looking at the palisades and wooden defences created by dungeon points and the goblins building them. 

"Master!" 

"At ease, prepare for combat—have the archers stand on that wooden ledge behind the walls."

"Yes Master!"

Leon didn't plan to bring the deepest members of the dungeon with him because, on the off chance, he failed.

After all, the enemy intruders might be stronger than he expected.

He reached the Second Square in a few moments after giving orders to the goblins. Immediately, he could hear the distant sounds of goblins grunting and growling along with the common tongue spoken by humans and other realms. 

In the third square, there were many spiked spears on the walls, but he didn't want to let the first human invaders go this far. 

『Calm down. It's just the same as killing wolves!』

Leon's eyes flicked towards a group of goblin warriors who bowed to him, their bodies shuddering slightly each time the sound of metal colliding echoed through the halls.

"Come with me, support your brothers." 

Though he could cast magic when focused, Leon's nerves started to affect his confidence. 

"Haa..."

He took a deep breath near the entrance of the First Square, his hand placed on the wooden gate, a defensive structure created to stop people like rogues or thieves sneaking or rushing through.

The moment he became calmer, all his thoughts started to become more focused. 

Leon opened the dungeon map and checked the details of the first square to determine his enemy and how many goblin forces remained. 

Enemies

• Human Male (Axe + Shield)

• Human Male (Sword + Shield)

• Human Female (Staff)

• Elven Female (Bow)

Traps

• Arrow Traps x2 

Minions

• Goblin Archers: 4

• Goblin Guardian: 5

The humans didn't seem overly strong because they struggled against lower-level goblins. To ensure the wolves and other monsters chased the rabbits into the dungeon, Leon placed the weakest goblins at the entrance.

Also, at the suggestion of Zafira, he let goblins who levelled up move to the second square, and if they worked harder, they could guard the third square just before the throne room.

"Don't protect me! Stop the humans from killing your brothers. I will reward those who succeed."

『Dungeon Wife! Help me with this fight!』

Because Leon would only die if the dungeon core were destroyed, he wanted to use the illusion of being a kind and caring leader to improve the morale of his goblins. 

If his death could help boost their support and loyalty, he didn't care. 

This particular choice seemed to make Zafira amused, but she also didn't deny it was a good idea for a weak dungeon master with no other choice.

[I am not your wife, Master!]

[But, here are several methods to ensure a smoother victory!]

Suddenly, like a pop-up, a [Store] page opened, causing him to halt his movement.

He stopped to check the shop interface, which appeared when he asked the dungeon system for help. Leonhardt didn't know if she was supposed to help him so much, but he wouldn't hold back if it could help him become stronger.

——

[Tome of Fire Wall — 150 DP] 

• Creates a wall of flames that stop projectiles and burn those who touch it.

[Tome of Blazing Missiles — 150 DP]

• Channel Ten searing missiles at the target, dealing high-fire damage

[Elixir of Lesser Intellect — 200 DP] 

• Increases Intellect by 50 points.

[Elixir of Lesser Strength — 200 DP]

• Increases Strength by 50 points.

——-

Immediately after the items flashed, highlighted by a bold background, a confirmation box with floating green letters appeared. 

Leon scanned the items, quickly tapped the button, and noticed that the system had chosen the items he needed most for this specific situation.

The moment he accepted, a sudden jolt of electricity zapped his head, causing him to stagger.

"Master?!"

"Lord, okay?!"

"Ugh..."

Though the goblins seemed worried, Leonhardt couldn't afford to answer them at the moment because his head throbbed like someone hit him with a blunt axe.

What followed was his knowledge of magic, theory and magic circles related to the two spells that were imprinted in his memory.

The feeling was like a small drill poking his brain and filling it with hot glue.

While he leaned on the wooden palisades, he found two bottles that clanged together in his hands suddenly, one with a purple colour, the other red.

"I should quickly take them..." 

The purple intelligence elixir tasted sweet and bitter, like fresh raspberry, while the red potion carried a refreshing apple taste.

"Quite delicious—"

Suddenly, after taking the potions, the pain overwhelmed him. 

He could feel his veins burning as searing lava tried pushing through, widening them.

As he grunted, Leon's face became covered in thick sweat. His forehead hit the wooden walls, causing them to wobble slightly. 

『Her suggestion was useful...』

His blood vessels expanded, while the second option seemed to make his muscles cramp and convulse while he scrunched his eyes tight.

"Damn it..." 

With a long sigh, his lips expelled a thick cloud of hot, sizzling air. His eyes opened, and his beautiful red pupils shone brightly. 

As his vision cleared up, the notifications of his improvements appeared on the panels, but he shook his head and cleared his throat.

• STR: F -> E 

• INT: E -> D 

"I'm fine—let's head into the room and help our brothers.

Mana brimming and almost double the previous amount, Leon's eyes narrowed, and he was able to enjoy the improvements of his three-day efforts along with the potions. 

He worried that spending three days focused on training might lead to his death... with only four days to go, his nerves grew larger with each passing day.

『Evolution is the only way to survive!』

Leon could hear the human voices sounding more confident, and he shook his head; this wasn't the time to dwell on his current state—gazing at the five goblin warriors behind him who looked confused and concerned, he grit his teeth.

"Let's go!"

With a loud bang, he kicked through the door and rushed into the First Square.