Chapter 6 - Exploration (3)

　　"Chwiiik! Too many! Run!"

　　"Chwiik!"

　　The orcs tried to retreat to their habitat, but it was too late. They were swallowed by the overwhelming numbers and cut down.

　　[You have won the battle against the Arid Plains Blue Tribe Orcs.]

　　[Balak’s exploration party gains 10 EXP.]

　　[The combat experience of the goblins, imps, and Minotaurs has increased slightly.]

　　[The morale of Balak’s exploration party has increased from the first victory.]

　　[Acquired: 2 Lowest-Grade Blue Tribe Orc Corpses.]

　　[Acquired: 2 Lowest-Grade Mana Stones.]

　　The goblins and imps shrieked in triumph, stomping on the fading remains of the orcs, while the Minotaurs raised their axes, bellowing in victory. Watching through Blue Eye, Taehyun noted the spoils and continued his strategy, methodically picking off the orcs patrolling the fortress perimeter.

* * *

　　"Is that the last of the perimeter guards?" he wondered aloud.

　　After repeating the luring tactic several times, the area around the fortress was finally clear. Taehyun reviewed his loot and turned his gaze to the final objective. Conquering that fortress was all that stood between him and completing the quest.

　　First, he checked the status of his troops. Fortunately, he hadn’t lost a single soldier, and their morale was high after a string of victories. With the sentries eliminated, there were no more obstacles.

　　"Alright. Advance!"

　　Deciding the time was right, Taehyun ordered the assault. The Minotaurs bravely led the charge toward the fortress, with the goblins and imps close behind.

* * *

　　"Chwiik! We’re under attack! Defend the fortress!"

　　The orcs inside scrambled to mount a defense, caught off guard by the sudden raid. A relatively intelligent commander ordered the archers onto the walls, where they focused their fire on the main gate. The goblins and imps faltered under the hail of arrows, ready to retreat.

　　What are you doing? Imps, return fire! Take out the archers on the walls first!

　　Taehyun’s sharp command, delivered through Blue Eye, snapped the imps to attention. They unleashed a volley of fireballs at the ramparts.

　　"Chwiik! Fire!"

　　"Chwiiik! It burns!"

　　Though they were weak fireballs from a Mana stat of only 2, they were enough to do the job. The orc archers shrieked in agony as they were consumed by flames.

　　Now’s our chance! Break down the gate!

　　With the momentum on his side, Taehyun focused all his forces on the gate. Under the Minotaurs’ monstrous strength, the heavy wood began to splinter. The orcs inside desperately tried to barricade the entrance, but it was too late.

　　CRACK. THUD!

　　The gate shattered, and Balak’s forces poured into the fortress.

　　"Chwiik! Fight bravely!"

　　"Chwiik! Defend the fortress!"

　　"Chwiiik! Die!"

　　The courtyard erupted into chaos. The orcs, spurred on by their commander, charged forward with no fear of death. Having assessed the situation, Taehyun saw that most of the archers were gone. He sent the Minotaurs into the thick of the fray, using them as an anchor while the goblins flanked from the left and right, supported by the imps’ ranged attacks.

　　"Doesn’t even tickle. Moo!"

　　"Hit me harder! Moo!"

　　The Minotaurs, with their high Endurance, were unstoppable. They rampaged through the orc ranks while the defenders fought desperately. But the tide of battle had turned. Riel’s passive healing ability kept Taehyun’s forces in fighting shape, their wounds closing almost as soon as they appeared.

　　"Kieeeek!"

　　"Kiiiik!"

　　The goblins, now seasoned by several battles, swung their clubs with newfound ferocity. The orcs were cut down in droves until only their commander remained. The lone orc, its will to fight broken, stared blankly as a Minotaur’s axe descended.

　　[You have won the battle against the Blue Tribe Orcs of the Blue Tribe Orc habitat.]

　　[Balak’s exploration party gains 10 EXP.]

　　[The combat experience of the goblins, imps, and Minotaurs has increased slightly.]

　　[The morale of Balak’s exploration party has increased from the fortress victory.]

　　[Acquired: 17 Lowest-Grade Blue Tribe Orc Corpses.]

　　[Acquired: 1 Lowest-Grade Blue Tribe Orc Commander’s Corpse.]

　　[Acquired: 1 Low-Grade Mana Stone.]

　　[Acquired: 4 Lowest-Grade Mana Stones.]

　　The battle was over. The habitat had been conquered.

* * *

　　[System Directive]

　　[You have cleared the eighth tutorial quest.]

　　[Reward: 80 Experience Points.]

　　[Reward: 1,100 Zen.]

　　"Perfect! Not a single soldier lost!"

　　The C-rank Minotaurs had been spectacular, living up to their stats. Taehyun was immensely satisfied. The 300 Zen he’d spent had been more than worth it, especially since the quest reward far exceeded his initial investment. It was a massive profit.

　　[You have conquered the Blue Tribe Orc habitat.]

　　[Ownership of the Blue Tribe Orc fortress is transferred to you.]

　　"Ownership?" Taehyun tilted his head, looking at the fortress now marked as his on the world map.

　　"The fortress you conquered now belongs to you, Master!" Riel exclaimed.

　　"Does that mean I can turn this into another dungeon?"

　　"That’s right. However, creating an additional dungeon requires a significant amount of Zen and mana stones. For now, it would be best to leave it as is and observe. Congratulations, Master!"

　　A Dungeon Master could establish more than one dungeon. Conquered territories, invaded towns, and captured cities could all be converted. Once ownership was transferred, the area could be modified to the Dungeon Master’s liking. But doing so required Zen, mana stones, and other materials, not to mention the labor of soldiers or construction slaves.

　　"Thanks. No wonder mana stones kept dropping after every battle. I’ll use this as an outpost for now."

　　Taehyun decided to keep the fortress as a forward base. It would serve as an early warning system against Raiders or other threats, allowing him to defend Balak more efficiently. Riel agreed, and Taehyun left half his goblins and imps to garrison the new outpost before ending the expedition.

* * *

　　With the fortress as his base of operations, Taehyun systematically completed the remaining exploration quests around the Arid Plains. The goblins and imps stationed there acted as scouts, making his explorations even more effective, while the Minotaurs ensured every battle was won without a single loss.

　　Finally, after clearing the twelfth tutorial quest, he reached the end of the exploration phase.

　　[System Directive]

　　[You have cleared the twelfth tutorial quest.]

　　[Reward: 120 Experience Points.]

　　[Reward: 1,500 Zen.]

　　"Phew. It’s finally over." Taehyun stretched, looking at the notification. After fifteen days, he had finally cleared the area around Dungeon Balak of all hostile monsters.

　　[The monsters and fiends around Dungeon Balak have been mostly subjugated.]

　　[There are no longer any beings wary of Balak.]

　　[The gazes from the darkness are retreating.]

　　"So, the exploration quests are done. What’s next?" Taehyun asked.

　　"From now on, we will focus on deploying soldiers and fortifying the interior of Dungeon Balak," Riel answered.

　　The real work of a Dungeon Master was about to begin. As if on cue, the next tutorial quest appeared.

　　[System Directive]

　　[13. Install at least three installations inside the Dungeon Balak.]

　　[Warning: Failure to comply within one hour will result in the destruction of the Crystal Sphere. The destruction of the Crystal Sphere will result in the death of the Dungeon Master.]

　　"Installations?" Taehyun read aloud. "What are those?"

　　"They are fixed structures you can place within the dungeon—terrain features, objects, and so on," Riel explained. "They trigger a change when a Raider interacts with them."

　　"A change? You mean like a trap?"

　　"Not necessarily. The effects are completely random; even I cannot predict them. They could be beneficial or harmful."

　　"If it’s random, why bother?" he scoffed.

　　"Because you must," Riel stated firmly. "A dungeon requires a minimum of three installations to be considered operational."

　　Left with no choice, Taehyun used his hard-earned Zen to purchase the required items from the shop. The first structure he chose was this:

　　[Abyssal Plant, Landrozel]

　　[Rank: D]

　　[Restriction: None]

　　[Description: The demonic plant Landrozel, said to grow only in the Abyss. Touching Landrozel will randomly apply either a buff or a debuff to the target.]

　　The Landrozel, he reasoned, might accidentally bestow a helpful buff on a raider, but it was the cheapest option available, and its grotesque appearance was sure to deter anyone from getting too close. His second choice was Madria’s Bookshelf.

　　[Madria’s Bookshelf]

　　[Rank: D]

　　[Restriction: None]

　　[Description: The personal bookshelf of the mage Madria. The tomes on its shelves sometimes contain magic scrolls and skill books coveted by mages. However, if disturbed, a cursed book will inflict a random curse upon the target.]

　　While Madria’s Bookshelf could grant raiders invaluable items, it also carried the risk of a curse—one impossible to cure without a priest or a visit to a holy temple, implying the effects were permanent. Besides, any items the raiders obtained could simply be looted from their corpses. The third and final item was the Hideous Spider Egg.

　　[Hideous Spider Egg]

　　[Rank: D]

　　[Restriction: None]

　　[Description: An egg laid by a hideous spider. If disturbed, there is a chance that spiderlings will emerge, or that Zen will appear.]

　　The Hideous Spider Egg was a way to spawn additional monsters, a feature that could prove particularly lethal to raiders blinded by their greed for Zen. Of course, they might get lucky and find the currency, but that, too, could be reclaimed after their demise.

　　"But would raiders really bother with these things?" Taehyun wondered aloud. "If they just walk past without getting greedy, they’re completely useless, aren’t they?"

　　"There may be raiders who think as you do, Master," Riel replied, her tone even. "But most will try to use these structures to their advantage, hoping to conquer the dungeon more easily. And since we cannot tamper with the installations ourselves, it is only natural for them to try."

　　Raiders didn’t blindly trigger traps just because they were foolish. They were taking a calculated risk, knowing that not even the Dungeon Master could interfere with the dungeon’s internal mechanics. Moreover, some raiders possessed items that could reveal information about these structures in advance. Though they were just minor dungeon elements, they had the potential to completely alter the situation.

　　I see, he thought, a frown creasing his brow. I chose the cheapest and what seemed like the most reasonable options, but that might have been the wrong call.

　　In the installation shop, pricier items were almost always more advantageous for the Dungeon Master. Taehyun had chosen these three for their cost-effectiveness, hoping to conserve Zen, but Riel’s explanation left him plagued by doubt. Still, there was no selling them back now.

　　I’ll just have to make this work, he decided. Reselling them would only recoup half the cost, and right now, the dungeon’s layout and my soldiers are what truly matter.

　　Resigned to his decision, Taehyun proceeded to install the items he had purchased.

* * *