Chapter 44
“Oh, you’re here. Go to the left tunnel and follow my instructions to descend. We have a lot of work to do.” Her master’s voice rang in Erin’s left ear.
On the seventh floor, Jake stood in the place where the dungeon core used to be. The core had dissolved and formed in the lowest floor.
“Now we have 18 floors, master. It’s finally a 1st tier dungeon!” Lena cheered.
The surrounding women marveled at this miraculous scene. They had witnessed the expansion of a dungeon. Every floor was five times as deep and large as it was before!
This meant, Jake’s dungeon had gotten huge. A lot of monsters could fit in here. Not only that, as the lower floor would be larger than its adjacent upper floor, this dungeon’s 18th floor was the largest.
Actually, it alone took 20% space of the entire dungeon.
After telling Erin the routes she could take to descend to the lower floors, Jake turned to the women around and started ordering.
”Yunna and Lena, you know what to do. Go check the monsters. Don’t move them yet. Vin, follow them to reach the upper floors and meet up with Erin.”
Jake then looked at the mother and daughter. ”Rose and Niru, go to my room and see how much it has changed.”
”Riri, go check the hot spring with Diana.”
After giving out all these orders, Jake turned to his Dark Priestess and started walking. ”Head with me to the 18th floor to find the dungeon core.”
As Jake and Perry walked through the dark corridors, they noticed many small mana crystals embedded on the walls which glowed with the light of magic. There was not a single creature in this place other than the two of them.
Being the Dungeon Master, Jake could sense the core. He also knew his way around the floors. Perry herself would have gotten lost.
Tak…Tak…
Their footsteps resounded in the place. Jake noticed how big just this floor had become. All monsters of the first four floors could fit here. It had many tunnels and chambers. Jake actually couldn’t count all of them.
Each floor had layers and seemed more like a beehive now, except for the expansive areas. Troublesome monsters could appear out of nowhere in such a place.
Suddenly, Perry noticed something and ran ahead. She quickly pointed to a chamber and said, ” Some wind is coming out from this place.”
Jake frowned and went closer to where Perry pointed. He touched the wall and closed his eyes. Tracing the route from which this wind came, Jake found out that there was another place where he could exit the dungeon.
It was much farther than the cave entrance and actually reached the outskirts of Senesten village. That went to show how large his dungeon had really become.
Most of the Redwoods forest’s underground was now his territory. The dungeon had expanded itself to take all the surrounding valley. If it reached the 2nd tier, it would swallow the villages as well!
…
Some time later, Jake heard Erin’s voice in his ear. She sounded extremely serious.
”Master, I’ve met with the dungeon fairy. There is an urgent matter.”
”Hmm?” Jake felt like he knew what she was going to say.
”Adventurers have arrived in Cherrylife. They are twenty, fully armed and ready. Among them, 6 are D-Rank and the rest E and F-Rank except for one elf.”
Jake paused. He and Perry were on the 11th floor now. He expected that mage to bring adventurers but didn’t think that a party this strong would arrive. Alex himself could have never enticed them…
”That elf is a C-Rank mage. I’m very sure that she’s of the 3rd Circle at least.” Erin sounded worried.
Her master had just expanded the dungeon, and things were chaotic. How could they deal with the attack of the coming adventurers?
”For now, keep two goblins at the dungeon entrance. Tell Lena to monitor them. They would stand as guards. You go outside again and confirm when they will come!” Jake’s eyes had a sharp glow.
‘Third circle… I should hurry,’ He thought and suddenly lifted Perry in a princess carry. She uttered a surprised cry and wrapped her arms around his neck.
”At this rate, we’ll be late,” Jake said and used [Phantom Steps] to increase his speed.
Whoosh!
He went by the shortest route to reach the dungeon core.
…
In the evening, at the Cherrylife village. The temporary party of 20 adventurers stayed in Abett Inn. It was a team of 7 women and 13 men. Seeing such a large group enter their place, the innkeeper and his wife did their best to please them.
Those rank badges on their chests looked intimidating. Since when did D-Rank adventurers become so common in their small village? Also, that beautiful elf… The innkeeper gulped when his wife wasn’t looking.
The surrounding guys were silent. Usually, they would hit up any beauty they saw. However, this elvish hottie’s rank was C-Rank. She was the sexiest woman they had ever seen, but she was way out of their league.
Heck, even that armored girl was at D-Rank. Also, look at the curves of that ranger…
”Whatcha starin at, ya punks?” A ripped guy wearing gauntlets stood up. He had noticed these F-Rank losers giving Anna and Meryl dirty looks.
”Leave it, fighter. You shouldn’t bully those ranked lower than you,” An old dwarf said. ”We should save energy for tomorrow.”
Among the guys who had been checking out the girls, one slowly stood up and left inconspicuously. The young man walked a considerable distance before entering his house and shutting the door.
He then immediately got on one knee and reported to the bat flying overhead.
”They will go to the dungeon tomorrow. Master, can I bite a huma-”
”Good, your job is done.” Erin suddenly transformed and bit his neck.
”Aaaaaahh!” Fresh blood splattered on her face as she sucked her essence back, her eyes glowing bright red.
After killing the young man, Erin licked her lips. All the blood disappeared into her body and the glow in her eyes stopped.
‘If that’s so… then we still have time.’
As the sun had already set, Erin didn’t bother to cover her body with a cloak. She walked out of the house whose residents were sweetly sleeping.
Looking back at the inn from which creamy, yellow light leaked, Erin headed to the dungeon again.