The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

Chapter 152: Dungeon Facility Enhancement

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 152

EP.152 Dungeon Facility Enhancement

I faced a significant problem.

“What on earth is this?”

The sudden alarm prompted me to check the contents immediately.

– The existence of the dungeon ‘Nest of the Evil God’ began to be known to adventurers. –

– The existence of the dungeon ‘Red-Headed Tribe’ began to be known to adventurers. –

– The existence of the dungeon ‘Remnants of the Abyss’ began to be known to adventurers. –

– The existence of the dungeon ‘Village Shrouded in Mist’ began to be known to adventurers. –

“Sigh…”

My thoughts momentarily halted. It wasn’t a feeling of panic or anxiety.

“Finally, the inevitable has come.”

A deep sigh filled the room. In truth, I had been fortunate until now. I had been able to grow quietly while hiding the existence of my dungeon. Thanks to that, I had secured time to gather a 6-star monster like Celia, along with 5-star monsters and various monster troops. Although there had been a few intruders during that time, the monsters within the dungeon had handled them well, so they hadn’t posed a threat.

But now, the situation had changed.

“In the end, the dreaded event has arrived.”

I had anticipated that the existence of my dungeon would be revealed someday. It was impossible to hide a dungeon forever. Still, wasn’t this too sudden?

‘Where did the story spread from?’

If there was a result, there must be a cause. No, that wasn’t it.

The water had already been spilled. There was no time to ponder the cause. It was more important to decide how to respond—whether to refill the water or clean it up—rather than worry about why it had spilled.

‘Let’s organize my thoughts.’

The existence of my dungeon would continue to spread. Could he stop it now, even if I wanted to? That wasn’t the answer either. There was only one correct answer.

‘I need to reinforce my forces.’

Not only the forces but the entire dungeon itself needed to be strengthened. This was not the time to save gems. It was right to spend money up to the limit and stock up on gems. Then, investing all the acquired gems into the dungeon was the correct answer.

‘I guess I have been too complacent.’

Given the situation, it was time to expand the dungeon facilities as well. It wasn’t just about summoning monsters; it was time to operate the dungeon in earnest. Of course, gems were needed for that. Money was required to recharge gems.

‘I guess I’ll have to visit the Phoenix Guild soon.’

Although I currently appeared jobless, I was actually an advisor to the Phoenix Guild. More precisely, I was an advisor limited to Jung Ye-rin’s team, but the important thing was that I received a salary.

The problem was Jung Ye-rin.

‘If she finds out the truth about me, she’ll fire me immediately.’

I had become an advisor thanks to Jung Ye-rin’s misunderstanding. This meant that if she realized my true nature, I could be fired at any time. It seemed right to extract as much money as possible before that happened.

Some might think I was overreacting. However, in this situation, being sensitive was absolutely the right response. I and the dungeon were a connected being.

If the dungeon collapsed, I would die as well. With my life on the line, I had to do everything I could. Now that the existence of the dungeon was widely known, I couldn’t predict the dangers that would come. Stronger adventurer parties might flock to the dungeon, and in the worst-case scenario, even nations might respond.

Could my monsters, no matter how powerful, withstand an endless onslaught? There was a saying that no business could stand against sheer numbers. Should I also rely on numbers?

My mind grew more complicated.

‘If there’s one glimmer of hope…’

It was how the rumors had spread among the adventurers. The alarm only indicated that the dungeon’s existence had begun to be known, not that it was fully recognized. So, there was still hope.

After all, I had a last resort: the satellite dungeon. If the situation became dire, I could move the dungeon core to the satellite dungeon. Fortunately, the existence of the satellite dungeon was still unknown.

I immediately touched the screen to check the dungeon. In this urgent situation, Celia was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where did she go?’

Even after searching other areas, Celia was not visible.

‘Did she go outside?’

Currently, my dungeon monsters had expanded their range of activity to the Sael Kingdom. Therefore, it wasn’t strange for Celia to be absent. Perhaps Celia knew something about this situation? And if she had left the dungeon to resolve the issue?

Suddenly, hope surged within me. This wasn’t a small incident, and Celia must have noticed something as well. As if to prove this, the movements of the dungeon’s forces were unusual.

The undead monsters that should have been in Area 1 were lined up and stationed throughout the dungeon. Goblins, too, were armed and patrolling the interior. It looked as if they had strengthened the security in preparation for intruders. This was likely due to Celia’s prior instructions.

This wasn’t just wishful thinking. Celia had performed exceptionally well up to this point. Dungeon management had been flawless, and she had faithfully followed my orders. Most importantly, she always brought good results and resolved any issues that arose, making her an all-around manager. Thanks to Celia, they had come this far. She must have a plan this time as well, which is why she had taken action.

Yes, trusting Celia was the priority now. I would prepare in my own way.

“First, let’s check the dungeon’s status.”

I inspected each area of the dungeon.

‘Hmm.’

There didn’t seem to be any immediate problems. The dungeon was already filled with monsters guarding it, so defense wasn’t an issue. However, something felt lacking.

“Ah, the facilities are too shabby.”

Looking at Area 2, where the goblins lived, the state of the huts was too dilapidated. It seemed that immediate attention to the facilities was necessary.

[Dungeon Facilities] [Constructible Facilities]

I first touched [Dungeon Facilities]. It had been a long time since I had checked the facilities after initially building them. In fact, it was inevitable. Back then, I thought this was just a game. After realizing it was reality, the urgent need for monster reinforcements took precedence, and I hadn’t thought about the facilities.

At most, I had only paid attention to the altar.

[Dungeon Facilities]

– Prison: Can detain intruders who enter the dungeon. (Upgradeable to ‘Magic Suppression Prison’) –

– Manager’s Office: A space where the manager resides and conducts work. (Upgradeable to ‘Office’) –

– Hut: Basic living space for monsters. (Upgradeable to ‘Sturdy Hut’) –

– Altar: Can offer sacrifices through the altar. (Level 2) –

– Dungeon Core –

There were fewer facilities than I had expected.

‘I have been too neglectful.’

The list of facilities was so meager that everything was in a state where it could be upgraded. This highlighted just how indifferent I had been. Even Celia had been working in the initial manager’s office since it was first built. I felt guilty for being indifferent to Celia, who had been working so diligently without any rewards.

“Let’s start with the upgrades.”

– Consuming gems to upgrade ‘Prison’ to ‘Magic Suppression Prison.’ –

– Magic Suppression Prison: A prison equipped with special barriers and devices to suppress magic. (Capacity: 10 people) –

The first upgrade I made was to the prison. The capacity increased, and it was now equipped with barriers and devices to suppress magic.

“With this, we can effectively detain even magicians.”

It might seem cruel, but this was an emergency. This was not the time to consider adventurers’ rights. I also purchased additional prisons and upgraded them to Magic Suppression Prisons.

“The prisons are done. Next is the manager’s office.”

In any organization, the leadership is the most important. I upgraded the manager’s office, where Celia had been staying, to an office.

– Consuming gems to upgrade ‘Manager’s Office’ to ‘Office.’ –

– Office: A space where the dungeon master conducts work and meets subordinates. If the dungeon master is absent, the next in line can use it. –

I purchased an additional manager’s office, just like the prison. However, to maintain some distinction, I did not upgrade the newly constructed manager’s office.

‘I hope Celia likes it.’

With a satisfied smile, I turned my attention to the next facility. After the manager’s office, it was the huts. The huts were primarily used as residences for goblins in Area 2. Initially, there were none, but as the number of goblins increased, huts were constructed for them to live in.

“Might as well make them sturdy huts.”

I upgraded all the huts in Area 2 to sturdy huts. There were no other facilities that could be upgraded at the moment. I then shifted my focus to other areas.

[Constructible Facilities]

– Warehouse: A place to store and manage valuables and items. –

– Training Ground: A training facility to enhance the combat abilities of monsters. –

– Corpse Storage: A place to store corpses. –

– Interrogation Room: A space for interrogating and torturing prisoners. (Upgradeable to ‘Execution Ground’) –

– Throne of the Dungeon: A seat only the dungeon master can occupy. (Locked) –

– Strategy Meeting Room (Locked) –

– Spring of Regeneration (Locked) –

– Hall of Heroes (Locked) –

……

There were many other facilities, but most of them were locked.

“There aren’t many usable facilities right now.”

Still, I had to grow the dungeon, so there was no choice. I purchased all the facilities that could be built immediately.

– Purchased ‘Warehouse.’ –

– Purchased ‘Training Ground.’ –

– Purchased ‘Corpse Storage.’ –

– Purchased ‘Interrogation Room.’ –

– Consumed gems to upgrade ‘Interrogation Room’ to ‘Execution Ground.’ –

– Execution Ground: Instills fear in the prisoners being interrogated. Additionally, it increases the loyalty of the dungeon’s monsters. –

“With these facilities, it finally feels like a proper dungeon.”

Adding the facilities brought changes to the dungeon’s interior. The addition of facilities gave the dungeon an atmosphere worthy of its name.

“Next, let’s expand.”

The next choice was [Dungeon Expansion]. This didn’t mean adding new areas but increasing the size of the existing ones. Area 1 was already crowded with undead monsters, and Area 2 was so packed with goblins that they were living on top of each other. In this state, it was impossible to reinforce the monsters further.

So, I decided to use gems to expand the dungeon. It was time for the dungeon to undergo a significant transformation.

====

***

====

Celia returned to the dungeon after completing her mission. Thanks to Ralph, the bandit leader she encountered along the way, things went smoothly. Ralph’s fabricated story spread widely among the adventurers. As a result, Celia and Cazel could return sooner than expected.

“Ah, once again, I feel the greatness of my master.”

Celia was amazed by the changed appearance of the dungeon as soon as she returned. Only her master could transform the dungeon so freely.

“This is his power!”

Celia exclaimed excitedly as she looked around. The most noticeable change was the expanded size of each area.

Moreover, new facilities that she hadn’t seen before had been added. Celia’s face lit up with a bright smile, especially when she saw that the existing manager’s office had been upgraded to an office.

“Indeed. The master must have anticipated this situation!”

To Celia, her master was an omniscient and omnipotent being. Therefore, he must have already known about the dungeon’s existence being revealed among adventurers. It was certain. He must have upgraded the dungeon to encourage them to fend off the adventurers that would come.

“I, Celia, will surely spread my master’s renown across the continent!”

Celia’s plan was just beginning.