Dungeon Maker

Yong-ho gasped for breath several times as if he had forgotten how to breathe then finally managed to breathe again. The first thing that finally came into his eyes, which barely recovered their function, were blue hair and beautiful watery eyes.

"Scathach."

"I'm sorry. It wasn't a good dream, was it?"

Scathach smiled gloomily. She gently reached out and swept his hair. Her fingertips were cold. But he felt they were pleasant to the touch.

"That's…"

"It's the memory of the day we first met Baphomet. The guy was staining the whole world in which he was born with death. He was the personification of death, born to destroy the world."

The incarnation of death.

It was the accurate expression of this monster, and Yong-ho also understood why Scathach described Baphomet as the worst of the 12 Spirits of the House of Mammon.

"The 12 Spirits of the House of Mammon…"

"Yes, that's right. We are not made up of only demonic beings. For example, my friend Elune is from a different world. Isn't it that the demon world is messed up even these days?"

Yong-ho nodded, though slowly. He was from a human world, to say the least. One of the dungeon spirits of the House of Mammon, Burgrim, was also from a different world than the demon world.

"The king overpowered Baphomet that day. But the king didn't return him to death, which could be called his origin. Instead, he brought the monster to his knees and made him a dungeon spirit."

Scathach smiled bitterly. It happened more than a thousand years ago, but even now, she didn't seem to like the king's decision very much.

Yong-ho again closed his eyes and breathed out for a long time. He vividly felt the death that Baphomet turned out in his dream.

However, he did not forget the flames of the red lotus that overwhelmed even Baphomet's death.

The true power of Aamon, the magic spear of the red lotus that originated in Mammon's hand.

Yong-ho opened his eyes again then asked Scathach before he knew it, "Was the last voice yours?"

"Last voice?" She tilted her head as if she didn't understand his question.

Yong-ho was referring to the voice that said, "No more peeking from now on."

Come to think of it, it wasn't a woman's voice. It was a young man's cheerful voice.

'What the heck is this? Did Mammon speak to me?!'

He shook his head. It was impossible. He didn't go back to the past. He only peeked into Scathach's past memories.

Perhaps, Yong-ho himself might have heard hallucinations because he was extremely tired.

Or there was a possibility that there was something wrong with the memories of Mammon that assisted her memory.

"Little master?" asked Scathach.

"No, it's nothing. I think I got confused."

Scathach caressed Yong-ho's cheek again. Her friendly yet cold touch made him clear his head. "My sweetheart Gusion said he had to kill the guy several times. The monster is so dangerous. The only one in this world who can control him is the king."

But Yong-ho needed the recognition of this monster, Baphomet. Moreover, he was a second-floor spirit, not in the deep floor.

Scathach's watery eyes showed she was sorry for him. She whispered, "There is only one way you can get recognized by this guy who is bad from birth. Namely, you have to defeat him with strength."

Yong-ho didn't even ask her whether it was possible. Baphomet was too tough for him now.

But Scathach shook her head. She said with a slight pinch on his cheek, "You can beat him. You can deal with him proudly. You may think it's difficult right now, but if you get a little stronger, you can do it. Baphomet has become very weak right now."

Compared with Gusion and Aamon, she spared no words, but she did not talk about the day when Mammon met his final moment and the Labyrinth of Greed collapsed.

Baphomet's weakness must have been linked to a series of events that began with Mammon's death. However, Scathach refrained from mentioning it this time. Instead, she talked about other things.

"Baphomet has been obviously weakened. But that doesn't change the fact that he's a monster. It will be difficult for you to deal with him alone. Fight him with your dungeon spirits. The moment they become your dungeon spirits, they are in the same boat. Fighting with them is not your weakness."

She told the truth, and he could understand it.

However, Yong-ho felt somewhat out of place because he sensed deep sorrow from her voice, who asked him to fight with the dungeon spirits.

Why? Why was Scathach so sad about saying something absolutely right?

Scathach hid her sadness with a friendly smile. As if to mess with him, she pinched Yong-ho's cheek and said, "You have to defeat him to get down the third floor. It's going to be a pretty big ordeal for you, but I believe you can defeat him. It's our little master, not anybody else. Besides, Gusion and I have already recognized you."

She pretended to be cheerful. But Yong-ho didn't dare to hurt her feelings hidden in that cheerfulness. So, he chimed with her cheerfully.

"Well, you can bring your sweetheart here if I can make it, right?"

"That's why I recognize you, my little master!"

Giggling loud, she kept touching his cheek with her lips. Because of her surprisingly soft touch, his legs were wobbly, but fortunately, his legs contained a blue liquid. He didn't have to worry about sitting down on the floor or behaving indecently.

'You are Gusion's sweetheart!'

Yong-ho shouted in his heart, recalling Catalina's face just like he did when he faced Sitri.

Catalina's ears, fluttering hard even in his imagination, relaxed his mind and body.

After taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth again.

"Scathach, how can I get recognition by those dungeon spirits who are already dead?"

Not all of Mammon's 12 Spirits were alive.

He was cautious because his mention of them could provoke her sorrow. She appreciated his consideration, so she vigorously answered with a smile, "You'll know it if you go to their place."

As if what she said was rather rubbish, she stuck out her tongue. Then she took a few steps back and widened her distance with him.

"Let's stop here anyway. Shall we stand up? First of all, our escort girl…"

When she spoke, Yong-ho turned his head immediately. But he couldn't see Catalina because the blue liquid covered his eyes.

'When she took off my clothes, I saw you watching her. Even if she's a dungeon spirit, you shouldn't do it.'

Scathach's voice echoed in his head. He remained silent, and Scathach laughed again.

Catalina didn't make any noise as if she fell asleep. Like when she took off her clothes, he heard only the sound of the cloth rubbing against her skin.

And finally, Yong-ho's vision came back.

"Let me do it with my eyes closed."

Scathach closed her eyes tightly, Yong-ho felt the sense of freedom and refreshness at the same time. Instead of the blue liquid, the cloth floating in the air irritated his skin.

When he was done getting dressed, Yong-ho again stood on the floor with both feet.

When he turned to the side, he saw Catalina sleeping soundly on the water bed made of blue liquid.

'She really sleeps well. She's sound asleep!'

Yong-ho held down the urge to pinch her cheeks and sharpened her senses.

He realized that he got reconnected to Lucia, which had been cut off until he peeked into Scathach's memory.

[Master.]

[Dungeon spirit Eligos returned to work while you were sleeping.]

[Besides, I've put under control all the places you explored among the areas on the first floor of the Labyrinth of Greed.]

[I have not yet completely controlled the Garden of Life, the home of the Immortal Witch Scathach, but it seems possible to maintain the connection as it is now.]

[I did a good job, didn't I?]

[You can praise me a lot.]

Yong-ho thought Lucia was reporting to him rather formally after a long time, but she was back to the usual Lucia again at the end of the report.

Yong-ho tried to convey his appreciation without using his voice.

But Scathach opened her mouth first.

"Wow, she's a very cute girl. I think she can be a good companion in the future."

[Can you hear my voice now?]

Lucia also seemed quite surprised. Except for the heart room of the dungeon where her main body was located, the only way Lucia could communicate with Yong-ho and the others in other places was to project the letters of light.

Scathach replied cheerfully, "This room is my own space given to me by the King of Greed. There is nothing I don't know in this room. Of course, I can hear your voice."

[Wow! My name is Lucia. My master gave me that name.]

"That's a pretty name. Our master has a knack for giving names. As you already know, my name is Scathach."

With a slight wink, Scathach started chatting with Lucia in earnest.

Instead of intervening in their conversation, Yong-ho thought about other things.

'I have to move the dungeon's heart room again.'

Having acquired the first floor of the Labyrinth of Greed, it was right for him to move the main facilities to the deep floor. At least, he had to move the heart room of the dungeon and the room of the Demon King.

'And…'

He had to take care of a final schedule. Taking a breath, he stepped back a few steps and widened his distance from both Scathach and Catalina. He naturally raised his right hand.

Scathach's voice subsided, and Lucia, who was talking with excitement, was also silent.

Yong-ho closed his eyes after smiling at them. Then he recalled the images of Aamon held in the King of Greed, Mammon's hands, which he had seen in Scathach's memory.

The flames of the red lotus arose. It soared, burning the atmosphere, then took the form of a spear and landed on his hands safely.

[My little master.]

He seemed to have heard Aamon's voice. With his eyes still closed, he activated the power of evolution. He remembered Aamon's power that burned heaven and earth and evaporated the sea!

Five horns came out from his head automatically. The green flames arising from greed merged into the flames of the red lotus.

The magnetic field on his left hand also responded. Under Scathach's blessings, it was empowered through Brigada.

The twelve seats that symbolize Mammon's 12 Spirits.

One of them found the light again. Extremely red, it was a brilliant red lotus color.

Yong-ho opened his eyes then looked at Aamon again who took a new shape among the flames.

It was a single spear, but at the same time, it was flames. The mighty demon that commanded the demon world in the past.

Yong-ho couldn't do it yet like Mammon in his memory, but he smiled. He grabbed Aamon, who was burning with intense green flames instead of the flames of the red lotus.

Aamon responded. His huge presence shook the Garden of Life.