Dungeon Maker

The power broke through.

The limit shattered. Explosive power surged forth in search of an exit.

It was like a raging torrent. The sudden eruption of power inside him was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

He screamed.

No, it wasn't a scream.

It was something else.

The cry of his soul. A swift flame that devoured all.

He couldn't tell how long it had been.

But moments later.

He opened his eyes. Green flames rose out and then naturally died down again.

Yong-Ho didn't stumble. He stood up straight and felt a great change within himself.

His mana pool had increased in size.

He could clearly feel it within him, even without circulating it.

However, he didn't actually have any mana left. His body was like an empty bowl since he had just used up all of his mana.

However, because of that, he could clearly feel the change in his mana pool.

"Catalina."

Yong-Ho spoke up. Catalina was sitting on the floor in front of him and then quickly stood up as if she had suddenly regained her consciousness. She saw Yong-Ho and her confused face instantly turned into one filled with joy.

"Ma, master. Your horn…"

Yong-Ho raised his hand. Even without a mirror, he knew where they had grown.

Horns collected the surrounding mana within the demon world and were like transmitters that helped him concentrate his mana.

His two horns had grown out in the exact same spot as Catalina's. Before, they looked like nothing more than small rocks, but now, they were both larger and thicker.

Now they looked like actual horns.

The Spirit of the Dungeon suddenly spoke as if she was waiting just for this moment.

[The dungeon's daily production volume has been increased from 50 to 80!]

[Master's mana pool has increased in size from 180 to 280! Furthermore, thanks to the horns, the mana recovery rate has increased by 100%!]

Demons are entirely made up of mana.

Both the body and soul of a demon was essentially just a lump of mana.

He was now able to truly experience it. He couldn't really sense his mana before since he was still just half-human and half-demon, but now, it felt like he had been reborn again.

Yong-Ho smiled. He was exhausted from depleting up all his mana, but he somehow enjoyed the feeling of exhaustion.

"Catalina, how are you feeling?"

Yong-Ho asked in his usual tone which caused Catalina to relax her hunched up shoulders, as she breathed out a sigh of relief.

Master had horns. His mana had definitely become stronger.

But she was still nervous.

Even though she only served him for a few days, she was worried that he wouldn't be the master that she knew. Maybe he had changed somehow?

But he remained the same. Perhaps it was because all her worries had just suddenly vanished, but tears began to form in her eyes as she felt Yong-ho's gaze. Her clothes had gotten completely messed up from the Slimes. She didn't really get hurt because Yong-Ho had acted so quickly, however on the areas where her skin was exposed, there were some minor injuries.

"I-It'll heal a bit if I use my saliva."

Catalina answered nervously which caused Yong-ho to smile again. This, in turn, caused Catalina to blush, however instead of making fun of her for it, Yong-Ho spoke to her in a cheerful voice.

"Let's go back for now. We'll have to reorganize."

"Yes, Master."

"Skull, skull."

Skull chimed in as well after hearing Catalina's quick response. Before he left, Yong-Ho looked back again. Beyond the inactive rooms, there was the gold mine that Kaiwan had found.

'I'll get it back.'

Yong-Ho turned around and started to walk back.

***

"Master!"

As soon as they returned to the throne room, Eligor hurriedly greeted them. He was quite shocked by the state of both Yong-Ho and Catalina, but when he noticed Yong-Ho's horns, he started to flail even more.

Yong-Ho first moved to the only furniture in the room, the throne. He then spoke as he sat down on the hard stone.

"I found the gold mine. Whereas, the horns appeared because I activated the Power of Evolution on myself."

Eligor didn't completely understand at first. When Catalina brought in the kettle filled with water, his eyes suddenly widened and he asked with excitement.

"The gold, gold mine, sir? The one that belonged to Kaiwan?!"

"Correct. Just like you had pointed out, dungeon monsters had taken over that place. It was a giant ant colony. I think they may have made that place their nest."

At Yong-Ho's answer, Eligor's expression suddenly turned serious. It was a reaction he expected.

The Crazy Ant colony was located not too far from here. It was a major threat to them when it came to expanding the dungeon and maintaining it.

Yong-Ho spoke calmly.

"First, we'll use the gear that's in Kaiwan's armory. We need to strengthen our military power in order to take back the gold mine."

He didn't plan to cower and just avoid it as the previous owners had done.

He was going to reclaim it. He planned to take back what belonged to the House of Mammon. Yong-Ho was going to make the gold mine his.

"I understand. But first, I think it would be best to take a break. I've created a new bedroom for you."

"A bedroom?"

He definitely wasn't expecting that, so it was Yong-Ho who was the one that was surprised this time. Eligor answered with a calm expression.

"It's not much, but I've created a small room. I'll make sure to fill it with a bed and other furniture soon."

He was a demon king and also the owner of the dungeon, so he didn't really want the other spirits to know that he slept on top of a carpet. A bedroom was a necessary facility to help him protect his dignity.

"Then, I'll take you to the bedroom."

"Oh, okay."

It felt like he was being tricked, but Yong-ho decided to follow. Honestly, he was so exhausted from depleting all his mana, that he desired to sleep quite badly.

"Get some rest, Catalina. You too, Skull."

"Yes, master."

"Skulllll."

Catalina answered immediately and Skull, who was already lying across the floor, answered as well.

Yong-Ho and Eligor headed towards the bedroom.

***

As soon as he had closed and opened his eyes, time had already passed.

It was like a time warp. No, perhaps a time machine. He had felt the same thing when he was a student.

His throat was hoarse, so he couldn't really speak. However, his mind felt unexpectedly clear. Because of his horns, his mana level had completely refilled.

'How long was I asleep?'

Yong-Ho sat up. The ceiling was low and the walls were narrower than before. He was now sitting on top of a pile of straw mats instead of the carpet.

The unfinished bedroom had been hastily made by Eligor.

After suddenly remembering what happened, Yong-Ho stood up. He then washed his face with a basin of water that Eligor placed there earlier. Afterward, he put on his cape and walked out of the room.

'It's still the same.'

It seemed like he hadn't slept for that long. Inside the throne room, most of the spirits of the dungeon were gathered.

The hard-working Goblins were lying side by side on top of the carpet that was near the entrance whereas Skull was on the ground as usual. Honestly, Skull could lie down basically anywhere within the dungeon and it wouldn't seem strange. As usual, Catalina was lying on the ground, beside the throne, with her cape snuggly wrapped around her. She looked like a silkworm, which caused him to pity her for some reason.

'Their welfare really isn't that good.'

Yong-Ho felt responsible for them, so he quietly walked out of the room so they could continue to sleep. When he left the room, he went to get some water to soothe his dry throat and saw Eligor watering the Treant.

"So, you're a tree after all."

"Oh, Master, you're awake. You're up early."

"Yeah, since we found the route that leads to the armory, we need to hurry."

"Ah, that's very like you Master."

Next to the smiling Eligor, Treant leaned forward and expressed its greeting to Yong-Ho. Now that he thought of it, he never did give the Treant a name.

'Should I just call it Ent?'

Yong-Ho always believed in simplicity, but even he thought that Ent was a bit much.

'Let me think about it a bit more.'

He wasn't in a rush to name it. There was something else that required far more urgency.

"Eligor, can we make a bedroom for the spirits as well? I think Catalina should be given her own room as well."

Until yesterday, Yong-Ho had himself slept on top of the carpet, but that still didn't make it acceptable. Even though it was a dungeon, shouldn't he at least guarantee basic food and shelter for his spirits?

As always, Eligor quickly responded to Yong-Ho's command.

"It's possible. Thanks to you, the dungeon's daily production volume has increased significantly. I'll be able to create joint accommodation for the ordinary spirits."

"I'll leave it to you then."

Yong-Ho stopped talking and started to think. He looked towards the passageway that led to the prison and asked Eligor.

"How are things with the Kobolds?"

"The torture chamber is still in progress…"

Eligor answered with a face full of regret. Yong-Ho tilted his head.

"Are none of them willing to work for us? During the day that they attacked, it didn't seem like they were very loyal towards their previous owner."

"All four of them seem like that, but we can't trust them without torture…"

Instead of answering, Yong-Ho observed Eligor for a moment. He scratched the back of his head and spoke.

"There must be one that's better suited than the others. After breakfast, pick one out for me before I leave."

"Are you thinking about taking them with you?"

"The more power, the better."

Yong-Ho didn't expect the Kobolds to be completely loyal. What he needed right now were soldiers that he could use. He didn't intend to use them as a disposable weapon, but he might find some use for them. Regardless, Catalina and Skull were far more important than the Kobold.

Eligor must have read Yong-Ho's intention because he agreed to do it with a serious expression.

And right after breakfast that morning.

Along with Skull and Catalina, Yong-Ho was accompanied by Jon and a Kobold, both wielding bamboo spears, as they once again embarked on an exploration of the dungeon.

Their target, once again, was the room located in the north of the dungeon.

Kaiwan's armory.