Dungeon Maker

The Treant and the salamander were currently acting as guards for the prison. The two could compete with Skull when it came to spacing out, so it was their calling in life to act as guards.

As soon as Yong-Ho entered the prison, the Treant bowed and removed the root that was placed on the entrance so that he could enter. The salamander was also crouched in front of the prison door and when it noticed Yong-Ho, it greeted him by bowing.

The Orcs were sprawled out inside of the cell and they reacted when Yong-Ho walked in. They didn't stand up and show their respect towards him, but the ones that were lying down sat up and a few of them observed Yong-Ho sharply.

After looking at each and every one, Yong-Ho looked at the Orc that was sitting in the innermost part of the cell.

It was the Orc, Rikum, the one with an injured eye that Eligor informed him about.

Unlike the other Orcs, Rikum didn't observe or glare at him. Rikum looked at him with a composed look and stood up as if he knew what was going to happen to them from now on. They looked at Yong-Ho and gave him a small nod.

Catalina stood next to Yong-Ho. Eligor and Skull both opened the cell door after Yong-Ho gave them the signal.

"Come out Rikum. Our master would like to speak with you."

He had a serious tone. While the other Orcs were quietly talking amongst themselves, Rikum walked out confidently. After Eligor closed the door, he turned towards Yong-Ho.

"Let's go."

The Orcs started talking amongst themselves again, but when Rikum slightly raised his hand to tell them that it was okay, they became quiet. Like Eligor had stated, it seemed like Rikum had great leadership over the Orcs that were in the cell.

'In that case, if Rikum joins our side, does that mean the issue with the prisoners will be resolved?'

As of right now, it didn't look too bad. If they didn't have a leader, they would all have different opinions and it would be that much harder to take care of them.

Yong-Ho didn't walk far and led Rikum to the room that was next to the prison. It was an empty room, but thanks to Eligor bringing a table and chairs, it didn't look that empty.

Yong-Ho and Rikum sat across from each other while Catalina and Eligor stood behind Yong-Ho and Skull stood behind Rikum.

Yong-Ho went straight to the point.

"I heard that you're willing to become a spirit for the House of Mammon."

"That's correct. Me and the other six Orcs have the same thoughts.

He didn't feel uncomfortable around Rikum.

Yong-Ho was willing to take them in as spirits and they were willing to become spirits.

It was being resolved so easily that he suddenly felt awkward for creating such a heavy atmosphere.

However, Rikum didn't finish talking and Yong-Ho wasn't sure if he should be worried or relieved.

"But, I would like to offer a small work condition. We're in the state of becoming spirits since we surrendered and honestly, we're thankful that we're not being sold to the Dungeon Market as slaves, but...since we're being used for the House of Mammon's dungeon, I believe it's only right that we receive a base pay at the market value."

'Base pay?'

[Dungeon spirits can be separated into slave spirits and free spirits. And since free spirits are being 'employed' by the dungeon's owner, there are a lot of cases where they are hired for a fixed pay.]

[Honestly, Catalina and Eligor are spirits that belong to the house and since they work as a guard and a butler, it's normal for them to be paid.]

The Spirit of the Dungeon spoke as if she was whispering to him.

It was a reasonable explanation. It was weird that he didn't think of it before.

The dungeon spirits weren't characters in a game. Since they made their living within the dungeon, just food and shelter alone couldn't satisfy them.

'In that case.'

Not too long after he ascended the throne, Eligor gave him money saying that he saved it in case of an emergency.

That saving probably came from his pay.

'The previous two owners have been paying, but I haven't.'

Of course it's because the dungeon wasn't in the best condition.

Yong-Ho's conscience was oddly affected by this, so he turned his head and looked at Catalina.

Because of their relationship as owner and spirit, they were able to communicate just with their eyes alone.

With his eyes, Yong-Ho asked if she wanted to receive pay too and she somehow understood right away because she started twisting her body and displayed a puzzled look on her face. She kind of had a sad expression, but it seemed like she was, "N-no. I-I'm fine."

But after seeing her droopy ears and eyes slightly filled with expectations, it seemed like she did want it.

Well, Catalina probably had things she wanted to buy as well. He felt bad that she was wearing the same clothes every day.

Yong-Ho sent a message saying, "Okay, I'll take care of you soon. You trust me, right?" and she slightly nodded her head as she tried to hold in her smile.

'Seven Orcs, Catalina and Eligor...unexpected costs have suddenly been created.'

Of course Yong-Ho didn't provide just food and shelter for the spirits.

Yong-Ho wasn't the only one that benefited from the Power of Evolution. The spirits were able to transform their existence and that was far more beneficial than receiving pay.

Even though the Orcs saw Yong-Ho use the Power of Evolution, they didn't know what it was and how it would benefit them.

Even if he renegotiated later with the Power of Evolution, then he wouldn't have to spend as much.

Anyways, this was something he could think about later.

Yong-Ho focused on Rikum again.

"Is that your only condition?"

"We're not in the position to ask for more, so we're satisfied with that."

Rikum replied seriously again. He probably organized his thoughts while he was sitting in that cell.

"Great, then let's start the registration process. Is that okay?"

"I'm ready when you are."

They say to strike while the iron is hot, so Yong-Ho didn't want to waste any time. He stood up from his seat and approached Rikum and Rikum quietly closed his eyes and lowered his head.

[With the death of their owner, the spirit contract from before has weakened.]

[Some of the mana will be used when the contract is terminated and a new contract has been established.]

[I'll begin.]

Yong-Ho placed his hand in the air above Rikum's forehead. Like when the salamander was registered as a spirit, mana was released from the tip of his right hand, and a magical crest that wasn't there before appeared. It was Foras's crest.

When an owner dies, the contract between the owner and the spirit will weaken as time goes by and will eventually disappear, unless the spirit does something about it before.

The Spirit of the Dungeon destroyed Foras's magical crest. She then engraved Yong-Ho's crest.

The registration was complete. After opening his eyes, Yong-Ho activated the Power of Evolution.

[Name: Rikum (M)]

[Race: Orc]

[Class: Orc Warrior]

[Attribute: Earth - level 1]

[Individual Nature: Cautious / Simple-minded]

[Individual Stats: Strength / Stamina]

[Evolution Rate : 0/100]

[Strength - Level 1 | ★★☆ (2.5)]

[Stamina - Level 2 | ★★★ (3)]

[Talent - Level 2 | ★★☆ (2.5)]

Like the other spirits, it displayed detailed information.

It meant that Rikum was successfully registered as a dungeon spirit.

The Power of Evolution analyzed the figure and extracted information regarding the development information. That's why the skill can only be used on dungeon spirits that are completely under Yong-Ho's control.

Yong-Ho felt a bit tired, so he went back to his seat. He went straight to the point again.

"Now, I would like to talk about Foras's dungeon."

"Yes, sir."

Maybe it's because he's been officially registered as the dungeon spirit, but Rikum spoke with respect. After collecting his breath, he started talking.

"The previous owner...so, Foras still has a young successor. They probably already know about Foras's death, so he's probably ascended to the throne by now as the new owner."

"What kind of a person are they?"

He was worried. If they decided to attack in order to get revenge, they could become an annoying enemy.

Rikum must've noticed Yong-Ho's thoughts because they answered in a slightly soft tone.

"Like I've mentioned, he's still young. Even though he's Foras's child, he's inexperienced and I believe it's too much for him to take the role as the owner. Because of that, the butler that's left in the dungeon is probably playing the role of the owner. Because of the current situation and based on his personality, there's a high possibility that they may focus on defense for the time being."

Now wasn't the time to worry about revenge. Yong-Ho asked more.

"How are the remaining traps and spirits in the dungeon?"

"Since Foras had to leave the young successor behind, Foras made sure the defense of the dungeon was in working condition. There are a lot of noncombatant workers, but there are over fifty dungeon spirits left and the dungeon itself is prepared for the enemy's attack."

"So it's not an empty dungeon."

It was a bit unfortunate.

But it was obvious. Having all the spirits participate in the fight was too much and was also a reckless thing to do. The Foras that Yong-Ho went up against wasn't stupid.

Rikum spoke.

"But, despite that, it's safe to say that the dungeon's defense isn't half as good as the time Foras was alive. In many ways, Foras was the most powerful being in the dungeon and he's dead and most of the fighting spirits are dead as well. It's probably not my place to say this after experiencing it, but...with traps alone, there's a limit to how much they can defend against the enemy."

Rikum stopped talking for a moment and placed his hand on the table. He moved his fingers little by little and pointed so that Yong-Ho was able to see clearly. It seemed like he was explaining about the location of the owners that were nearby.

"The owners nearby will want the dungeon for themselves once they hear of Foras's death. Within a few days, there may be a dungeon fight within Foras's dungeon."

This was a valid piece of information too. Yong-Ho organized his thoughts once again.

Eligor, who was standing quietly, carefully spoke.

"If I may, sir, I think it's a good idea to leave the dungeon as it is. We'll be using Foras's dungeon as a shield."

"Against the owners that are located nearby?"

"You're definitely wise, sir."

A warm smile appeared on Eligor's face.

When looking at it geographically, Foras's dungeon was located in front of the House of Mammon's dungeon, so it was like they acted as a castle gate. Like Eligor mentioned, using it as a shield would be great since it was located in front of them.

Rikum stated this before, but as long as the defense was good, then Foras's dungeon wouldn't fall into the other owner's hand so easily.

In that case, it would be best to keep an eye on it. If the other owners fought amongst themselves for it, then that'll be great and even if one of them did win, they'll be weak due to the exhaustion from the battle and it'll be beneficial for him to attack then.

Yong-Ho asked Rikum again.

"Do you know anything regarding the other owners or the recent situation of this empty land?"

"The only thing I know of is that a strong demon appeared in the north of the Southern Region and the other owners have been surrendering to them. If you're wanting to gather information, I think visiting the nearby pub is a good idea."

"Pub?"

It wasn't that he didn't know what the word meant. He was just surprised because the word didn't match the current situation.

"It's located either in a village or a meeting place that's in-between dungeons."

Along with Eligor, the Spirit of the Dungeon explained it to Yong-Ho.

[Strong demons mark their dungeons as well as the lands around their dungeons as their territory.]

[However, most demons within the empty land don't have their own territory set aside, so there are a lot of villages that don't belong to anyone.]

[There are a lot that pass through, so you'll be able to gather a lot of information and hire wandering spirits as well.]

Her explanation excited Yong-Ho.

"Got it. I'll think about it."

Yong-Ho stood up after finishing his talk with Rikum. He headed towards the prison again to register the other Orcs.

***

It wasn't that hard to register the remaining Orcs as dungeon spirits.

What came after was the problem.

They were unlike the Golems, so these seven spirits needed their own living spaces, so there was a need to expand the facility to make room for them.

The Clay Golem and the Rock Golem, who were used as guards and workers, were no longer here, so they were short handed when it came to mining and restructuring the dungeon layout.

He could've used the Orcs as workers, but since they were being used as 'soldiers,' they needed professional workers.

First, Yong-Ho put Eligor in charge of the Orcs and headed towards the throne room while holding a report that had specifications and numbers on the war carriages. With the money received from selling the carriages and the money that Foras had, he was planning on buying workers.

But, as soon as Yong-Ho was about to sit on the throne.

The Spirit of the Dungeon, who had been quiet all this time, mumbled in a slightly timid tone.

[Sir, I apologize for bothering you while you're busy, but...aren't you forgetting something?]

She sounded different from normal because she seemed unsatisfied and acted a bit immature.

Why was she acting like this all of a sudden?

Yong-Ho soon found out the reason.

The Spirit of the Dungeon's growth.

She told him not to forget and requested that Yong-Ho visit the Heart of the Dungeon.

[Before you go to the Dungeon Market and purchase new spirits, it's best for you to understand the dungeon's new functions and facilities.]

[That's all. I'm not sad about it at all.]

[You understand me, right?]

Yong-Ho chuckled at her girlish reaction. He turned around and headed towards the Heart of the Dungeon.

Information about the dungeon's growth and new facilities.

He was prepared for it when he woke up, but there was just too many things to do today.