Dungeon Battle, Commencement

This is Part One of the Dungeon Battle.

And so, three days after the dungeon battle was decided, the day of war had arrived.

"… W-we somehow made it in time…"

"Well, there are actually some parts that aren't quite finished… That's why I told you we should just make them all at once with DP…"

"But then we wouldn't have been able to prepare our fighting force…"

We'd set up all sorts of things. Not just for defense, but for offense too.

At any rate, this would be a battle focused entirely on reaching the enemy's Dungeon Core… Man, we really burned through DP. I tried to be economical, but we still ended up using close to 80,000. Still, they were necessary expenses.

The days when I agonized over 100 or 200 DP already feel so nostalgic…

"By the way, Kehma… What's with that pillow?"

"Hm? This? It's a [Heavenly Pillow (10,000 DP)], why?"

Incidentally, 10,000 of those 80,000 DP went toward this.

No, it's not a waste, okay? Isn't resting efficiently essential for working efficiently? Therefore, this [Heavenly Pillow] was a necessary expense.

"… Get me something too. We still have DP left over, right?"

"That's technically reserved for adapting to the situation on the day of… Want me to summon 10,000 DP worth of goblins?"

"Why goblins?! I don't even like them that much!"

"Then after the battle's over, Rokuko can use 10,000 DP however she wants. Gacha, goblins, dragons, goblins, goblins…"

At any rate, after the major renovations, most of the cave that had been bare rock and exposed dirt was now properly maintained. It could no longer be called a mere [Ordinary Cave]; it had become a proper dungeon. I can't think of a new name though… Well, something will come up eventually.

"Good work too, Niku."

"… Hahi…"

I patted her as she lay there exhausted. She seemed tired, but her dog tail was wagging back and forth.

I feel like we might have overdone it. Even I can't remember how many golems I made over these past three days… I even made golems that weren't unusual variants. Yep. Rokuko actually said something rude like, "Wait, you can make normal ones?" Hey, the golems I've been using as labor were normal golems, you know? They had stone and clay mixed together, sure. I just used them as-is because separating them would've been a hassle. But the exterior was supposed to look like a Clay Golem at least, right?

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

"How are the preparations, Chloe?"

"Everything is in order."

The Imperial Capital's [White Labyrinth] derivation dungeon, [White Trial]. A dungeon that had suddenly appeared on the outskirts, a short distance from the Imperial Capital. Of course, this was Dungeon Core No. 89… Haku's dungeon, prepared for this dungeon battle. The naming was naturally done by Haku herself. She planned to register it under that name with the Adventurer Guild once the dungeon battle concluded.

This dungeon, created at a cost of 50,000 DP, had five floors in total. Minotaurs roamed about, spears shot out from floors and walls, and arrow traps were set up to fire from seemingly nowhere. Furthermore, Lizardmen patrolled the area.

And among the monsters, here and there, were several equipped with magical weapons that would cost around 10,000 DP each… Yes, multiple of them.

"By the way, Chloe. I feel as though my weapon stockpile has diminished?"

"Perhaps the 17th Knight Division took them the other day? That would warrant severe punishment."

"I see, then it can't be helped. Though that axe the Minotaur is holding looks familiar, I'm sure it must be something else."

"Axes like that are quite common."

"… Oh my, it seems Lizardmen have wandered in."

"There was originally a Lizardman nest in this area."

"But native creatures wandering in has nothing to do with us, does it?"

"There's nothing we can do about things that came in on their own."

… Obviously, these preparations that clearly exceeded what 50,000 DP could cover had such things hidden within them.

Of course, since she "didn't use DP this time," there was no problem with the rules. As for the 17th Knight Division, who had additional crimes added to their record… let us pray for the repose of their souls.

This [White Trial], despite being newly created, was now a dungeon where beginner adventurers would struggle to return alive. Even C-Rank adventurer parties, considered mid-tier, would find it difficult to clear.

Considering the horde of monsters eagerly awaiting the start of battle at the entrance, even B-Ranks would have to call it difficult.

For the offensive force alone, she had prepared fifteen Minotaurs (3,000 DP), fifty Lizardmen (200 DP), and one hundred Goblins (20 DP).

All of them were DP-efficient monsters that Haku favored.

Perhaps as a minimal show of conscience, or perhaps just for the sake of having an excuse. The offensive force was not equipped with magical weapons.

"Well then, shall we begin? Chloe, establish communication."

"Yes, as you command, Ojou-sama."

Opening the menu, she established communication with [Ordinary Cave].

This too was something with rather heavy consumption for regular use.

"No. 695-chan, can you hear me?"

"Ane-sama! Yes, I can hear you! Thank you for having me today!"

A cute voice came through the menu. A smile unconsciously spilled across Haku's face.

Thinking about how she would relentlessly attack this child from now on… how thrilling.

However, she would need to be careful not to overdo it and be hated. That was what Haku was thinking.

"Fufu, are you ready?"

"Anytime!"

"Then… here we go. Dungeon battle, commence!"

With Haku's words as the signal, the curtain rose on the battle.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

The moment it began, a Gate appeared at the dungeon entrance.

Beyond that Gate, wide enough for a knight company to pass through, golems prepared by [Ordinary Cave] were crowded together.

"I see, golems… She chose efficient monsters for the vanguard. Clay Golems are certainly easy to prepare in large numbers."

Golems had the characteristic of being able to move indefinitely without resupply in mana-filled dungeons, giving them excellent upkeep. However, while they excelled at offense and defense, their reactions were slow and they lacked speed.

"Have the Lizardmen charge."

"Lizardmen, charge!"

Both armies rushed toward the Gate. Having judged that simply sending out Goblins would result in them being crushed by the Golems, Haku had the Lizardmen lead the assault. The Goblins would serve as scouts once the dungeon infiltration began. This wasn't the time for them to clash and suffer losses.

The Lizardmen leaped through the Gate and slashed at the Golems. Some were struck down, fell to the ground, and were trampled, but the majority prevailed through superior speed, achieving what could be called a one-sided victory… However, they let some slip through, allowing infiltration into [White Trial].

"Enemy intrusion!"

A Lamia reported the enemy positions on the map. She was also one of Haku's confidants. Today, five of Haku's confidants, including Chloe, were assisting Haku in the Core Room. The one who had just ordered the Lizardman charge was the Living Armor in charge of offensive operations.

Though the introduction was delayed, the [White Trial] side's lineup for the dungeon battle was as follows:

Amelia the Lamia, in charge of defense.

Dolce the Wraith, in charge of damage and information reporting.

Sally the Living Armor, in charge of offensive combat forces.

Misha the Werecat, in charge of offensive scouting forces.

And Chloe the Succubus, providing general assistance to Haku.

Haku served as the overall commander, making decisions and issuing orders.

"Number of intruders… approximately two hundred?!"

The confidants stirred uneasily at Dolce's report.

"No way?! We didn't let that many through! Even visually, there weren't that many…!"

"No! The enemies aren't Golems! … They're rats!"

"Rats?!"

Even Haku was surprised, raising her voice involuntarily.

Apparently, the invading Golems had been carrying wooden boxes filled with rats on their backs. Of course, since each one showed a hostile reaction, they had been specially summoned and placed under control. Rats they may be, but they were unmistakably enemies. If even a single one touched the Dungeon Core… in [White Trial]'s case, the dummy core, but if they touched it, that would mean defeat.

The boxes carried by the [Ordinary Cave] side Golems opened, and rats came flooding out.

"Exterminate them quickly!"

"It's no use, the Minotaurs can't handle them because they're too small!"

"Assign half the Goblins to rat extermination! This is bad if we leave it alone!"

"First floor breached! Enemy advancing to the second floor! … E-enemy total… approximately five hundred!"

"What about the traps?!"

"No good, they're too small to hit! With these numbers, the arrows hitting a few is like throwing a fireball into a lake!"

"Notify the Lizardmen in the dungeon! Rat extermination! Rat exterminatioooon!"

The confidants suddenly became frantic.

Haku, watching this, instead regained her composure.

"Clever, using rats as scouts…"

"Yes, this is… it may only be a matter of time before they break through. My apologies, the first floor has been straight-shot all the way to the stairs."

"It's fine, Chloe. This was honestly unexpected. Perhaps we should try using this ourselves next time. It's certainly difficult to handle on first encounter… Oh, Amelia, I've installed some flame traps in the third floor corridors. That should buy us some time."

"Ah, thank you!"

Traps could be installed on floors different from where intruders were invading. It was a somewhat expensive trap, but it couldn't be helped.

However, Haku remained calm.

Rats were certainly excellent as scouts, but they couldn't clear.

A Boss Room was set up before the Core Room, and it couldn't be reached without defeating the Red Minotaur that served as the boss.

"The Golems seem to have been dealt with. Let's proceed with our invasion."

"Yes. We need to find No. 695-chan before they reach our core."

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

"Ooh, they're really pushing in there."

I muttered with deep emotion as I watched the map being constructed before my eyes at an impressive pace.

"Hey, the map is filling up at an amazing rate… This means our forces are penetrating that far in, right? Does this mean we have the advantage against No. 89 Ane-sama?"

"That's what it means. But don't assume we've already won."

As expected, in a dungeon battle, the enemy dungeon's map doesn't just pop up automatically.

Obviously. Even if you built a maze, it would be pointless if the map was visible from the start. If they could see where the Dungeon Core was, it would be completely anticlimactic.

Of course, the defending side could see their own map as usual, with enemy intrusions displayed to understand what was happening.

"Goshujin-sama, the advance golem squad, all fifty units, has been annihilated."

"Yeah, right on schedule."

By the way, the golem squad was almost entirely Clay Golems made with [Create Golem]. Only a few summoned Golems were placed at the front; the rest were the fruits of my frugality. You could also call it recycling waste materials. Very eco-friendly. Best of all, it was cheap in terms of DP. I used magic stones so they wouldn't look suspicious, but even then it cost only one-tenth the normal price.

Moreover, broken bodies could be recovered and reused as long as they were inside the dungeon. The same went for magic stones that weren't destroyed.

"So then, next up are the pitfall traps Niku dug. I wonder how they'll do?"

I patted Niku's head while watching the battle unfold.