Let's Expand the Rooms

"Ahhh, that was a good sleep… well, I can't really say that yet. I want a better futon…"

"Good morning. You really did sleep for a whole day… don't you ever get tired of it?"

"Nope."

"Well, I'd like you to explain things to me… but first, take a look at the DP."

When I opened the menu to check the DP, it showed 857 DP.

"Hm? Oh, it suddenly went up. Guess we were cutting it closer than I thought. That was dangerous."

"You knew this would happen?"

"Hm? Ah, I should probably ask. What happened?"

"… There was an adventurer attack."

According to what she told me, the bandits spotted adventurers heading toward this dungeon through their lookout. They set up an ambush in a blind spot within the room and engaged in combat.

They killed all four adventurers, and the bandits emerged unscathed.

"So then, the bandits stripped the adventurers of their gear and gave me the corpses. They even went out of their way to press them against the Dungeon Core. They didn't need to do that since I can absorb anything left inside the dungeon anyway. Once I absorbed a corpse they hadn't pressed against it, they seemed to understand."

"I see, so they intercepted them inside the dungeon. Aren't the bandits smarter than you, Rokuko?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Exactly what I said, of course.

When I smiled at her, Rokuko pouted and asked me:

"But how did you know? That adventurers would come, I mean."

"You… you're the one who told me. That adventurers come about once or twice a month."

"Oh. Come to think of it, I did say that, didn't I?"

This cave is probably used by adventurers as a training ground for fighting small fry like goblins. Given that they don't destroy the Dungeon Core, it's definitely being used to train rookies. They're probably even told to go see a real Dungeon Core while they're at it.

And whether rookies coming to such an "Ordinary Cave" could win against eight bandits… well, the results speak for themselves.

The bandits wouldn't lose to rookies who were expecting maybe five or six goblins. Since they wouldn't lose, they attacked. They robbed. They killed. Because they're bandits.

"So how does that relate to yesterday's iron helmet and letter?"

"Bandits want money. If you show them items that can quickly turn into cash, demonstrate that we're friendly, and prove there's profit in it for them, they'll even cooperate with us. So the iron helmet and letter were to show them the benefits and get the bandits to settle in this cave… and to get adventurer corpses to turn into DP."

If they'd fought outside the cave, they probably wouldn't have brought corpses back to their sleeping quarters unless they had some very particular tastes. But if corpses can vanish without a trace… having the dungeon absorb them leaves less evidence than leaving them to be discovered. Plus they get treasure too. So of course they'd bring them back.

Besides, if adventurers found out about their hideout, they'd have no reason to stay in an "Ordinary Cave" that offered no benefits while risking attack at any moment.

That's why, in order to "stay in this cave" and "get treasure," combined with "bandit business," they'd definitely eliminate any adventurers. The fact that they ambushed them inside the cave was a nice bonus.

Though honestly, the smartest move would have been to flee without fighting… yeah, they didn't think of that. Good thing they're stupid.

"… Wouldn't it be better for you too if the bandits left, Kehma?"

"No, that wouldn't be good. If they run away, I can't slaughter them all, can I? That would waste the DP I have right here. Being wasteful is no good. I need to squeeze every last drop out of them."

"… Even though they're the same humans as you, you just called them DP. Kehma, I kinda respect you. You monster?"

"Thanks. Well then, I'm going back to sleep. Good night."

"You just woke up and you're already going back to sleep…"

Are you stupid? You can only go back to sleep right after waking up.

 

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My conscience felt no guilt whatsoever despite adventurers dying because of my scheme.

Well, the bandits did it on their own while I was sleeping, and I didn't even see the corpses. I wonder if I'll end up killing someone directly before long? What will I feel then?

… Oh well, I'll just accept that I've become a creature called a Dungeon Master. I feel refreshed after going back to sleep. The DP has increased a bit too.

"Let's expand the rooms. I'll get a new box, and we still have ink, right?"

"Eh, yeah. We do? But we finally have 850 DP and you want to make rooms?"

Rokuko said disappointedly as she looked through the DP Catalog at monsters that could be summoned for around 800 DP.

Ha ha ha, is this blonde loli ever going to learn?

"Alright, let's expand… um, when there are intruders I can place items but monsters can only come from the Dungeon Core, and I can't expand either. Then let's get the bandits to go outside… Doesn't seem like I need to overthink this. Anyway, write down what I tell you again."

 

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"Bossss! Another box appeared!"

"Oh! I've been waiting for this, move it!"

The bandit boss opened the box that had grown from the floor—no, it had literally grown out of it.

Inside was… what is this? He tilted his head in confusion at the contents.

"… A pillow? It's not a magic tool or anything…"

Five goblins got him an iron helmet, so why did four adventurer corpses get him something this shabby? Maybe the number was what mattered? While the bandit boss pondered this, a subordinate who could read recited the words written inside the box.

"Thanks for helping! You're strong! Thank — you — for — the — corpses! Since it was — inside the — dungeon — I can give — presents — faster. I'm adding — rooms. It's — dangerous — so everyone — go outside. Make sure — you're — far away."

I see, so this time the present is more rooms. It was definitely cramped when all eight of them were inside, so maybe that was being taken into consideration. Accepting this, they all went outside the cave.

Once they were outside and a short distance from the entrance, they immediately heard grinding sounds of rock scraping against rock echoing from the cave.

About ten minutes passed. When the sounds stopped and they went back inside, the Dungeon Core that had been on the floor was gone, replaced by a passageway leading deeper in with a wooden door. They panicked briefly, but found one new room on each side of the cave entrance—two rooms added in total—with the Dungeon Core in the right room.

The two new rooms were cave-like, just like the original room. Strange how simply adding wooden doors suddenly made it feel like a proper hideout.

Expanding the cave this much in just ten minutes. If done by human labor, it would probably take at least a month? No, maybe a skilled mage could do it just as fast.

Three rooms side by side. Simply triple what they had before. Moreover, the left room had a single bed installed. Was the pillow from the box meant to be used there?

Was this prepared for me? What's this, aren't you a cute little thing.

The bandit boss muttered.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

"… Damn it… why, why did you spend 440 DP on a guy like him…!"

"Hey now, 10 DP for the box and pillow, 20 DP for two wooden doors, 10 DP for a bed… that's only 40 DP total spent on the bandits. What are you talking about?"

"Huh? Adding those rooms was 200 DP each!"

"Don't be stupid. Unlike the iron helmet, the rooms can't be taken out of the dungeon and sold for money. They're our fixed assets."

Rokuko tilted her head with a blank expression, not understanding at all.

Ah, this is another world and she's a Dungeon Core, so her actual age might not match her appearance… this blonde loli is probably even younger than she looks. Definitely.

"I expanded the dungeon because it was necessary. Let me explain the advantages of having more rooms in a way you can understand… if each room can hold six goblins, then three rooms can hold up to eighteen."

"That's amazing! Let's add more rooms!"

Yeah, the fact that you're convinced by that is even more amazing.

"… Wait, huh? T-this is serious! We had 860 DP and now it's all gone!"

"Yeah, because I used it."

"Wha— w-where did you use it?!"

"Here, look at this."

I showed her the dungeon map from the menu.

I had extended the dungeon from the entrance to the outside, using the exterior as a passageway to create a cave similar to the original one at some distance away. 200 DP for the room, 30 DP for about five meters of passageway. Since the external passageway didn't require excavating the cave, I extended it nearly a kilometer, which ended up being quite cheap. Though it did use up all the remaining DP.

"… Hah, I never thought to extend the dungeon from the entrance to the outside. You come up with unusual ideas. So, what are you going to do with this? Isn't it obviously a waste of DP?"

"Ah, rejoice. This is your long-cherished wish—the goblin room!"

"Yaaay! … Eh, my long-cherished wish?"

"You like goblins, don't you?"

She's always going on about "summon goblins, summon goblins."

That's why I figured Rokuko must like goblins. That she wants to be surrounded by them, to have them attend to her.

"… No, that's not what I meant."

"I don't mind either way. Everyone has their own preferences. Whether you have a goblin fetish or not doesn't matter to me, partner."

"… No, what do you mean?! What's with that 'I understand' face?!"

"By the way, I'm not a lolicon, but I do have a foot fetish. I'll give Rokuko credit for her feet at least."

"No no no! Really, what do you mean?! And you're being condescending about it!"

Well, I've used up all the DP and there's nothing left to do, so time for my third nap.