NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12
A chilling aura settles ominously around Calandas. Truly, he embodies death itself, living up to the title of being a harbinger of doom.
In the game, the energy of Calandas casts a debilitating debuff so severe that it makes even the living hesitate to move.
So, it’s only natural for Charlotte to tremble with a pale face.
But for me, the already dead, it doesn’t affect me at all.
If I were alive, I might be quaking in my boots and losing my mind, but here I am, an undead.
“O Lich King, not everything can go your way.”
“….”
“If you want to fix things now, disappear from my sight. Otherwise, be ready to die. I’m prepared to kill you in return.”
He thinks he knows me as just the 7th boss of the Seven Lairs? Oh, he’s mistaken!
Fueled by the thought of being ‘the boss who killed the hero in one hit,’ my bravado is laced with a tinge of power.
At that moment, Calandas’ eerie blue gaze flickered for a brief second.
What scheme is he brewing? Has he lost consciousness? My mind spins with possibilities.
Considering his level remains orange, he doesn’t seem like he wants to kill me just yet.
Honestly, even if he did want to, there’s nothing I could do about it. I’d just die pathetically without a fight.
As the blue light returned, I defiantly lifted my chin.
“Is that human so precious to you?”
He must be fidgeting because he’s feeling cornered.
“If it weren’t, you wouldn’t be acting this way.”
“…Stop it.”
With a swoosh, Calandas withdrew his hand.
“You’ve come uninvited and acted disrespectfully.”
“I don’t need an apology. Just go back.”
“Yeah… It’s getting uncomfortable for me to stay here.”
WHOOSH!
In an instant, Calandas’ shadow grew, enveloping every inch of ground the undead stood on.
While Charlotte flinched, I stood there motionless, fully aware this was merely another returning animation I’d seen too many times in the game.
The undead army dug into the ground like it was their own grave, simultaneously seeping into Calandas’s shadow.
Only after restoring all the undead did Calandas return the shadow to its original state.
“I thought we could have a good relationship, but I guess it was just a delusion.”
“Same here.”
“Don’t underestimate humans. They are a treacherous bunch.”
“Thanks for the advice.”
As if I didn’t want to scream, “Shut up and leave already!”
Right in front of me, a purple portal opened, perhaps responding to my sentiments.
“Oh, right.”
Of course, he had to leave with a final word, didn’t he?
“My desire for you to join my faction remains unchanged. Don’t dwell too much on today’s events.”
“….”
“There will soon be a gathering of the 72nd bosses. With the new Seven Lairs updated, it’s only natural.”
“And?”
“It’s nothing much. I just hope we can meet again with smiles then.”
With those words, Calandas stepped into the portal.
Yet, I didn’t let my guard down until the portal closed.
I thought he might spring a surprise attack after feigning retreat.
It’s not like he would act so recklessly, but being cautious never hurt anyone.
[Lv. 93]
Just before he vanished, his level flickered black, a symbol of terror.
…I must’ve seen it wrong, right? The scary one is definitely me!
Thankfully, nothing happened as the portal finally closed, and I let out a sigh of relief. The cold air pouring from my mouth made it feel like I had dry ice in my mouth.
A sigh of relief escaped. The cold air continuously spilling from my mouth felt like I had dry ice tucked away in there.
‘I thought I was dying…’
To be honest, I had no desire to get close to Calandas, not even a speck.
Maybe things would change later, but for now, that was how I felt.
‘By the way, the summon for the 72 bosses…’
Among them, The Seven Lairs. There were six beings capable of killing me as easily as breathing.
I found myself positioned right in the middle of those monsters, standing shoulder to shoulder.
With the harsh reality sinking in, I couldn’t stop my sighs, like a chain smoker on a break.
It was only after Charlotte approached me that my thoughts were interrupted.
“….”
Charlotte was mumbling silently without a word.
She returned with her usual blank expression, but I could see something beneath it. She seemed to feel guilty about saying anything.
Well, considering she caused a rift with the high-ranking Lair, it made sense.
[Lv. 72]
I was about to speak first, but the sight of her level made me flinch.
Hot pink at a level that seemed almost too vivid.
…Oh great, the bone-headed witch is back.
‘She looks pretty if you just look at her face.’
She devours all the officially recognized heroines when it comes to appearances. It’s just her personality that puts me off.
Thunk.
Charlotte suddenly knelt and slammed her forehead onto the ground.
I was a bit startled by the sudden action. Is she trying to apologize or something since she couldn’t express this in words?
I appreciated the sentiment, but the situation was only making me uncomfortable.
“Get up.”
“….”
“Get up, I said.”
“….”
Maybe she felt too guilty to lift her head; she only bowed lower.
About a minute passed. Finally, Charlotte lifted her body but continued to mumble her lips.
I placed a hand on Charlotte’s shoulder to signify I knew she struggled.
In the natural course of things, I noticed the wet dirt on the ground.
Given her position, it was the spot where Charlotte had buried her face… Now I wondered if she was trying to hide her tears.
‘She cried, she really did.’
To lighten the mood, I thought about teasing her since she had a little breakdown, but I stopped, fearing it would undermine her dignity as a boss.
“Rest.”
I lightly patted her shoulder and walked past Charlotte.
I needed to clear my head, so I decided to take some time for myself.
*
The meeting had wrapped up, and there was no retaliation from Calandas.
Peace returned after the storm had passed.
“Vice Captain, I’m bleeding…”
“Shut up before you knock out a tooth. I might faint from your blood loss.”
Even watching the comical exchange between them, I couldn’t just sit back and relax.
The summon of the 72 bosses. I needed to come up with a plan to maintain my rank among monsters.
The summon was clearly for the new The Seven Lairs, but if I didn’t respond, there was no way I could avoid the glares from the 72 dungeon.
On the other hand, responding thoughtlessly to the summon would lead to disaster.
It was a truly messed-up situation, but I had already crossed the river of no return a long time ago.
“It seems you’re quite worried.”
Charlotte, who had come closer without me noticing, spoke up.
Her level had returned from hot pink to a deep green.
I bet it’s something like, “As a human, I can’t admire my lord!”
“It might be presumptuous of me, but I can be of some assistance.”
She was openly concerned for Calandas, as if she was aware of it.
Sure, part of it was because of Calandas, but that was only a fraction.
In reality, experiencing the Seven Lairs made the situation hit home.
I was in a position where I had to stand alongside these monsters.
Am I supposed to just survive by bluffing? That doesn’t make sense.
I can’t rely on enhancement skills forever.
If I leave my life up to luck, I’m bound to run into big trouble sooner or later.
“I need to acquire usable cards aside from enhancement skills.”
Internally, I needed stability against the 72 dungeons and externally against the hunting party; the key was one.
The strength of the dungeon has to become as strong as the true Seven Lairs.
Only then would the other Seven Lairs not suspect me, and I could fend off the hunting parties.
“Charlotte, from your perspective as a deputy, how would you gauge our dungeon’s strength?”
“Considering it’s called a Seven Lair, if we exclude the boss, it’s essentially an open door.”
“Why are you excluding yourself?”
“I don’t even come close to the boss’s toes. Without the boss, this dungeon could collapse overnight.”
“…We need to reinforce our strength urgently.”
“That’s correct. I am urging for monster supply through trade….”
It seems like there has been no progress, given how she trails off.
Right. I can’t achieve the real Seven Lairs with ordinary methods.
Unless it’s something other than ordinary methods.
And I wasn’t just any ordinary player.
“Who am I? A veteran with 30,000 hours in the 72 Dungeons.”
It was a pretty popular game, so of course, there was DLC content in the <72 Dungeon Strategy Guide>.
The boss monsters that appeared in the DLC were the new bosses of the Seven Lairs.
In other words, when players conquer the existing Seven Lairs, new bosses of the Seven Lairs are created.
Through Charlotte, I realized it was the past now and also figured out the current time frame.
It was October 21st, 467 according to the empire’s count.
At the same time, considering the timeline for the newly emerging bosses of the Seven Lairs I saw in the settings book…
If I gauge that timeline….
“It won’t take more than ten years before I become a boss.”
According to the canon, roughly between 5 to 8 years, six new Seven Lairs would be renewed.
Of course, it might remain unchanged now since there are no players.
However, that doesn’t mean the potential of the DLC bosses—potential enough to become the Seven Lairs—has vanished.
The birth stories of the new bosses of the Seven Lairs are twofold.
First, a dungeon core is born, and then that core creates completely new monsters.
Second, the dungeon core attracts potential high-level monsters nearby and turns them into bosses.
Among the six new Seven Lairs, three bosses belong to the first case. That means they haven’t even been born into the world yet.
In other words, the other three bosses might be living somewhere with that gem-like potential.
“Perfect, I have the skill of evolution.”
If I recruit those three and evolve them, it would be like acquiring an army of a thousand.
Of course, they wouldn’t be as strong as when they were the bosses in the DLC.
No matter how much I evolve, nothing can compare to the transformation of the Dungeon Core into the boss of the Infinite Dungeon.
‘Still, it must be pretty strong.’
Anyway, they say my potential is enough to become the boss of the Infinite Dungeon, so what more is there to say?
The top priority has been set: to recruit the upcoming bosses from the Infinite Dungeon DLC to my side.
But even after completing the recruitment, not everything would be solved. What does it matter if my subordinates are incredibly strong? I’m weak in the end.
I don’t know yet, but let’s say I can level up.
If I maximize that level-up, could I become as strong as the bosses of the Infinite Dungeon?
It would probably be tough even after wasting hundreds of years. That’s because of inherent limits.
Each job has a level cap, and if I remember correctly, with an Undead body, the maximum would barely hit level 80.
There’s a reason the Undead difficulty is insane.
What if I reach max level and then master swordsmanship and magic for hundreds of years? Even then, I wouldn’t even be able to reach the monsters’ toes in the Infinite Dungeon.
‘I need to find the fastest method possible.’
Now that I’ve made an enemy of the 5th-ranked boss, it’s urgent, like my feet are on fire.
I need to quickly reinforce the dungeon’s power and strengthen my own combat abilities.
Is there nothing around?
Just like in any fantasy novel, a way to get strong quickly.
If there’s some hidden piece that only I know at this point, even better.
And that answer was also in the DLC.
There are two DLCs in the game. The first one, as mentioned, is the theme of the new Infinite Dungeon.
And the second DLC was themed around ancient dungeons.
These ancient dungeons could be considered the origin of the 72 dungeons, buried within the Sato.
If I could absorb the Dungeon Core sleeping there, I could get strong quickly.
It’s not just a free ride, though; the process was pretty perilous.
Countless traps were triggered in those ancient dungeons, and there were powerful guardians. That’s why it’s DLC, I guess, but anyway.
Even if I had a grasp on all the traps, the monsters were a problem.
Who’s going to deal with those?
‘The prospective Infinite Dungeon bosses, of course.’
And then.
“Charlotte. How dedicated can you be for me?”
“It’s insignificant, but I would sacrifice this life to be of help.”
I’m satisfied.
With a grown-up Charlotte and the Infinity Dungeon bosses, ancient dungeons could be tackled.
Anyway, the main goal is set.
“Bring me the Empire’s map.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, Charlotte politely handed over the map.
…Her execution of orders is ridiculously fast.
I took it and spread it out right away.
I already knew the general area where the current DLC bosses were residing.
Coincidentally, my dungeon was marked on the map, so it didn’t take long.
Now that I see it, my dungeon was located in the south.
Because of that, it wasn’t too far from the tropical rainforest, and the closest boss among the three was right there.
‘Chungwang Balutak.’
(Prospective) 6th position of the Infinite Dungeon, the spiral cave filled with trickery. Boss Chungwang Balutak.
You’re the one I’ve set my sights on.
“Charlotte.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Get ready. We have a place to go.”
“! ”
Charlotte’s corners of her mouth quivered for a moment.
She quickly returned to her trademark expressionless face, but her level had now turned hot pink.
Is she excited about going just the two of us?
Loyal one second, infatuated the next; it’s quite the emotional rollercoaster.