NOVEL NEXT Chapter 47
Charlotte coin shows signs of soaring.
Balutak coin is gradually on the rise.
Estizel coin is also gradually on the rise.
Unexpectedly, Isabella coin is experiencing a monstrous surge.
It’s like having bought a bit of Bitcoin that balloons into dozens of times its initial value.
Not Charlotte or Balutak, but Isabella!
At first, I was utterly shocked and couldn’t believe the reality.
As my mind gradually cooled down and stabilized, I began to understand it little by little.
My existence has completely overturned the future.
First of all, Isabella evolved into a True Vampire, and Babayaga’s death was hastened.
When the 8th dungeon disappears, the dungeon core naturally reincarnates after a while.
The dungeon core spawns a newborn boss or transforms highly potential surrounding monsters into bosses.
That surrounding monster turned out to be none other than Isabella.
In my personal conjecture, the odds are higher for weak races with potential.
Balutak is such an example.
Insect was a representative weak race alongside vampires.
However, led by the King Balutak, Insects rapidly rose as a strong race threatening the empire.
In that respect, Isabella was just like Balutak.
A weak race brimming with potential and true lineage.
“I became the 8th Road all thanks to the boss.”
Isabella pulled the side of her mouth with her pinky finger, revealing sharp True fangs.
“Hehe, were you surprised? The mosquito that only sucked blood has now become a lower-tier Road! Of course, compared to the Eternal Palace, it’s still lacking, but I’ve grown, haven’t I?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded dully, but inside, I was incredibly shocked.
“Kirik? What does that mean? Is Isabella really the 72nd clan leader now?”
Thud!
Balutak’s head practically fell forward.
Behind him, Charlotte, who gave him a surprise attack, politely clasped her hands.
Then, she bowed her head toward Isabella.
“I greet the newly born 8th Road. I apologize for my narrow-mindedness.”
“…Huh?”
Isabella froze for a moment.
It seemed she never expected the typically loud副官 to show such courtesy.
“I-I see you, my Lord.”
Estizel, who hesitated, awkwardly bowed as well.
Only Balutak stared blankly, detached from the atmosphere.
More than anyone, Isabella herself looked the most dumbfounded.
Charlotte’s attitude was so shocking that she couldn’t move an inch.
“Um… Vice-captain? That’s a bit much.”
“Uh, what treatment do you mean, my Lord?”
“Oh dear. How embarrassing….”
Isabella couldn’t even manage her expression and rubbed her arms anxiously.
“I’m experiencing some cognitive dissonance. Is that really the Vice-captain Charlotte? The demon vice-captain who gets angry just because I sucked a little bit of blood—?!”
As soon as she stopped speaking, she slapped her lips.
The drink went splat.
Isabella sneakily checked Charlotte’s reaction.
Charlotte simply bent down again with no change in her expression.
“I was quite rude back then. I hope you’ll forgive me with your generous heart.”
“…Oh dear.”
Excluding the Seven Lairs, Isabella ranks as the 8th highest lord.
Ironically, she’s quite flustered by the noble treatment.
“Um, excuse me, can I maybe… just suck a little blood?”
“Sure.”
Charlotte rolled up her sleeves without hesitation.
“Hmm. If possible, let it be from the nape of the neck.”
“Sure.”
How long has it been since she blushed, only to lose her mind over power?
What a transformation!
As Charlotte casually tossed her hair, her delicate and pale nape was revealed.
Seeing that, Isabella gulped down hard.
With her mouth agape, just before gingerly sinking her fangs in, her eyes landed on Estizel.
“Isn’t that not a human over there?”
“Uh? Well, I’m half-human, half-demon…”
“Half-human, half-demon!”
Isabella suddenly shouted.
I knew why, while the bewildered Estizel didn’t.
If vampires had to pick their preferred blood, it would be human blood, and an even finer delicacy would be the blood of a hybrid like half-human, half-demon.
Right now, Estizel must look like top-shelf wine to Isabella.
“Just one bite! No, no! Bring it to me at once!”
“Uh, four?”
“Calm down, Isabella.”
“Yes.”
Charlotte was still gathering her hair.
After a slight touch, Charlotte finally let go of her hair a bit too late.
Isabella had mentioned her purpose for visiting was to repay a debt of gratitude.
As the 8th ranked lord, she probably had enough ability to pay back before.
“Hey, boss.”
Isabella cautiously asked.
“Can we have a quick chat, just the two of us?”
*
After greeting the group of vampires, I had a private talk with Isabella in the boss room.
I learned that the remaining vampires had also been chosen by Dungeon Core.
“It’s a dungeon of the 8th mini-entity. I’m the boss, and the others are my followers.”
“Got it.”
I suspected it wouldn’t be an ordinary dungeon.
While Babayaga was level 86, Isabella was level 88.
Because it’s the dungeon of the 8th mini-entity, the vampires, including Isabella, were as strong as the 8th ranked dungeon, the Valley of All Diseases.
Among them, Isabella gained power to overwhelm Babayaga.
‘Level 88, 8 mini-entities, 8th rank.’
She seemed more spirited than before, and what’s with the number 8?
“Is there something about the 8th rank?”
Contrary to my thoughts, serious words slipped out.
“The atmosphere has changed a lot. You’ve matured.”
“Hehe…”
Isabella scratched the back of her head shyly.
Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but her unique aura was palpable.
If I exaggerated, it vaguely reminded me of the oppressive presence of the Seven Lairs. Very faintly, though—just enough to make it feel like pressure.
“Is it okay to call you boss? It just kind of stuck.”
“Do as you please.”
Although she was ranked 8th as a lord, to me, Isabella still seemed like a goofy kid.
Is this what parents felt, seeing their child no matter how old they got? I could empathize unexpectedly.
“You said you came to return a favor.”
Even just showing her face would have been enough to welcome her back. But a favor, huh?
Our Isabella was quite impressive indeed.
Just as we were set to tackle the ancient dungeon, Isabella returned, gleaming with gold.
By simply contributing to the raid, she had certainly paid back more than any favor.
“Can I get straight to the point?”
I decided to hear Isabella out first.
As I nodded, she pulled something out from her bosom.
It looked like a crystal ball, and an indescribable energy was swirling inside it.
‘Dungeon Core.’
If the game’s graphics turned into reality, it would look just like this.
Though she may not realize it, she was radiating the vibe of a fresh new boss.
No matter how trustworthy the person, showing off the Dungeon Core was like throwing away your life.
The moment the Dungeon Core was destroyed, the boss and their minions would perish, and the dungeon would ultimately collapse.
Among bosses of the same 72 dungeons, it was possible to absorb each other’s Dungeon Cores.
If I randomly swooped in and snatched the Dungeon Core, Isabella would be as good as dead.
Isabella couldn’t possibly be unaware of this blatant fact.
Was her intention to express that she trusts me through her actions?
‘But why show the Dungeon Core?’
Accepting it under the guise of a favor felt far too burdensome and filled me with guilt. Plus, it wasn’t even feasible.
Was she afraid I’d doubt her ranking as an 8th lord, or did she have some other motive? It was hard to tell.
“You know about Dungeon Core Fusion, right?”
Ah.
That thing existed.
I recalled seeing something about sub Dungeon Core fusion in the setting book that covers the history of the 72 dungeons.
Normally, during wars between dungeons, you could absorb the opposing Dungeon Core or use Dungeon Core Fusion to subjugate the other dungeon.
By fusing a sub Dungeon Core, a boss could establish a master-servant relationship.
This had absolute efficacy, surpassing that of a knight’s appointment or a slave contract.
Being a fusion, the newly born dungeon wouldn’t reset.
Naturally, only the main dungeon gets strengthened, meaning it creates pressure and control among the 72 dungeons.
“I’m the 8th-ranked lord, you know. I might still seem like a rookie to you, but I’ve completely changed.”
“It may look like a bet, but I’ve completely changed.”
Clears throat. Isabella pounded her chest.
For a moment, Estizel seemed to overlap with her.
“I’ll work hard without being a nuisance anymore. Could you accept my dungeon core?”
If I accepted, Isabella would become my one-sided fateful companion. If I died, she would die too, but if she died first, I wouldn’t care. This meant Isabella was destined to protect me just to survive.
But the problem was…
“I don’t have a dungeon core.”
Absorption, fusion—all that stuff only works if both have dungeon cores. There was no way a fake like me, masquerading as The Seven Lairs, would have one.
Honestly, I wanted to fuse with Isabella’s dungeon core. But what could I do when I didn’t have one?
“It’s okay.”
Feeling perplexed, I decided to refuse for now. If only I could just agree, but Isabella shook her head.
“You know, boss, I actually want to ask you for a favor. Everyone missed you so much.”
“….”
“You can call it selfish if you want. I’ll feel at ease only if you accept. So… can you be my boss again like before?”
Isabella held out her dungeon core with both hands.
How the heck am I supposed to muddle through this?
After pondering deeply, I finally spoke again.
“No. I can’t accept.”
“…Why, why not?”
Isabella’s trembling voice turned her face into a sad puppy look.
“Isabella, what do you think about fusion between dungeons?”
“Uh… isn’t it a relationship where we can trust each other?”
“Quite the opposite.”
“Huh?”
“Fusion itself is proof of distrust. If you could truly believe in each other, an oath would suffice.”
I picked up the dungeon core from Isabella’s hands and tucked it back into her pocket. Instead, I held her empty hands.
“Isabella, I trust you.”
“….”
“So you need to trust me too.”
Isabella stared at me blankly. Her eyes teared up as if she could start crying at any moment, her lips quivered repeatedly.
A soft breath escaped from her half-open mouth.
“That’s true. You’ve always been like this, boss.”
Always a swindler, huh?
It’s like the thief feels guilty for tripping over their own feet. For a moment, that’s what it sounded like.