It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

During the period of growth declared by the dungeon master.

The number of monsters and force holders visible in and around Libertas's ground demon realm, though not readily apparent, steadily decreased.

This was because Libertas's people were actively hunting 'potential traitors'.

Ran and Xue led monsters within and near the borders, while Evangeline moved around in human form outside.

"What are you... Where did you come from...!"

"Well..."

Among them, the one with the most severe criteria was Xue.

She viewed all those who had received the 'master's favor' but didn't 'properly' utilize it as traitors.

Whether due to laziness or opportunism.

"P-please spare me...!"

Crunch-!

Splatter!!

Licking the blood splattered on her mouth with a tongue unusually red for a human, Xue began to feed the body of the Dungeon Lord she had just executed, turned into 'blood', back to the dungeon core.

Unknown to humans and other monsters, to increase the completeness of a harvested dungeon core, one had to kill the Dungeon Lord and feed their corpse to the core like this.

Afterward, she looked around.

-Kyaaak!!

-Kieek!

After killing only the Dungeon Lord through a swift charge, bypassing even the main monsters, all other monsters were either fleeing or frenzied.

As is often the case with dungeons that haven't properly disciplined their members, their 'sense of belonging' to the dungeon had been dissolved.

"Just subdue all those who resist. I'll catch a few myself."

-Clack!

This 'dungeon' on the edge of Libertas's territory border was a capable dungeon that had risen to high rank on its own without being discovered by humans.

In other words, it would have been suitable to become a subordinate of the master she serves.

'I can't let that be.'

While the previous Libertas had overlooked this one twice considering their ability, even knowing they had sold information to the enemy, Xue had no such intention.

After all, she knew that they ultimately calculated that 'mercy' as 'gullibility' and decisively betrayed.

Crunch!

"Not enough..."

As she broke the necks of even those monsters that had been particularly loyal to the Dungeon Lord, Xue swallowed a sigh of regret.

According to her standards, there were still far more traitors to kill.

Nevertheless, the reason she was only killing these 'decisive traitors' was for two reasons.

[Such ones had their own uses too. You know that.]

[I agree with wanting to kill them all, Xue. But the lord's will is more important.]

'I don't entirely disagree... but it's too lenient. It's those things gathering that ultimately created that great betrayal...'

One was thanks to her comrades succeeding in persuading her.

The comrades' persuasion was sincere.

If all the nearby monsters were eliminated according to her standards, the density of monsters in this area would visibly decrease.

She knew to some extent that this would absolutely not be beneficial to her master's demon realm that needs to keep expanding right now.

'I wanted to at least kill a few of the extremely lazy ones...'

And two, it was simply because they really lacked time.

The continent wasn't narrow enough to catch and kill them all within just three days, plus the remaining two days until the enemies arrive.

'Today is also the scheduled day.'

Today was the fifth day, counting the day of the declaration of war as day one.

It was time for her to return now.

Slurp...

"Everyone... gather the cores. We're going back."

There was confidence in Xue's action as she licked her lips.

Thanks to Rita's growth accelerating a bit, the arrival of the 'first hostile Dungeon Lord' was also hastened and their composition slightly changed...

But their pattern of behavior didn't deviate much from Xue's 'memory'.

Moreover, Libertas had instantly grasped their behavioral patterns even without them particularly informing her.

'As expected of Master. To figure all that out without any hints.'

Reaffirming her praise and loyalty to her master in her heart like that.

'Killing those things will be fun too...'

Xue smiled a smile resembling that of a wolf.

It was a smile full of beastly ferocity and violence, which she rarely showed while maintaining the image of a 'cool werewolf' in front of her master.

* * *

As Libertas predicted, the enemies opened the gate exactly on the fifth day.

A gate of spatial movement that can be opened immediately upon mutual agreement, or at least three days after declaring war on a dungeon.

This was the reason dungeons could wage war with each other regardless of the distance between dungeons even in MilDun 1.

"I hereby announce that the war between the alliance of three Dungeon Lords and Lady Libertas has begun. We request that unrelated individuals immediately evacuate this dungeon..."

As if they had been waiting, a 'supervisor' dispatched from the Mammon Guild was already in place beside them as they crossed over immediately.

A strict demon referee who belongs to the guild that expresses political neutrality and must be neutral as they support all Dungeon Lords.

"..."

The one who stepped forward first and remained silent among them was a beautiful weredragon woman with the characteristics of a sea serpent, a sea dragon.

It was Quirisia.

She was floating in the air with the tip of her long tail dipped in summoned seawater, glaring at Libertas.

-Grrrr...

-Kirrr...

Those following behind her were lizardmen and merlusines familiar even to Libertas's eyes.

Beastkin who operate in water or sea settings.

Among them were occasionally bird beastkin of water or sea birds, but there were far more with fish, reptile, or amphibian characteristics.

"A good... smell... indeed...!"

The green-skinned Dungeon Lord, Zarkra, who came out speaking in a hissing voice, smiled while distorting that pretty face.

She was dressed in the attire of a typical troll shaman, covering her body with feathers and leather, but due to her human-like appearance, its sensuality was embarrassingly incomparable to that of traditional trolls.

The horn ornament resembling that of a large-horned goat attached to the large hat on her head was particularly impressive.

-Kirik kirik!

-Kurook...

The smile she was wearing and those following her possessed a different kind of sensuality.

Greenskins.

Represented by goblins, orcs, trolls, and ogres, but occasionally including some dark elves with blue skin or even aberrant monsters in a broad sense, a racial category.

The common point among them is mostly a strong 'violence' in the name of sensuality.

-Greetings to Lady Libertas from Lord Melzeros. Pleased to meet you.

Finally, Baron Melzeros, who stepped out elegantly, followed the most common form of a Dungeon Lord leading monsters.

In other words, a 'slime taking human form'.

While somewhat similar to a doppelganger, the texture of its surface is different and it's properly clothed.

The reason they take this form is partly because the first summon of a monster Dungeon Lord is a slime, but also because it's the easiest to accept and use the power of 'other worlds'.

-Kikikiki...

-Uuuu...

Those following behind him were numerous aberrant beings.

There were many in the form of slimes, but.

Some had the appearance of beasts but with tentacles instead of muzzles in their mouths.

Or some looked like they had popped out of the deep sea, but had hands and feet instead of fins.

Creatures whose abilities were as hard to guess as their bizarre appearances.

Thus, it was an army of monsters called neither 'magical beasts' nor 'demons', but simply 'monsters'.

"Welcome, rude guests."

Libertas's army welcoming them didn't look much different from that of humans at first glance.

Order and uniformity.

It gave the impression of a formal army equipped with these two qualities.

-Clack.

-Thwack!

However, upon closer inspection, one could see that their sizes and heights were all different, and even their original races were not unified.

Most were human, but orcs and goblins were not uncommon, and very occasionally there were also a few skeletons of enormous size.

-Guaaak!!

When the ghostly scream of a wraith shouting with empty vocal cords was heard, all living monsters momentarily hesitated.

The shout of a young ogre, first hunted in the Copzerin raid and now a senior soldier.

It contained both the instinct of a predator and the bizarreness of the dead, with the power to intimidate living listeners.

-Kuwaa... ! …!!

As if displeased by this, one of the adult ogres standing in the center of the Greenskin army let out a roar, but.

"How noisy."

That sound was blocked by the wave spreading from one of Libertas's hands raised slightly.

'That's...'

Melzeros and Quirisia, who had magical knowledge, tensed simultaneously.

Something that seemed like a light action on the surface.

However, the small wave created there erased all the sounds in this space at once.

It embodied an aspect of darkness that swallows and conceals everything in sound.

"Now it's a bit quieter. It would be troublesome to be noisy when guests have arrived, wouldn't it?"

-Guuu...

After glancing at the skeleton ogre scratching its head and shrinking its body, Libertas stepped forward about five paces.

An attitude that either disregarded or didn't care at all about the enemy in front of her.

Although she had Evangeline and Xue beside her, it was quite an arrogant action in others' eyes.

"Welcome, everyone. I've been waiting for you to come."

"Were you trembling in fear for five days? You seem to have the spirit of staying up all night."

There's no way the Greenskins would just watch such arrogance.

Zarkra, who stepped forward following her, was full of boldness and hostility in her words and expression.

Although she wasn't without magical knowledge, she didn't reach the level of the two who had felt Libertas's wave earlier, which allowed for such audacity.

She was a shaman.

Because shamanism is an ability with different principles from magic.

"No. Just..."

However, her confidence didn't receive a fitting reward.

"...I didn't expect such uncultured beings, attacking one with three, to keep the promise they made with their own mouths."

The words Libertas spoke gently as if praising Zarkra, still smiling with a soft and gentle face.

Because those words contained content completely different from her tone.

"...What...!"

Zarkra's face, which had been frozen for a moment, flushed to the point of belying her green skin.

Her green blood rushed so much with anger that her face momentarily appeared black.

Due to the extremely kind tone and soft expression, she momentarily failed to recognize the mockery within those words.

"You bitch...!"

-Stop. Lady Zarkra.

The one who blocked Zarkra as she tried to rush forward was Melzeros.

This slime human in noble attire spoke calmly while quietly looking towards Libertas.

-We have a considerably advantageous force, so don't get excited and act recklessly for nothing.

"Look at that pompous attitude! How can I endure it! That young bitch..."

-I get it. I get it. Let's start quickly.

Thus, while each watched her for different reasons despite meeting for the first time.

-Kekeke...

-Kirruruk...!

The strongest warriors from each of the three dungeons stepped forward and exerted their aura.

However, Libertas, who was the focus of their attention, scratched the tip of her fingernail as if nothing had happened, then turned her head and called only her 'vanguard'.

"Xue. Come here."

"Okay."

Sticking close behind the white werewolf that clung to her side, she brought her small lips to its ear.

Libertas whispering something quietly.

That scene was almost like a woman whispering to her lover.

But what happened immediately after was completely different.

Thud...!!

-Grrrr...

The three Dungeon Lords and their subordinates felt enormous magic power surging from the enemy before them.

Magic power full of blood frenzy that seemed like it would fill the space with the smell of blood.