The mountain range located at the southernmost part of the Orbis Empire.
Within that mountain range, there was a dungeon.
Fortress of Silence.
As its name suggested, the dungeon stood tall in the form of a massive fortress.
Despite its grand exterior, it exuded a desolate and lonely atmosphere.
As if no one lived there.
“Clap.”
Necros confirmed the appearance of the magnificent fortress.
And before the castle gate, a Ghoul and a Mummy each stood guard.
He had only one mission.
To conquer the dungeon according to the command of the Great One.
However, there was something he needed to do before fully entering the dungeon.
“Clap, clap.”
Necros gestured to the monsters guarding the fortress gate and spoke to them.
“Goo-uh?”
A Ghoul tilted its head and replied, but that became its final testament.
*Clap-*
As Necros flicked his bony fingers, the Ghoul’s body exploded.
“……?”
The Mummy beside it stared at Necros with a surprised expression.
It was so surprised that the bandages wrapped around its head loosened slightly.
What just happened?
A mere skeleton in a blue robe suddenly appeared and exploded its comrade Ghoul.
More importantly, the Mummy knew exactly what that skill was.
It was the same skill used by the dungeon’s master, the Lich it served.
The problem was that the being before it seemed even more powerful than its master.
“Ah…….”
In such a situation, the Mummy had only one course of action.
“Oh, you have arrived, my new Master…”
That was to switch masters.
The Mummy bent its back 180 degrees and greeted Necros in a deep voice.
Though its speech was slow, its wit was sharp.
“Since it looks… heavy… please entrust it to me….”
Necros nodded and handed the notebook he was holding to the Mummy.
Its actions were so natural that it seemed as though the Mummy had been Necros’s subordinate from the beginning.
“Clap, clap.”
“Do not… worry…. I know… everything about this dungeon….”
The Mummy said so and opened the castle gate.
It was the moment the one who had been guarding the dungeon moments ago turned into an intruder.
Upon stepping into the fortress, a long, dark corridor stretched out.
As if it hadn’t been cleaned, cobwebs covered the walls and ceiling, and thick layers of old dust had accumulated.
“If you continue… this way… you will find the Lich….”
Following the Mummy’s guidance down the corridor, Necros heard someone’s shout from afar.
“Lich, stop making excuses! You can’t pay the money back today either? If you keep this up, I’ll have to report to my superiors!”
Someone was shouting in an angry voice.
At the mysterious voice, Necros looked at the Mummy.
“Clap?”
“Ah… the owner of this dungeon… borrowed money from the Merchant Guild… and couldn’t repay it….”
Necros understood how the dungeon operated from the Mummy’s words.
It had borrowed money from the Underworld Merchant Guild to operate the dungeon and was being pressured for repayment.
Even now, the sharp voice echoed through the corridor.
“We’ve extended the deadline three times already! Our guild’s patience has its limits! We need to balance our books, so if you don’t pay at least the interest by this week….”
I wonder how much money they borrowed.
“Clap….”
Necros thought the location of the dungeon was poor.
Come to think of it, this mountain range had hardly any foot traffic from humans.
Although the dungeon managed by Celia, the Chief Administrator, also existed in the mountain range, the environment was completely different from there.
Beyond Celia’s dungeon in the Silent Mountain Range lay the Demonic Realm.
That alone meant there were many dungeons and monsters, so places where adventurers’ footsteps were constant unless something special happened.
On the other hand, what about this place?
It was a mountain range located in the south of the Orbis Empire.
Beyond the mountain range lay the Barren Desert, which was practically a dead land.
Necros knew about the Barren Desert well.
As someone who operated a Monster Coliseum and was interested in investments, he had studied a lot about the human world.
Currently, humans were trying to reclaim the desert, but the endless sand and lack of resources slowed their progress.
More than anything, it was a region fraught with unknown terror due to not knowing what monsters existed beneath the sand.
In short, with this kind of environment, there was absolutely no reason for adventurers to come all the way here.
As a result, with no intruders entering the dungeon, its owner had no income.
Normally, the structure involved defeating adventurers who entered the dungeon and selling the byproducts.
“Clap, clap.”
“I understand…. I will continue to… guide you….”
Since it wasn’t his problem anyway, Necros continued to walk, guided by the Mummy.
As the fortress was large, the interior was also vast.
“Clap….”
The more he saw, the better the dungeon was.
If only the location were good, it would have been truly excellent, but that point made Necros feel regretful.
“……?”
At that moment, a thought suddenly struck Necros’s mind.
***
Necros and the Mummy finally reached the heart of the dungeon, the space where the master resided.
Sounds leaked through the thick iron door.
“Clap, clap… Clap-clack. Clap-clap-clap.”
(I understand… I’ll secure the interest by this weekend. Please wait a little longer.)
The desperate voice of the Lich, the owner of the dungeon, could be heard.
Regardless, Necros didn’t hesitate and flung the iron door open wide.
In the dim room, a merchant stood in an arrogant posture, and before him, the kneeling Lich was visible.
The merchant was a fairy-type monster with beautiful wings and did not fit the dungeon’s atmosphere.
However, upon the sudden visit, the merchant shouted irritably.
“Who are you! Can’t you see I’m in conversation right now!”
Then, the merchant’s gaze fell upon the blue robe Necros was wearing. Her expression changed.
“Oh, what a magnificent robe?”
It was a luxurious robe that did not suit such a poor dungeon.
Her voice softened, and she made a proposal to the Lich, the dungeon’s master.
“If you give me that robe, I’ll overlook this week’s interest.”
The merchant proposed to the Lich, but inwardly, she smiled.
‘If I sell just that robe, it’ll be amazing, won’t it?’
She didn’t know much about items, but she could tell the robe’s value was immense.
However, she firmly believed the Lich would accept her proposal.
In a situation where he was desperately short of money, would he recognize the robe’s value?
Even if he refused, she planned to persuade him by slightly lowering the price.
At the merchant’s words, the Lich tilted its head.
No matter how he looked at it, the being wearing that robe was not a monster belonging to his dungeon.
The Lich himself, being undead, could sense it.
A more profound aura of death emanated from that being than from himself.
“…….”
In this situation, the Lich had only one course of action.
“Clap! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!”
(You! How dare you speak to the dungeon master, my mentor!)
Loyalty to someone who appeared to be stronger than oneself.
This had been the Lich’s way of survival for many years.
The Lich, who had been servile moments before, raised its voice to the merchant.
This was the moment the master of the dungeon ‘Fortress of Silence’ changed from the Lich to Necros.
The merchant looked flustered by the Lich’s sudden change in attitude.
“Ah, no… Lich, what are you saying? Master?!”
Clearly, the Lich was the dungeon’s master, so suddenly claiming someone else was the master was confusing.
And, “Master”?
Necros naturally sat down.
Then, he crossed his legs as if he had always been the dungeon’s master and looked at the merchant, opening his mouth.
“Clap-clap-tap?”
(So, how much is the interest?)
I wonder how much debt he had incurred to be so beholden to the merchant for mere interest.
“Gasp! Th-that….”
The merchant stammered, his voice trembling.
Seeing Necros up close, she could confirm it clearly.
‘Why is there a 5-star here…!’
The fear that enveloped her entire body turned into despair.
The being before her was undoubtedly a superior being to the Lich.
Moreover, 5-star beings were VIPs favored by the Underworld Merchant Guild, so where did such a being suddenly appear from?
As the merchant stood there, terrified and speechless, the Mummy beside her shouted.
“You… do as our master… commands….”
At the Mummy’s words, the merchant unfurled her ten fingers.
“Clap?”
(10 gold coins?)
If the interest alone was 10 gold coins, it made sense why the merchant was so insistent.
That meant the principal was substantial, yet the dungeon’s condition seemed poor for such an investment.
Of course, it was a trivial amount for Necros, so he reached into his pocket to take out the gold coins, but the merchant shook her head.
“No… it’s 10 silver coins.”
“……?”
At the mention of silver coins, Necros raised his head.
His current feeling was one of disbelief.
Moreover, he had nothing in his pocket with a denomination lower than gold coins.
That wasn’t the problem.
Didn’t the merchant say earlier?
That she wanted the robe instead of this week’s interest.
“…….”
The robe Necros was wearing was essentially a gratuity bestowed by his Master.
Moreover, it was equipment with incredible functionality, arguably an artifact, yet to be valued at a mere 10 silver coins, did it make any sense?
“…Clap.”
Necros’s expression darkened.
“Hic!”
The merchant, sensing the change in atmosphere, flinched and lowered her head.
“I-I apologize! Dungeon Master!”
She knew well that if the owner was a 5-star, the Underworld Merchant Guild wouldn’t care at all even if she killed the merchant herself.
No, it was obvious they would offer various benefits and gifts to establish a transaction with that being.
In short, dying here would be a pointless death.
So, what should be done here?
The opponent was likely a 5-star Arch Lich, the dungeon’s master.
Naturally, it seemed right to forgive the accumulated debt.
Even if it weren’t her, the guild would have made that decision.
“I was rude! Instead, I will forgive all the gold coins you owe the dungeon, which amounts to 19 pieces!”
19 gold coins.
It might be a large sum for a dungeon in such a barren region, but for the guild, it wasn’t that much.
Moreover, maintaining a good relationship would clearly bring many advantages to her future merchant life.
Her actions were swift.
She pulled out the guild’s exclusive black card and additional gold coins from her pocket.
“This is a token of my apology.”
With a black card, she could participate in auctions occasionally held by the guild.
This was the most sincerity she could show at the moment.
Fortunately, the opponent’s expression did not seem displeased.
In fact, it gave the illusion that the skeleton was smiling.
***
– Necros has conquered the dungeon ‘Fortress of Silence’.
– A manager can be dispatched and appointed to the dungeon ‘Fortress of Silence’.
As expected, a 5-star.
Just like Baalcherit, Necros, who was dispatched this time, also conquered the dungeon quickly.
He thought it might take a little longer since it was an undead dungeon with a Lich as the master, but he finished it in no time.
‘For now, let’s keep Necros as the manager.’
After all, the purpose this time was to foster a Lich who would assist Baalcherit.
The teachings of an Arch Lich would surely be excellent for nurturing a Lich.
– You have selected Necros (★★★★★) as the manager of the dungeon ‘Fortress of Silence’.
‘Shall I speed things up a bit more here?’
The Lich is receiving teachings from Necros.
However, it felt a waste for the Lich alone to receive such valuable guidance.
‘I need to conquer more actively in the future.’
Perhaps he could select monsters to receive Necros’s teachings along with the Lich.
Just as monsters could be taken from conquered dungeons, additional dispatch was also possible.
‘Something suitable that is undead….’
Yes, this one would be good.
There was just one suitable monster.
– Dispatching Berter (★★★★) to the dungeon ‘Fortress of Silence’.
Berter is a 4-star Dullahan monster.
It was a case of becoming a Dullahan after being killed by a Death Knight, and such a fellow couldn’t be left idle.
‘This is good.’
As he felt proud of saving time, Assistant Manager Seoyoon Park approached him.
“Advisor Kanghyeon Lee, the Team Leader has come out of the dungeon.”
Team Leader Yerin Jeong had come out of the dungeon.
