Monsters and general goods items drawn with jewels are all bound to the dungeon.
It was Celia’s job to organize the bound monsters and items.
“Hmm. Quite a few goblins came out this time. Does this perhaps mean we should actively utilize goblins?”
Of course, it varied each time because the monsters drawn were different, but Celia didn’t take it lightly.
She thought there must be a deeper meaning to what Master intended and tried to understand it.
“The new orcs can all be handed over to Skoll.”
Celia also classified monsters by their species.
Goblins were assigned to the Goblin Lord, and orcs to Skoll, who led the ‘Red-Haired Tribe’ dungeon.
Skeleton Knights bustled about according to Celia’s instructions.
“The Blood-sucking Butterflies were sent by Master after a long time. Please take them all to Sector 3. Aren will organize them well.”
It was fine if previously existing monsters appeared like this. They just needed to be sent to the sectors where monsters of the same species were gathered.
The problem arose when new individuals appeared.
“Hmm… What should I do with this?”
A fish, flopping around on the floor, caught Celia’s eye.
Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary fish, but a monster.
[Aqua Devourer]
It was also a rare species, with few individuals.
While Celia marveled at Master’s ability to provide such rare individuals, she also had one concern.
Where should she raise it?
The Aqua Devourer was characterized by its body covered in hard scales and poisonous spines on its fins that could paralyze its opponent.
Of course, it didn’t affect Celia, who was a 6-star.
As Celia lifted it, its green eyes turned red.
It was angry.
“This is quite troublesome.”
Celia knew the monster well.
Its significant characteristic was that although it was small now, it grew much larger than most dungeons when it matured.
The Aqua Devourer was definitely not a monster that could be raised in a dungeon.
Moreover, the only place with water in the dungeon was the lake in Sector 4.
Nagas lived in the lake, and due to the Aqua Devourer’s ferocious nature, it could disrupt the ecosystem.
Even as a young one, it wasn’t called a 3-star for nothing.
However, she couldn’t kill it.
It was also a monster given by Master.
If Celia killed it, it would be an act of disloyalty.
After a moment of thought, Celia made a decision.
“I will assign a specific request to Dambi through the Adventurer’s Guild. The request will be to transport supplies to Yenarian Lake, with the highest priority.”
The Skeleton Knight, having received orders from Celia, moved.
Since she couldn’t raise it in the dungeon, she planned to release it elsewhere.
That place was Yenarian Lake.
The lake was located adjacent to the Sail Kingdom, the Free City Alliance, and the Orbis Empire, and was of a suitable size.
Although it might seem irresponsible to abandon a creature not yet mature in a lake, there was no need to worry about it.
Covered in incredibly hard scales and possessing poisonous spines, it would likely survive well in the lake.
Well, it would ruin the lake’s ecosystem, but Celia wasn’t one to care about that.
“With this problem solved, I will immediately start the next task.”
Even after classifying the monsters, the work was not over.
Next, she had to classify items and review the reports sent by Necros.
‘Did he say Monster Coliseum?’
The report sent by Necros, who went to the Sail Kingdom for research, stated that he was involved in a coliseum business in partnership with humans.
But item classification took precedence.
Necros’s research report was important, but priority was given to matters related to Master.
“First, I’ll organize the items.”
Celia muttered as she looked at the scattered items on the floor.
“Speaking of which, it’s been a while since we had items?”
Master, as Celia perceived him, occasionally sent such items.
The dress she was currently wearing, and even the maid outfit attached to the Death Knight’s shield, were all items bestowed by Master.
In the first place, Kanghyeon Lee mainly drew monsters using jewels and rarely used the general goods gacha.
Since he had drawn a lot out of boredom recently, items had accumulated in the dungeon.
“First, let’s sort out the good ones separately.”
There were also many useless items.
A leaky water bucket, leftover bones, moldy bread, pebbles, etc. There were mountains of things that actually needed to be thrown away.
However, Celia, considering them as Master’s will, did not discard them carelessly.
“Please take the moldy bread to the zombies.”
Still, there were occasionally decent items.
Among them were equipment like weapons and armor, but they weren’t of high quality. They were just at a level that could be purchased at a regular store.
Their quality was even lower than the equipment currently used by the goblin scout team.
In other words, they were not particularly useful within the dungeon.
But even this was surely filled with Master’s will.
As Celia pondered where to use them, Necros’s report suddenly came to mind.
‘The one who buys zombies, Malcolm. And the monster coliseum business that he and Necros are currently pursuing….’
Could all of this be mere coincidence?
Celia shook her head.
“It wouldn’t be. It must be related to Black Hand.”
Black Hand.
This information was obtained by interrogating nobles.
At first, she thought they were just small organizations, but she later learned that their power was significant.
Organizations that controlled the underworld of the Sail Kingdom had formed an alliance, and that was Black Hand.
If Celia’s intuition was correct, Malcolm must also belong to that organization.
“This means that Black Hand and this monster coliseum are not unrelated.”
Could the reason Master has supported so many monsters and items be a signal to resolve all these situations as quickly as possible?
Celia nodded at the possibility.
Great Master knows everything.
Therefore, this must also be a test for her.
Celia thought it was a good thing to have supported Necros with monsters.
Monsters are essential for operating a monster coliseum. And since Necros is in charge of those monsters, Malcolm would naturally consider Necros his partner.
Above all, she wanted to give him high marks for securing a place to infiltrate monsters within the kingdom.
“Let’s provide the remaining equipment as well while we’re at it.”
Celia also planned to act herself this time.
To approach the monster coliseum and expose Black Hand.
She was certain that this was Master’s intention.
“Master seems to want a quick resolution…”
Celia brushed her hair with her hand.
Then, the two horns on her head disappeared in an instant.
Celia looked like a human, not a monster, no matter who looked at her.
“Well then, shall we go to the kingdom?”
Celia emerged from the dungeon.
* * *
There is a saying on the El Dorado Continent.
– Even the brightest Magic Tower casts a shadow.
Just as so, behind the dazzling lights of the city, there were people living tough lives.
These were people who endured day by day in the shaded places hidden behind the splendor.
Kale was one of them.
Like his ordinary name, Kale’s life was also nothing special. No, it was rather unfortunate.
When Kale was only eight years old, his parents died in a monster attack.
Suddenly orphaned, Kale became the head of the household.
As the head of the household, Kale had to take care of his younger sister alone at a young age.
However, to make matters worse, the following year, his younger sister fell ill with an unknown disease and was on the verge of death.
There was no way for the young Kale to afford medical treatment.
Furthermore, the siblings had no relatives to rely on.
In a world where everyone was busy living, no neighbor would help the Kale siblings, who might die soon.
But Kale did not give up.
To earn medical expenses for his sister, he took on any menial job he could find.
However, the money barely kept his sister alive; instead of improving, her condition worsened.
Kale wanted to learn and do many things, but he gave up everything for his sister.
Despite working without rest, all the money he earned disappeared into medical expenses.
Sometimes it all felt futile.
He desperately wanted to give up.
However, his sister, his only family, was not something he could give up on.
Saving his sister was Kale’s only hope and reason for living at the moment.
He endured for seven years like this.
But that hope seemed to end today.
“So you’re saying you can’t pay it back because you don’t have the money?”
Two men with menacing appearances, Garrett and Sam, looked at Kale threateningly.
No matter how much Kale worked, the money he earned was mere pennies.
It was barely enough to live on, let alone afford his sister’s medical expenses.
Ultimately, Kale had no choice but to resort to usury, which led him to this situation.
“Please spare me just once! I’ll work hard and pay you back, just this once!”
Kale pleaded, even kneeling, but the men’s expressions did not budge.
Instead, Garrett grabbed Kale by the collar and pulled him up.
“Are you not going to pay back the money you borrowed, you bastard? If it weren’t for Master Malcolm’s orders, you’d be dead already!”
Garrett glared at Kale and then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him.
Kale, who had tried to learn to read even amidst severe hardships, could barely make out the letters on the paper.
[Monster Coliseum Participation Application]
“A, an application for the coliseum…?”
As Kale asked in confusion, Garrett continued.
“Didn’t you hear me? The benevolent Master Malcolm is giving an opportunity to someone like you. Just sign this application, and your debt will be forgiven.”
“R, really?!”
Kale’s eyes widened at the mention of his debt being forgiven.
He could be free from debt with just one signature.
However, he felt a sense of unease.
‘Monster Coliseum….’
The name itself sounded too dangerous.
He had a premonition that his life would be difficult to save if he went there.
Sam spoke to the hesitant Kale.
“Don’t worry. If you survive, you can earn a lot of money. See here, it says you just need to endure for 15 minutes.”
Sam pointed to a section of the application with his finger.
There was indeed a sentence that read, ‘If you last for 15 minutes, you are considered to have survived.’
‘Just 15 minutes….’
He had lived in suffering for seven years, so enduring for 15 minutes seemed possible.
“You won’t be able to save your sister by just working like this. You need to face reality.”
Garrett approached him kindly.
His words were not wrong, certainly.
Living like this now felt like there was no hope for his future.
“This offer is only for now. Decide quickly.”
However, Kale hesitated.
It was definitely a good offer. If he survived the coliseum, he could start anew.
Moreover, his sister could receive better treatment.
But what if he died in the process?
Then what would happen to his sister who was left behind?
It was a dreadful hypothesis he didn’t want to think about.
Perhaps it would be better to live like he was now rather than risk his life.
If he lived diligently, wouldn’t his sister get better someday, and wouldn’t the debt all be paid off?
As Kale was lost in thought, he suddenly heard someone’s shout.
“Brother, this application period is closed! We can’t accept any more!”
At the shout, Garrett muttered with regret.
“Tsk, you fool. You should have taken the opportunity when it was given. It’s already over.”
A wave of regret washed over Kale’s heart for a moment.
‘Ah… I should have just applied.’
After hesitating and missing the chance, he finally realized his situation.
Today, tomorrow, and in the future, he would have to work tirelessly.
And he would continue to struggle with debt, worrying about the present day.
Rather than spending such arduous days, perhaps it would be better to risk his life for 15 minutes.
Kale clenched his fist tightly.
“I, I will also participate! Please give me a chance too. I beg you!”
As Kale desperately pleaded, Garrett and Sam looked perplexed.
“This is odd, what should we do…”
Kale made a earnest appeal.
“If I participate, you won’t have to mind me, right? Please, give me one more chance! I’ll do well!”
Perhaps Kale’s earnestness worked.
After a moment of thought, Garrett finally spoke.
“Hmm, it’s not normally allowed… but I’ll make a special exception just for you. However, don’t blab about this. I’m doing this secretly, ready to get punished.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
Kale smiled brightly and began to write his name on the application.
Placing his hope in the 15 minutes of opportunity that lay ahead.
Garrett, upon seeing Kale’s behavior, couldn’t hide his smirk.
‘Fool. People wouldn’t flock to a place like this.’
The Monster Coliseum had just opened; it was not yet known to the public. Therefore, the number of participants was also small.
They had simply tricked Kale into signing.
However, Kale, unaware of the truth, dreamed of a brighter tomorrow. Holding onto the hope that his life could be changed in just 15 minutes.
* * *
“Heehee, finally our eagerly awaited coliseum has opened! Isn’t it exciting?”
Malcolm said with a grin, addressing Necros.
The stage was already set, as this was a business they had been pursuing for a long time.
However, they needed participants and monsters; otherwise, all preparations were worry-free.
But this time, they recruited participants. Those who had borrowed Malcolm’s money and couldn’t repay it were blackmailed and forced to participate.
The problem was monsters, but Necros resolved that.
‘There’s definitely something to him.’
Thanks to Necros’s efforts, they were able to secure various monsters.
Not only the zombies Malcolm had originally thought of, but also various monsters like goblins, orcs, and slimes.
‘What a shame.’
It would be great if he could just learn the secret, but Necros was thorough.
Malcolm licked his lips for no reason, but there was still plenty of time. He could slowly probe Necros’s abilities.
Malcolm soon shook off his distracting thoughts and spoke.
“But tell me, on whom are you going to bet? Hehehe.”
After all, a coliseum wouldn’t be complete without betting, right?
You just had to predict which participant would survive and bet on them.
And if the participant they bet on survived, they would receive prize money according to the odds.
With the coliseum open and the grand first match about to begin, wouldn’t it be improper for the organizer to be absent?
Malcolm and Necros naturally intended to bet.
“I’m going to bet on this one. Hehehe. The odds are a bit low, but he’s a former adventurer, so he’ll probably survive until the end.”
In fact, the person Malcolm pointed to was a former Silver Rank adventurer, and many bets were placed on him.
However, because the odds were low, it wouldn’t be very exciting even if that adventurer won.
Malcolm stated his thoughts and waited for Necros’s choice.
And after a moment, Necros also selected a participant.
“Kyahaha! You’re quite the joker! The kid you chose, he’s only sixteen years old. His only experience is probably wiping snot, hehehe!”
As a result, the participant Necros chose had the highest odds, but realistically, the chance of survival was close to zero.
However, Necros did not retract his choice.
Who was he?
He was a servant of the great Master, belonging to his dungeon.
And who were the monsters appearing in the monster coliseum?
They were also those who served the great Master and belonged to his domain.
With Necros’s choice, the outcome of the match was as good as decided.
