“Of course, that’s not all.”
Celia’s smile had become deeper and more mysterious than before.
At her words, the gazes of all the dungeon monsters, including the Death Knight, quietly focused.
Currently, the actors, the dungeon monsters, and the stage, a fake dungeon, were prepared.
However, only the play was ready; there were no audience members to watch this magnificent play.
She gracefully stepped forward and continued.
“So, I have informed Master about this play.”
The one who would watch the play that would unfold in this fake dungeon was none other than the Great Master.
At Celia’s words, silence descended within the dungeon.
***
– Special Mission Alert.
– Celia, the Chief Administrator of the dungeon ‘Evil God’s Nest’, has prepared a play for Master.
– Please support the successful completion of the play.
[Support List]
[Power to the Director]
– Grants Celia, the play’s director, omnipotent authority to coordinate the entire stage in real-time. (50,000,000 KRW)
[Make the Play’s Stage Even Greater]
– Transforms the crude play’s stage into a more magnificent and grand one. (30,000,000 KRW)
[Summon Actors for the Play]
– Allows the dispatch of monsters from Earth to the play. (0/3)
[Add Splendid Special Effects]
– Maximizes the play’s dramatic effects. (5,000,000 KRW)
[Final Movement to Decorate the Finale]
– Grants the final monster, which will decorate the end of the play, a powerful authority that can be used only once. (25,000,000 KRW)
[Special Viewing Seat for Master]
– Allows Kanghyeon Lee to watch the play. (100,000,000 KRW)
– Reward for successful play: 1 Earth Dungeon Creation Rights.
– Penalty for play failure: Decrease in dungeon monsters’ loyalty.
‘What is this situation?’
Suddenly, an alarm for a special mission sounded.
However, the atmosphere was very different from previous special missions.
“A play?”
What play?
Why did Celia prepare a play that now appears as a special mission?
Until now, special missions had only appeared during critical moments.
A mission had appeared when someone intruded into the dungeon or when it was related to the Sail Kingdom, or when something happened directly or indirectly to me.
“But it says ‘play’?”
I didn’t understand.
What kind of play would warrant a special mission like this?
Moreover, for the first time, I could directly support the mission.
‘What is this really?’
It felt like there was something hidden, given it was just a play.
“Hmm.”
If this special mission were to be successful, I could create a dungeon on Earth.
On the other hand, if it failed, it was written that the loyalty of the dungeon monsters would decrease.
‘The penalty is quite severe?’
If the loyalty of the dungeon monsters decreased, it would naturally negatively affect the dungeon’s defense.
Therefore, it meant that I had an obligation to successfully complete this special mission.
“Well, I have enough money.”
I recently received payment from Yerin Jeong, following the contract deposit, and for the Terrilif Mana Potions.
There was no burden in supporting it.
And more than anything, even if I didn’t know exactly what the play was, I believed Celia wouldn’t do anything foolish.
‘Should I dispatch first?’
[Summon Actors for the Play]
– Allows the dispatch of monsters from Earth to the play. (0/3)
The number of monsters that could be dispatched for the play was limited to three.
“This is a no-brainer.”
Since it’s a play, the Incubus, Azmo, who seems to have a good understanding of art, is a must.
‘If possible, let’s dispatch Betta as well.’
In fact, if Azmo and Betta were dispatched, Dungeon & Co. wouldn’t be able to operate.
But constantly making them work felt like being a villainous corporation.
‘I can think of it as sending them on vacation this time.’
Even without Azmo and Betta, there was Vestera, the doll maker.
It shouldn’t be a problem to go for a short while.
‘And the last one-‘
My gaze turned to Maru, who was beside me.
“Maru?”
It seems Maru is my only option.
‘I can’t help it.’
I decided on Azmo, Betta, and Maru to be dispatched to the play.
Next, I just need to pay for the items listed in the support list.
[Power to the Director]
– Grants Celia, the play’s director, omnipotent authority to coordinate the entire stage in real-time. (50,000,000 KRW)
This support costs a whopping 50 million won.
‘It means granting Celia omnipotent authority, right?’
I don’t know what it is, but it seems essential to successfully lead the stage.
“Okay, let’s pay for this.”
– 50,000,000 KRW has been paid.
– Supported [Power to the Director].
Next is immediately.
[Make the Play’s Stage Even Greater]
– Transforms the crude play’s stage into a more magnificent and grand one. (30,000,000 KRW)
“Hmm…”
Is this really necessary?
Come to think of it, is it right to just support it without even knowing what the play is?
“…”
But my deliberation was not long.
“Yeah, Celia wouldn’t do anything strange.”
“Maru!”
Isn’t it that the play has some meaning, so they are doing it?
– 30,000,000 KRW has been paid.
– Supported [Make the Play’s Stage Even Greater].
“Fancy special effects? Let’s do this one too.”
Since it’s a play, it would be more enjoyable with special effects.
– 5,000,000 KRW has been paid.
– Supported [Add Splendid Special Effects].
And the next support item was ambiguous.
[Final Movement to Decorate the Finale]
– Grants the final monster, which will decorate the end of the play, a powerful authority that can be used only once. (25,000,000 KRW)
‘The final movement to decorate the finale?’
It grants a powerful authority that can be used only once to the final monster, but why is this needed in a play?
‘I don’t know.’
In any case, what’s important to me is to successfully complete this special mission and create another dungeon on Earth.
‘Let’s pay for it first.’
– 25,000,000 KRW has been paid.
– Supported [Final Movement to Decorate the Finale].
– The selection of the final monster to decorate the finale is up to the director, Celia.
And now, only the last support remained.
In fact, the last remaining item was hardly something to be called support.
[Special Viewing Seat for Master]
– Allows Kanghyeon Lee to watch the play. (100,000,000 KRW)
Why does it cost money for me to watch? And such a huge sum of 100 million won.
‘Isn’t this not even support in the first place?’
This is strange.
What should I do about this?
Celia prepared such a play, but I can’t just not watch it.
‘Right, it’s just watching, so that’s fine.’
– 100,000,000 KRW has been paid.
– Supported [Special Viewing Seat for Master].
In the end, I paid for it.
Then, at that moment.
“……!”
My consciousness flew away.
***
When I came to my senses, I was in complete darkness.
No, it was a space close to nothingness rather than darkness.
An endless void with no up or down, front or back.
The familiar scenery of my room, which had been there a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is this place?”
My soliloquy scattered into the void.
I was flustered, but I quickly regained my composure.
It must be a phenomenon related to the [Special Viewing Seat for Master] that I paid for last.
Then. The space in front of me began to shimmer faintly.
As if ink spreading in water, a faint form began to take shape in the black space.
But I couldn’t recognize it. A being that I couldn’t understand or face directly.
That being conveyed something to me.
“■■■■■… ■■, ■■■■■■.”
But I couldn’t understand.
Could that even be called language in the first place?
It was just an unpleasant noise that felt like it was scraping directly at my brain.
The blurry form disappeared into the darkness again after finishing its unintelligible words.
What was its identity?
My thoughts were not long.
When I came to my senses again, the void in front of me had turned into something like a movie screen in a theater.
And what I saw beyond the screen.
“A dungeon?”
It was definitely the appearance of a dungeon.
But its size was beyond imagination.
It looked like a massive tomb.
“Is it a tomb-themed dungeon?”
It looked like a large, well-maintained burial mound.
The moment I finished my brief observation, the screen’s perspective changed.
The screen was now showing a group of people gathered in an open field a little distance from the dungeon entrance.
“Knights… and adventurers.”
There were even Paladins.
Judging by the different flags, they had clearly joined forces to enter the dungeon.
“The Kalrn Empire, the Orbis Empire, the Adonil Kingdom, and even the White Church are gathered here?”
The number was not very large.
Although various countries were gathered, their numbers seemed to be around fifty or so, far from a hundred.
Ha.
I let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.
Just how incredible was this dungeon that everyone had gathered like this?
Suddenly, the scattered puzzle pieces in my mind began to come together.
The word ‘play’ that had appeared in the special mission window. And this surreal scene unfolding before my eyes, with knights and adventurers from across the continent gathered.
Could it be… that this was the play Celia mentioned?
“……”
Come to think of it, the possibility seemed high.
And now I could perfectly understand the whole story of this incident.
‘That dungeon was the stage for the play!’
Celia hadn’t prepared a simple play.
The stage for the play was that dungeon, and the dungeon monsters were merely actors performing on stage.
And what the actors were targeting was precisely.
“The knights and adventurers gathered there…”
Meanwhile, Celia was also watching the scene from within the dungeon.
Originally, she would have had to rely on Dambi’s report, but thanks to the support of [Power to the Director].
“This is also the Master’s grace.”
The Great Master’s grace did not end there.
Celia looked at the stage she had prepared, the fake dungeon, with eyes filled with a mixture of awe and ecstasy.
No, it was an architectural marvel that had reached the domain of god, where she could no longer claim to have prepared it herself.
Originally, what she had ordered the Death Knight to do was merely to create a plausible fake dungeon. It was enough to give it a slight feeling of ancient ruins, enough to fool humans.
But what unfolded before her eyes now was a creation of another dimension.
A giant tomb rising from deep within the earth.
The majestic and ominous aura that made one believe even a god of death might be sleeping there.
Celia unconsciously placed her hand on her chest.
“Ah…”
What escaped from her red lips was a religious exclamation that went beyond admiration.
“This is, this is the power of the Great Master!”
She knew it.
This was not just beyond her plan, but a blessing and favor bestowed directly by Master.
Celia barely suppressed the urge to kneel before the Great One.
Now was not the time.
“To repay that, I will offer the best play.”
Celia slowly rose.
