Powerful energy swept through the dungeon.
The aftermath, like a storm, left the floor cratered in many places and part of the ceiling collapsed.
Even the undead monsters, who usually guarded their sectors of the dungeon without emotion, were now in a state of unrest.
And their gazes were all directed at one entity: the Arch Lich.
The Arch Lich looked as he always did.
He wore the dark blue, high-quality robe bestowed by the Great Master, and held a fountain pen and a notebook in his hands.
Looking at him, nothing seemed to have changed outwardly.
But something was different.
More precisely, it had changed after the incident a little while ago.
For one, the power emanating from the Arch Lich had become stronger.
Every step the Arch Lich took, the surrounding air vibrated faintly. That’s how much his aura of power had changed.
On top of that, the concentration of mana felt in this dungeon had also intensified, which was a bonus.
At this point, everyone could understand.
All these changes were made by the Arch Lich.
It meant he had taken another step closer to becoming the ruler of the dungeon.
All the undead monsters knelt on the floor, paying homage to the Arch Lich and the Great Master.
“……”
However, the Arch Lich himself was not interested in the actions of those around him.
He was the first to bow his head and examine himself.
Outwardly, his appearance was the same as usual.
But he, too, realized that a special power had been born within him.
The Arch Lich raised his hand, which was nothing but bones.
With a slight exertion of power, a purple light enveloped his hand.
His usable mana had become much stronger than before.
It was a power he had never felt before.
At the same time, he felt a more intimate connection between himself and the dungeon.
It was domination.
“Clap!”
After confirming that he had gained strength, his next action was to open his notebook.
A moment ago, the notebook had floated in mid-air.
He had quickly snatched it with his hand, but there was a chance of the notebook being damaged.
The Arch Lich flipped through the pages of the notebook, checking to see if there was any damage.
And he found one change.
It was that something had been added to the notebook.
“Clap?”
It wasn’t his personal ledger or notes as an inspector.
Instead, information about the sub-bosses of each sector of the dungeon was newly recorded.
[Sector 1 Sub-boss of Layer 1]
– Death Knight (★★★★★)
[Sector 2 Sub-boss of Layer 1]
– Goblin Lord (★★★★★)
[Sector 3 Sub-boss of Layer 1]
– Vacant
[Sector 4 Sub-boss of Layer 1]
– Vacant
Although it was only recorded for Layer 1, it was still immense.
Now, there was no one who could stop him here.
Ah, except for the Great Being and the Chief Administrator.
The Arch Lich continued to stare at the notebook.
A vague memory surfaced, or rather, it was about to resurface.
What was that memory?
The Arch Lich desperately tried to recall.
***
– Arch Lich has been designated as the [Guardian of Layer 1].
– Guardian Arch Lich’s stats have increased.
– Guardian Arch Lich’s domination has been strengthened.
– [Guardian of Layer 1] manages all sectors of Layer 1.
Alarms continued to ring.
The alarms indicated that Arch Lich’s stats had increased as he became the Guardian of Layer 1.
Not only that, but his domination had also been strengthened.
Thanks to this, a significant change occurred.
– [Guardian of Layer 1] can recommend sub-boss appointments for Layer 1 to the Master.
“So, the dungeon runs itself like this?”
The Arch Lich, now the Guardian, gained another authority: the recommendation for appointing sub-bosses.
It meant that I wouldn’t have to worry about who to appoint as a sub-boss, even if the number of monsters increased.
“If the Arch Lich recommends them, I just need to approve them.”
I also manage the dungeon.
But I couldn’t manage everything forever.
More importantly, the monsters who live here would know more about the dungeon’s ecosystem than I, who only observed it through the screen.
I just needed to summon monsters and occasionally intervene.
“By the way, Sector 3 and Sector 4 should have sub-bosses soon.”
[Sector 3 Sub-boss of Layer 1]
– Vacant
[Sector 4 Sub-boss of Layer 1]
– Vacant
So far, there were no sub-bosses in Sectors 3 and 4.
Of course, Sectors 1 and 2 were strong, so there was no immediate problem.
But there was an unavoidable feeling of incompleteness.
“I need to procure more 4-star monsters.”
To appoint a sub-boss, a monster’s rank must be at least 4-star.
But it’s easier said than done.
Even getting a 3-star monster from the occasional gacha pulls was something to be grateful for.
Of course, it wasn’t that there were no 4-star monsters.
The half-goblins born a little while ago were also 4-star monsters.
And the Dullahan I obtained through Death Knight previously was also a 4-star monster.
“Hmm.”
But there were many problems with appointing them as sub-bosses.
First, the half-goblins were too young to be appointed as sub-bosses.
And the Dullahan, who carried his head in his hand, went out of the dungeon all the time.
He seemed to spend most of his time in the forest, and I rarely saw him.
Similarly, appointing such a monster as a sub-boss was problematic.
“I should try some gacha pulls while I’m at it.”
The current dungeon size had expanded beyond Layer 1 to Layer 2.
More sectors and layers were planned to be added in the future.
“Eventually, each layer will need a guardian.”
This means more sub-bosses will be needed for each sector, and thus more monsters.
Especially since guardians of a layer could only be appointed from 5-star monsters onwards.
“I’ll need a lot of high-rank monsters.”
Come to think of it, I probably don’t need to stick to just gacha pulls at this point.
Didn’t I experience it at the banquet?
The auction was much more cost-effective than gacha pulls.
Of course, whether monsters obtained through the auction would be loyal to me was another matter.
‘I should ask Celia about this later.’
Celia would probably solve that problem for me.
“Shall I stop here for now?”
I had been working non-stop since returning from the auction.
Moreover, I hadn’t even talked to the elf I brought back from the auction yet.
Just as I was about to turn off my smartphone screen.
– Arch Lich has remembered his lost name.
– Arch Lich’s original name is ‘Necros’.
– Necros is converted into a unique monster.
– Necros’s stats have been partially increased.
Other alarms rang.
It was about Arch Lich’s real name.
“Necros?”
It was quite a fitting name for the Arch Lich.
That fact was immediately reflected in the system.
For subsequent alarms, the name Necros was displayed instead of Arch Lich.
[Guardian of Layer 1]
– Necros (★★★★★)
Well, I couldn’t call him Arch Lich forever.
Especially since he had become the guardian of the layer, it didn’t make sense for him to have no name.
“At this rate, I should keep him as the guardian of Layer 1.”
At first, I had considered changing the guardian if another 5-star monster appeared.
But after seeing the alarms about Arch Lich, no, Necros’s stats increasing and him getting a name, my mind changed.
“Right, it’s not good to change commanders too often.”
I left it at that, hoping that Necros would manage Layer 1 well.
The dungeon was finally starting to look like a proper dungeon.
“Now, shall I really talk to the elf?”
Just as I was about to get up from my seat.
– Azmo has gained enlightenment.
– Azmo’s [Dungeon Monster Strengthening System] has been unlocked.
– Azmo, having gained enlightenment, suggests creating a group similar to the Underworld Merchant Guild on Earth.
“?”
What is this situation?
It seemed like I wouldn’t be able to rest today.
***
In the heart of the Incubus Dungeon.
There sat Azmo with a troubled expression.
Azmo was deep in thought, and it was related to social gatherings.
“True beauty was there.”
Then he suddenly exclaimed.
What he exclaimed about was none other than.
The beauty of the banquet hall where the social gathering was held?
It was certainly beautiful.
But it wasn’t enough to make him exclaim until now.
Then, the fact that he himself, who was on Earth, had crossed over to the El Dorado Continent?
It was certainly a great event.
But this was possible due to the power of the Great Master.
Although it was an incredibly great event, it was not surprising given the Great Master’s abilities.
In the first place, the difference in power was too great, so Azmo was not very impressed.
That’s right.
Azmo’s mind was not filled with the splendor of social gatherings or the wonder of dimensional travel.
The element that made him exclaim was the Underworld Merchant Guild.
“Underworld Merchant Guild…”
To Azmo, the Underworld Merchant Guild was an incredibly shocking organization.
Their very existence was to help various dungeons and increase their survival rates.
Azmo closed his eyes and recalled the past.
The moment he first woke up on Earth.
Azmo managed the dungeon on his own, without anyone’s help.
He repelled the hunters who invaded the dungeon and developed it while repelling them.
There were times when it was dangerous in the process.
Because this was not a world where hunters would be kind to a newly born dungeon.
Also, there was no culture of dungeon owners interacting with each other, which made it even more difficult.
In the end, Azmo struggled desperately to survive.
He captured invading hunters and obtained information through charm.
He even gathered the hunters’ weapons to strengthen himself.
Thus, all dungeons on Earth operated on a system of self-preservation.
When a hunter is captured, the dungeon owner gains power.
As that power grows, subsequent events resolve themselves.
The dungeon grows, and the monsters guarding the dungeon increase.
He knew this instinctively, without being taught.
But capturing hunters in the early stages was extremely difficult.
“What if there was an organization like the Guild on Earth?”
What if there was an organization like the Underworld Merchant Guild on Earth, as Azmo thought?
What if someone provided consulting for the early operation of dungeons and helped with their growth?
Wouldn’t Azmo himself have been able to operate his dungeon a little more smoothly?
If so, wouldn’t it be good to help other dungeons based on this regret?
The survival rate of new dungeons would surely increase.
An increase in survival rate would lead to an increase in dungeon power.
‘If the number of dungeons increases, it means hunters can be easily subdued.’
It doesn’t just increase power.
‘If that happens, I can offer this entire Earth to the Great Master…!’
There was a time when I offended the Great Master due to a wrong judgment.
It was the Monster Wave incident.
At that time, it was just a way to reveal myself to the Great Master, but I realized how reckless it was.
But this plan is completely different.
As his thoughts reached that point, Azmo nodded.
“Then how can I help?”
Azmo’s plan returned to square one.
How can he help other dungeons?
The ultimate goal is the Underworld Merchant Guild.
But for now, it was difficult to even imitate the Underworld Merchant Guild.
It wasn’t just about capital, but the scale was overwhelmingly different.
Even if Azmo imitated the Underworld Merchant Guild, it would be difficult to provide practical help to other dungeons.
“Hmm…”
As he pondered, Azmo recalled his own experiences again.
In hindsight, Azmo was lucky.
Even after surviving the initial operation, there were many crises.
If there was one thing he was luckiest about, it would be meeting Chief Administrator Celia.
Chief Administrator Celia easily subdued the hunters who invaded Azmo’s dungeon at the time.
It was because she was captivated by that power that she went under the Great Master.
And Azmo’s choice was not wrong.
Later, he received help from Death Knight and Arch Lich, who were under the Great Master.
Now, she even sent a subordinate officer to help with dungeon management.
Azmo found the answer right here.
‘I can’t imitate the Underworld Merchant Guild for now.’
But at least he could dispatch monsters.
Not only that.
‘If I can use the Chief Administrator’s abilities…!’
Chief Administrator Celia’s charm ability was incredibly outstanding.
What if he could control hunters using that charm?
He might be able to dispatch hunters instead of monsters to dungeons that needed help.
“Haha…”
The outline of the Earth version of the Underworld Merchant Guild began to emerge.
Azmo’s lips curved into a smile.
He wanted to convey his thoughts to the Great Master immediately.
That was the beginning of the Dungeon Company.
