The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

Chapter 114: For the New Kingdom (1)

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 114

EP.114 For the New Kingdom (1)

The sky over the capital was engulfed in crimson flames and ashen smoke. What had started as a small spark had quickly spread into a massive inferno.

The burning buildings resembled the fires of hell. People screamed and fled, while the collapsing debris and emerging monsters created a scene straight out of a nightmare.

People ran through the streets in terror, only to be devoured by the swarming monsters shortly after. The blood-soaked streets of the kingdom echoed with cries and wails. If there was a hell, it would look like this. The Sael Kingdom was in utter chaos.

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‘Assist Princess Elena and make her the queen.’

That was the content of the special mission. To accomplish this, numerous monsters were dispatched to the Sael Kingdom. Based on past experiences, it seemed like this mission would be over quickly. However, an unexpected variable emerged.

– The monster ‘Death Knight (★★★★★)’ has been continuously influenced by the demon sword. –

“What?”

A notification appeared, stating that the Death Knight had been influenced by the demon sword. And that wasn’t the end of it.

– Due to the influence of the demon sword, the Death Knight’s rank has temporarily increased. –

– The Death Knight (★★★★★) has temporarily evolved. –

– Legendary monster, Death Knight King (★★★★★★★) –

The 5-star Death Knight had suddenly transformed into a 7-star Death Knight King.

“Huh….”

What was happening? A 7-star monster appearing out of nowhere? Not even in El Dorad Continent or in any summoning had such a rank been seen. The only information about such a monster came from books or stories heard during his time in El Dorad Continent.

‘Even Celia is a 6-star, and now a 7-star appears?’

While having a stronger Death Knight would be beneficial, there was a reason he couldn’t be entirely pleased.

The first reason was….

– The temporary evolution of the Death Knight King will revert in 6 hours. –

– Once the temporary evolution ends, the Death Knight King will enter a state of incapacitation for a certain period. –

The evolution of the Death Knight to a 7-star level was only temporary. It wasn’t a complete evolution.

‘Well, if it were a permanent 7-star evolution, that would be overpowered.’

If the demon sword could evolve any monster just by its influence, he would have handed it to every monster in the dungeon. Such an action would undoubtedly break the balance.

Moreover, he could control the El Dorad Continent at his whim. But the Death Knight could only maintain its 7-star form for six hours.

‘This is really tricky.’

Six hours was an awkward amount of time. And after that, the Death Knight King would be incapacitated?

“Huh.”

But just how powerful was a 7-star entity? He had no firsthand experience to gauge its strength. One thing was certain, the current Death Knight King could probably destroy the Sael Kingdom multiple times over within the time limit. The problem was that he hadn’t dispatched the monsters to bring about the kingdom’s destruction.

‘If the kingdom falls, Princess Elena can’t become queen.’

The primary objective of this mission was the princess. He had devised a plan using Maru to ensure Princess Elena’s ascension to the throne. Destroying the kingdom would defeat the purpose.

“Sending it elsewhere isn’t an option either.”

The monsters he summoned had a designated range of action. Dispatching them to the Sael Kingdom was only possible because of the special mission, it wouldn’t be feasible under normal circumstances. Moreover, he couldn’t send the Death Knight King to another location.

Actions beyond the designated range are not permitted.

The only feasible option might be to recall it to his dungeon. But that would be pointless. The Death Knight King had to be utilized in the Sael Kingdom to the fullest extent.

However, this brought up another issue: how to utilize the Death Knight King effectively. Ideally, he wanted to let the Death Knight King rampage freely.

But he had to balance its destructive potential with the mission’s goal.

But reality was different.

‘There must have been signs when the Death Knight evolved….’

If the records in the books were accurate, the entire El Dorad Continent would have witnessed omens signaling the birth of a 7-star entity. The White Order would have immediately begun preparations for war. It was only natural that every nation on the continent would be on high alert.

The only silver lining was that while the omens would have appeared, the exact location of the entity would remain unknown. Actively utilizing the Death Knight King in this situation would be akin to announcing to the world that a 7-star monster resided in the Sael Kingdom.

‘Even if the princess ascends to the throne, it would still be a problem.’

It was obvious. Would the world stand by idly knowing a 7-star monster was in the Sael Kingdom?

‘They wouldn’t leave a potential threat unchecked.’

It was clear without even seeing it. The White Order would be the first to act. They would mobilize all their forces to scour the Sael Kingdom. Even though the Death Knight King would revert after six hours, the White Order wouldn’t stop. They might even declare the entire Sael Kingdom as heretics.

‘The White Order is more than capable of such actions.’

The problem didn’t end there. Other nations would likely follow the White Order’s lead and send their armies. Combined, the White Order and all the nations might attempt to erase the Sael Kingdom from the continent. If it ended there, it might be manageable. As regrettable as it would be, abandoning the Sael Kingdom could be an option.

But they wouldn’t stop at the Sael Kingdom. They would investigate the surrounding areas, which included the mountain range. And within that mountain range lay my dungeon.

‘There’s a risk of my dungeon being exposed.’

Even if I tried to hide it, with every nation on the continent conducting investigations, its location would eventually be discovered. They would then act under the guise of purification, attempting to exterminate every dungeon they found.

‘Could I fend them all off?’

The answer was ‘no.’ I shook my head. I might be able to fend them off a few times. My dungeon housed Celia, 5-star monsters, and a variety of other creatures.

Summoning monsters in real-time would make defense manageable initially. However, that would only hold for the first few waves. Eventually, I wouldn’t be able to fend off the continuous onslaught.

‘Ultimately, the dungeon would be overrun.’

If my dungeon were to be overrun, I would face death alongside it. There was only one course of action I could take now: ensure that the existence of the Death Knight King remained a secret. The best choice was to instruct it to remain quiet for six hours until the temporary evolution wore off.

‘As much as it pains me, there’s no other option.’

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see the Death Knight in action. If I could send the Death Knight King to another nation, I wouldn’t be facing this dilemma. Reluctantly, I touched the screen and moved to issue a command to Celia.

– Conceal the existence of the Death Knight King. –

Minimizing variables was the best strategy at this point.

“At least I’ve learned something about the demon sword, so let’s be content with that.”

Through this special mission, I had discovered some of the demon sword’s potential. Continuous exposure to the demon sword could evolve monsters. This insight opened up several strategic possibilities involving the demon sword.

‘For now, let’s focus on completing the mission.’

I hoped this special mission would conclude without further complications.

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Celia gazed at the burning kingdom with a faint smile on her lips. As she leisurely observed the scene, someone approached from behind.

“Um, the tea is r-ready….”

It was a human woman dressed as a maid. She carried a tray with trembling hands, the clinking of the cups loud due to her shaking.

“P-please enjoy….”

The maid’s voice quivered, and tears welled up in her eyes. Her pale face was etched with fear, revealing just how terrified she was of Celia. She quickly averted her gaze, trying to avoid Celia’s eyes.

Celia looked at the tea the maid had brought. The silver tea leaves floating in the cup were striking. The leaves themselves were silver, giving the brewed tea a silvery hue.

“Hmm, it has a lovely aroma, doesn’t it?”

The scent was a blend of flowers and sweet fruits. Celia brought the cup to her lips. The fragrant tea flowed smoothly into her mouth. While the aroma was sweet, the taste was not. Instead, it greeted her with a deep, rich flavor.

“What is the name of this tea?”

Celia, pleased with the tea, asked the maid for its name. However, the maid was too terrified to respond.

“P-please, spare my life!”

The maid fell to her knees, begging for her life. It was understandable. She had been an ordinary maid working in a noble’s mansion until just moments ago. Then, this horned woman had appeared, turning the mansion into a scene from hell.

From the maid’s perspective, it seemed as though people had suddenly gone mad. Knights and soldiers had used their weapons to commit s*****e. Others had followed suit. The noble she served had hanged himself, and his wife had repeatedly bashed her head against a stone in the garden. It was a terrifying and bizarre sight.

Now, the maid was the sole survivor in the mansion.

“Oh dear. I asked you a question, didn’t I? What is the name of this tea?”

Celia grabbed the maid’s head and looked into her eyes.

“Please, spare…”

The focus in the maid’s eyes vanished, as if her soul had been drained.

“……”

Celia smiled and asked again.

“What is the name of this tea?”

“It is called ‘Moonlight’s Breath.’ The leaves are harvested only once every hundred years, on the night of a blue moon.”

The maid answered Celia’s question with a blank expression. Her voice no longer trembled.

“I see. Bring me all the ‘Moonlight’s Breath’ tea in the mansion.”

The maid immediately left to carry out Celia’s command.

Celia finished the remaining tea. Then she spoke.

“The Master has given me orders.”

She received another command from the great one. At Celia’s words, shadows emerged.

“Tell Sir Death Knight, no, Sir Death Knight King, to stay quiet for six hours.”

The Master had instructed her to conceal the Death Knight King. Celia understood the significance of this command.

‘As expected of the Master.’

He had decided there was no need to reveal all their cards. Nodding, Celia continued to issue orders to the shadows.

“The Master does not want Sir Death Knight King to be exposed to the world. If there are any witnesses, make sure to eliminate them.”

Even if the identity was discovered, removing the witnesses would solve the problem. Surely, this was what the Master intended as well. One of the shadows disappeared upon receiving Celia’s command.

She then addressed the remaining shadows.

“Sir Necros’s strategy is excellent. He is doing very well.”

Necros had used the skeletons to herd the humans towards Princess Elena. He then appeared before Princess Elena’s knights and Maru, staging his defeat. Thanks to this, Princess Elena was gaining overwhelming support from the people.

“Sir Necros should continue as he is.”

Another shadow vanished as Celia finished speaking.

“Sir Vetter is doing well, so he can be left alone.”

Vetter, the deputy of the dungeon managed by Azmo, was a master of transformation despite being a slime. He was very busy.

– Her Highness the Princess is leading the knights to exterminate the monsters! Everyone, gather around Her Highness! –

– Her Highness the Princess has defeated the Arch Lich! –

In his human form, Vetter was gathering people, spreading news of the princess’s exploits. His mission was to broadcast Princess Elena’s achievements to as many people as possible. But that wasn’t all.

Vetter had also stolen money from nearby shops and used it to hire humans to act as agitators.

– The kingdom’s nobles have made a pact with demons to cause this calamity! –

– Let’s all lend our strength to the princess!! –

Thanks to this, it was easy to incite the crowd. The effects of the agitation were immediate. People, angered by the current situation, gathered at the nobles’ mansions wielding crude weapons and sticks. At this moment, Princess Elena’s position continued to rise. Celia was satisfied with how close they were getting to their goal.

“A new kingdom for the Master is not far off.”

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The march of the knights led by Princess Elena came to a halt. One of the knights shouted loudly.

“An Arch Lich has appeared ahead!”

A 5-star monster, the Arch Lich, had appeared. However, there was no fear on the faces of the knights. They had already defeated the Arch Lich twice and were confident they could win again.

“Knights, form ranks! Mages, prepare shields!”

Maru, standing beside the princess, was also given a task.

“Sir Maru! We’re counting on you again.”

The knight requested politely. The knights showed respect to Maru. From their perspective, Maru had already defeated the Arch Lich twice, and in a single strike each time. They genuinely admired Maru’s strength.

‘He must be a former holy knight.’

As a result, the story that Maru was a former holy knight spread throughout the entire knight order. With a single blow of holy power, the Arch Lich had evaporated without a trace, so no one doubted Maru. Amid the knights’ cheers, Maru drew his sword. He advanced, emanating holy power.

At that moment, the Arch Lich at the front began to shout loudly.

“Clack, Clack, Clack!”

The sudden behavior of the Arch Lich. Was it about to cast a spell? The knights became urgent.

“The Arch Lich is about to cast a spell! Cast shields immediately!”

However, Maru could understand the Arch Lich’s words.

(This time, I’m wearing a brown robe!)

This was the third encounter between Maru and Necros.

“Clack, Clack, Clack!”

(Next time, I’ll appear in a red robe!)

And just now, they promised a fourth meeting.

“Clack, Clack, Clack.”

(The time after that, I’ll send a Dullahan.)

They even promised a fifth encounter.

“What are the mages doing? Cast the shields immediately!”

The Arch Lich’s dark magic incantation was quite lengthy this time, causing the knights to tremble in fear.