It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

“Ha ha… ha ha ha!”

The laughter filled with emptiness and madness echoed against the walls of the Magical Realm Prison where Arpina was locked up.

“How could I… how could I be bound like this…! By a pathetic Demon Clan!”

Upon realizing the truth of the contract, she ultimately gave up everything. What remained were her shattered heart and fleeting pleasures.

“I guess I can have some fun until it’s time to settle the score…?”

Once outside, she relished her freedom and pleasure for a while. The former obsession with power and perfection vanished completely, replaced solely by pure enjoyment that filled her daily life.

Although she was heading south as per the contract, there was no resolve in her movements.

“An information merchant dares to propose a deal to me? Ha…!”

Even the task assigned to her by the contract felt bothersome.

She knew the unimaginable price she would pay if she did not follow through, yet everything felt so meaningless that she couldn’t take action.

Eventually, four days ago, she impulsively attempted to manipulate part of the Information Merchant Association at will…

“You can’t find them? That’s nonsense!”

Naturally, from that point on, things did not unfold as she wished.

She understood that Libertus was an appealing target for her aesthetic sense, but her motivation was significantly dulled, causing her to hesitate.

It was then that assassins masquerading as information merchants came to find her.

“Damn these bastards…!”

While Seurzius held her captive, Oison and all the other information merchants were ‘disposed of.’

In the end, she gradually became fed up with the tightening noose of information merchants and their gathered mercenaries and fled.

Although she had enough strength to defeat them, everything felt so hollow and powerless to her that all she wanted was to escape.

Time passed.

“Ugh…!”

A sharp pain pierced her chest.

The moment to execute the contract was drawing near.

The compulsion of the contract with the Demon Clan was not something to be taken lightly.

‘I must head south.’

Escape and the contract.

Currently, those were the only two words left in Arpina’s mind.

The sense of helplessness from repeated defeats had pushed her into a state of despair.

For someone in her situation, hiding for a while from the pursuing information merchants could only seem like an incredibly attractive option.

“There they are – !!”

“Those annoyances!”

She did not stop for a moment.

She moved recklessly toward the southern part of Kaisen, where she thought Libertus might be located.

However, among the information agents pursuing her, not only information merchants but also members of the Information Guild were mixed in.

Unbeknownst to her, the information merchants eventually gave up the chase, leaving only the guild members to ‘corner’ her.

“This is it.”

Arriving at the southern part of Kaisen, in the eastern Eisenlight Mountain Range.

With her numerous abilities, including detection magic, finding the location of Libertus’s dungeon from here was not too difficult.

The dungeon of Libertus, which had no human base nearby, openly leaked traces of magical energies.

‘As expected, it’s considerably weaker.’

The presence of Libertus detected was significantly weaker compared to the powerful adversaries she had encountered in the past.

While her actual power was smaller than theirs, Arpina had no way of knowing that she was deliberately suppressing her presence.

She had never seen a Dungeon Lord act like that.

“I can understand why three Dungeon Lords were defeated by something like this.”

A twisted derision mingled with disgust curled at the corners of Arpina’s lips.

Though she was in a state of despair, she was no fool.

Death might be easy, but she wanted to avoid suicide and suffering.

Thanks to the cooperation of the ‘Baron of Humiliation,’ she managed to obtain basic information about her target.

“They hardly revealed anything about their capabilities… but there’s no need to worry.”

At least she knew that the person was a ‘High-level Dungeon Lord,’ so such trivial things didn’t matter.

After all, they wouldn’t be able to cross paths with her at that level.

“How stupid are these noble Demons who sent me to kill something like this?”

As she scoffed and contemptuously passed through a narrow passage toward a cave,

Suddenly…!

An icy sensation swept through her, as if someone was tugging at her hair.

An instinctive detection triggered by intense intuition.

And when she unconsciously turned her head toward that feeling…

Arpina was able to spot ‘her’.

‘That’s…’

A woman clad entirely in black from head to toe.

– 2 –

Clink.

“How is it?”

The black liquid that had seemed like a tranquil surface rippled in the teacup.

“Hmm. It’s still a bit bitter for my taste.”

Muir Relix set down the teacup, her pale face shimmering against the black surface.

It wasn’t a particularly satisfactory answer.

“What a shame. It’s so delicious.”

It was rare to find someone who could appreciate the true value of this flavor.

This espresso, which I had obtained first from Leonis, was something I’d never seen anyone besides my three close aides able to drink.

Even other mages who were similar to him were repulsed.

However, Maria often enjoyed it with me, though she was likely busy working hard with Daniel’s mercenary group now.

“Well, there’s no helping it. Let’s begin the class today.”

“Yes… we were talking about reincarnation spells.”

Muir leaned back against her chair as she spoke.

The espresso had already moved far away from her.

“This is certainly a powerful force for self-preservation, but it requires various precautions.”

Today, what I was to learn from Muir was several curses and spells I had identified while investigating Arpina’s life.

Obtaining information was not difficult.

There were information guilds even in the north, and they actively cooperated with Talhan as Arpina descended toward the center.

But I did not plan to use her techniques as they were.

They were incomplete and dangerous as well.

“What should I be cautious about?”

“If the proper procedures are not followed, a part of your soul will remain in the previous body.”

A smile flickered across Muir’s lips. Yet the meaning behind those words was as chilling as a blade.

“Well then, wouldn’t that mean you can’t consider them the same being anymore?”

“Before and after that moment, they will likely regard themselves as ‘identical.’ The subject of consciousness doesn’t change.”

Moonlight streamed through the cracks, coloring her face in a bluish hue.

Her soft voice continued on.

“Was it Abelrus? The one who caught her changed quite a lot before and after. Her appearance, her aura…and even the consistency of her actions must have changed.”

Her insight was accurate.

The records Talhan collected detailed the changes Arpina underwent before and after that incident.

Everything from her minor habits and personality to the way she wielded her power had changed significantly.

“She may not realize it herself, but… she has already lost a crucial part of herself. And she will yearn to fill the void in her soul.”

“Indeed…”

Her words gave me confidence in my plan.

“Then what if, in her current state, she were to encounter a woman of exquisite beauty and elegance? A woman whose soul harmonizes perfectly, utterly beautiful.”

“Aha…”

Muir smiled calmly, as if observing a moth drawn toward a flame.

It seemed she had read my intentions perfectly.

“Though the lady hasn’t yet grasped the quintessence of soul magic, that’s just a matter of time.

Even now, outside of the 13 stars of the continent or the six Lords of the Thrones, no one can breach the barriers surrounding her soul.”

The 13 stars were the titles given to the greatest adventurers on the continent, while the six Lords of the Thrones referred to the Archdukes of the Magical Realms that existed across the continent.

Ever since this endeavor began, I had been both learning from her and having her thoroughly examine the state of my soul.

It was to confirm the final key to the plan.

“Alright… now I can feel more assured.”

After all, she was an excellent teacher.

“Come here.”

“Yes.”

At my call, my aides waiting in the shadows all stepped forward.

Evangeline, Xue, Lan, Sonia.

The people I trust the most now.

Today, I intended to allow them to look into my inner self.

To uncover the shape of the monster within me that held onto my emotions and whether I could indeed utilize that in this endeavor.

“If I get into danger due to my subconscious, don’t hesitate to pull out.”

The reason all four of them were entering was that this task was that perilous.

If my mind turned out to be stronger than expected, they could easily find themselves in danger.

Just entering my mental world could lead to that.

“Don’t worry, Master. We’ll make it out safely. If we get hurt, you’ll be the one who suffers the most.”

“Don’t worry… it will be fine.”

“Indeed. Regardless of how long it takes, it’s bound to happen. We won’t overextend ourselves.”

“With the Master worrying so much, there’s no way your subconscious would harm us.”

Nods followed their responses, and I shifted my gaze toward Muir.

She, who had been looking at us with a somewhat pleased expression, smiled and replied.

“Everything is ready.”

With her signal, the magic activated, and as I closed my eyes, I felt four lights penetrating my heart.

When I wake up from this, they would be back in front of me.

– 3 –

“How was it?”

The four people who emerged from Libertus’s consciousness were each in different states, but none could immediately respond to Muir’s question.

“Huh…”

Evangeline let out a long breath.

On her calm face lingered the marks of profound realization.

I didn’t know what they had acquired from Libertus’s heart, but at the very least, it seemed clear they had gained a higher level of consciousness.

“Oh my goodness… truly… truly…!”

Lan’s voice trembled deep within.

Her eyes, as if intoxicated by ecstasy, still seemed to be witnessing something.

Her face was filled with wonder, reminiscent of someone who had witnessed something divine or a fanatic who had seen the gaze of the Demon Lord.

“I could have stayed a little longer…”

Xue muttered with regret in her voice.

Like an audience lamenting the end of a beautiful song, her tone was filled with lingering sentiment.

“…”

Sonia still seemed unconscious.

Fortunately, it wasn’t for any serious reason.

She had merely momentarily exhausted her soul from the contact with Libertus’s immense consciousness.

Her face was peaceful, as if she were dreaming.

“Ah.”

After a while, the three who regained consciousness turned their gazes toward Muir.

“Our Master’s consciousness… was wondrous.”

‘Still.’

Representing the three, slowly a word slipped from Evangeline’s lips.

There might have been things they couldn’t say, but the emotion and reverence came through clearly in her tone.

“I see…”

Muir seemed somewhat disappointed. She regretted not being able to directly enter Libertus’s consciousness.

However, it was clear they had had an unforgettable experience.

Now, the plan to capture the Dream Witch was complete.