READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Trudge…
Trudge…
“Are we going the right way?”
“I think we’re almost there.”
When the dungeon core is activated, magic flows into the dungeon. With this magic, you can activate and use the dungeon’s basic facilities.
To expand or strengthen the dungeon, you need more magic, and the magic is replenished by opening the basic facilities.
The basic facilities are the alpha and omega of the dungeon.
Right after the dungeon core is activated, most of the basic facilities are locked except for the core, but there is one facility that is unlocked from the start.
“Here it is.”
“…”
“Here, the hell gate is sealed.”
It’s the hell gate.
The summoning altar, which is the reason for the existence of gacha-type games, exists in the form of a hell gate in Lemegeton.
A space connected right below the core. The flow of magic from the upper floor poured into the dark room and headed to the object, the hell gate.
Whooooo…
The shape of the hell gate that I saw for real was bizarre.
‘Should I say it’s the same as the game?’
The tightly locked hell gate.
A sinister aura seeped through the cracks, and the thickness of the door was ominous. It was wrapped in chains, and a skull with a crown hung on top of the door.
The skull lifted its drooping head and spoke in the direction where I and Lucifer were.
“Oh… Is this the sound of a contractor after a long time?”
“…Skull?”
Lucifer tilted her head as if she saw the skull on the hell gate for the first time.
‘That makes sense, since the hell gate that Faust gets for the first time is not an ordinary one.’
Clank…
“Ahaah! A demon! I smell a demon.”
“…Excuse me, but who are you?”
“Me? How dare you ask who I am!”
“Yes.”
“I am…”
The skull shivered and tilted its head.
“Who was I?”
“…”
“I can’t… I can’t remember.”
Lucifer sighed at the words that were no different from a silly joke.
Am I the only one who knows the identity of that skull among the people here?
‘The skull of the ancient demon Aziraphale.’
The hell gate that Faust gets.
The skull engraved on it is the skull with the soul of the ancient demon Aziraphale.
This is revealed later when you push the main episode.
‘Well, that’s not important right now. I don’t care about Aziraphale or whatever.’
Tap tap tap…
“Uh… Um…”
“…”
The skull turned its head in embarrassment.
“The magic supply is still… not enough to see the hell with these eyes.”
“…”
“So, hurry up and supply me with more magic! Your laziness has brought about the end!”
Lucifer glared at him and said.
“How dare you speak to Faust like that…”
Hey, don’t fight.
It’s the flow according to the scenario anyway.
Swoosh…
I raised one hand and stopped her action.
“Stop.”
“Faust.”
“The skull seems to be telling the truth. Is there a way to increase the magic supply to the hell gate?”
Swoosh…
Lucifer closed her eyes and obeyed my command faithfully.
When her eyelids touched, she shone with a new charm. Being an insensitive Faust, I only felt a slight admiration for the beautiful scenery.
“…I found it.”
“Is it close?”
“It’s not far from the core. But…”
I know.
That place must be in chaos.
…And that’s why these three losers showed up.
“Let’s go. Time is urgent.”
“…Yes.”
* * *
After hurrying back to the core, I sent the goblins to the magic vent in a chaotic state.
The goblin slinger took the rear, and the other two took the front and moved in a decent formation.
As the goblins entered the chaotic area, a tutorial message popped up.
[Your familiars are heading to the magic vent in a chaotic area.]
[If you succeed in stabilizing the magic vent, you can build a magic production facility.]
[Tip: Combat is determined by the abilities and will of your familiars.]
As I read the one-line tip, I was a little worried.
‘So, how good is the autonomous combat of the familiars in this place?’
It’s a very important point.
In the long run, the better the autonomous combat of the familiars, the higher my survival rate.
“Kerkerker…”
“Kerk…”
The goblin trio watched the front and moved. I checked their movements through the illusion that flowed from the dungeon core.
Squeak-!
Squeeeak-!
They found something.
‘Plague rats.’
Plague rats that screamed at the sight of the goblin trio.
They had the size of a leopard and sharp teeth, making them extremely ferocious.
‘But they’re only at the bottom of the food chain in the Rotten Root dungeon.’
“Keruk!”
Wham-!
The goblin brawler’s fist was merciless.
A horrible scream was spat out in an instant.
Squeak…
The plague rat staggered back, as if it had broken its ribs with one blow.
“Kishik!”
Whack-!
The runt next to him swung his club and smashed the skull of the staggering plague rat.
The slinger didn’t even need to intervene, as the pack was neatly cleaned up.
Unless it was a large pack, the three of them could easily sweep the room.
It was easy, as befitting a tutorial.
But it was too early to relax.
‘I have to check for irregular situations as well.’
Ziing…
A dark energy gathered on the goblin brawler’s fist.
[The goblin brawler’s Flashing Fist is activated.]
[The goblin brawler’s next strike will be a critical hit.]
The goblin brawler had a decent skill, worthy of a 2-star familiar.
I didn’t use this skill.
It was the will of the familiar.
‘…Is it a trap?’
Wham-!
Even if it was a tutorial, this was the time when an irregular pattern would be thrown in.
Squeeeak-!
Something unexpected appeared from an unexpected angle.
‘As expected!’
A plague bat flying in the air.
A surprise pattern out of nowhere.
But the goblin slinger was watching with his eyes wide open.
Swoosh-!
Wham-!
A perfect hit.
Squeak-!
[Tip: Flying enemies have an increased chance of taking critical damage from projectiles.]
A tutorial that faithfully educates.
‘Well, what’s the next pattern?’
Squeak-!
Squeeeak…
Squeak…
Without waiting, two plague rats and one plague bat appeared at the same time.
Moreover, one of the plague rats was twice the size of the other rats.
‘Is this the end of the tutorial?’
The last gate of the familiar tutorial.
The boss battle.
[Tip: Among the enemies that enter the dungeon, there are some that have more power than others.]
It was just a slightly bigger plague rat now, but later there would be adventurers or more powerful monsters.
I didn’t even have a moment to think. I just had to follow the path that was already set.
As I envisioned the combat, I had to see if the goblin trio could do it.
Swoosh-!
The slinger’s projectile headed for the plague bat.
The priority sniping was done properly.
Boom-!
Squeeeak-!
The plague bat fell out of the sky as soon as the battle started, and the slinger started to take out more stones from his basket.
Meanwhile, the goblin brawler and the giant plague rat collided.
Wham-!
Crack!
‘Did it scratch him!?’
The giant plague rat’s claw grazed the brawler’s shoulder and passed by.
[The goblin brawler is infected with the stinky plague.]
It wasn’t a fatal wound.
The plague could be cured after returning when the stabilization was over.
‘Here, the runt blocks the intervention of the other plague rat.’
Sure enough, the runt reached that conclusion on his own and blocked the path of the remaining plague rat.
Shriek…
Whack-!
Squeak…
Here’s the fork in the road.
The slinger had one more move left.
Ziing…
The slinger’s hand was stained red.
[The goblin slinger uses Skull Aim.]
[If you deal more than 5 damage to a beast-type enemy, you stun it.]
A skill that was practically useless for the goblin slinger, with limited target types and conditions.
But it was quite effective in the tutorial.
Swoosh-!
Thud-!
The slinger’s attack hit the giant plague rat and made it stagger.
Squeeeak-!
This was the moment for the brawler to rush in.
“Keruk!”
Wham-!
Squeeeeeeak-!
With a grotesque scream, the giant plague rat fell.
[Tip: The goblin brawler deals critical damage to stunned enemies.]
The text that popped up as a tip.
Of course, I knew that.
The giant plague rat that flipped its eyes and fell was the end of the battle.
Squeak…
The last plague rat fell.
[You have eliminated all threats in the magic vent.]
[You stabilize the magic vent.]
[All spoils are bound to the dungeon: Rotten Root.]
[You can build a magic production facility.]
* * *
Ziing…
[You have completed the construction of the magic production facility.]
[If you assign labor to the magic production facility, you can produce more efficiently than now.]
[Current magic production 100/200]
[Tip: Most of the basic facilities produce better results when you assign labor that matches their type.]
‘Well… anyway, is this the end of the tutorial?’
[You have supplied enough magic to the hell gate by completing the construction of the magic production facility.]
The magic production facility was just a name change from the vent, and it only turned the flow to the hell gate.
It didn’t look much different on the outside, but it still felt like I did something.
“Lucifer.”
“Then…”
“Yes.”
While the goblins returned from the battle, I headed to the hell gate with Lucifer.
Tap tap tap…
The skull of Aziraphale connected to the hell gate greeted me, or rather… the magic.
“Oh… this is it, this power! This magic! You did a great job!”
“Don’t be mistaken. That magic is solely for Faust’s well-being.”
“Bwahaha! Whatever. Fine… what do you want?”
The tutorial boss, the giant plague rat.
Of course, there was also a reward.
He might spit out something that is the most valuable currency in Lemegeton.
“Lucifer, take that out.”
“Yes.”
Whoo…
A radiant rainbow-colored magic stone.
Also known as a demon stone.
If it wasn’t for the tutorial, or if the developer made a huge mistake and gave it as a reward, it was something that the player could never get.
“…That is.”
“Yes.”
“This… is interesting. Hahaha!”
The crowned skull laughed.
“Do you want me to scour the bottom of hell?”
The demon stone is the highest grade of familiar in Lemegeton, 6-star…
It is an item that can definitively summon one of the 72 demons of Lemegeton with six stars of potential.
Swoosh…
I put the demon stone on the altar and warned him.
“Don’t disappoint me, for once.”
The skull of Aziraphale flashed his eyes and said.
“I will do so.”
Whoo…
Aziraphale sucked in the energy of the demon stone.
Zizzzz…
The skull’s eye sockets spewed out the same overwhelming rainbow-colored light as the demon stone.
“Aah… Aaaaah! Euaaaah!”
Thud…
Kwoong…
There was a vibration from beyond the hell gate.
…Something was coming over the door.