——-----------------------------
[Square One (Entrance)]
[Enemies]
∟ Human Male (Axe + Shield)
∟ Human Male (Sword + Shield)
∟ Human Female (Staff)
∟ Elven Female (Bow)
[Traps]
∟ Arrow Traps x2
[Monsters]
∟ Goblin Archers: 4
∟ Goblin Guardian: 5
——-----------------------------
A few moments after leaving the throne, the tapping of his boots echoed through the dungeon. Leonhardt's breath echoed through the third square as he raced to the entrance.
『Dungeon Wife! How can I win this fight easily?』
The fruity and pure air flowing through the third square made the inside of his nose tingle with a cold, icy sensation each time he sucked in the air.
[Correction! I am not your wife]
[Several methods found to improve your chances of winning!]
∟ Purchase new spells from the Dungeon Shop!
∟ Summon more monsters and overwhelm them!
∟ Purchase Attribute Elixirs from the Dungeon Shop!
The moment Leonhardt heard these methods, he instantly passed on the second, despite getting back the DP spent to summon goblins when they died.
He really didn't want to purchase temporary power.
『Okay... then open the shop and recommend me two spells and then spend the rest on Elixirs!』
He stopped for a moment because he wanted to check the shop interface, which popped up automatically when he asked the dungeon wife to help him.
Leonhardt didn't know if she was supposed to help him so much, but he wouldn't hold back if it could help him become stronger.
——----------------------------------------
[Tome of Fire Wall]
∟ Creates a wall of flames that stop projectiles and burn those who touch it.
∟ 150DP
[Tome of Blazing Missiles]
∟ Channel Ten searing missiles at the target, dealing high fire damage
∟ 150DP
——----------------------------------------
[Elixir of Intellect (Lesser)]
∟ Increases Intellect by 50 points.
∟ 200DP
[Elixir of Strength (Lesser)]
∟ Increases Strength by 50 points.
∟ 200DP
——----------------------------------------
Immediately after the items appeared, there was a confirmation box that floated with green letters.
[Accept the chosen items?]
『Well, increasing my magic damage and physical strength seems helpful here.』
He watched the items appearing on the panels and tapped the buy-all button.
The moment he accepted the items, a sudden jolt of knowledge filled his mind.
"Ugh.."
Leonhardt felt the runes and magic circles for both Fire Wall and the Blazing Missiles spell flow into his mind, their structure and understanding their use fully.
The feeling was like a small drill poking his brain and filling it with hot glue.
Unlike the magic spells, two cold bottles of thick fluid appeared in mid-air and dropped into his hands. He wrapped his hands around them, enjoying the chilling sensation, and then popped the corks on the two potions.
The moment he tasted the purple intelligence elixir, it filled his mouth with the sweet and bitter flavour of raspberry. "Delicious... Ugh?!" The next moment, he felt his veins burning as if they were being forced open by searing lava.
He shouted in pain as his blood vessels expanded while his muscles began to cramp. With a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes—the beautiful red pupils looked clearer than usual.
『Her suggestion was useful...』
As his vision cleared up, the notification came flooding in, notifying Leonhardt about his improvements. He then swallowed the red potion quality as he started to rush to the entrance.
The flavour of the strength tonic was a little sour and sweet, like red apples.
∟ STR: F -> E [10/100]
∟ INT: E -> D [0/100]
With his mana brimming full at almost double the amount, it was two days ago. He could feel it slowly increasing, the excess mana filling his body and muscles, bringing him closer to the evolution that would save his life.
『I only have four days—there's no time to waste. I have to evolve...』
Meanwhile, in the first square, the battle became violent as two humans lunged forward at the goblin guardians.
Both wore cheap leather armour, with one using an axe and the other a sword—the moment they came close, their bodies shone red and rushed at the goblins.
With a brutal strike, their weapons cut through the guardian's shields.
"Alex kill the one to the left!" The axe user shouted while smashing a goblin with his shield.
"Got it," Alex replied, hurrying past the injured guardian and attacking an unguarded archer. He slashed the archer's legs and booted his face once he fell.
"Kill!"
At the same time, arrows rained down on Alex, forcing him to take cover behind his shield.
"These bastards! Luna, take care of the four archers!" Alex called out while backing up. The elven woman nodded, hopping on a nearby rock and aiming.
After she drew back her bow, the swift arrow cut through the air like a white line and pierced one of the archer's skulls. Soon after the hit, she killed another, leaving only three goblins.
"We did it!" The female priest holding a staff cheered from the back, a smile on her face.
However...
"It seems goblins weren't enough after all..." A deep voice sounded, shocking all the humans before a sudden sight made them tremble.
—Blazing Missiles!
Before the group could react, a rain of ten fiery bolts zoomed past the next room's entrance and struck the priestess with blonde hair.
The impact sent her flying back as smoke filled the air between everyone. "Nora!" Alex screamed her name as he watched her fall.
And right as he turned away from the remaining goblins...
"Keep your eyes open, human."
A sudden web wrapped around his eyes before one of the goblins on the ground opened its eyes.
The next scream came from the axe user. "Alex?!"
"Hrrrk!" A desperate cry echoed.
The male called Alex struggled to remove the webbing while a dying goblin tore out his throat, gnawing and stabbing until the human fell to the ground.
"I warned you..." Once again, the deep and magnetic voice echoed from the darkness as the remaining elf and human watched the doorway.
"Luna, hurry and run!"
"But Blake?!"
There was a moment of hesitation...
"Did you think I would let you?"
Woosh—!
A huge flaming wall covered the entrance door, a thick and raging fire that lit the dark cave, finally showing the figure of the man who kept mocking them.
"W-Who...!?"
"Hello, I am Leonhardt." He stood facing them, with hair dark as night, a handsome face with deep and charming eyes that sparkled like a pair of ruby gemstones.
Leon flicked his gaze to the trembling elf and human with his lips twisted into a distorted smile. In his hands were crackling bolts of fire—the two humans understood this creature was malevolent.
"...I am the Dungeon Master." Instantly, a series of flaming bolts burst across the sky, the same that turned their friend and priestess into a burning lump of flesh, fired towards the elf.
"Shoot them."
Because the human became distracted by Leonhardt's appearance.
—Twang!
The last remaining goblin held its crude bow, and with a slight creak, it loosed an arrow at the exposed neck of the human warrior.
With his attention split in half, the man couldn't react in time even though he had seen the danger. Yet, despite his efforts, a simple goblin's attack still punctured his throat.
"Urk.... Lu....an...."
Choking on blood, he watched the elf fleeing for her life to avoid the flaming missiles that seemed to follow her movements.
In a fatal error, she tripped and fell into the wall of fire.
"Argh... Ahhh....it burns... Haaaa! Help.... Please... help me!"
Unfortunately for her, there was nobody who could hear or respond to her screams as they burned inside the roaring inferno.
It wasn't long before the corpses of these adventurers soon became silent.
An entire party perished.
"Goblin Archer Three... you've done well to survive."
"Master! Gobbo do well?"
"You did very well, from now on, your name is Gobbolas."
The moment Leonhardt gave the goblin a name, he felt a sensation of heat building within himself, and the goblin archer also glowed with a fiery aura.
[Goblin Archer Three - Has met the condition of evolution]
[Specimen #69 - Has reached the conditions for evolution]
[Beginning Evolution!]
[Teleporting units to the Throne Room!]