Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 23

"Sera, from now on, you’re allowed to go to the dungeon alone. I’m also permitting the use of the 【Floating Orb】 in town. However, there are a few conditions. Understood?"

Whoa… I’ve finally become a full-fledged adventurer…

Just as I was about to get emotional, Seriana continued.

"The only thing you’re allowed to use in town is the 【Floating Orb】. And when you do, make sure you’re dressed like a servant. That’ll prove you're part of this household. You can keep wearing the 【Shadow Sword】 on your finger, but don’t use it outside the dungeon. You probably won’t run into trouble dressed like that, but if, by some chance, you’re targeted by thieves or something—don’t fight, just run. If you truly have no choice, it can’t be helped… but remember, these people are Father’s subjects. Avoid killing them if at all possible."

So basically, I just have to move around outside in a maid outfit?

"Yeah. Got it."

It sounded a bit dangerous, but nothing too crazy.

"Good. In the dungeon, stay in the shallows. Don’t go to the upper levels. You can tell the boundary, right?"

"Yeah."

The upper levels still have paved ground at the front, but the walls and ceiling lose their paving, and the bare earth is exposed.

I plan to stay close to the ceiling anyway, so it’ll be easy to spot.

"This time of year, there probably won’t be anyone deeper in even in the shallows, but still, make sure to identify the location of the 【Hideout】 early on. If you feel any danger, flee there immediately. Be wary of not only monsters but also people. If they’re from within the territory, it’s one thing, but there are a few from other territories as well. Don’t let your guard down."

"U-Understood."

What is this? She’s really driving this point home... I glanced at Seriana, thinking she still had more to say.

"Hey, Milady."

"What is it?"

Alec interrupted Seriana and spoke up.

"In her case, I think she’ll understand if you just explain the reason properly."

"I think so too," Elena added, agreeing with Alec.

"...You think so?"

"I mean, yeah, it’s a long explanation, but..."

"I see... got it. Dungeons are created using Holy Coins. By offering 10,000 of them and performing a ritual, one manifests."

Seriously!?

I didn’t think they were naturally formed, but… wow. Holy Coins really are something else.

But 10,000… that’s expensive.

"To maintain a dungeon, you need to offer at least 100 Holy Coins per year."

"At least?"

"Yes. If someone dies in a dungeon, and their body isn’t removed within two days, they get absorbed by the dungeon, just like monsters whose core has been destroyed. Since adventurers take on that risk knowingly, it can’t be helped. The problem is, for every person absorbed, the number of coins needed for maintenance increases by ten."

…That adds up fast.

I figured you could just send in waves of people to brute-force through as long as you got Holy Coins out of it, but I guess not…

"The current dungeon under Zelkis requires 210 coins annually. We still have some leeway, but that doesn’t mean we can let the number increase unnecessarily. More importantly, each time someone is absorbed, powerful monsters begin to appear—ones that can move freely between dungeon layers. They won’t show up in the shallows, at least."

Sounds like a raid boss…

"And if we can’t pay the Holy Coins to maintain the dungeon, it collapses—releasing the monsters inside out into the world."

"Releasing… like, into the city?"

That’s way too dangerous…

"Exactly. That’s why it’s risky. These days, we have the guild for inspection and security, but back then—about 100 years ago—it was different. Back then, people would send death row prisoners into dungeons to destroy enemy nations or territories, or even directly kill adventurers inside."

So that’s why dungeon applications are so detailed…

Though, something’s been on my mind.

“So when they told me ‘don’t die in the dungeon,’ it wasn’t just out of kindness…?”

"The dungeon-specific guild staff are chosen from among knights who are especially compassionate, so I don’t think you need to doubt that part."

Ah, that’s a relief…

"It was a bit of a long explanation, but the bottom line is: we can’t have people dying in the dungeon. It’s not about how many monsters you can beat—it’s about whether you can make it back alive. Based on your performance yesterday and today, I’ve judged that you can. You can do it, right?"

"No problem. I’m not planning to die anytime soon."

"Good. Starting tomorrow, explore without overdoing it."

"Gotcha."

It looks like I can’t let my guard down, but either way, I got the green light to solo. Time to give it my best starting tomorrow!

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