Around the dungeon.
By now, adventurers had already gathered in small groups.
It was impossible to imagine just how much treasure lay within a new, unexplored dungeon.
Especially one as magnificent as this.
The architectural style was something they had never seen before.
The crowd of adventurers stared at the imposing hemispherical dungeon and its towering pillars.
Some, unable to restrain their inner greed, put their heads down and charged inside.
As the first adventurer made a move, the rest suppressed their lingering doubts, seemingly terrified that the treasures behind the gate would be stripped bare by those ahead of them.
And so, they all rushed in.
When the lord's men arrived and saw the signs of activity around the dungeon, confirming its existence, they were initially ecstatic, then immediately began to curse.
"Those peasants! How dare they covet the Lord's property!"
"You two, return at once and report the situation to the Lord. The rest of you, stand guard outside. We're going in to explore first!"
"Yes, sir!"
At this moment, everyone wanted to be the first to explore the new dungeon; who knew what kind of benefits might be hidden inside?
However, the rank and file had no choice but to obey their superiors.
Inside the dungeon.
The first wave of adventurers looked around their surroundings.
"The first floor is a grotto, and there's no scent of monsters or any rare ores."
"It's my first time seeing a dungeon like this."
A blond man gripping a broadsword spoke first, his tone tinged with disappointment.
"Blondies really are idiots. In deep dungeons, the number of surface-level monsters is usually very sparse."
"I'm afraid this is no ordinary dungeon."
A black-haired man spoke with an air of confidence.
These words made the eyes of the disappointed adventurers light up once again.
That's right—this must be one of those massive dungeons, which is why the surface layer looks so barren.
"The priority right now is finding the passage to the next floor."
"I am Kroos from Bentu Territory. If we each fight our own battles, our efficiency will be too low."
"Furthermore, we don't know when the lord will discover this dungeon. When that happens, it'll be hard for people like us to even get a scrap of meat."
"I suggest we unite for now and split up to search for the passage to the next floor."
Kroos began to rally and incite the group of adventurers.
"But what if someone finds the passage and sneaks in ahead of us?" someone asked.
"If anyone thinks they can explore an entire floor alone and keep their harvest without getting robbed before the lord's men arrive..."
"They are welcome to try."
Kroos's words silenced the adventurers, and they soon agreed to the alliance.
After agreeing to leave markers for each other, the group split up to explore the grotto, searching for the way down.
Meanwhile, Dalun Li watched every movement within the grotto.
"Interesting. They actually teamed up."
"However, this floor of mine isn't that simple."
The first floor contained many false passages, making it a veritable labyrinth. It would be nearly impossible for them to reunite using markers.
But a labyrinth could only stall for time. To truly deal with these intruders, he needed something more.
"My little mandragora, it's up to you."
The blond Fete separated from Kroos and soon entered a deep tunnel.
He tightened his grip on his broadsword.
Tunnels like this usually held either danger or treasure.
Though there was no scent of monsters, and they hadn't encountered a single one on this floor yet...
In a dungeon, one could never be too careful.
As he went deeper into the passage, the dim light grew brighter.
Fete squinted his eyes and finally reached the end of the tunnel.
A lush green plant grew quietly at the far end.
A pleasant fragrance wafted toward him.
The moment he caught the scent, Fete felt a warm glow spread through his body. The dull aches of old injuries and feelings of physical sluggishness vanished.
"A mandragora! It has magical effects—it's a magic herb!"
Fete's heart pounded wildly; he was almost at a loss for what to do.
This dungeon really wasn't ordinary if it grew such precious magic herbs.
He hurriedly sheathed his broadsword, stepped closer, carefully bent down, took out a cloth bag, wiped his hands clean, and reached out to grab the mandragora.
The moment he touched it, the stems suddenly split, and silver Leaf Needles shot out.
In an instant, they pierced Fete's neck.
Fete didn't feel any pain, only a numbness in his neck.
Poison!
What the hell is this thing?!
Fete tried to retreat, but the mandragora before him shot another round of silver Leaf Needles.
He desperately held up his hand to block, and his palm was instantly pierced. The sensation of paralysis returned.
Fear flooded Fete's heart.
He wanted to draw his sword, but the moment he moved to do so, the mandragora shot more needles.
This time, they sank into his chest.
The paralysis spread through his entire body. Fete collapsed to the ground, watching helplessly as the mandragora before him bent its stems and leaves, opening a gaping maw filled with jagged barbs.
"No, please, no!!!"
...
"One intruder down."
"The little mandragora was a success!"
Dalun Li was about to praise the little creature when he saw it opening its maw to feed.
"Did I say you could eat? Honestly!"
Reaching across the void, Dalun Li slapped the mandragora on the head.
The mandragora froze. It was about to show its ferocity, but upon sensing a familiar aura, it instantly looked pitiful.
The corpse on the ground was swallowed by the floor and disappeared.
[Flesh Absorption Lv.3, Earth Vein Power +3]
"It can actually increase Earth Vein Power!"
"These adventurers are treasures!"
Dalun Li realized that these adventurers were also resources.
They brought danger, but they could also become his nourishment.
He couldn't just keep them out or kill them all off.
He even needed to intentionally prepare some treasures for some adventurers to find.
"The Sustainable Adventurer Development Strategy."
Dalun Li fell into thought.
At the same time, Fete's belongings were teleported in front of Dalun Li.
A set of leather armor, a broadsword, and a small pouch of coins.
Inside were 8 silver coins, 16 copper coins, and a cloudy red gemstone about the size of a pinky finger.
Could these be considered treasures? Could they help him absorb Earth Vein Power?
[Earth Vein Power +0.2816/day]
Why is it such a specific number?
Dalun Li began to ponder.
The 0.1 came from the mandragora seed's effect, 0.1 from the low-quality ruby's boost, and 0.08 from the eight silver coins.
The 0.0016 came from the sixteen copper coins.
The ordinary leather armor and broadsword had no effect on the absorption speed of Earth Vein Power.
Gemstones, coins—even copper coins—had an enhancement effect.
Coins and gems really are hard currency.
I hope the harvest from the other guys doesn't disappoint me.
Rate on N.U.
