"Is it really enough to just send some Mana?"
Wade placed the letter he had written onto the altar. Not long after it vanished, a blue envelope materialized before him.
It was a letter from Linviel of the Azure Sea Dungeon—yes, the very same dungeon lord whom the Stone Giant Dungeon's lord had once mockingly referred to as a "pretentious old woman."
The sudden message she sent took Wade by surprise.
[That's more than enough. Thank you for your help. That child once had a small connection with me. I originally intended to look after her personally, but unfortunately, I've run into some matters recently and can't spare the time or energy.]
[Since your dungeon is the closest, Mr. Aldwin, I'll have to temporarily entrust that child to you. We can't communicate directly, but she's a good kid. If you ever have the chance to meet her in the future, I'm sure you'll like her too.]
"You're welcome. I was simply honoring the terms of the trade," Wade replied.
"But I really didn't expect it to be possible to gift items to low-level dungeons that haven't unlocked communication yet—even if the conditions are troublesome. Won't there be dungeon lords who try to exploit this?"
[Cause trouble? That's an interesting way to phrase it. Generally speaking, no. Dungeons that haven't unlocked communication don't appear on the map at all. To establish contact with them, you need to meet several conditions: sufficient distance, accurate dungeon coordinates, a basic understanding of the dungeon lord's identity—at least on the surface—and a few other hidden requirements. Even then, you can only send Mana or items. Letters, declarations of war, things like that can't be delivered.]
[If I hadn't provided the information, Mr. Aldwin, you wouldn't have been able to establish contact with that child at all.]
This kind of information wasn't even recorded in Kid's knowledge crystal. Where had she learned all this?
"It feels like a protection mechanism for newcomers—only allowing veterans to provide aid and supplies."
[That's correct. When I first became a dungeon lord, I received a great deal of help from my seniors as well. Ah, and technically speaking, I count as your senior too. If you run into trouble, feel free to rely on me.]
Why didn't I have any seniors helping me back then… Wade muttered inwardly before replying aloud.
"Thank you, Linviel."
[Good boy, good boy~ This is a star shell I picked up not long ago. I've been keeping it close to me, so I'll give it to you as a souvenir. If you stick it to your face, you'll be able to see the stars and the night sky~]
[The magic book I promised you has been sent as well. I'll have to trouble you to take good care of that child from now on. I'll send more magic books again soon.]
Wade thanked her once more. The reply even included a cute smiley face drawn at the end.
Ending a conversation with an emoji—so even another world used that classic tactic.
He looked at the shell that had appeared on the altar. It was larger than his face. Whether pressing it to his face would actually let him see the stars and night sky, he had no idea.
But it carried a faint citrus-like fragrance. Combined with her words—"kept close to me"—it was probably Linviel's body scent.
Wouldn't sticking this to his face get him labeled a pervert?
Wade strongly suspected she'd done this on purpose. No—there was no need to suspect it. It was absolutely intentional.
What exactly was she trying to do? Flirting everywhere under the guise of purity and innocence?
He set the shell aside for now and picked up the magic book.
Earlier, Linviel had approached him to make a deal, asking him to help take care of the Cangyin Dungeon.
Only after hearing her out did Wade learn that the dungeon had changed hands and now belonged to a new dungeon lord—one who shared a vague and complicated connection with Linviel.
Linviel claimed she was occupied with trivial matters and couldn't spare the time, which was why she entrusted the nearest dungeon—his—to watch over Cangyin. In return, she proposed exchanging items for Mana Wade would gift to the dungeon.
Perhaps she was preparing for a battle with another dungeon. That would explain why she wanted to conserve her Mana and chose to trade items instead.
Whatever the case, the deal had already been struck.
Wade ran his fingers across the magic book's surface. It was icy cold to the touch, its cover embedded with gem-like scales.
This was a magic book from the merfolk race—a species so rare they were nearly extinct.
He had no idea where Linviel had acquired it. She'd even mentioned possessing other rare magic books, all of which could be used as rewards in future trades.
The thought made Wade's heart race—though the source of his excitement was the book itself.
Recently, he'd begun to feel that relying solely on game-derived magic for his magic academy was… off. If he could incorporate magic native to this world, the sense of realism would increase dramatically.
Interacting more with other dungeon lords clearly had its advantages.
Since he'd already received Linviel's deposit, he couldn't afford to be stingy.
The new dungeon lord of Cangyin seemed to be a child. In that case, he'd show a bit of adult magnanimity and let go of the matter of her copying his ideas.
He sent her some Mana and, while he was at it, gifted her two harmless monsters.
Monsters sent this way would still remain under Wade's control—Hainis would only have usage rights. Perhaps she could eventually make them her own by understanding them, but—
Cherry Bomb and Jalapeño… just how was someone supposed to "understand" those?
You couldn't even dissect them. The moment they appeared, they exploded.
Well, whether she understood them or not didn't really matter.
They were only basic Cherry Bombs and Jalapeños anyway. Wade had far more powerful hybrid versions.
"I wonder if sending her a thousand will be enough. For a level-one dungeon, that should be a massive amount."
After a moment of consideration, he sent another five hundred as well, as a gesture of goodwill toward Linviel.
It was a pity he couldn't establish direct communication with the Cangyin Dungeon. Otherwise, he would've really liked to see how she used the plants he sent.
"We'll have a proper chat once she grows enough to unlock communication."
---
The Sein Dungeon sent me one thousand Mana?
Before Hainis could even process it, another five hundred poured in. Staring at the massive sum, she nearly burst with joy.
Outwardly, it manifested as her wings flapping wildly—so fast they were almost invisible.
A godsend in the middle of winter!
So dungeons could gift things to each other? But how did the lord of the Sein Dungeon know she was in trouble?
She desperately wanted to thank him in person, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't establish communication—as if she'd been muted unilaterally.
Her emotions surged so violently that she nearly passed out. A powerful sense of fulfillment flooded her heart. With these fifteen hundred mental energy points, she could rewind the Cangyin Dungeon to its former state and survive comfortably for a long time.
But when her gaze fell upon Frog-Head's rapidly mutating body, the joy on her face slowly faded.
She still had to deal with this cursed demon—and her monsters were completely unable to harm him.
The Sein Dungeon had conveniently sent over two types of monsters, but their names felt… strange.
Cherry? Chili pepper?
Could those really count as monsters?
Hainis examined them carefully. Their cost was relatively low, and their appearance was bizarre—oversized fruits and vegetables with human faces.
Information surfaced in her mind, but it was extremely brief. Only two words:
[Explosion]
Just how powerful could that explosion be? Surely it couldn't blow Frog-Head to death outright… right?
And there was even a summoning restriction—you couldn't summon them repeatedly in a short period of time.
This was a gamble.
Hainis steadied herself and summoned a giant frog near Frog-Head, strapping a Cherry Bomb onto its back.
Although a dungeon lord could place monsters anywhere within their dungeon, they couldn't spawn them directly on an enemy's face. There had to be at least some distance.
At that moment, Frog-Head's mutation had reached a critical stage. He still lay prone like a frog, but his body was now encased in a layer of shimmering crystal that clearly possessed extraordinary hardness.
Aside from the crystal plating, his forelimbs and hind legs were rapidly swelling and developing, making him resemble a Hunter from Resident Evil.
"Hehehe… my defense has increased tremendously! These shells are as tough as dragon scales!"
Frog-Head let out a satisfied laugh. The mutation thrilled him immensely, even though he'd noticed a flaw—while his external defense was maximized, his internal organs had become more fragile.
No matter. As long as he didn't do something stupid like letting an attack into his mouth, he would remain invincible!
"After resting a bit, it'll be time to go out and take revenge."
Just then, he heard the sound of rushing footsteps and turned his head.
A giant toad was charging toward him with a massive cherry strapped to its back. The cherry continued swelling, looking as if it might explode at any second, giving off a barely-contained sense of danger.
What the hell is that?!
Frog-Head's expression twisted. The dungeon lord still wasn't giving up? She dared to oppose him again?!
And she had that much Mana—sending monsters again and again just to block him?
The giant toad suddenly flicked out its tongue, wrapped it around the Cherry Bomb, and hurled it straight at Frog-Head!
"Oh?"
He intended to dodge—but then realized his lower body hadn't fully mutated yet. For the moment, he couldn't move.
If he couldn't move, then he wouldn't dodge.
With armor comparable to dragon scales, how could he possibly be hurt by a mere cherry?
From the start, he could tell the human-faced cherry was likely an explosive-type monster.
But how could the Cangyin Dungeon possibly possess a high-powered explosive monster? Even its strongest Forest Knight had been completely crushed by him!
Frog-Head had always looked down on the Cangyin Dungeon. This time was no exception.
He reached out and grabbed the Cherry Bomb directly.
"Wait—this thing—!"
His smile vanished instantly.
The moment he touched it, he finally sensed the terrifying energy contained within.
This is bad. This is a trap—
BOOM!
The Cherry Bomb detonated, accompanied by a cartoonishly exaggerated explosion effect!
The blast radius perfectly engulfed Frog-Head.
"Ah!"
Even Hainis cried out at the sheer power of it.
As the smoke cleared, Frog-Head was revealed—his body completely pitch black, with only his eyes still glowing faintly.
"Ugh…"
He opened his mouth and spat out a trail of smoke rings. He wasn't dead—at least, not yet.
But his once-proud crystalline armor had been completely blown away!
After the shock, his mind nearly snapped. How could such a small cherry unleash such terrifying power?! Why?!
In Plants vs. Zombies, the Cherry Bomb was essentially an instant-kill item, capable of ignoring armor and dealing true damage. If the enemy's armor was strong enough, it would prioritize destroying the armor first.
Translated into this world, it couldn't fully ignore armor—but it still carried noble, true damage.
Even armor he believed made him invincible couldn't save him from becoming ash before a Big Boom.
And this ash wasn't the kind that could reignite.
Frog-Head wasn't dead yet. He was still struggling. The demon race's regeneration wasn't just for show.
"D-damn it…"
He forced his not-yet-fully-mutated legs beneath him and began crawling shakily toward the portal.
A monster with that much power must be expensive or heavily restricted! I know dungeons—I just need to escape before the next cherry arrives!
Damn Cangyin Dungeon… hiding such a trump card. I underestimated it. I'll repay this humiliation someday!
From crawling, to staggering, to full sprinting, Frog-Head poured all his regeneration into his legs. If he could just get out, maybe he could still escape Darrick's pursuit and survive.
Just as he reached the portal—half his arm already through—it happened.
A strange sound came from behind.
Instinctively, Frog-Head turned his head.
A chili pepper was glaring at him with furious intensity.
Then—
BOOM!
(***)
Outside the portal.
The Farron Guards had completely surrounded it, every one of them burning with hatred for demons.
Not only the Farron Guards—even the local lord's soldiers stood tensely before them. They were terrified of death, but under their lord's orders, they had no choice but to be here.
For this day, the Farron Guards had endured far too much.
Grueling training every single day. Being worked to death in Hawkwood's painted world. Even now, some still lay unconscious, having died too many times inside it.
To gain power, they accepted the wolf blood of Old Wolf Farron with the resolve to die. When their will teetered on collapse, Darrick's wolf pack would step forward to share the burden.
No wonder Darrick always emphasized maintaining good relations with the wolves.
Before allowing anyone to accept wolf blood, he had never revealed this method of using the wolves to share its burden—to prevent people from harboring opportunistic thoughts.
No matter what you do, you must consider the cost in advance.
Though some received more wolf blood and others less, in the end, those with courage became Wolf-Blood Oathbearers—and true Farron Guards.
Amid endless invasions and counter-invasions, they discovered something new.
Whenever an invader attacked another dungeon from the Farron Keep, the Farron Guards would be automatically summoned to the invaded world to protect the fortress's peace. Upon victory, they would receive Wolf's Blood Swordgrass.
And if they gathered ten stalks and offered them to Old Wolf Farron, the reward was the magic Great Farron Dart.
To grow stronger, even elite guards like Wisk actively sought out Lion just to experience battles against powerful foes.
Lion's business had been booming lately—so much so that he might qualify as Sein Dungeon's Employee of the Year.
After paying such a heavy price, all for the chance to personally slay their enemies, news finally reached them—
A subordinate of Doslepo, the one responsible for destroying Val City, was still alive.
Their reaction was immediate.
Now, Frog-Head was hiding inside a dungeon. Sooner or later, he would be forced out.
And when that happened, it would be a battle of blood against blood.
The Farron Guards stood ready.
At that very moment—
A gigantic claw burst out of the portal!
Everyone tensed. Condensed magic was about to be unleashed—
"Ah!"
A flash of fire erupted from within the portal!
A heart-rending scream followed—then was abruptly cut off.
Before their eyes, the massive claw crumbled into ash.