[Grimfang's Dungeon]
Rank: E-rank
Danger Level: 5
Capacity: 23 / 26
Prisoners: 2 / 3
"Phewww!"
The subordinates' sluggish movements were resolved. I felt completely refreshed, and Lune regained her movement too.
"All ghouls assemble!"
Hases and 8 ghouls took positions before me. I opened the barracks door and pointed at the wooden interior.
"Ugh, it stinks."
Individual beds? There was no such thing. Copying exactly the barracks I imagined, the two long beds positioned left and right were disgusting just to look at.
Kieek.
But the ghouls were happy with just that. They seemed quite pleased to have a place to rest, and entered one by one to claim spots.
'That bastard's getting on with dirty feet?'
Ghoul (★☆) was the first to climb on the bed and sprawled out spread-eagle. Even the high ghouls hadn't claimed spots yet, but a mere ghoul preemptively claiming his spot first - and the innermost one at that - was truly a spectacular sight hard to witness.
"Hases, manage that properly."
Kruuk.
Hases bowed head, not knowing what to do with itself. Still, thoughtfulness in trying to look after own squad was touching, so I decided to let Ghoul (★☆)'s behavior slide just this once.
'He thinks he's special among the ghouls.'
Being the only one among six ghouls capable of evolution, he might subconsciously feel special.
'It's up to me whether I evolve him or not.'
Hases did so well there was no point finding fault, but maybe it would be better to exclude from evolution priority those who could evolve but made you not want to evolve them.
"Focus."
I stomped my foot to gather the ghouls' attention.
"Hases will decide your spots, and from now on there's one thing you need to do."
I pointed outside the barracks.
"Now that you're loosened up, go get more lumber, yeah?"
For gacha, expanding barracks was essential.
Kieek.
Ghoul (★☆) shrieked and threw a fit. Should I really kill him?
The moment I clenched my fist several times.
Whack!
Hases swung long arm and smacked the ghoul's head. The ghoul's head rolled on the floor.
Kruuk.
"...At least he didn't die."
Let's not interfere in squad internal affairs. Since Hases's level was much higher, have handle the internals itserft.
Morning, I ordered the ghoul squad to secure lumber.
***
"Lune, try saying it. Gacha!"
"Gats...?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
Time to summon. With a reverent heart, I clasped hands with Lune and stood before the summoning circle.
What to summon? I'd already decided.
'Increase harpies.'
Using Monster Summoning Tickets might summon new monsters, but I decided to save the one ticket I had.
'Need to use it after leveling up the summoning facility.'
I'd long since achieved one of the level-up conditions, '3 or more ★★ entities,' and there were plenty more.
Anyway, I just needed to fill today's summon count for the rest, so just increase capacity and keep summoning.
Harpies, twice.
Summoning that burned through 60 lowest grade magic stones, but still, having multiple harpies was good.
'They could hang from the cavity like bats then ambush, and if stars increase I could use them for farming.'
Watching them fetch water yesterday was a bit pitiful. I stood before the monster summoning circle to summon harpies.
[Magic Stone Summon: Use magic stones to summon subordinates.]
[Harpy 79 / 30 (Lowest)]
"Phew...."
Summoning twice in a row. Probability-wise 4-stars wouldn't appear, but at least not only ★s would keep appearing.
Once by me, and once borrowing Lune's hand.
"Did I get a Harpy Queen?!"
Harpy (★☆) has been summoned.
Harpy (★☆☆) has been summoned.
"...."
Dungeon capacity: 25/26.
The harpies landed demurely on the floor. Just not being ★ was enough to be grateful, but I was still excited inside hoping for higher-tier entities.
'No such future for me.'
"Ha, haha, ha."
Summon count was still only 22, but wasn't it about time for single-digit probability to come up a few more times? Was I hoping for too much at 20 pulls?
'That's bullshit. More is good.'
Rather than stressing over whether to grind ★s or not, it was much better to have the happy worry of how to level up and evolve them.
"Harpies assemble...."
No energy calling the harpies. Luckily their hair colors were all different so they were easy to distinguish.
"You're the leader."
I put an armband on the harpy. Harpy (★) was puzzled that she got the armband.
"Me...?"
"Yeah, you."
Unless it was very special circumstances, I had to at least acknowledge seniority. If a higher-tier harpy had appeared it would be different, but right now they were all the same 1-star harpies.
"Huuk, I'll work hard...!"
But the harpy was so grateful just for that, she even welled up with tears and steeled her determination. To commemorate the harpy squad being formed - though only 3 members - I gave them orders too.
"Now, go fetch water."
Morning, the harpy squad began filling another storage with water.
'Anyway, got 1 Monster Summoning Ticket.'
[Daily Quest: Summon monsters 1 time.]
[Reward: Monster Summoning Scroll x1]
Daily quests were important. Yesterday I filled summon count with Monster Summoning Tickets, but luckily summoning through magic stones counted too.
'That makes 2.'
Once the facility was upgraded, I'd gacha to celebrate.
Now there was only one thing I needed to do.
"Slurp, suck, haa."
Lune properly consumed her slightly late breakfast, and I lifted Lune onto my shoulder.
"Lune."
"Yes."
"Time for you to become a high elf."
"...?"
I'd have to evolve her to know. I left the cavity with Lune and Lime together and entered the sub-dungeon.
Lune's level was 14.
Just raise it by 1 more and evolution would complete.
***
At that moment.
[Chief and Rescue Party] led by the chief was absorbed in finding traces of the missing.
'Damn it, this is terrible.'
One person wasn't looking for traces but for a hole to escape through, but with twenty adults determined to search the forest, they could find even the smallest traces.
"Isn't this blood spilled by the witch's pigeon?"
A sharp-eyed hunter pointed at dark red blood that had dripped and hardened on the ground. The direction happened to be toward the village, and there were pigeon footprints around it.
"I don't know. Isn't it just footprints from some hunted bird bleeding?"
The chief shook his head pointing at the footprints. It must not be the footprints of the messenger bird May sent.
'Then fuck, I'd have to go where the pigeon was released!'
The bird wouldn't have walked but flown, so if it at least came walking exhausted from some affair, traces would continue that far.
"You're right! Let's follow it!"
And not just the chief but others could notice that easily enough. Everyone living in the slash-and-burn village made ends meet through hunting, and had pretty sharp eyes.
Step, step.
The chief eventually followed the pigeon's footprints according to the other 19's opinions. The traces soon broke off.
"This is...."
"Looks like it crashed here?"
At the starting point of the footprints were pigeon feathers and bloodstains everywhere. It looked like it crashed while flying, and those from hunter backgrounds scanned the traces.
"Let's go that way."
"The bird might've flown straight toward the village."
"Nah, how could that be? It probably just crashed head-first and happened to arrive."
The chief grumbled again. Jack's father, who stood at the front with a bow, confronted the chief with an angry face.
"Chief, do you even have the will to rescue them? You keep dragging your feet, seriously no matter what...."
"...My friend."
"Ahem. Sorry. Anyway, don't be like that. According to my instinct, this direction is certain."
Jack's father turned and moved forward.
In a small slash-and-burn village with less than 50 people, there were no eternal secrets, and naturally there were those who knew about the chief and May's relationship and even worse secrets.
'Wish they'd all meet monsters and die.'
"Everyone down!"
The hunters at the front quickly crouched. Those following also hurriedly hid in the bushes.
"...What?"
The chief doubted his eyes.
Corpse-like guys wildly swung their nails at trees, then scratched and cut the trees to appropriate sizes, and in the middle one carrying a huge chunk started transporting it somewhere.
Kruurk?
A red-skinned corpse scanned the surroundings. The chief held his breath, and fortunately the corpse didn't notice the chief and rescue party.
Kruuk.
The corpses each hoisted log chunks on both shoulders and disappeared somewhere. Moving at quite a fast but steady pace, those movements were definitely systematic like receiving someone's orders.
"Crazy."
"Chief...?"
The chief struggled to calm his trembling heart and stroked his chest.
'It's a dungeon.'
The monsters were monsters that would only pop out from dungeons.
'If I clear it, I can strike it rich.'
He didn't know how it actually was, but at least the chief's common sense said so.
"Chief...? I'm uneasy, shouldn't we at least inform the Baron...?"
"Let's carefully track them. If we follow those guys' trail, their base will definitely appear. And the children will be there."
And there would be treasures to unfold the chief's life.
After the monsters left, the chief and rescue party carefully followed their footprints.