Dungeon Hunter - Chapter 145

Chapter 145: Episode 46. Advanced Training Room

Sunlight came in through the window as Krithli opened her eyes.

“I think I dreamed of my childhood,” she whispered.

She felt like she had a very long dream. She dreamed about the time when she had played on the vast wilderness under the protection of adults.

While she was immersed in her lovely dream, someone called her, telling her to wake up. That voice repeatedly told her to leave everything to him.

If it wasn’t for that voice, she wouldn’t have woken up

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the wooden ceiling. She tried to stretch her arms and legs, but her extremities wouldn’t cooperate. It seemed like she had been lying down for quite a while.

“Oh…”

Krithli remembered she had fallen. She had tried to save Dwarking at the enemy’s trap, and her mana had surged.

‘Where am I?’ she thought.

It was a familiar place. It was a village of the Dark Elves.

Krithli was grateful that she was alive.

“I should get up…,” she said.

She got up with great difficulty. She thought she was going to die from the overflowing of mana, but somehow, she had another chance.

The demons had entered the dungeon. They were constantly attacking.

“Many monsters have probably been dying while I was here.”

She thought she had to quickly return to battle to keep the dungeon safe.

Krithli barely managed to get up. Her body still needed to recover. She changed her clothes and thought about the invasion of Oculus.

“That shouldn’t happen again,” she stated.

Krithli had returned without the Dungeon Master. She hid from the enemies for over three months while waiting for the Dungeon Master to return. However, Pandemonium started attacking, and she had no choice but to go back.

“I would protect the dungeon to my last breath.”

The dungeon shouldn’t be conquered.

“I will protect it. I must protect it.”

She clenched her fists as a stream of thoughts came rushing through her head. Then something happened…

Rumble!

A dark smoke emerged from her fists. It spread and started to corrode everything. The bed, wooden ceiling—everything—crumbled and turned into ash.

Crack!

It took only 30 seconds for the small house to collapse.

But Krithli was safe. Things like falling planks of wood were all blocked by some force before they reached her. The black smoke was protecting her.

“What’s this?”

In the center of the collapsed house, Krithli stood alone and bewildered.

<hr />

Breeding species…

In order to configure my dungeon, it was necessary to spread out the breeding species. It was a method of obtaining enormous benefits with fewer points, and a large number of monsters were indispensable to winning this game.

Usually, the monsters who could not breed had more uses and stronger than breeding species. The one who was able to mix them properly could dominate the second half of this game.

However, most of the breeding species had died from the invasion. I had to restore and strengthen them.

“I guess it’s time to bring the floor masters,” I said.

The floor masters were intermediate-level bosses who took care of each floor.

Being a floor master was not something that anyone could do. Only the final evolutionary form of the race, such as Orc Lord for Orcs, was able to become a floor master. That was why I had not brought them so far.

However, I changed my mind…

If I was absent like this time, then there would be a limit for what Lyhee and Krithli could do on their own. It would be more efficient to use floor masters to let them devise strategies for each floor.

The floor masters were related to the representative breeding species. Thus, they would understand the characteristics of the species, allowing them to unite easily against an enemy’s attack.

“It will take approximately 12 million points to restore the dungeon. Summoning a floor master for all floors will cost 1,800. Also, it would take a month for the dungeon to return to normal.”

Thanks to the Tree of Origin, it would take only a month to restore the dungeon. After getting rid of the enemy, I had restored the original function of the Dungeon Core and the Tree of Origin.

Pandemonium could attack any time this month. He lost his four demons at once. He would more likely avenge them.

‘I have to buy time… I need about a month,’ I considered, nodding.

But, it would provoke him if I made a move first. The only reason that this dungeon had survived was that I wasn’t here. Pandemonium somewhat knew about my power. Hence, if I were here, he would have probably mobilized more demons.

Possibly in 10 days, Pandemonium would begin to investigate, wondering why the demons had lost contact.

No matter how strong I became, I couldn’t deal with all of Pandemonium’s faction alone. So I needed time—time for my dungeon to recover.

“Master!”

Lyhee was hurriedly flying towards me. She had been cautious since I returned.

She had been asking questions such as “Would you like some honey-water?” or “Would you like a shoulder massage?” in a mature tone. She seemed to have matured a little, but that didn’t last long. She eventually went back to her old self.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Krithli!”

“…?”

Pant! Pant!

Lyhee took deep breaths before speaking.

“She’s breaking everything! Lyhee tried to stop her, but it didn’t work.”

“It seems like Ganak’s essence is causing trouble.”

I was convinced it was Ganak’s essence. I expected this.

I had successfully dissolved Ganak’s essence to Krithli’s mana. It was hard work, but the effect was incredible. The quality and quantity of her mana had grown rapidly. It was normal that she could not control it at the moment.

I nodded and commanded Lyhee, “Guide me to where Krithli is.”

“Ye-ye-yes…Master,” Lyhee responded with a look of concern in her tiny face.

Lyhee realized she was in haste again. She then remembered her manners.

She started to guide me, placing her hands on her stomach, slightly lowering her head. She looked like a clumsy maid; I couldn’t help but laugh.

<hr />

Crack!

The inner wall of the dungeon was deteriorating. The ground was split, and the wind was wild that it was difficult to get near. There was an empty circle about hundreds of meters around Krithli.

“Your Majesty! Please!”

Julium, the representative of the Dark Elves, begged. It happened in the center of the village, so there was nothing he could do.

“I can’t stop it!” Krithli shouted.

The smoke that came out of her body was causing destruction. It mercilessly corroded everything around it. She tried to lessen the damage by moving as fast and as far as she could from the village, but to no avail. The power was getting stronger, and it was completely out of her control.

“Please hold on. The fairy of the dungeon went to call the Dungeon Master!” Julium cried from hundreds of meters outside the collapsing village.

Krithli’s eyes widened. “Dungeon Master? What are you talking about?”

“He’s back. He’s the one who treated you!”

While she was unconscious, the Dungeon Master had returned. It was unbelievable.

Upon hearing this, it became difficult for her to control her emotions.

Rumble!

Her aura grew more intense and increased its range. The Tree of Origin would be affected if this continued.

“Oh, no! Your Majesty!”

Julium screamed, frightened of what else Krithli might do, and Krithli was in panic.

“What should we do?”

Julium was terrified. There was nothing he could do. He was afraid of what the Dungeon Master might do when he saw this.

Crack!

“Oh!”

From a distance, flames started to overwhelm the black smoke. Julium was relieved at what he was seeing.

<hr />

The Flame of Pride…

I maximized it and made it eat up the menacing smoke.

Pride was pretty similar to me. It wouldn’t tolerate anything that entered its domain without permission. Thus, there was no way that this flame would let the smoke rush at me.

“My Dungeon Master! Please don’t come closer!” Krithli warned when she saw me.

In the midst of her joy, she was worried that the uncontrollable aura would consume me. Slowly, I walked forward.

Ganak’s essence… I understood its true power.

‘He could control time,’ I thought.

Ganak’s, the King of Death, true power was controlling time. He could speed up time and cause corrosion.

My Flame of Pride even refused to be fast-tracked by time. It was very stubborn.

“It’s been a while,” I said as I stood in front of Krithli.

Krithli painfully opened her mouth to say, “My… Dungeon Master…”

It was difficult to read her at the moment. Her eyes were filled with various emotions. But what stood out was her feeling of regret. She seemed to be blaming herself after I had disappeared in the battle against Oculus.

“Go to sleep. I will help you control the power once you wake up.”

I placed my hand on Krithli’s forehead. Then, she closed her eyes, slowly lying down.

<hr />

Krithli was somehow stable when she woke up. However, I had no idea when Ganak’s power would emerge again. I had to take precautionary measures.

Therefore, I went into the Achievement Store and bought one item.

It was a parchment contract paper with various languages on it. I confirmed it with the Mind’s Eye.

Name: Advanced Training Room (5/5)

Description: The user will be moved to a place where training can be done in earnest. By dealing with ‘time’ and ‘soul’, the user can try to balance their body. It will not have any effect on those on the way to completion, but it is possible to see a sizeable effect for those in the transition period.

*It can be used a total of five times.

<ul>

Caution: Time in the room will run 100 times slower.

Entrance is not allowed if the total stat points exceed 450.

</ul>

** There will be hidden rewards according to the cleared time.

It was a perfect place for Krithli to train. Besides, I was very curious about the hidden rewards. I wasn’t allowed to enter, but I was sure that Krithli would get a good score. I called Krithli as soon as she woke up.

“Tashumal, I didn’t call you.”

However, Tashumal, a fallen angel with six wings, came as well. She stood right next to Krithli, folding her arms.

She was also one of the major players in defending the dungeon. But I only summoned Krithli. I had no idea why Tashumal showed up, too.

“I know. But I also need to be stronger. Don’t you think?” she said.

“Did Krithli tell you something about this?”

“She only told me that she will learn how to control her mana. But, Dungeon Master, didn’t you enter the transcendent realm? If you hand down your secret, that will help increase my strength.”

I never said anything about it, but it seemed like she had already figured out. I didn’t say a word.

Tashumal went on, “Angels have come down all over the world. Although I have fallen, I want to defeat the demons before the angels are all sacrificed. I have protected your dungeon for one year and eight months, so I think I am pretty qualified.”

That was our original deal: to help each other. She kept my dungeon safe and running for a year and eight months even though I had disappeared.

The influence of the Dungeon Core had weakened, so she could have escaped if she wanted to. What she had done while I was gone was truly based on her goodwill.

“Okay. I will allow it.”

I granted her request. I agreed that she was qualified.

The parchment paper was split into five pieces. I ripped two pieces, and two large doors appeared.

“Go inside. In there, Krithli and Tashumal, you will be able to gain power and stabilize your mana.”

I had no idea as to how much they would grow. However, this item was from the Treasure Warehouse of the Hell Lord.

This was a different type of item compared to other ones. I wondered why it was even on the list. But since it was in the Hell Lord’s warehouse, it would not be an ordinary item.

Krithli nodded. Her eyes were red, and she looked pretty sad. I soon realized why.

‘She knows Krathra died,’ I thought.

It seemed that someone had told her the truth. Nevertheless, it made Krithli more eager to increase her strength.

Krithli clenched her fists and entered through the first door. Tashumal went inside the second one. With loud noises, the two doors closed.

“Then…”

I quietly stared at the doors and then left.

Buying time…