Chapter 2

The Crisis at Hand and the Unknown Lurking Ahead

โ€œI guess for now, Iโ€™ve been savedโ€ฆ butโ€ฆโ€

Looking at the towering wall in the distance, I felt at a loss.

It was good that I had blocked the entity chasing from behind, but in doing so, I had effectively sealed off my own exit.

The cave seemed deeper than I had thought, and I could continue further if I chose to.

โ€œโ€ฆWell, there seems to be something there.โ€

If I were to try and break through the wall to escape, I honestly didnโ€™t want to do that either.

I was stuck in a bind, unable to move in any direction.

โ€œBy the way, what was that earlier?โ€

The image I had seen at the edge of my vision, like some kind of floating projection, had now disappeared.

But, I was half-convinced.

That must have been the skill the goddess had mentioned.

โ€œIf I just concentrate, could it appearโ€ฆ Oh, it actually shows up.โ€

The floating string of characters appeared effortlessly in the air.

It was clear that the skill responsible for creating this sturdy wall was โ€œWall Creation: Mana Consumption 1.โ€

โ€œWhen I was running away, it didnโ€™t show up at allโ€ฆ but now that Iโ€™m in this cave, itโ€™s suddenly usable.โ€

That meant I wasnโ€™t using it wrong.

It must have been the conditions that triggered its activation.

โ€œโ€ฆIn other words, since this is a dungeon, thatโ€™s why it suddenly became usable, right?โ€

If you think about it simply, thatโ€™s probably the case.

Outside of a dungeon, the Dungeon Master skill would have no effect.

So if it became usable the moment I entered this place, then this must be a dungeon.

โ€œUghโ€ฆ the more I think about it, the less I want to stay here.โ€

That lizard from earlierโ€”it seemed like a monster from a game now that I think about it.

I encountered something like that outside of a dungeon. In a dungeon, it wouldnโ€™t be strange to encounter something even worse, more frequently.

โ€œButโ€ฆโ€

In that case, I should turn back quickly. By now, thereโ€™s a higher chance that the lizard is gone.

But I canโ€™t turn back. This dungeon, which might be even more dangerous than the outside, is the only place where I can use my skill, the one lifeline I have.

โ€œFirst, I should check what I can do with this skill.โ€

Looking at the list of strings quickly, it seemed like this was a list of things I could do.

When I looked calmly, it reminded me of a gameโ€™s menu screen.

โ€œThereโ€™s not many glowing menu options.โ€

There were a lot of menu items.

However, the number that was glowing was very few.

I could somewhat tell that the unlit items probably couldnโ€™t be selected.

โ€œCreate a fork in the pathโ€ฆ Yeah, I thought so.โ€

โ€œFork Creation: Mana Consumption 5โ€

I tried selecting it, but as expected, nothing happenedโ€”it was a dud.

โ€œWell then, for now, letโ€™s seal off the other side.โ€

โ€œWall Creation: Mana Consumption 1โ€

I created a new wall, hiding the deeper part of the cave, opposite the wall that blocked the entrance.

With this, the area would be safe from monsters, whether from the outside or inside.

โ€œโ€ฆI mean, I guess Iโ€™ve kind of trapped myself, but it should be fine.โ€

โ€œReset: Mana Consumption 0โ€

Since there was a menu option like this, I figured it would be easy to erase the things I had created with my skill.

โ€œWall Creation and Resetโ€ฆโ€

I tried it out just to be sure. When I created a new wall and selected Reset while focusing on that wall, just as I intended, only the wall disappeared.

Alright, this makes me feel a bit safer in using my skill.

โ€œโ€ฆManโ€ฆ Iโ€™m getting more and more tired.โ€

I was suddenly reincarnated into an unfamiliar land, and then it was a chase with what seemed like monsters. Itโ€™s no surprise that Iโ€™m exhausted.

But at the very least, I should test this skill a bit moreโ€ฆ

โ€œNext, letโ€™s try creating a floorโ€ฆโ€

โ€œFloor Creation: Mana Consumption 1โ€

When I touched it with my finger, the ground changed from rough earth and stones to smooth, paved stone tiles.

โ€ฆMaybe I should just sleep here. Iโ€™m surrounded by walls and itโ€™s safe, and this neatly paved floor now looks like a fine place to rest, considering how tired I am.

โ€œI canโ€™tโ€ฆ I should sleep. Oh, thatโ€™s itโ€ฆ this meansโ€ฆโ€

I had been curious about the term โ€œMana Consumption.โ€

That means, every time I create a wall or floor, I was using mana.

It could be the dungeonโ€™s mana, but considering the fatigue that builds up every time I do something, itโ€™s probably my own manaโ€ฆ

Thatโ€™s as far as my thoughts went.

โ—‡

โ€œโ€ฆI feel a bit better than earlier.โ€

Despite being on the cold, hard stone pavement, it seems I ended up sleeping quite a bit.

I was that exhausted earlier.

This doesnโ€™t seem like just simple fatigue.

โ€œI guess it was because I consumed too much mana.โ€

And with sleep, my mana must have recovered as well.

If thatโ€™s the case, then the next thing I should worry about is my mana.

โ€œMana consumption: 1 x 4 times.โ€

The front and rear walls, the reset wall, and the floor.

Maybe the mana consumed from resetting the wall might come back, but for now, letโ€™s assume Iโ€™ve consumed 4 mana.

โ€œThat meansโ€ฆ my mana is probably around 4.โ€

Iโ€™m not sure if thatโ€™s low or average.

No, itโ€™s probably low. A Dungeon Master who gets exhausted after making 4 walls. Iโ€™m sure Iโ€™m the only one like that.

โ€œI wish it would at least show me the numbersโ€ฆโ€

I fiddled with the floating menu screen, wondering if there was something like that.

Then, I realized that sliding my finger horizontally made the screen change.

โ€œI seeโ€ฆ that previous screen was for remodeling the dungeon, and this one seems to be something like my status.โ€

Izumi Reiko
Mana: 5
Strength: 3
Skill: 4
Stamina: 5
Agility: 4

โ€ฆThose numbers are hard to react to.

If the highest was 5, and at least 10 or so, itโ€™d be an acceptable number.

But, the maximum is probably 100 or somethingโ€ฆ If thatโ€™s the case, my strength would be fragile enough to blow away with a gust of wind.

โ€œMana is 5. If I consumed 4, then I still had 1 left, and yet I was so exhaustedโ€ฆ If it reached 0, Iโ€™d probably faint. Thatโ€™s scary.โ€

At least I recognized the danger in that.

And the reason I couldnโ€™t create a fork in the road was probably because my mana wasnโ€™t enough to reach 5 at the time.

In other words, the unlit but readable items are things I couldnโ€™t use at that moment, but would be usable once my mana recovers.

Unreadable items are probably ones that require more than 5 mana to use.

โ€œStill, itโ€™s inconvenient not knowing my current mana just by the maximum value.โ€

I guess complaining doesnโ€™t helpโ€ฆ

At least I can get some idea of things based on whether the text is glowing.

โ€œHuhโ€ฆ wait, could this also be a map?โ€

Looking closely, the status screen shows something like a white glowing circle icon, displayed like a speech bubble.

That icon must be me. The important part is that the icon is positioned over something that looks like a path.

โ€œSo, if this is the entranceโ€ฆ wow, this dungeon is huge.โ€

There are also two other things that catch my attention.

The number โ€œ0โ€ written in the top right of the map. What could that beโ€ฆ?

Also, if this white icon is me, then is the grey icon nearby another living creature?

I tried to select it to check its status, but then, unexpectedly, another grey icon appeared.

โ€œWhat is this wall?!โ€

โ€œLooks like theyโ€™re trying to divide us! Demons are all such cunning creatures!โ€

โ€œIโ€™ll destroy it. I never intended to fight alongside humans.โ€

โ€œI wouldnโ€™t mind taking them down with the demons, honestly.โ€

Voices came from behind me.

At least, they werenโ€™t the same monsters from earlier, and they seemed like they could be reasoned withโ€ฆ

But again, there were words of hatred toward demons. Just like the men I encountered before.

Those men and these voices both mentioned killing demonsโ€ฆ

The goddess, who reincarnated me saying I was a failure, must have meant something like this.

Iโ€™ve been reincarnated as a demon, and it seems like in this world, demons are something to be killed.

A loud noise came from behind the wall.

The sound of something being struck was clearly meant to break through the wall.

โ€œAlright! Stop with the annoying tricks!โ€

โ€œOh, thereโ€™s a demon. Itโ€™s probably this guy who was blocking the wall.โ€

โ€œWe might as well take him down here to avoid more trouble later.โ€

โ€ฆAlright, I need to run. Thereโ€™s no way I can negotiate with them!

Unlike the men I encountered earlier, theyโ€™re not human, but their attitude toward meโ€”or rather, demonsโ€”seems the same.

I turned and ran straight deeper into the cave. Of course, I erased the blocking wall with a reset.

โ€œThe wallโ€™s gone. That means this is definitely his doing.โ€

This is bad. Bad. Bad!

Theyโ€™re definitely more dangerous than that lizard or those men earlier!

Although they looked human, they had distinctive ears, and their arms and legs were hairy.

They had ears like rabbits or cats growing from their heads. They must be beastmen.

Such creatures usually have high physical abilities.

โ€œWhat the heck is this? Theyโ€™re slow. Well, if theyโ€™re this slow, itโ€™ll be easy to outrun and kill them.โ€

The voice behind me was closing in fast.

โ€ฆThereโ€™s no way I can escape!

So what do I do? Should I beg for my life and hope they spare me?

No, itโ€™s clear they only want to kill me.

Thereโ€™s no way we can talk.

โ€œGoodbye, weakling.โ€

This voice probably belonged to a beastman with a sword.

He was probably trying to slash me. I was too terrified to even look back.

Is there anyโ€ฆ way to survive?

โ€œArgh!! Ah!? Not again!!โ€

It was a snap decision.

I quickly accessed the menu and created a wall againโ€”this time right behind me.

It seems that worked, as I managed to divide myself from the beastmen.

From the manโ€™s frustrated voice, itโ€™s clear he probably crashed into the suddenly appeared wall.

From the sound of him attacking the wall with brute force, his anger was intense.

That asideโ€ฆ

โ€œIโ€™m definitely escaping!!โ€

I focused solely on running deeper into the cave during this opportunity.


When I Was Reincarnated into the World of an Ultra-Difficult Game, I Ended Up As the Sole Subordinate of the Ridiculously Strong yet Incompetent Demon Lord, Tasked with Creating a Dungeon

When I Was Reincarnated into the World of an Ultra-Difficult Game, I Ended Up As the Sole Subordinate of the Ridiculously Strong yet Incompetent Demon Lord, Tasked with Creating a Dungeon

่ถ…้›ฃ้–ขใ‚ฒใƒผใƒ ไธ–็•Œใซ่ปข็”Ÿใ—ใŸใ‚‰ใ€ใƒใƒณใ‚ณใƒ„ๆœ€ๅผท้ญ”็Ž‹ๆง˜ใฎใŸใฃใŸใฒใจใ‚Šใฎ้ƒจไธ‹ใจใ—ใฆใƒ€ใƒณใ‚ธใƒงใƒณใ‚’ใคใใ‚‹ใ“ใจใซใชใฃใŸ
Score 10
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: Released: 2024 Native Language: Japanese
I was deemed a failure by the goddess and ended up reincarnated into the world of a game known for its insanely high difficulty, as the final boss's Demon Lord. My skill is Dungeon Master, and my race is Demonโ€”clearly, I'm on the enemy's side, not the hero'sโ€ฆ Lost and confused, I encounter an overwhelmingly powerful beingโ€ฆ Wait, you're the Demon Lord? You defeated the heroes but lost your subordinates and dungeons and now have no motivationโ€ฆ? I seem to have some useful skills, so could I serve you as a tool?

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