It feels like a waste not to use up the DP (Dungeon Points) that’s been accumulating, so it’s time to put it to good use.
After giving it some thought, I’ve decided to focus on what I believe is important. While advancing agriculture and bolstering mining operations are good options, developing aquatic resources seems essential.
The reason is simple: relying solely on vegetables and grains can lead to nutritional imbalances. I want to make it possible to consistently consume fish as a stable source of protein.
At the moment, all I have is a fishing pond that allows me to catch a small number of fish. To turn this into a fish farming facility, I’ll need to increase the number of aquatic monsters.
Thanks to creating the fishing pond, I’ve gained the ability to acquire new aquatic monsters.
Using DP to summon aquatic monsters is a good idea, but I need to carefully consider which ones to bring into the dungeon.
For now, I’ll pick out the aquatic monsters I can summon at this stage:
1. Kappa (DP Cost: 1000)
- Trait 1: Increases cucumber production
- Trait 2: Enhanced swimming ability
- Combat Rating: C
- Description: A monster skilled at swimming. When involved in cucumber farming, it boosts cucumber production.
2. Mermaid (DP Cost: 1000)
- Trait 1: Soothing lullaby
- Trait 2: Super regeneration
- Combat Rating: D
- Description: Can lull targets to sleep with its singing, enhancing sleep efficiency. It also has an excellent regenerative ability, allowing it to recover quickly from injuries.
3. Amphibian Man (DP Cost: 1300)
- Trait 1: Amphibious capability
- Trait 2: Increases aquaculture production
- Combat Rating: B
- Description: Excels both on land and in water. When farming fish, it boosts production efficiency.
These three seem the most promising. The Kappa would be useful if I plan to create a cucumber field in the future, so it wouldn’t hurt to summon one now.
Its swimming ability… well, yes, the Kappa excels at swimming. It’s unlikely any enemy could match it in underwater combat.
Next, there’s the Mermaid. Its soothing lullaby has the ability to lull opponents to sleep, rendering them defenseless in battle. In daily life, it could improve the quality of sleep for everyone.
Its super regeneration could make it well-suited for prolonged battles, potentially giving it strength beyond what its combat rating suggests. However, its physical weakness is a drawback, as it’s unsuitable for heavy labor. Furthermore, its inability to operate on land is a significant disadvantage.
Finally, there’s the Amphibian Man. In terms of raw combat ability, it’s the strongest of the three.
If I need to defend against heroes or humans, prioritizing combat strength would mean summoning the Amphibian Man.
The Kappa’s combat ability is mediocre on land, and the Mermaid can’t even engage in land-based combat.
Being partially human, the Amphibian Man can function on land without issue. Additionally, its ability to enhance fish farming efficiency could greatly benefit the current state of the dungeon.
Time for some elimination reasoning:
Kappa:
To fully utilize the Kappa, I’d need to create a cucumber field. That means repurposing some of the current farms or building a new one dedicated to cucumbers, both of which would require a significant DP investment. While summoning the Kappa with a view toward the future is an option, it’s not the best choice for immediate needs.
Mermaid:
The soothing lullaby could enhance the recovery efficiency of other monsters, but current fatigue recovery measures, such as the hot springs and relaxation provided by the Hot Spring Slime, are sufficient for now.
“If the number of monsters suffering from insomnia increases, then it might be worth considering, but for now, it’s not something I want to focus on even if it means increasing my DP.”
“That being said, by the process of elimination, it seems like the Amphibian Man is the strongest.”
“Well, the Amphibian Man has decent strength and should be useful in a variety of tasks.”
“Being amphibious, it can handle both land and water tasks, making it extremely versatile.”
“That said, the required DP is also high… but considering its performance, it’s worth the cost.”
“If push comes to shove, it’s strong enough to fight, so I guess the Amphibian Man is the only choice.”
“With that in mind, I touch the dungeon’s crystal and pour my DP into it.”
“Spending 1300 DP to release the Amphibian Man!”
“Now, the Amphibian Man will appear in this dungeon.”
“It won’t appear immediately, but after a while, it should increase until it reaches the maximum limit.”
“With that taken care of, I’ll get to work on my tasks. By the time I finish, the Amphibian Man should have appeared.”
“I begin crafting using the materials gathered by the monsters.”
“Today, I’ll try making preserved food. If you leave ingredients lying around too long, they’ll spoil. So, I need to process them to make them last longer.”
“As the food supply increases, these kinds of preparations will become necessary.”
Several hours later, after continuing with crafting, I decide to take a break and go for a walk.
“When I check the fishing pond, I notice a large shadow inside. That’s not a fish.”
“Hey!”
“I call out to the pond. Suddenly, with a splash, a humanoid figure with blue scales emerges from the water.”
“With fish-like eyes and clearly an Amphibian Man.”
“Hey there. Are you the boss of this dungeon? Thanks for bringing us into existence.”
“Yeah. I’m Evilham. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Shark, the Amphibian Man. Nice to meet you.”
“The first Amphibian Man to be born… his name is Shark. I’ll try to remember that.”
“Evilham-sama, what should I do in this dungeon?”
“For now, I want you to breed the fish in this pond. Tell the other Amphibian Men that too.”
“Got it. I’ll get right to it and start gathering the fish in this pond to help them breed.”
“Shark dives back into the water. Now, the fish population should grow faster.”
“As I start to leave the pond, Shark surfaces again.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. If we need any feed, tools, or anything else for the breeding process, can we come to you for help?”
“Yeah, don’t hesitate to ask. I’d rather you speak up than try to handle everything on your own. It’d be troublesome if you’re struggling with something.”
“A good organization works best when there’s cooperation between the field and the upper management. It would be a problem if you make decisions on your own without consulting us.”
“If you’re short on resources, we’ll lend a hand.”
“Thanks. I’ll do my best with the limited resources we have, but if we reach the limit, I’ll definitely come to you for help.”
“Alright, I’m counting on you.”
“Since feeding and other supplies will be necessary for fish farming, I might need to use DP to purchase feed.”
“As for expenses, I’ll pay whatever is needed. I’m happy to invest in the dungeon’s development. It’d be a waste not to spend on necessary costs, as skimping on them could lead to missed opportunities.”
“Of course, excessive cost-cutting isn’t good either.”
“To put it bluntly, I need to ensure a solid foundation to earn DP.”
“I know that spending money wisely is important, but you can’t spend what you don’t have.”
“Especially in managing this dungeon, there’s no concept of debt. I have to make do with the DP I have, which is tough.”
“In real-world business, you could take out loans to grow the business and pay them off later, but you can’t do that with DP.”
“Well, loans do come with risks, so it’s probably a benefit to be free of that kind of risk.”
“I guess I’ll have to keep going with fully self-funded management from here on out.”
