โUmmโฆ when you say youโre going to fix the dungeon, is there something broken?โ
โโฆEverything.โ
The Demon Lord responded to my question with an extremely displeased look.
At first, I thought maybe I had upset her by asking a strange question, but it seems that wasnโt the case.
โEverything has been destroyedโฆ Ah, I hate this. Just thinking about the cleanup makes me want to lock myself in this dungeon for about ten thousand yearsโฆโ
It seems like sheโs at a loss for what to do, overwhelmed by having too much to handle and not knowing where to start. Itโs like the last day of summer vacation when you havenโt done any homework and now donโt know where to begin.
โSo, if you could just block the entrance, that would be fine. Iโll take my timeโฆ maybe in about ten thousand years, Iโll get around to it, when I feel like it.โ
Heโll probably never get to it. Also, being stuck in here for ten thousand years would be a big problem.
First, Iโll do as I suggested to the Demon Lord and block the entrance with a wall. If she even thinks Iโm a little bit useful, then Iโll consider it a win.
โAlright, Iโll seal it with a wall.โ
I choose to create a wall, positioning it neatly to block the entrance.
Good, nowโฆ there shouldnโt be any new intruders coming inโฆ hopefullyโฆ
โOh? This is more impressive than I expected. With this, it shouldโฆ huh, did, did you die!? I didnโt say you had to risk your life for this!โ
Oh no. I hadnโt thought about my remaining magicโฆ
The Demon Lord, thinking I died, frantically begins to panic.
Itโs strangeโฆ even someone so strong would be like this in a panic. Itโs a rare sightโฆ
โWh-what is this personโฆ?โ
It seems my words were more than just confident. I was able to instantly create a solid dungeon wall, making it much harder to breach.
Well, in the case of a human hero or the strongest beastmen warriors like before, theyโd probably break through, but still, the difference with or without this wall is huge.
โโฆLooks like youโre not dead.โ
Thereโs still life energy and magic, and breathing too. It seems I just lost consciousness.
Maybe my magic ran out?
โStillโฆ even knowing Iโm the enemy of the world, you still want to serve under meโฆ?โ
I felt a strong resolve in his eyes back then.
Was it because heโs a demon? No, since I became the Demon Lord and the enemy of the world, all demons not in my service have defected to other species. I remember that some even went as far as defecting from me and seeking help from other species.
โThis is the first timeโฆ Since I became the Demon Lord, youโre the first to want to join me.โ
Unfortunately, I donโt have any allies left. Most of my strongholds have likely been destroyed or repurposed. This underground demon realm that remains has been completely destroyed by the heroes.
โI have only you now. So, please wake up soon.โ
โฆThatโs not it.
He probably just thought I would be useful for fixing the dungeon. If I can create a wall in an instant, I might be able to fix the other destroyed rooms as well. I could be of use in various ways.
So, thereโs no special meaning to this. What an excuseโฆ this isโฆ
โYouโre really awful, you know that?โ
Come to think of it, I never even asked his name.
I want him to wake up soon so I can ask him various thingsโฆ
โฆBut itโs really just to learn more about my subordinates.
โ
โUghโฆ where is this?โ
The rough stone walls came into view. Ah, rightโฆ this was the dungeon.
I must have lost consciousness again after creating the wall without enough magic.
โYouโre awake?โ
Ah, thatโs right! I collapsed because I was trying to show the Demon Lord something useful.
โY-yes!โ
โAre you feeling any discomfort? If youโre feeling unwell, donโt push yourself, okay?โ
โN-no. Iโm fine! I just ran out of magic, I think!โ
This is bad. If Iโm told that I canโt have subordinates who canโt manage their own health, Iโd be in trouble.
Fortunately, my magic has recovered a bit, and although Iโm not at 100%, my body doesnโt feel fatigued.
โI suppose I havenโt introduced myself yet. My name is Fiona Silvana. I am the Demon Lord.โ
A nameโฆ she has one.
Well, of course, she must. But since this is a game world, I had only ever heard her referred to as the Demon Lord by her friends, so I didnโt know her name.
Still, itโs quiteโฆ
โThatโs a cute name.โ
โWha!?โ
Oh no! That was such an impudent comment, it was disrespectful!
โI meant it in a good way!!โ
Theไธ่ฝ (ไธ่ฝ โไธ่ฝ meaning โไธ่ฝโ or โall-purposeโ) phrase to turn a misunderstanding into a compliment! Please save me!
โโฆI-I see. Well, itโs fine.โ
Phewโฆ that was close.
Wait, I had her give her name, but I havenโt given mine yet. Thatโs disrespectful too.
Thinking this, I hastily introduced myself.
โMy name is Izumi Reiko! My race isโฆ a demon?โ
โWhy are you unsureโฆ? Izumi Reikoโฆ It really sounds like a name of someone whoโs been reincarnated.โ
โUm, my first name is Reiko, so if itโs hard to say, feel free to call me whatever you likeโฆโ
โOkay. Then from now on, Iโll call you Reiko.โ
Since she said it sounds like a reincarnated personโs name, I guess that means reincarnated people in this world are mostly Japanese.
That goddessโฆ What kind of grudge does she have against Japanโฆ?
Could it be because sheโs from the country that made the game?
โReiko, I understand you can repair the dungeon with your reincarnation power. What else can you do besides making walls?โ
โWell, I can make floors.โ
โโฆAnything else?โ
โI can make ceilings too.โ
โI seeโฆ That means you could probably fix the rooms that were destroyed.โ
Iโm glad. I was worried that if I couldnโt do much, I might be discarded.
If I were to create a room, I would need four walls, a ceiling, and a floor. At the very least, that would consume 6 mana. If I added a door, I would need even more mana for that.
In other words, I donโt have enough mana to even create one room.
โUh, Demon Lordโฆโ
โItโs Fiona.โ
โโฆFiona-sama.โ
โWell, itโs fine. What is it?โ
She corrected me to call her by her nameโฆ I wonder if itโs because of the good meaning behind my compliment earlier.
I was too scared to call her without an honorific, so I added โsamaโ and was somehow given a passing grade.
โMy magic is low, so there are limits to what I can do.โ
โI seeโฆ That means we either need to increase your magic or supply it externally.โ
Increasing itโฆ the most straightforward way would be leveling up.
Although my status doesnโt show my level, considering the original game, it seems likely that monsters in this world can be defeated to raise levels, too.
And external supplyโฆ Since Iโm called the Dungeon Master, I wonder if I could use the dungeonโs magic somehow.
While switching through screens, I noticed a few things.
First, the gray icon in the back of the dungeon had disappeared. Actually, the icon had changed to a blue one.
In other words, by continuing to run away, I had reached the back of the dungeon where I had seen that gray icon. That gray icon was probably Fiona-samaโs.
The color changeโฆ Could it be because sheโs now an ally?
Perhaps the beastmenโs icons changed color when they became enemies, but I was too busy running away to remember clearly.
Come to think of it, the beastmenโs icons are gone now.
In the map, there are only icons showing me and Fiona-sama.
Did the beastmenโs icons disappear because they died?
Also, the number โ0โ displayed at the top-right of the map has changed.
The number has changed to 50โwhat could have caused that?
โDid something happen?โ
โAh, wellโฆ it seems that the numbers on the dungeon map have changed since I last looked.โ
โโฆThe map? It seems I canโt see it. So, is that your power as a reincarnated person?โ
โWait, you canโt see this screen?โ
It seems that the map, status, and menus are only visible to me.
If Fiona-sama canโt see it, then no one else can either.
โBut, about the dungeon map and the numbersโฆ How did they change?โ
โYes. At first, it was 0, but now itโs 50.โ
โ0โฆ Could it be the dungeonโs magic?โ
โWait, the dungeon has magic?โ
โYes. Iโve said it several times already, but it was completely destroyed by the heroes, and the dungeon itself died at one pointโฆโ
Ah, Fiona-sama looks a little sulky again.
I might get caught in the crossfire if her mood worsens, so I need to find a way to cheer her up.
โThen, Iโll fix the dungeon for you, Fiona-sama!โ
โI-I seeโฆ For my sake, huh?โ
Good, hearing that the dungeon will be fixed seemed to improve her mood.
โAhem, well, itโs likely that the dungeonโs magic became 0 when it died. Then, it absorbed the magic from the corpses of the heroes I defeated and revived somehow.โ
I see, the dungeon came back to life by using the magic from the dead heroesโ bodies.
โAnd, I also absorbed the magic from the corpses of the strongest beastmen warriors I just defeated. That must be why the dungeonโs magic increased.โ
So, it seems that if someone dies in this dungeon, the dungeon can use their body to absorb nutrients and grow stronger.
If thatโs the case, then the dungeon should continue to grow as long as creatures are defeated in it.
Actually, there was also a change on the menu screen.
Path Creation: Magic Consumption 5
This menu has changed to glowing text, different from the wall creation option.
I thought it was because my magic recovered, but considering my usual recovery speed, itโs happening too quickly. Maybe I can select these menus by using the dungeonโs magic instead of my ownโฆ