Edit: Some texts were missing in the paragraph starting with Namely:… Fixed now.

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I took the bastard demon’s halberd and placed it in my inventory. It might be the weapon used by that bastard, but you can’t fault the weapon for the user’s actions.

I approached the Dungeon Core, tapping the blue, floating orb.

Summon

Market

Customize

Notifications [!]

… Well… that tab wasn’t there the last time I checked… I clicked on the new tab [Notifications] with an exclamation mark next to it.

[Notifications]

Leave the Dungeon for the first time – – – Reward(s): 250 DP, 1 Free Dungeon Room

Acquire non-summon Dungeon Defenders – – – Reward(s): DP 500, 2 Free Dungeon Rooms

… Well, that’s helpful, VERY helpful. I quickly open the [Customize] tab and redecorate them with the biomes I require the most. Another mine, a poison swamp, and another forest. I placed the poison swamp at the very front of the Dungeon. I’m not going for a game approach, where dangerous biomes lie in wait when you are sufficiently ready. No.

If they want to come and kill me, I will make it my life’s mission to make it as impossible as I can for the invaders. I know that there is no such thing as the perfect defense, but next to impossible is possible, so yeah.

The goblins would be staying in the forest, which was right next to the poison swamp. The mine will be next to the other mine I had, and in each room, I summoned the appropriate mobs for them.

Namely: Chimpanzees in the poison swamps, a Gorilla, Mandrill, and Chimps in the Forest Area, and Gorillas and Goblins in the Mine Area. Apparently, the Summons lack resistance to the biomes unless they are inherently resistant, so the chimps are the best bet. Arm them with range weapons that poisons the target, preferably paralyze since the biome is dangerously poisonous already, and you have an incredibly hard room to traverse without proper equipment.

Let me tell you now, Dungeon [Customize] is bullshit. Why did I not think of this earlier?

That said, it took a bunch of my DP, 250 per room, plus an additional 250 for that poison in the swamp biome, so yeah, balanced.

I took a quick peek at my remaining DP.

DP: 80

My DP was getting dangerously low, so I closed the tab and made a beeline for the area where I ordered the Gorillas in the Mine area to dump the ores they mine. One look at the pile of ore and already, the amount was more than enough to create a few weapons for my summons, and, quite possibly, for me too.

Having said that, my first priority will be to make pickaxes for my other gorillas in the other mining areas to use. I’ll also have to teach one of my summons to learn how to do blacksmithing. That, or I can use another Blacksmithing skillbook and use it on one of them to skip the learning process.

But first, I need to check on my summons and the Goblins who have taken up residence in my dungeon.

I leave the Core Room and head towards the Forest area just beyond this room. While walking, I pondered what to do because I was certain that a subjugation force would be breathing down my neck tomorrow, or within the next few days if not sooner.

‘I am still not prepared enough. I need more time…

Time I wasted by ensuring that I was strong, not my Dungeon. It’s one thing for the Dungeon Master to be strong, but it’s another for the entirety of the Dungeon to be strong.

I’m a fucking Dungeon Master for fuck’s sake, and what do I do?

Strengthened myself instead of strengthening my bodyguards.

[Estimated time until completion… 239:52:32]

And this damn debuff is just rubbing facts in my face. I can’t get stronger until this all blows away, so my only hope of surviving the incoming wave of death is by strengthening everything about my Dungeon.

And I’m talking about traps, summons, weapons, recruiting, and other stuff.

“Boss!” a voice said, jolting me out of my reverie. I perked my head up and looked towards Manny, the mandrill.

“Manny, how was the Dungeon when I was away?” I glanced around the Forest area and learned that nothing had changed.

“Quiet. No invaders. Little green men arrived,” Manny directed my gaze towards a few wooden huts that the Goblins made with their primitive knowledge of building. Overall, it is a suitable home for 8 Goblins.

A single Goblin peeked its head out of the hut and its face grew into a smile once it saw me.

“Chief! Chief! Hairy boss is back!” the goblin ran into one of the huts, bigger than its own, from what I observed.

‘Hairy boss?’ I sweatdropped. Couldn’t they have given me another name? Well, they are Goblins, so what the hell…

I remained in my position, waiting for the so-called ‘Chief’ of the Goblins. From our last meeting, I would guess it was the old Goblin that approached me first. A few moments later and my guess was proven correct.

“Ahh… Greetings, Boss,” an old, wizened voice greets my ears. “I am glad you have returned from your journey.”

The old Goblin bows its head before me. Its accompanying Goblin does the same, albeit quickly and nervously.

“…”

Wow… didn’t think a Goblin could talk politely, much less show respect… I would’ve assumed that they were the dark Goblin types. You know… pillage, kidnap women, **** them and force them to birth their children, forever condemned to a life of torture.

I guess I was wrong.

“… Uhm… Boss?” The old goblin raises its head nervously. “Have I… offended you in any way…?”

I snapped out of my speechlessness and quickly shook my head.

“No, I was just… surprised… I didn’t think a Goblin could do… well… everything you just did…”

“Ah, yes, yes, I understand,” the old Goblin looked a little crestfallen at my words. “The fault lies within us Goblins, young ones, to be precise. They are… brash in their decisions, a common feature in every Goblin younger than 15 years.”

“Hmm…? 15 years? How old are you, Goblin?” I cast a curious glance at the old goblin. His words sparked my interest.

“Why, I am already 18 years old, a Goblin nearing the end of his life,” I blinked… So, Goblins have a short lifespan in this world, and if what it’s… he’s saying is true, then the reason Goblins are hated and treated as monsters rather than equals here is because they make very bad decisions in their lifetime.

“But… Forgive me for asking, Boss, but how are you able to understand our language?” The elderly goblin cocked its head. “Only Goblins understand our tongue, which is also another factor why we are hunted down. No young Goblin would waste their time learning a language of another species that wants to kill them. All they think is kill before they are killed.”

“It’s… because of a potion given to me by humans,” the old Goblin perks up his head.

“Ah, I see. Sadly, I have no knowledge of this potion, so forgive me for not sating your curiosity.”

“It’s fine. That said, I still haven’t gotten your name,” The old Goblin bowed his head again, this time with more respect than before.

“Why, how thoughtless of these old bones. “My name is Gobun, an elder of a Goblin settlement that was kicked out due to… a change in positions,” the old Goblin, now named Gobun, sighed sadly as he remembered. As I had no idea what that meant, and, seeing that it was disturbing him internally, I stopped that train of questioning.

“I see, Gobun,” I patted his tiny body with my huge arms. He jumped a bit, but relaxed when he learned that I wasn’t going to do any harm to him. “Tell me, do you or any of the goblins you brought with you have any skills that could help me protect my dungeon?”

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~ Third Person POV ~

“… What did you say…?”

“Sogtharoch has betrayed us, and Jionni, the Monster Dungeon Master has escaped,” Lennon reported with a bitter face, his left arm bandaged from the wounds inflicted on him during fight with the remaining Kobolds.

“… Alexa, my office, now,” Nicholas, the manager of the Hunter’s Association Branch of Kazanpan, grabbed a communications device that looked like a brick and spoke to it. A few moments of silence and the door leading towards the room opened, revealing a blonde-haired assistant in formal wear.

“Yes, Sir Nicholas?”

“Prepare a bounty. Name is Sogtharoch, I.D. number 1128775901.” Nicholas took a piece of paper and handed it to Alexa, who quickly accepted it.

“Understood,” Alexa bowed before leaving Nicholas and Lennon alone in the room.

“Haah… Lennon, thank you for your report. Get some rest, dismissed,” Lennon nodded and left the room promptly. Now alone, Nicholas grabbed another communication device, also brick shaped, but different from the one used to contact Alexa. Some software commands were entered, and the brick began to ring. A few rings later, someone from the other side picked up.

“Nicholas?”

“Bentley, just wanted you to know, your contingency plan has gone AWOL—”

“WHAT!?” Bentley Shaiydon’s voice raped Nicholas’ ear drums, causing him to bring the brick further from the aching appendage.

“… Yes, I was about to prepare a subjugation force, but judging from your tone, it seems you have something to add before I do so.”

“… Sorry for the yelling, but can you tell me why Jionni has gone AWOL?”

Nicholas sat in the chair, taking a swig from his drink.

“Betrayal. That Demon in their party? It turned out he had other plans,” Nicholas tapped on the desk, his rage contained within the stern manager’s perfected visage.

“… Alright, thanks for relaying this to me. Before you go subjugating his Dungeon, can you allow me one more chance to try and get his cooperation back?”

“Go ahead, but remember one try, after that, you know what happens.”

“… Thanks, old friend,” Bentley’s relieved tone brought a soft smile to Nicholas’ face.

“Anytime, Pansy Bentley.”

“O-oi!” Bentley’s sputtered in indignation, bringing Nicholas to laugh out loud.

“Ah, just messin’ with ya, like good ol’ times, yeah?”

“… Fuck you,” and with those final words, Bentley hung up, causing Nicholas to laugh even louder.