I can now see light at the end of the tunnel. The moment we make ourselves known, there are two possible outcomes I can see the soldiers doing.

One, they stand and fight, while sending someone to report my bold move.

Two, they all run, scattering through the forest and reporting my bold move.

The first possibility, I can handle; the second, not so much.

We may be strong, but we are few in number, and let’s face it, no matter how fast we are, we can’t catch all of the fleeing soldiers once they scatter.

That is why, once I make myself known, I’ll be creating a massive [Earth Wall] to block their escape routes, then we can start the massacre.

I also won’t join the initial charge. I’ll just stand back and watch as the primates rip the soldiers limb from limb.

I’ll join if a complication arises, but judging by how the soldiers that raided my Dungeon were that weak, I doubt that possibility.

At most, the only thing that could prove a hindrance to my plans are those teleport stones. I mean, seriously, who the hell sells those? It’s like they’re given to every person for free, like goddamn candies.

Shaking my head from those thoughts, I thought to myself to instantly burn an asshole if he had a teleport stone.

“Papa… Humans notice our approach…” Domino said from my shoulders. I was currently standing on my own two legs, a testament to my training to – as one zookeeper back in my world said to a gorilla – walk like a man!

I snorted and grinned at the soldiers, who I could see through the holographic screen in front of Domino.

‘As if noticing me now would change their fates. I’m already close enough to enacting my plan.’ My grin threatened to rip my face. That was how intense my current smile was.

“Leave none alive. Kill them all.” I raised my hand, gathering mana through my body and letting it flow through the earth, commanding the ground around the soldiers to form a wall at least three times their height, and as thick as a log.

MP: 2025 / 2025 –> 1025 / 2025

‘… Hoo boy, that’s fucking tiring…’ Sweat dropped from my brow due to the mana cost. That’s what happens when you try to create a wall big enough to encompass an entire company of soldiers when they are in formation.

Even if they didn’t reach the company numbers, the way they were spread out made it the reason why I had to increase the area of the wall.

A rumble on the earth caused the soldiers to tense up as they focused on their surroundings for an incoming attack. A moment later, their jaws hung wide open as a huge wall encircled them, with the only way possible to get out was the entrance of my Dungeon.

“M-Monster! Monster surge!”

“We’re doomed!”

“Kill all the monsters! Leave none alive!”

“Mommy!!!”

“I ain’t dying today!”

The soldiers’ various reactions had me chuckling, although the term ‘Monster Surge’ was something that piqued my interest. Maybe I should ask Merethyl later, right after we slaughter these good-for-nothing soldiers, that is.

The primates roared, growled, and beat their clubs on their shields (gorillas), their fierce gaze directed at the panicking soldiers.

The first to charge were the frontmost gorillas with chimpanzees riding on them. Their shields were raised as they became a wall of steel and black fur, effectively making any offensive maneuvers by the enemy soldiers null and void, unless they attacked from the sides.

The chimps, on the other hand, were doing all they could to pierce through the exposed flesh of the soldiers right in front of them, or keep at bay the soldiers who were trying to flank them.

That being said, the gorillas didn’t stay as a wall for any longer. With a primal shout, they lifted their clubs, and in one swing, turned the soldiers facing them into red paste on the ground, causing the smell of iron, feces, and piss to permeate our noses.

Domino’s mask of indifference broke at the smell, causing her to use the hood of her jacket to cover her face.

“Humans… Smell…” She gagged as she tried to cover her entire face to avoid the incredibly bad smell.

I pitied her; I really did. After that complete slaughter inside my Dungeon, I had to get used to the smell if I wanted to be able to perform at peak condition during every fight.

I patted her head with my free arm, since I placed my club back in my inventory. A tactic to throw off an enemy if they ever thought I was unarmed.

The next five gorilla riders arrived and they spread out, slaughtering these ordinary soldiers like ants. The once green fields of grass were now painted red, with the smell of iron thick in the area.

The soldiers next to the wall thought ‘Fuck it’ and tried to scale it, only to be pierced by an [Earth Spike], courtesy of me, of course.

MP: 1025 / 2025 –> 1020 / 2025

… I really need to find a skill – or perk – that allows me to regenerate my MP while in battle.

Domino wasn’t able to see my kill because she was still trying to cover her face with the hood. Maybe I should buy her a facemask that filters the bad smell for her, and while I’m at it, also another one for my own use…

I checked the state of the slaughter once more, and found an amusing sight.

“FOR PHOEMIS! DIE BEAST!” A common soldier – also scum, judging from the religion he worshipped – slashed his iron sword towards the iron great shield of a gorilla. “WITH MY GODDESS AT MY SIDE, I SHALL CONQUER ALL TRIALS!”

The iron sword shattered against the shield. I mean, come on, only an idiot would direct his full strength against a shield. Much more if it was a thick, iron shield big enough to hide an average adult male with room to spare.

And just as predicted, his face was priceless.

“Wha- But how!? Goddess Phoemis! Have you abandoned me—” He was cut off once the gorilla swung his club towards the soldier who was having an existential crisis during a battle (slaughter)…

I suppressed a chuckle. That’s what you get, you zealot scum.

I check the battlefield (slaughterhouse) once more, and find it surprisingly quiet, with only the occasional grunt and ‘ooh ooh aah aah’ from the primates.

“The slaughter’s already over…?” I wondered out loud. It wasn’t even a full five minutes. Were those soldiers THAT incompetent? Or did we get them at a really bad time?

I walked towards the center of the field, careful not to step on any spilled organs, corpses, feces, or puddles of urine.

“Blegh… I need a mask…” From my shoulder, Domino nodded as well, tightening the grasp on her hood covering her face. “Are all the humans dead?”

Every primate in the area roared out into the skies, signaling the fact that indeed, every human soldier here was killed in action (brutalized in action).

“All right, everybody gather.” The primates nodded and grunted as they formed themselves in front of me, like an army gathering in front of their general. I did a headcount and was relieved to see no casualties on our side.

Then again, they respawn if they die, so dying is okay for them… Unless they can only respawn if they die within my Dungeon, and not outside.

I brought out my mana once again to crumble the walls around my Dungeon entrance. As of now, that wall will be a hindrance to my current plan if I’m to create a town on my Dungeon’s first floor.

I’ll have to ask for specifics from the elves once I return, but what I gleamed from this raid was that demi-humans were being hunted by these scums called soldiers. I just need to… advertise that this place is a safe-haven for persecuted demi-humans, or slaves, and boom, free DP and manpower.

I just have to make the advertisements conspicuous enough that the higher-ups won’t notice I’m poaching demi-humans or slaves from their towns or prisons.

And that’s where Merethyl comes into play. Yes, this is a high-risk task for her, but I will be supplying her with Mass Return Dungeon Stones to ensure that she can escape with the demi-humans in tow, and a Dungeon Return Stone if she ever gets into a tight spot.

She also has that scanning ability, which is useful for scouting.

While I was in my thoughts planning for the future, a rustle of leaves caught my ears, as well as the rest of the primates.

All of us immediately went on guard, with the gorillas sinking their shields into the ground in case a volley of attacks came from the bushes, while the chimpanzees readied their wooden spears.

I quickly brought Domino down to the ground, in case they decided to take a potshot at her, and covered her with my body garbed in badass samurai looking armor.

What came out of the bushes, however, made me blink as my mind grinded to a halt.

“… Luke…?”

“We meet again, Sir Jionni.” Luke Gardner bowed, with two children hiding themselves behind his bowing figure. “Please, I request of you…. help us.”