"Lord!" A thin man in a black cloak slowly rose to his feet. He glanced around the room before fixing his gaze on Catrina. "Forgive my curiosity, but I must ask—can we even win?"
"Even if the opponent is useless, he's still the son of the Demon King. Surely, there are many protectors around him. How can we possibly defeat him with just the people here?"
As his words fell, murmurs spread through the gathered crowd.
Catrina smirked, her lips curling with disdain. "What's wrong? Are you afraid?"
The man frowned. "Yes. We all have only one life—we can't risk it blindly."
"Besides, the Demons and Humans have been at peace for a long time now. Maybe this is just a misunderstanding. Perhaps he merely wants to open a Dungeon in our world to absorb a little energy to sustain himself."
Indeed, the war between the Demon Race and Humankind had ceased long ago.
Only small skirmishes occasionally broke out when rogue demons slipped into the Human Realm to cause trouble.
The world's races had entered a fragile balance. Though resentment remained, conflicts had greatly diminished.
Adventurers and Awakened Ones had become nearly jobless, forced to take on other kinds of work just to survive.
Catrina frowned. "You're right—but peace on the surface doesn't mean peace underneath. The hatred and grudges between races, especially from the Demon Realm, are immense. All it would take is one spark to ignite another war."
"That's why I gathered you all here. Don't worry—you won't be facing much danger. Our task this time is only reconnaissance. We'll find out his intentions and how many demons he brought into the Human Realm."
"If anyone here is afraid, you may leave. I won't stop you. However… you'll have to give up all privileges you currently enjoy under this kingdom's protection."
The hall grew silent. The gathered adventurers exchanged uneasy looks and whispered among themselves.
Bruk and his knight remained quiet.
After a few moments, several people stood up, bowed respectfully to Catrina, and left the room.
When the doors closed, only eight people remained—including Bruk and his knight.
"You still have the chance to leave," Catrina said indifferently, her tone as cold as her expression. She didn't seem to care how many chose to stay.
But those who remained wore faces that showed no fear—only determination.
"Lord Catrina," a middle-aged man spoke up. "You know as well as I do that Dungeons have become rare. With no wars left, jobs are scarce. But I need money—my family needs money. That's why I'll join this mission."
"He's right," said a woman in a black robe. "I have no husband or children, but I still need funds for my research."
"I'm the same. I need money too."
"Ah! In this so-called peaceful age, we adventurers were the first ones to be thrown away."
"Hahaha… Peace is great for everyone else—but it's hell for us."
Their laughter was hollow, filled with bitter acceptance. Beneath their jokes lay the harsh reality of their struggle.
There might be no more battlefields, but they were still fighting—to survive in a different kind of war.
"Good," Catrina said with a faint smile. "Then gather here tomorrow. Bruk!"
"Ah! Y-Yes, my Lady!" Bruk jerked up, startled, and quickly answered.
"Tomorrow, you'll lead the way. Understood?"
Wiping the sweat from his greasy face, Bruk stammered, "Y-Yes, I understand completely."
"Hmph." Catrina snorted in disdain.
…
The next morning, before the sun even rose, Alric awoke. He found himself in a neatly arranged yet elegant room—simple, but refined.
Sitting up slowly, he yawned, feeling as though he had just emerged from an unusually long sleep.
"Ah… when did I even fall asleep?" he muttered, scratching his head. "I remember leaving the Dungeon space, meeting Ravenna, and then… hm… nothing after that."
He rubbed his hair and was about to leave when a knock sounded at the door.
Knock! Knock!
"Heh?! Ravenna?" he asked, frowning.
"It's me. I brought breakfast and some warm water for you," Ravenna's voice came from outside. "May I come in?"
Alric replied indifferently, "Ah, sure."
Crack!
The door opened, and Ravenna pushed in a small wooden cart. On top was breakfast for two; underneath sat a basin filled with steaming water and a clean towel.
She entered, glanced at Alric—then froze, her eyes widening slightly.
Alric, noticing her silence, frowned in confusion, looked down—
—and saw a small tent rising beneath his blanket.
"Ack!" Alric immediately covered himself with both hands, embarrassed. "T-This… this is just a natural reaction, that's all!"
Ravenna flushed, her face red as her eyes darted away. She tried to remain calm, but disappointment crept into her voice. "I'm sorry… I know you've been holding back for my sake. If only I were prettier, maybe—"
"No! No! You've got it all wrong, I—" Alric sighed and quickly pulled the blanket over his head, trying to compose himself.
Ravenna stayed silent, standing there awkwardly, shame and sadness swirling in her chest.
The air between them grew thick with embarrassment, but the moment eventually passed.
Finally, the "tent" disappeared.
Alric exhaled deeply. "You don't need to think too much about it. It's just… a normal male reaction, you understand?"
"I understand," Ravenna said softly. "It's just… don't you need to release it sometimes? If you'd like, I could hire some beautiful women to—"
"Enough! Enough!" Alric quickly cut her off, his face burning. "Let's just… eat breakfast."
"Uhm." Ravenna nodded, then said, "Let me help you wash your face first."
Alric didn't resist, letting her gently wipe his face with a warm cloth. Her touch was tender—almost maternal—more like a caretaker than a fiancée.
It reminded him of his past life.
He had no parents—raised by his grandmother, who passed away when he was ten.
In this world, his mother had died giving birth to him, and his father rarely visited.
That was why Ravenna's care felt so comforting… so irreplaceable.
They ate breakfast together in silence. The atmosphere was painfully awkward, yet strangely warm—something unspoken flowing between them.
After finishing, Ravenna cleared the dishes. "I'll head to the nearest town to buy some necessities and furniture. You're the son of a Demon King—you can't live in a dirty, empty castle like this."
Alric nodded. He still had about eight thousand gold coins left—enough to live comfortably for quite a while—so he wasn't worried.
But Ravenna still seemed uneasy. "If something happens while I'm gone, you must escape first. Promise me you'll protect your own life."
"Ah, I get it already. Don't worry," Alric said with a chuckle. "I'm an adult, remember? Besides, I'm terrified of dying. You really don't need to worry so much."
Ravenna sighed softly and placed her hand gently on his chest before quickly leaving the room.
Alric smiled as he watched her go, then turned toward the Dungeon Gate once again.
"System! Take me to the Dungeon space."
[Ding! Beginning transfer. Please wait.]
In an instant, Alric vanished.
He reappeared in the same dark void as before—but this time, a glowing orb floated before him.
That orb represented an entire world—realistic in every sense. The physical laws were perfectly simulated; everything looked alive.
It was, in essence, a complete world—just unfinished.
Alric gazed at the result of two days of work and felt a surge of satisfaction.
Thankfully, thanks to the System's tools, all he needed was imagination. No complex commands—just thought.
Inside the Dungeon dimension, time flowed differently.
Seventy-two hours here equaled twelve hours in the outside world. That was why, in just two days of real-world time, he had managed to build such a vivid, colorful world within the Dungeon.
"Ah… what a shame," Alric muttered, seeing his remaining E.P. "Not much left… and I've only completed about one-tenth of the world."
"At least the basic framework is done. It's ready to host guests. For now, though, I can only allow about twenty people in at once—five would be ideal for stable operation."
He waved his hand, summoning a cube the size of a soccer ball. It hovered before him, covered in glowing purple runes that slowly rotated in midair.
"Dungeon Core," Alric said softly, smiling with satisfaction. "Let's hope you work exactly as I programmed you to."