Alric raised the glowing cube, and in an instant, it linked to the world before him through a network of purple energy lines that spread like a spider's web.
A stream of data flooded into his mind. He smiled faintly, his hands moving gracefully through the air. To anyone else, it would look like he was conducting an orchestra, but in truth, he was inputting complex commands for the Dungeon Core.
"Thankfully, this thing only needs thought-based commands," Alric muttered. "Otherwise, creating a world like this would take me decades."
He recalled the game companies back on Earth—how even the simplest games required years of work, full development teams, and endless lines of code.
Art, design, music, programming—it was an enormous process.
Here, though, it was different. The tools provided by the System were godlike. No coding, no technical skills—just imagination and enough E.P.
Time passed without notice. Finally, Alric let out a long sigh. "Finally done. System, how long has it been in the real world?"
[It is now 2:00 p.m.]
Hearing that, Alric felt the urge to keep going. The thrill of creation made him forget fatigue.
He thought back to his past life—how he had once dreamed of creating his own game. But it was too difficult, too many things to learn, too little time.
In the end, he gave up that dream.
But now… things were different. The System's tools were truly omnipotent. Even the Dungeon Core functioned like an A.I.—once he gave the concept, it completed the rest automatically.
"Ah! Alright, let's step outside and touch some grass," Alric said with a grin.
Then the System's voice echoed again.
[You have not yet named your Dungeon.]
"Ah, right… I need to name it?" Alric scratched his head. "Can I name it by version or server?"
[Of course. You can even split the versions entirely if you wish—they won't interfere with one another.]
Alric laughed. "Wow, that's convenient. Then… my first game world will be called…"
…
"So this is Blackleaf?"
Catrina sat atop a white horse, wearing a light set of white armor. Her piercing gaze swept over the desolate ruins ahead.
"Yes, my Lady," Bruk answered.
Because of his enormous weight, he sat not on horseback but in a carriage pulled by two exhausted horses. Even without moving, sweat poured down his face, soaking through his clothes and filling the air with an unpleasant stench.
Catrina glanced at him briefly. "There's really no one left here?"
"Yes," Bruk said quickly. "Five years ago, the volcano nearby became active. It didn't erupt, but the ash killed many, and the rest abandoned the town."
Catrina frowned and pointed ahead. "Then… who is that?"
"Huh?!" Bruk looked where she pointed—and froze.
In the distance, walking along the muddy road, was a young man with golden hair, wearing black-and-white pajamas. His handsome face carried a trace of lazy indifference. He was dragging a wooden sign and a stake toward the town gate.
The moment Bruk saw him, his heart nearly stopped. "M-My Lady, that's… that's the Demon King! I mean—"
"Alric," Catrina said flatly.
"Y-Yes! Yes! Him!" Bruk stammered. "He… he—"
Catrina raised a hand, and he instantly went silent, his face pale as a slaughtered pig's.
Her brows knit together as she watched Alric from afar.
He didn't seem to care that the mud splattered his clothes. His expression remained tired and lazy as he dragged the wooden board and stake toward the town entrance.
But then, he stopped.
He had noticed the group waiting for him—ten people in total.
Some wore armor, others robes. One, of course, sat sweating in a carriage, as fat as a pig.
"Ah… adventurers?" Alric frowned, muttering to himself. "And that's Bruk… what's he doing here? Could it be he found out about my Dungeon and brought adventurers to test it out?"
His theory seemed reasonable enough. With so few of them, it didn't look like an invasion force.
As Alric approached, Catrina's frown deepened.
"Prepare for battle," she ordered coldly.
Alric, of course, had no idea what was about to happen. He continued walking toward them, and when he was only five meters away, he tilted his head slightly and said, "Baron Bruk, what wind blew you all the way here?"
Bruk glanced nervously at Catrina. She gave him a slight nod. He took a deep breath and stammered, "L-Long time no see, Alric, hahaha…"
"Hm?" Alric frowned. "It's only been a few days, not that long. Why did you bring so many people here?"
Bruk froze, unable to answer.
"Ah! I get it," Alric said with a smile. "You brought them here to—"
"To fight!" Catrina suddenly shouted, startling him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Weapons were drawn in unison—swords, staves, axes, and even greatswords glinting under the sunlight.
Catrina frowned, gripping her reins tightly in one hand while drawing her blade with the other. She was just about to strike when an overwhelming, horrifying pressure swept over her.
The air itself grew thick, as if she were sinking into a swamp. Breathing became difficult.
Her eyes widened in shock. She tried to move—but her body refused to obey.
The sky dimmed. The bright sunlight turned crimson, bathing everything in a cold, oppressive glow.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
The cries of crows echoed from above.
A flock of red-feathered ravens appeared, swirling through the sky like a storm of blood.
'Damn it! Is this the power of a Demon King? Catrina gritted her teeth. No! I'm a Fifth-Rank Holy Knight! I won't lose so easily!'
"GRAAAAH!!!" she roared, her armor blazing with radiant platinum light—but—
KENG!
The sound of something shattering echoed through the air.
"What?!" Her eyes widened in disbelief.
The holy light around her splintered like glass, scattering into a thousand glimmering shards before vanishing into nothingness.
KRAAA!!!
A deafening screech followed. The flock of red ravens suddenly merged into one massive creature—an enormous blood-red raven with a wingspan of over ten meters.
Its eyes gleamed with a hellish crimson light, cold and filled with murderous intent so intense it made Catrina tremble.
Yes—she was afraid. For the first time, she truly felt death breathing down her neck.
Catrina clenched her jaw, desperate to resist—but it was useless.
KRAAA!!!
The giant raven screamed again and dove straight at her, its razor-sharp talons aimed for her skull.
'Damn it… Am I going to die here?' she thought, her heart drowning in despair.
"Enough."
A calm male voice echoed through the space.
Everything froze—the air, the blood-red light, even the falling feathers halted midair.
Catrina opened her eyes. The giant raven's claws hung just centimeters from her head.
It was frozen in place—suspended like a statue.
Sweat drenched her face as she gasped for air, feeling an icy chill crawl down her spine. It felt as though she had just stepped one foot through the gates of hell.
Alric spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of mild reproach. "Ravenna, they're guests. Don't scare our guests like that."
The crimson world slowly peeled away like burning paper, revealing the real world beneath—a peaceful sky and warm sunlight.
Everyone gasped for breath, trembling as though they had just escaped a nightmare.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The wind howled as a dark figure appeared beside Alric. Her voice was cold and sharp as a blade. "Anyone who dares harm him—dies."
Catrina turned toward the woman in the black cloak, her face hidden behind a dark mask.
Terrifying, she thought, fear creeping into her heart. 'That power… and she's only his subordinate. If this is just a servant—then how powerful is the Demon King himself?'
'I have to survive this… I must report back to the Church and have the Judges sent here to destroy him.'