A day passed.

I gathered my subordinates at the entrance to basement 1, which I'd kept blocked for over 20 days, on the path from the clearing to the waterfall.

Basement 1.

The basement 1 that opened when the dungeon's facility rank increased still had its entrance blocked. If we'd broken through to basement 1 earlier, we'd have expanded space and capacity to build all sorts of facilities, but realistic circumstances prevented that.

Because it was dangerous.

Because what was down there in basement 1 was too dangerous, I couldn't even go down and had to block the entrance to the underground. If someone asked what I was scared of when we'd even raided Gremory's dungeon, I had no excuse, but plenty of justifications.

"That day, I found the passage going underground and thought I should just block it first. It'd be chaos if slimes suddenly poured out from underground."

"You chickened out."

"Of course I chickened out. This is the former dungeon of Baal, you know. How could I just go down when I don't know what's underground? I had to prepare fully."

Even this dungeon had a 3-star Slime Dragon sitting right in the center when I first entered. Since we'd dug through the ceiling and found Dimension Stones, I couldn't help worrying about what existed underground.

"If you worried that much and it turns out to be nothing, an empty space, you're really fucking stupid, you know?"

"Being stupid would be better. Hey, you didn't see it directly."

When I decided to just block it first and had logs brought to block the entrance, I was standing in front of the stairway entrance. And I locked eyes with something that seemed ready to come up from underground at any moment. It immediately ran away when it saw me, but it was a shock I still can't forget.

"If my ears weren't wrong, I definitely heard something squirming down there, you know?"

"Probably auditory hallucinations."

"You really don't trust me at all. How about you open it up and just send an avatar as a scout? See what happens? I don't know what'll happen inside?"

Gremory shook her head in disgust. No matter how much she liked rough play, that was only possible because it was play—neither she nor I would welcome her avatar actually being violated by monsters. Still, the reason I deliberately mentioned avatars was because of Gremory's completely distrustful attitude.

"So now we have a way to check. Honestly, I'd completely given up. But look, we happen to have someone here who could defeat enemies that might be filling the dungeon underground?"

I pointed to Guinevere, tightly held by Lancelot, and their child Galahad, who'd successfully solo cleared up to just before the Andras five-pack.

"Guinevere, Galahad, Mary, Lune, and me. The five of us are going in. Other monsters would take damage from divine power, so we're organizing with beings who won't be harmed by allies as much as possible."

"Are you alright, Master? It's still divine power though."

"When I've run around with my body on fire, divine power's nothing. It doesn't hurt me."

I even wrestled with Luna when she had divine power buffs—that much is fine. Plus with the robe, the divine power effects weren't really a problem. Just slightly sunburned skin feeling tingly.

"I'm more worried about the others than me. Did all four of you prepare your equipment properly?"

I first checked Guinevere and Lancelot's equipment status. Both had put on armor looted from humans and wore black priest robes over them. Robes made from thread spun from Andras feathers by the weavers.

"Galahad, change to leather armor if it's uncomfortable. Putting something on top would be better."

"I'm fine. This is comfortable for me."

Galahad stuck with the suit he'd been wearing since the moment he was summoned. If the thin fabric didn't actually have some defense, I'd have immediately made Galahad a Hases-class heavy armor warrior. But since he wouldn't give up the suit, I couldn't force him.

"This is the battle uniform of orcs living in modern times. And facing enemies is no problem. I have my sword and shield, and I have divine power."

"Yeah, you're messed up in various ways, but I won't point it out."

Just pointing it out would give me a headache. At least the fortunate thing was that even Galahad wore a black robe over his clothes instead of a coat. Andras silk had surprisingly good durability and defense.

"Guinevere. I don't think you'd stab me in the back when you're already Lancelot's prisoner. Can I trust you?"

"..."

Guinevere was still in the [prisoner] state, hard to see as a completely subdued subordinate. I'd given him freedom because Lancelot liked him too much and he himself had no will to escape, but since he wasn't a subordinate, there were some concerns.

"This battle is purely about exterminating monsters. Don't try to cover your eyes and play dumb as a Goddess Church priest. Lancelot, you who took my daughter have an obligation to contribute to the dungeon where Lancelot lives."

"I, I didn't take her, I was the one who got eaten..."

"Hey, shut up. If you want to make Galahad a little sibling, do your best today. Got it?"

"..."

Guinevere didn't answer to the end but gripped my iron mace tightly. Since I hated looking at that weapon anyway, Guinevere ended up keeping the weapon again.

"Master, don't worry. If he tries to stab you in the back, I'll put a wind hole in that human's skull. I already told Lancelot too."

Lune said brutal things with a smile.

As Lune said, no matter how much Lancelot adored him, I was the legion's leader. If Lancelot actually lived up to his name, I'd have no choice but to treat Lancelot differently, but fragging a superior during war was grounds for immediate execution.

"Guinevere. Will you stab me in the back?"

"At least I have no such thoughts now."

Guinevere bit his lip and shook his head. Not a very satisfying answer, but if we kept compromising like this, at some point he'd be working for our legion. Keep at it long enough and even the sharpest edges get smoothed out.

"Good. Then display the goddess's power granted to you freely to illuminate the darkness. Let's enter."

Boom!

The temporary wall fell toward the inner passage. Lime collapsed the wall through the ceiling, and we pushed it aside and stepped into basement 1.

'Please let me just be a fucking idiot.'

May all the anxiety and fear I felt while standing guard for 30 minutes just be an illusion. I descended to basement 1 through the spiral staircase.

[Notice: Entering basement 1.]

Unlike the first floor, only pitch-black darkness filled it, and the human priest and Orc Paladin sparkled the goddess's silver light to illuminate basement 1.

Gurrrrgle.

"Oh, fuck."

Curses involuntarily escaped. I gripped both axes hanging at my waist. My judgment to go down to basement 1 only after building sufficient forces wasn't wrong. The four following me also immediately saw inside and took combat positions.

"You son of a bitch Baal!!"

Gurrrrgle???

The underground clearing reached through the stairs.

"Even if you're in a hurry, you should clean the house when you move!!"

There, a massive amount of Slime Dragons were squirming like superworms.

***

At that moment when Rok faced the horde of Slime Dragons on basement 1.

On dungeon floor 1, they'd only prepared to collapse the temporary wall at any time and were hoping Rok and the Paladin party would return as quickly as possible.

"It's surprising when you think about it. To think this was Lord Baal's old dungeon."

"No wonder slimes are overflowing."

Those standing before the temporary wall started bringing up other topics. Because they had strong faith that Rok and his subordinates would return without a scratch, they could set aside worries and chat.

"Come to think of it, last time during the summoning show, the slime ratio was strangely damn high too."

"Wasn't that purely random, just Master's luck aligned with slimes?"

"Really?"

When Gremory glared, Shaitan closed her eyes.

"Hehe, I heard something..."

"It's a baseless rumor. His system is precise without any errors."

"Right. There's no way the system Lord Solomon made would have problems. But you know what? Since he's not here, I'll be completely frank."

Gremory scratched her head irritably.

"'It analyzes the subordinate list of that dungeon and dispatches the most numerous species.' What do you think about that?"

"It's a baseless rumor not worth a single word. Then why would completely different species get summoned?"

"Because I'm suspicious. I always got goblins and gargoyles when I summoned too."

"That's just your luck. The system is fair to everyone. Well, I'm not in a position to know everything in detail either."

Shaitan fiddled with her tail and averted her gaze.

"There is a rumor that depending on whose magic stone forms the basis of the summoning facility, the influence changes."

"I see. Then it's ambiguous. I also stole someone else's dungeon."

Gremory laughed brazenly. Shaitan frowned and turned her eyes back to the temporary wall. She straightened her posture even more sharply, as if she wouldn't talk anymore.

"Hey."

"What now?"

"Why did Lord Baal abandon this dungeon?"

"If it spreads widely, it will tarnish Lord Baal's honor."

"It's fine if only I know. You know what? If we figure out why Baal lost this dungeon, we can prepare for it. For example, if there's a secret passage somewhere. If Lord Baal suffered serious injuries because of it. The same thing could happen to us."

"Indeed."

Shaitan fell completely for Gremory's sweet talk. Gremory already had Shaitan in the palm of her hand, playing with her.

"If it's a problem that could harm Master, I should tell. But I don't know the details of why Lord Baal abandoned the dungeon either. However."

Shaitan pointed up and down at the dungeon.

"There's a rumor that Lord Baal fought a Holy Sword wielding hero in this dungeon, succeeded in devouring the hero but couldn't devour the Holy Sword, so he abandoned the dungeon."

"Holy Sword?"

"Yes. It's just a rumor though."

Shaitan shook her head and laughed lowly.

"Because Lord Baal really can't stand Holy Swords."

"Then maybe the Holy Sword is inside this dungeon?"

"Want to bet?"

Shaitan raised her head triumphantly.

"If a Holy Sword comes out of this dungeon, I'll grant you one request, Lady Gremory."

"You know what my request will be?"

"At least if it's a request Master would permit."

"Yeah?"

Gremory looked closely at Shaitan's wings and tail, licking her lips.

"Fine. Let's bet. But if I lose, you can do whatever you want to me. You can even suck my essence in dreams."

"Master said you taste bad."

"You're asking for it."

The bickering between the two only stopped when Hases came running urgently.

***

"Uohhh!!"

I lifted my foot and kicked the heads of Slime Dragons bearing their teeth. We ended up pushed back to the stairs, and the number of Slime Dragons was overflowing.

"Haa, haa...!"

"Are you alright, Father?"

"I'm fine, huff...!"

Guinevere retired way too quickly. He had enough stamina but his total divine power was too low to break through enemy lines.

"Fuck, we killed almost 100 of them..."

"Looks like there's still about 900 more."

Lune's hands were swollen too. Even shooting wind arrows without rest, the Slime Dragons didn't die in one hit. Most of them were probably level 55, strong enough to reach 3-star max level.

'Really glad I closed it up.'

Blocking the entrance coming down from floor 1 became a godsend, but unfortunately with our current forces, we were about to get entrance-cut on basement 1. The Slime Dragons we burned to death with divine power or killed by blowing off their heads became food for other Slime Dragons, and ultimately another strengthened one appeared to attack us in a vicious cycle.

"Dammit..."

"Dad. This is too much..."

Even Mary seemed to run out of mana and almost collapsed from dizziness. I finally had to make a decision.

"Retreat! For today, 100 kills is enough!!"

Lune and Galahad each supported Mary and Guinevere, and I blocked the stairs and beat down Slime Dragons crawling up toward us one by one.

"Gahh, dammit!!"

There was no point unless we wiped them out in one go. Because.

"Aw, shit, don't eat the magic stones you bastards!!"

We were too busy killing Slime Dragons to collect magic stones, so the corpses flowed between the Slime Dragons and disappeared with the magic stones. In the end, all I managed were 12 mid-grade magic stones I directly stuck my hand in and pulled out.

"Just wait, 900 mid-grade magic stones! I'll squeeze out some wisdom and loot you all!!"

I ran up the stairs.

Even killing 100, we lost 88 magic stones. Mid-grade magic stones at that.

Sweat dripped from my eyes.

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