Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Otherworld Cheat Harem.

Episode 37: Dungeon Revolution (2).

As always, after slaughtering dozens of monsters and collecting mana stones, we exited the dungeon.

On the first floor, countless people were stationed as usual, and among them, some looked at us with envious eyes as we descended from the 10th floor.

‘No, wait… are they eyeing the mana stones instead?’

However, in front of so many people, there wasn’t a fool brave enough to pick a fight with us who had just returned from hunting beyond the 10th floor.

After all, if they lacked that much judgment, they would have already charged at the monsters and gotten eaten.

Without any issues, we arrived at the guild, exclaiming at how distinctly the guild had changed from just a few days ago.

Adventurers used to swarm in droves, pestering us, but now they were behaving like people visiting a bank, maintaining order and taking turns.

Amazed by the sight, I went up to the second floor and submitted my guild card. It wasn’t long before Pion, our assigned staff member, came up to the second floor.

“You’ve worked hard again today, Dojin.”

“Oh, it was nothing… By the way, could you explain what happened while we were gone?”

“Dojin, you always make my job easy. Are you sure you’re not a honeybee?”

Pion made this joke before explaining what the guild had been up to.

However, like any employee who had become familiar with their clients, Pion focused more on downplaying the guild’s achievements than exaggerating them.

“There was a lot of friction. People kept demanding to know what the guild was doing while the dungeon changed… But as you know, what can a guild do in the face of something like that?”

“Right, I don’t know either.”

“The guild master probably didn’t know either. So he did what he knew best.”

“What was it?”

“Control through force.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the guards standing in front of the dungeon came to mind. They were wearing full-body armor that was quite difficult for an average adventurer to obtain, the kind of presence that would make ordinary adventurers shrink back in fear just by looking at them.

“After controlling like that, surprisingly, the situation went well.”

“Why?”

“Unlike the old days when we didn’t even know how many people went inside, now we can know exactly who goes in and out of the dungeon, and how many.”

“That’s right.”

“So they say they’ll block off the dungeon entirely and only let those who listen to us well enter! What can they do about it?”

Back when we first fell into this world, the management of the dungeon was quite lax. They didn’t particularly control the entrance, nor did they keep a record of those coming and going.

They couldn’t do so even if they wanted to, and the guild, worried about the decrease in the amount of mana stones collected if they did, couldn’t enforce it.

It was different now. With clear visibility and connectivity inside, they could create a register, and since the number of monsters that could be hunted in a day was fixed, they also had a justification for control.

Control meant power. The guild, which had been closer to a mana stone sales agency until now, had finally regained a position befitting its name.

“After about a week, people seem to have gotten used to it and are following the controls well… In some ways, it feels even better than before?”

“They just let us pass through?”

“Adventurers above level 2 are exceptions. The dungeon splits into several parts, just like before, right? Unless the 20th floor changes the same way someday…”

Hearing Pion’s words, I hid my guilty conscience and asked about my biggest curiosity.

“Do other adventurers have any complaints?”

“Complaints? Plenty. But it’s mostly the level 1 adventurers who complain so much that they need to be cut off, while the higher-level adventurers seem to like it.”

“Why?”

“Because they can now reach up to the 10th floor comfortably…”

“Hmm, it would be nice if there was an elevator to other floors.”

“Eleva… tor? What’s that?”

“Oh, my mistake. I meant it would be nice if other floors also had direct passages like the 10th floor.”

I stroked my lips, ruminating over my slip. Fortunately, it seemed they didn’t understand, possibly because it was a proper noun.

However, these small accidents might accumulate, and one day, it might be revealed that I changed the dungeon like this.

The guild already knew about some unknown device they couldn’t name…

‘I must be careful.’

“Oh, if there’s a complaint… they ask us to open direct passages to other floors, but how is that even possible for us?”

Laughing along with Pion, who was laughing heartily, I left the guild.

That night, a direct passage to the 5th floor appeared in the dungeon.

“Wow, look who it is. Isn’t this the Blazing Dragon Strike Swordmaster?”

“Damn… Who gave me such a nickname? Was it you?”

“It was Seoyoon.”

“…Seriously? Just because Seoyoon called me that, you went along with it?”

“Why not? Blazing Dragon Strike Swordmaster sounds cool.”

“Shut up, I’m leaving. Don’t look for me.”

“Where are you going?”

“Dungeon.”

I headed to the dungeon alone. I felt like swinging my sword, but unfortunately, all the party members demanded a break for some reason.

‘No, if you live together, do you all get your period on the same day?’

Though it was an unbelievable probability, surprisingly, all three claimed they got their periods.

Since they were on their periods, I couldn’t force them into the dungeon, so I came alone.

Recently, forming temporary parties to attack dungeons had become trendy, so I had no hesitation.

When I arrived in front of the dungeon, it was still bustling with adventurers today. I headed straight to the recruitment center and looked around.

Just as modern people dislike being group leaders for group projects, it seemed that people in this other world also disliked being party leaders in temporary parties, as many sought to join parties, but few sought to recruit members.

Since earning money wasn’t the goal today, I looked around for people worthy of being party members.

They shouldn’t be too shabby, but I also passed on those whose clothes seemed newly bought without a speck of dust.

I sought someone with moderately worn but not dirty attire, who hesitated to voice their opinions due to lack of confidence, yet wasn’t completely devoid of it.

While searching for such a talent, I met eyes with a child with a pointy mage hat and unruly hair sticking out.

The clothes seemed a bit old but were tidy, and though the child appeared timid and lacking confidence, they didn’t avoid eye contact.

‘Great.’

I’ve decided on you. I approached the kid directly and asked.

“Are you looking for a party?”

“Yes, but why?”

“What about me? I’m looking for someone to pick up mana stones from the back.”

“…A mage, mastered beginner magic, and a bit of intermediate magic.”

‘This kid’s speech is short.’

However, since I was the one who spoke informally first, I didn’t bother pointing it out and continued talking with the kid.

“My name is Dojin. What’s yours?”

“Raize…”

“Alright, then. Shall we go in?”

I formed a party with the kid right away and headed to the dungeon. Normally, we’d have to line up to enter the dungeon, but after hearing that we’d have to wait for over an hour, I decided to cut the line with him.

A legal cut, presenting my advanced adventurer card, the guard smiled and let us both through.

There were so many people on the first floor that I immediately took the elevator heading up and went to the 5th floor.

“…Dojin, what do you do?”

“What do you mean? I’m an adventurer.”

“I meant, why is a high-rank adventurer recruiting people off the street?”

“Oh, that?”

I smiled brightly and explained that a colleague had a situation and couldn’t come, so I was forced to take a break for a while. I got restless staying at home, so I went down to the dungeon alone.

Listening to my explanation, Raize looked at me with a face that seemed to say, ‘Even high-level adventurers can be like that,’ and made a request.

“…I need to run an experiment.”

“What kind of experiment?”

“Testing how resistant monsters are to magic.”

“Oh, I was wondering why a mage came down to the dungeon…”

Mages were rare. They also knew the value of their own lives. Therefore, they rarely approached the dungeon where mana stones sprang from the ground.

However, things changed after the dungeon was completely transformed some time ago. With safety guaranteed, mages were the first to show interest in the dungeon.

“Well, okay. Give it a try.”

“Yeah.”

Raize said that and then blankly watched me. When I shrugged my shoulders, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“There’s no monster. Bring one.”

“…Ah, do I have to teach you even this?”

As I said before, mages were rare. They knew their own worth.

And those who grew up precious often lacked some manners.

I smacked him on the head.

Raize held his head and looked up at me.

“Wh-What?!”

“Is a monster some kind of lab rat? This is a dungeon, and monsters aren’t something you can just bring over if you want.”

“But that doesn’t mean you have to hit me!”

“No, I just felt like smacking you once.”

Then, a growling sound was heard from somewhere. It was the howl of the 5th-floor monster, the Shadow Wolf.

One of the weakest monsters since the dungeon’s veil was lifted.

A pack of black wolves rushed in.

“Ah, just like you said, a monster has come. What are you going to do now?”

“…Just wait and see.”

Raize squinted and began chanting a spell. Even to someone like me, who knew nothing about magic, it seemed quite threatening.

Even more so to the monsters.

“Roar!”

“Ahh?!”

The monsters rushed at Raize, engulfing him. He screamed like a girl, not at all like a man, and fell down.

I thrust my sword into the mouth of the Shadow Wolf. The wolf, skewered on the sword, whimpered pathetically like a puppy.

“Kyiiiing! Kiing, kyaang!”

“A man screaming like that? And where did your magic go?”

“Sh-shut up! If only the monsters hadn’t rushed at me…!”

“Ah, the typical excuse of a mage. If it weren’t for me, you’d have died somewhere.”

He certainly looked the part. A mage who relied on his magic and ended up dead.

“AHHH!”

I swung my sword, beheading the wolf, and moved forward. The pack of wolves started circling around, wary of me.

Raize clung to my back, trembling. My heart began to pound in this first-time experience since falling into this world.

‘Man, I wish my party members were like this.’

The kind of women who could take down dozens of monsters on their own.

The kind who would get bitten on the arm and just grin as they stabbed a dagger into their attacker.

Even though he was a man, I quite liked how he trusted and relied on me like this.

Wanting to show off a bit in front of a scared guy, I amped up my power. Soon, my sword began to blaze hotly.

‘Yeah, I’m the Blazing Dragon Strike Swordmaster. Damn.’

I swung my sword. The flame dragon tore through the pack of wolves. I extended my hand to Raize, who had collapsed to the ground.

“Are you okay?”

‘Wow, that was awesome.’

Even I might fall for that.

But don’t fall for me.

I’m not interested in men.

Raize blushed as he looked at Dojin.

Raize didn’t like how he started speaking informally right from the beginning.

However, upon seeing him now, he was a man capable enough.

‘How can a person… breathe fire with their bare body?’

It sparked Raize’s magical curiosity. Having used magic since childhood, they had suffered many accidents, which had stunted their growth. It seemed like there was some kind of misunderstanding…

‘Misunderstandings… can be resolved later.’

Raize was a woman.

Dojin didn’t know, but she was even older than him.