As a man of order, I, in my past life and even now firmly believe that life's better when it follows the plan. Chaos just messes things up—and there’s nothing that I hate more than a messy canvas. As a dungeon master, I had a simple way of doing things in this domain. While initially reluctant to make use of my first GP, the 90 GP I was born—or spawned—with, I changed my mind. I began to see G.P as it truly is: an asset, a form of currency, albeit a very vague one. Currency that I could invest in what I, as a dungeon master and dungeon core, am clearly most expected to do—harvest as much G.P as I can.

I don't know how much of it is expected by Mighty K.R.U.L, but I will harvest as long and as much as I can if that's what's expected of me. But for now the optimal way to use G.P to acquire spawns with it—spawn that I'll scatter around in my domain, a domain that I occasionally increase the size of. I level up my spawns' levels so they can keep up with the level of my invaders. That's how I figured G.P has to be used. But that being said, it's not because I came to that conclusion that I decided to dedicate 100% of my available GP to acquiring spawns and leveling them.

No, perhaps it's a bad habit from the old world, but I have this feeling that G.P, being money, it's always best to have some of it within reach. This is why I came up with the 76-24% ratio. Why that ratio exactly? I wouldn't have logical reasoning to explain it, so let's say I just liked these numbers. Seventy-six percent of my available GP would be dedicated to my dungeon upkeep, whether spawns-wise or domain-wise. The remaining 24% would remain available for me to use, like money hidden in a safe beneath my old mansion's basement.

While this ratio might be questionable for the entity that will literally be my final line of defense, I was very much fine with it. Besides, I'd grown fond of that ratio, and this is the Guardian I got with it.

 

____________________________

 

[ Regent of Putrescence ]

Level: 39

Type: Undead Ruler

Class: Necrotic Overlord (Regent of Putrescence)

Title: Plaguebearer Supreme / Dungeon Guardian

 

[Status]

- H.P: 2800 / 2800

- M.P: 2500 / 2500

- S.P: 1200 / 1200

- Defense: 1770

- Offense: 2720

 

[Skills]

- Corruption Infusion: Level 15

- Evasion of Shadows: Level 8

- Summon Pestilence: Level 7

- Toxic Immunity: Level 11

- Elemental Immunity: Level 5

- Elemental Magic: Level 7

- Grasp of the Abyss: Level 10

- Undead Summoning Magic: Level 11

 

[Abilities]

- Necrotic Wave: Unlocked

- Pestilent Aura: Unlocked

- Decay Touch: Unlocked

- Cloak of Shadows: Unlocked

- Toxic Barrage: Unlocked

- Putrid Ground: Unlocked

- Summon Plague Minions: Unlocked

- Necrotic Dominion: Unlocked

- Plaguebearer's Blessing: Unlocked

 

____________________________

 

One of the conditions for the acquisition of a dungeon guardian is that the dungeon has to have a higher G.P than any of the available spawn. So, here it was—my strongest spawn and my greatest investment to this day. The existence alone of a dungeon guardian grants enhancements to all the entities of the domain, but under the lone condition that the spawn is of the same category as the dungeon guardian. Naturally, my dungeon guardian was yet another undead entity.

 

___________________________

 

[ ???'s Interface ]

 

System Notification:

 

[ Guardian Room Invasion Detected ]

 

Level: 30

Invader Race: HighBreed

Class: Barbarian

 

Warning: Acquired GP’s integrity compromised. Dungeon core defenses activated.

 

Objectives:

- Ensure the survival of the dungeon core to prevent permanent damage.

- Ensure the safety of acquired G.P

- Gather enough G.P to reach [Vessel of Godhood]

 

Defensive Countermeasures:

- Spawned Guardian

- Enhance Guardian abilities

- Strengthen environmental hazards

____________________________

 

It was a sad thing that most of my forces were defeated by the lone multi-classed invader. Forced to resort to my last line of defense, my domain guardian. At the same time, it would be a lie for me to say that I didn't feel a certain satisfaction. The lone invader was the first person to have made it this far into my domain since I acquired my dungeon guardian. In fact, no one had ever done so from the very beginning. So, yes, I was eager to finally get the opportunity to try it.

 

____________________________

 

[ ???'s Interface ]

Enhance Guardian abilities

[YES] [NO]

____________________________

 

“Yes.” It’d come to do this. All my spawns were gone, defeated, it was now up to my Dungeon Guardian to defeat this invader, or else—I actually don’t know much of what will happen to me if the invader were to defeat my dungeon guardian but I had the feeling that it’ll impact that one skill called Champion of his, and most importantly it might me the loss of the G.P I’ve so hard-earneadly worked for, so no, I was not pulling any punches.

 

____________________________

 

[ Regent of Putrescence ]

 

[Status]

- H.P: 2800 / 2800

- M.P: 2500 / 2500

- S.P: 1200 / 1200

- Defense: 2470 (+700)

- Offense: 3820 (+1100)

____________________________

 

____________________________

 

[ ???'s Interface ]

Strengthen environmental hazards

 

[ ???'s Interface ]

 

Option: Strengthen Environmental Hazards

 

Description: Unleash the latent power of the dungeon's surroundings to bolster your Dungeon Guardian's defenses. By allocating a significant portion of available G.P, you enhance the environmental hazards within the dungeon, creating a formidable battleground for any invader foolhardy enough to trespass.

 

Effect: In exchange for a gauge of all available G.P, your Dungeon Guardian gains a substantial boost in H.P, M.P, and S.P. The enhanced resilience makes the Guardian a formidable force to be reckoned with.

 

Subtle Constraint: In exchange for all available G.P as a token of guarantee, environmental hazards intensify, a subtle shift occurs in the fabric of the dungeon. The invader, while not explicitly confined, will sense an unspoken connection to the impending battle. Attempts to depart will encounter an invisible resistance—an unseen force compelling them to remain and confront the escalating challenges. The very essence of the dungeon will subtly bind them to the unfolding conflict, crafting an environment where escape becomes a mysterious and elusive endeavor.

 

『Collapse』

 

____________________________

 

In spite of the feeling of wonder I felt reading the advantage of Strengthening Environmental Hazards, the sight of the colossal amount the interface was suggesting I put in made me instinctively recoil. All the G.P involved in this enhancement was literally all the GP I'd managed to gather since those initial 90 GP I spawned up with, and seeing it being concentrated in one place made me feel like I was making a bet. In spite of having been many things in my past life, one thing I've never been is a gambler.

It was then in that moment, as "Enhance Guardian abilities" began to take effect, I experienced something that didn't fail to bring a smile to my face—tridimensionality. The interface before me that had thus far shown things in the form of either words or dots, now displayed a 3D visual of things. Fundamentally, it wasn't really my first interaction with tridimensionality; after all, there were things I could see in 3D generally—the remains of the invaders my spawns had fended off, the spawns that I could get a visual of before acquiring, the tools these invaders leave. Actually, there was plenty of it now that I think of it.

However, so far, each confrontation, which I knew happened in 3D like anything in the real world, was shown through a cold interface in the form of a dot, either red or blue. But today was different. Like a chessboard before a chess player, the domain—or at least the mini-domain that belonged to the Dungeon Guardian—manifested itself through the interface, granting me something that I could finally rightfully call a sight.

In the dim-lit cavern, a monstrous yet clearly humanoid figure loomed. Most would describe it as casting shadows that seemed to devour what little light dared to approach. Draped in tattered robes, the Regent wore a crown of thorns that seemed to writhe in perpetual decay, with long, bony fingers tipped with razor-sharp claws hanging at its sides—ready to deliver a touch that promised nothing but decay. It was a conventionally fearsome-looking entity, but I couldn't see anything but something to witness with pride. "Beautiful, these 20591.76GP were really not wasted on acquiring and leveling you up."

Standing across from my dungeon guardian, on the other side of the chessboard-looking arena, a lone figure stood—a short silhouette that, compared to my dungeon, resembled a toddler standing beside a grown-up adult. Because of Otherworldly Synergy, just like anything in the vicinity, countless glyphs and symbols oozed out of him, barely allowing me to make out his face. Yet, I could discern what appeared to be a youthful face, barely above twenty.

 

_____________________________

 

Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 31
Race: HighBreed
Class: Barbarian
Health: 63%

Status: In Combat

『Expand』

_____________________________

 

He stood tall and fair-haired, adorned in a worn tunic that left his upper body exposed. In his grip, he brandished a substantial axe—more aptly described as a battle axe—and a scabbard adorned his back. In essence, he embodied the quintessential image of what one might conjure when envisioning a medieval fantasy brute.

“So you’re Tusko Vagar, huh?”

Perhaps it was because I'd gotten too used to seeing nothing but interfaced cadavers, but to be honest, there was something unsettling about seeing a face so alive with expressions. Calmly, as I came to associate the expression of his face with a known emotion, I no longer hesitated.

____________________________

 

[ ???'s Interface ]

Strengthen environmental hazards

『Expand』

 

 

____________________________

 

“Yes!”

____________________________

 

[ Regent of Putrescence ]

Level: 39

Type: Monster

Class: Necrotic Overlord (Regent of Putrescence)

Title: Plaguebearer Supreme / Dungeon Guardian

 

[Status]

- H.P: 4000 / 4000 (1200)

- M.P: 3700 / 3700 (+1200)

- S.P: 1920 / 1920 (+720)

- Defense: 2470 (+700)

- Offense: 3820 (+1100)

____________________________

____________________________

 

[ Regent of Putrescence ]

 

Countdown to Combat Initiation: 15 seconds / Initiate now

____________________________

 

“Initiate now.”