The shallows were washed over again and again by the clear seawater. Buried amidst the yellow grit and gravel, one could see not only seashells of various colors but also the occasional flash of blinding gold.
Whenever this alluring brilliance flickered, it would take no more than three seconds for a surge of water to arrive. Powerful legs kicked up sand and muddied the water, yet swift hands would still plunge in, accurately fishing out the gold ornaments!
"This is the panacea!"
Even the homeless beggars by the roadside came running, their legs moving as if they were flying. A massive influx of people turned this originally peaceful beach into a chaotic battlefield of shoving, snatching, and cursing—just like a thick soup brewed by a Demon!
The cargo ship that had struck the reef and collapsed in the shallow sea was like a stranded whale. The people swarming over it transformed into master swimmers in an instant, caring nothing for what they stepped on underfoot. Even if there were monsters in the sea, they would be killed without mercy!
Nothing could stop them. The adventurers, having been tormented by the "Golden Dream" all night, simply could not resist this immense wealth left for the taking.
They became like cockroaches and crabs, drilling in from every opening, constantly gnawing at the whale's entrails, cutting away the glittering, jewel-encrusted flesh and blood.
No one stopped them. From beginning to end, no one came forward to claim the cargo ship, so it naturally became a gluttonous feast!
First the entrails, then the muscles, and finally the bones and skin—even the gold-plated figurehead was scraped clean.
It was simply like watching a scene from Animal World, with the decomposition process of a giant beast accelerated a hundred times over... In less than half a day, nothing but a mess remained on the shoals. The adventurers dispersed completely, leaving only the Guild staff to clean up the pieces.
But this wasn't enough. How could this be enough?
There were still many who hadn't eaten their fill, and some hadn't even managed to take a bite before it was over.
Having tasted the sweetness, it was impossible for them to be satisfied with just this!
Everyone was guessing how much others had harvested, while simultaneously guarding against their own gains being discovered. That day, there was no indulgent revelry as imagined; instead, everyone hid in their rooms hugging their scavenged jewels, their minds a chaotic mess~
"...That was terrifying."
Just as the shallows returned to calm, a sailing ship quietly left the port. Passing by the scene and seeing the riddle-filled "corpse of the ship," Chilchuck, who was in charge of watching the wind direction, couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Ryu... if you go back now, you'll definitely be robbed!"
The Halfling was absolutely certain. Ryu's previous actions had already stimulated this group of people intensely. The shipwreck incident was the fuse that blew away all their rules and scruples, allowing them to plunder wealth that didn't belong to them to their heart's content.
Once done, it would happen a second time. If Ryu were to provoke them like that again now, the result would be completely different.
However, on second thought, Chilchuck realized that Ryu didn't actually care about this at all—he wouldn't stop the adventurers; he might even encourage them to do it!
This man had been prepared from the moment he came up from the Dungeon's First Floor. The exaggerated wealth he displayed existed solely for this purpose!
Chilchuck wiped away his cold sweat.
Regardless of what Ryu's ultimate goal was, this method, this financial power... he was no different from the Demons in the fairy tales of his hometown!
"Can you tell us now?"
Chilchuck felt like he had boarded a pirate ship. He originally thought Ryu just wanted to build hype, which was why he hired the Halflings, but now it seemed he actually wanted to throw the hearts of the entire island into chaos!
But he would still continue to follow Ryu, because he had signed a contract, and after all, the pay was just too much—why couldn't he control these hands of his!
"Even if you're buying the whole island, there's no need for such a grand gesture~"
Ryu looked at the map, then gazed toward the northeast for a moment. After nodding at a black line that appeared in his vision, he finally turned back to look at everyone.
Laios, Senshi, Marcille, Falin... none of them really understood what Ryu wanted to do, yet they had all inexplicably followed him.
Part of the reason was curiosity, and another was likely the attraction of Ryu's mysterious and dangerous aura—they were adventurers, after all.
Especially Laios. Although he felt indifferent towards ordinary humans, he found getting along with Ryu very comfortable, as if he were with some "non-human" entity.
"The island definitely has to be bought, but I don't have that much time to wrangle with the Island Lord, nor do I have the effort to spare on handling the adventurers' problems. This method was a bit stimulating, but very effective... Now they will dance to my baton."
"Time?" Marcille was puzzled. "Are you in a hurry?"
"Of course," Ryu paused, then said something that made everyone's eyes widen. "Because this Dungeon doesn't have many days left!"
"What!"
Except for Falin, everyone was incredibly surprised. Laios, in particular, had a face of iron-blue, looking as if he had seen the end of the world.
"Wh-why do you say that? Do you have any basis?"
"Right, you must find it hard to believe hearing me say this so suddenly... By the way, I don't think I've introduced my background yet, have I?"
"This..."
Everyone looked at each other, hesitant for a moment.
They had tacitly assumed Ryu had a mysterious background and great origins, so they hadn't pried. They hadn't expected him to bring up the topic proactively.
"You're from the East, right?"
"'The East' is a very broad concept... I'll tell you about the origin of the Dungeon first. Hmm, where should I start?"
Ryu sat at the bow of the ship, organizing his words, and then narrated an ancient story.
"Dungeons are divided into two types: naturally formed and artificially created Ancient Ruins. The former are often small in scale and are the most common. The latter, however, are full of danger and hide secrets from the ancient era.
"It all originates from existences known as 'Demons'—not the monsters in fairy tales, but unknown interdimensional creatures. They just happened to match the image of demons in people's imaginations, hence the name.
"It is said that the intelligent race that first made contact with the [Demon] was the Elves. They obtained almost infinite magical power from the Demon, but later, things spiraled out of control and some danger emerged. Realizing the problem, people confined the Demon within Ancient Ruins to prevent it from easily contacting the surface world—this is the man-made Dungeon.
"Imprisoning the Demon in the Dungeon can provide infinite energy. Some people use this to realize their desires, thinking they can prosper forever, but how can there be such a good thing in this world?
"Everything requires a price; that is the truth of the world!
"The Demon accepts people's desires and then realizes them. But this is like a canvas being constantly painted over; the more emotion people pour into it, the more the mixed colors tend towards pure black...
"From a purely neutral existence, the Demon developed a habit of feeding on human desires. When the Demon has eaten enough desire, it craves more, and then it breaks through the cage of the Dungeon to invade the surface world."
"..."
Everyone was speechless. Although this sounded like a myth, coming from Ryu's mouth, it carried great conviction. The dwarf Senshi was the first to believe it, looking quite entranced, as if he had realized something.
He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Indeed... that Dungeon feels like it's alive. The stronger the desire, the more one takes, the easier it is to be swallowed by it..."
Marcille was a bit agitated. "But how do you know all this? I've lived for fifty years and have been researching Dungeons and ancient magic all this time, but..."
"Because for the Elves, that is a dark history that needs to be thoroughly covered up. That's why they forbid people from learning black magic—that is, ancient magic related to Dungeons and Demons."
"So that's how it is!"
Marcille covered her mouth in disbelief.
Ryu said solemnly, "That is the special unit directly under the jurisdiction of the Elf royalty, dedicated to suppressing Dungeons."
"The Canaries..."
Marcille frowned.
She was an Elf, true, but she was a half-blood who had grown up with her mother in human lands. It wasn't that she hadn't been back to the Elf Kingdom, but her memories of it were scarce, and she certainly wouldn't know any royal secrets. Her knowledge of the [Canaries] could be said to be nil.
Chilchuck looked terrified. "I... I haven't heard of any Canaries... but do you mean the 'Western Elves' will take notice of the Dungeon on this island?"
Western Elves. That was the collective term used by short-lived races for the Elf Kingdom... Their fierce reputation was enough to stop a Halfling child from crying at night!
Because that was a group of guys who made no secret of their pride, had no respect for short-lived species, and had strict class divisions even among themselves.
Who knows how many Halflings and ordinary humans had been indiscriminately taken away just for being involved with "black magic." The investigation and interrogation alone would take twenty or thirty years—many Halflings simply died of old age in prison!
"When you said there was no time, did you mean..."
"Correct. The 'Golden Kingdom Dungeon' on this island has grown to its final stages and is about to lose control—after going down into the Dungeon personally once, I am absolutely certain of this.
"If my guess is right, the Western Elves should be rushing over soon!"
Ryu looked at Falin, confusing the girl slightly. Marcille also cast a worried look at her best friend.
"If the Elf unit comes to the island, what will happen?"
Falin was resurrected by black magic!
Marcille was the caster!
If someone proficient in this art checked, they would definitely find something wrong, and there was no way the Western Elves lacked such people!
When that time came, let alone the two mages directly involved, even Chilchuck, Laios, and Senshi wouldn't be able to escape!
"Bad, bad, bad!"
Chilchuck covered his face nervously. "I... I still want to see my wife and daughters! If I get taken away by the Western Elves..."
"Eh? Chilchuck is already married?!" Everyone was astonished.
The Halfling suddenly grabbed Ryu's jacket. "Since you're so calm, you must have a way, right? What should we do!"
"Simple."
Ryu smiled faintly. "Wouldn't it be over if we solve the Dungeon Master before they arrive?"
"...Eh!"
"The Dungeon Master... the Mad Mage?"
"You say solve... how do we solve it?"
"In the end, we don't even know what the Dungeon Master looks like!"
"Calm down, calm down~"
Ryu gestured with both hands for them to settle down. "According to my plan, even if we can't kill the Dungeon Master, we can control the Dungeon within a certain range.
"Although the Western Elves have a bad reputation, in this era, they can't casually invade human territory. As long as I become the Island Lord and the Dungeon hasn't lost control, there is still room for maneuver.
"After all, you pose no threat to them. I have 'heard of' the person leading the team this time; she isn't interested in any existence other than the Dungeon Master and the Demon. As long as we grasp this point, she's actually quite easy to util—communicate with."
This guy wanted to say "utilize," didn't he?
What audacity...
"So you said you were a gourmet?"
"I didn't lie. It was only after entering the depths of the Dungeon that I realized it wasn't safe here."
Ryu's gaze was profound. "And then there's the matter of Falin... I don't want to see you guys taken away by the Western Elves."
"Ryu!"
Laios was instantly incredibly moved. "Did you do this for our sake? Even though you wasted so much treasure!"
"A poet from my hometown once said that a thousand pieces of gold cannot compare to the friendship between friends... Although we've only known each other for a few days, I absolutely cannot stand by and watch you, Laios, get into trouble."
"Wu! You really are a good person!" Laios was moved to tears!
Falin and Marcille felt the same, and Senshi nodded with gratification.
"That's right, companions are important. You look very cool right now cherishing your companions, Ryu!"
"...I'll trust you for now." Chilchuck sat back down as if resigning himself to fate, slumping directly onto Laios.
"This is bad... I was clearly about to retire; why did I have to run into this kind of thing?"
"If it goes smoothly, you'll earn enough money this time to last a lifetime," Ryu said seriously. "I promise you."
"Sigh..."
"So, the reason you incited the adventurers was to capture the Dungeon?" Laios was gradually beginning to understand at this point.
Ryu, however, revealed a disdainful smile upon hearing this. "Capture the Dungeon? Just them? Don't look at their numbers; when it really comes to the final battle, they'll all become nutrients for the Dungeon!
"My greatest hope for them is that they don't end up fueling the Dungeon's power or getting used by the Demon."
"So you set up this scheme?"
"Even if I bought the entire island, I don't have many subordinates I can trust. It's impossible to control the movements of so many adventurers. Just advising them to leave would involve endless wrangling, and right now, both we and the Dungeon need time!
"Ninety-nine out of a hundred adventurers will follow the direction of money. They might be wary of a windfall dropping from the sky, but they won't suspect the benefits they 'worked hard to pick up.' As long as I tell them where the money is, I can drive them wherever I want~"
"I see."
Laios looked at the island gradually becoming clearer in the distance, roughly understanding Ryu's plan.
"After driving away all the adventurers, will you start the strategy guide for the Dungeon Master? But to be honest, relying just on us..."
"It's a challenge." Ryu smiled. "But rest assured, it will be easier than you imagine. We won't even need to go down into the Dungeon."
Laios couldn't imagine how to capture the Dungeon Master without going down into the Dungeon, but seeing Ryu so confident, he figured there must be a way.
"One more question."
Marcille suddenly raised her hand to ask, "You haven't said it yet... why are you so clear about these things? Even I, an Elf, don't know that many ancient secrets."
"...This involves my family background."
Ryu stood up, placed a hand over his chest, and wore an expression of utmost seriousness.
"Because my ancestor once made a contract with a Demon, leaving behind a curse that has been passed down through the family for generations!"
"A Demon?!"
"That's right! Although there is only one Demon, it has different appearances, manifesting in different forms before people, and its names vary. And the one my ancestor encountered—called itself the [Demon of Capitalism]!"
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