The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices
Chapter 69

EP.69 Half Goblin Mass Production Plan (2)

Nariel stood up from her seat.

And desperately called out Isrin’s name.

“Miss Isrin…?”

No matter how much she called, only the leaves whispered, and Isrin was nowhere to be found.

Fearing her sudden disappearance, Nariel leaned against the tree she had been relying on just moments ago.

Perhaps nature knew something.

“…..”

But there was no response.

Not from the tree, nor from the surrounding grass.

No, it wasn’t silence.

‘Fear…?’

The very nature seemed to tremble.

‘Why on earth?’

Such a phenomenon was entirely new even to Nariel.

She quickly bowed her head.

Grasping a handful of soil, she closed her eyes.

Maybe something would come out this time.

As she clenched the soil tighter, it slipped through her fingers.

“Why!”

But even this was futile.

As if everyone had vowed to keep it a secret, they all fell silent.

It was an unsettling and eerie silence.

And then, at that moment.

Nariel’s vision turned dark.

Someone had covered her eyes.

“!”

It was sudden.

She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

She attempted to resist, but the other’s strength was overwhelming.

There was nothing she could do but surrender.

A moment later, she felt somewhat strange.

Her head was spinning, and her body felt twisted.

It was as if the very space itself was warping.

“Ugh…..”

She felt like she might vomit at any moment.

Fortunately, the feeling didn’t last long.

The force that had restrained her disappeared, and the darkened vision cleared slightly.

“…Huh?”

Before her eyes were seven people.

They held torches in their hands.

“You all…”

The ones before her were clearly adventurers.

The same adventurers she had been with before dividing into teams.

Had they somehow emerged from the forest?

Nariel quickly scanned her surroundings.

But it wasn’t so.

The place she was in was still within the forest.

Though it had changed slightly from just a moment ago, she hadn’t escaped the forest.

If there was any silver lining, it was that she had encountered the adventurers.

Now she just needed to find Isrin and the others and escape.

“Where… are the others?”

Nariel’s mouth shut as she tried to speak.

Something was off.

The armor of the individuals in front of her was all stained red.

“Blood?”

Had they been hunting monsters?

But there was no vitality in their pupils.

Each wore a grotesque yet terrifying expression.

Just by looking at them, it was clear.

That blood was definitely not from monsters.

Realizing this fact, Nariel slowly stepped back.

With each step she took backward, the adventurers in front of her took a step forward.

“Oops….”

But soon something collided with her from behind.

“Oh, what a cute little lady.”

A voice reached Nariel’s ears.

Among all the voices she had heard so far, it was the most sweet and beautiful.

It had a seductive yet sweet tone, like smooth silk gently enveloping the ears with a mysterious charm.

Nariel turned around to find the owner of the voice.

“Oh….”

Truly, there was a beautiful woman before her.

Her appearance surpassed that of any human.

Her snow-white hair seemed to emit a faint glow, coexisting with purity and elegance.

Her skin, too, was remarkable.

It glistened even more like glass than Nariel’s own elven skin, smooth and flawless.

Her crimson eyes, which met Nariel’s, were deep and enchanting.

“Ah….”

She was so beautiful.

But Nariel shook her head.

If she let her guard down now, she felt she might be captivated by her.

Even more so, Nariel pinched her cheeks firmly, trying to snap out of it.

She knew she was beautiful.

But at the same time, she could also sense that she was anything but ordinary.

The horns above her head proved the fact.

“Shadow, thank you for bringing her. Today is truly fortunate.”

Where exactly was luck coming into play?

The woman before her spoke with joy in her voice.

At the same time, Nariel realized.

Upon the appearance of the woman before her, the adventurers who had been approaching until a moment ago stopped in their tracks.

And she also knew that the presence of monsters was increasing among the surrounding trees.

“W-Who are you?”

Nariel spoke to the being before her.

Instinctively, she could tell.

That this being was the true ruler of this forest.

‘I can’t win.’

And that she could never win, no matter what.

Before her hand could even reach the bow on her back, she would lose her life.

Before that, she couldn’t even move under the overwhelming force.

“W-Who on earth are you?!”

Her voice trembled.

She was definitely a presence that should not exist in this world.

In Nariel’s childhood memories,

She felt the same power emanating from the woman before her that she had felt from the World Tree in the distant past.

What kind of existence was the World Tree?

Wasn’t it the mother of all things, embracing the lives of elves and nature, supporting the world?

Of course, she wasn’t as great as the World Tree.

But still, Nariel couldn’t help but be astonished by the similarity in presence.

Because she had never experienced a monster with such power before.

Perhaps.

Wasn’t this the beginning of the invasion from the demon realm that had occurred in the distant past?

To the trembling Nariel, the woman before her spoke gently.

“My name is Celia. I am merely a servant of the Great One’s will.”

“Celia…?”

She tilted her head, but she had never heard the name Celia before.

And the Great One?

She pondered for a moment.

“It might be better to show rather than tell.”

– Clap –

Celia clapped her hands once.

And then, goblins emerged from behind.

Each of them led fallen adventurers.

Among them, she could see Isrin bound.

“I-Isrin!”

Nariel called out Isrin’s name and approached.

“Don’t worry. She’s just asleep.”

Celia grinned slyly.

Indeed, Isrin seemed to be unharmed, just as she had said.

She simply appeared to be unconscious.

Celia approached Nariel step by step.

“To think a mage and an elf are friends, your bond must be truly deep.”

Celia placed her hand on Nariel’s shoulder.

“This child has a very rich mana.”

Nariel nodded slightly.

It was true.

She knew more about Isrin than anyone else. Sᴇaʀᴄh the NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Isrin was a mage.

Not just any mage, but a mage of the 3rd Circle.

At the age of twenty-two, she was already eyeing the 4th Circle.

It was truly overwhelming talent.

And yet, such a talented individual was now lying in a mere forest.

Even if they were alive now, only those monsters would know what fate awaited them.

“What do you intend to do with us?”

Nariel was quite observant.

The goblins were still bringing back unconscious adventurers one by one.

And they were scattered around.

There were even adventurers who had fled from the slime dungeon earlier.

Except for herself, they were all unconscious.

It was impossible not to understand the blatant implication.

“What do you want from me?”

Celia smiled in response to Nariel’s question.

Her smile seemed to indicate satisfaction, as if she had heard the right answer.

“I’m glad you’re observant. I really like people who are observant. And my master also likes those who are observant.”

Celia raised a finger.

“Surely it’s you. Oh, may I call you Miss Nariel? If you escape from this mountain range as you suggested, you should accompany this child, shouldn’t you?”

Nariel bit her lip.

It was what Isrin had said right before she disappeared.

In other words, it meant that the other party had been observing her every move.

Since when had it begun?

Perhaps it had started from the moment she first climbed the mountain range.

Come to think of it, there were more than a few strange things.

‘Was it for this reason that the orc spared me…?

As she thought this, Nariel shivered.

It had been a game played in the palm of the other party’s hand from the beginning.

The mountain range was already being eroded by that presence.

Did the royal family of the Sael Kingdom already know?

Many questions arose, but they were put aside for now.

As Nariel remained silent, Celia gestured her finger to the side.

– Snap –

One of the adventurers lying on the ground had his throat slashed, blood spurting out.

It happened in an instant.

“Miss Nariel, would it be preferable to you if this one died?”

Celia raised her finger again as she spoke like that.

Seeing her like that, Nariel lowered her head.

She was so flustered that she couldn’t even find her voice, so she could only lower her head with all her might.

Nariel’s gesture seemed to satisfy Celia, who smiled as if pleased.

“Good. That’s the attitude. Normally, there would be no such mercy, but I’ll make an exception.”

After clapping her hands once again, Celia spoke.

“There aren’t any useful individuals. Leave only the women.”

At her command, the goblins raised their rusted knives.

And they thrust the knives into the throats of the fallen male adventurers.

“……”

In the dead of night, the red blood spurted out like flames.

Amidst the bursting blood, a grim darkness descended under the moonlight.

Fear and despair were palpable.

Wasn’t this a dream?

Yes, a terribly dreadful dream.

It was a horrific sight, as if experiencing a nightmare.

Leaving only the women, all the adventurers died.

It was an absurd conclusion.

Celia glanced at the scene once and then comforted Isrin.

“Do you want to save your friend?”

Nariel nodded.

It was a barely noticeable nod.

Who would want to let someone die?

“Good. Then let me get to the point. Serve for me, and more importantly, for the Great One.”

Celia whispered.

“As long as you keep your promise, I’ll guarantee this child’s life. You will eventually have to leave here, won’t you?”

It was a temptation from which she couldn’t refuse.

If she refused, Isrin’s life would be lost, and perhaps even her own life.

Ultimately, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

But that wasn’t all.

Nariel looked at Isrin.

Although Isrin appeared to be unconscious, she seemed comfortable without any hesitation.

“Isrin….”

She was a talented mage.

Not just any talent, but overwhelming talent, aiming for the 4th Circle at the young age of twenty-two.

In fact, she could have been treated well even if she entered nobility instead of being an adventurer.

Perhaps she could have become the court mage of a kingdom.

But she refused all such honors.

And she continued to work as an adventurer.

It wasn’t for any grand purpose.

Isrin simply continued adventuring to take care of herself.

When Nariel first emerged into the world of humans, everything was bewildering.

It was difficult because their way of life was so different from that of the elves.

The one who took care of her in such circumstances was Isrin. Her current condition was her responsibility.

It was too much for her to die before her overwhelming talent could bloom.

Nariel had only one choice.

“Alright. I’ll do as you say. What do you want me to do?”

Celia gestured at Nariel’s acceptance.

As Celia gestured, something flew from the air.

“Banshee…?”

As Nariel said, it was indeed Banshee.

Banshee flew over to Isrin’s vicinity. It was obvious what would happen next.

“T-this isn’t what we agreed upon!”

Banshee inherently controls the opponent’s mind.

Of course, it’s useless against higher-grade beings, but Isrin is currently unconscious. She was too defenseless against Banshee.

“This is mercy. Look at them.”

Celia suddenly pointed to one side.

There were the seven adventurers she saw earlier.

Somehow, she thought something was strange, but they were already under Banshee’s control.

As Nariel looked at the adventurers, one change occurred.

“Huh? Where is this place..?”

One of the seven adventurers spoke up. Life returned to his eyes.

“I was following the holy knight…?”

– Thud –

His throat was slashed by Celia, leaving only those words.

“Did you see?”

Celia looked at Isrin without hesitation.

“Just because Banshee controls their minds doesn’t mean their personalities die completely. I can release them whenever I command.”

Celia pointed at Isrin.

“In a way, this might be mercy for your friend, Nariel. Oh, I’m not forcing you. This mercy applies only to your friend, Miss Nariel.”

Nariel nodded at Celia’s words.

It was true. This place was where blood spattered and people died without a second thought.

Anyone exposed to such scenes would lose their sanity.

Therefore, it was better for Isrin to do so for her sake.

“P-please.”

Nariel pleaded.

As Nariel agreed, Banshee began to enter Isrin’s mind.

A moment later, Isrin’s eyes fluttered open. But she know. The person before me now is not Isrin.

It’s just a monster wearing Isrin’s disguise.

But she won’t let her live like this forever.

‘I’ll rescue her someday…!’

Nariel resolved in her own way. And she looked at Celia.

For now, she had to bow her head.

“Then, Miss Nariel, follow this shadow. Shadow, guide Nariel to Area 3.”

The shadow behind Celia changed direction and began to move.

“Don’t worry about your friend and go.”

At Celia’s words, Nariel finally followed the shadow.

‘Anyway, nothing would change by staying here.’

As Nariel’s figure disappeared completely, Celia opened her mouth.

“Now, Goblin Lord.”

As she spoke, the Goblin Lord nearby revealed himself.

“Take care of this one. She’s a promising magician for the future.”

Celia handed Isrin over to the Goblin Lord. Isrin is currently being controlled by Banshee.

She won’t remember anything that happens to her.

Whether it will be despair or hope for her, no one knows.

Maybe she won’t even know herself forever.

“Take care of the remaining women as you wish. It’s better than nothing.”

The number of goblins in the dungeon has increased tremendously. In that sense, they handed over all the surviving adventurers to the Goblin Lord.

“Now the plan can move forward a step.”

Celia smiled satisfactorily. In the distance, goblins were bringing bones.

They were the remains of the adventurers who fell victim to the slimes.

When all the bones were gathered, they would be reborn as skeletons by the Arch Lich.

The flesh remaining on the corpses would also be food for the monsters.

There was nothing to waste about the adventurers. And unexpectedly, they even got an elf.

The elf would have a lot to do in the future.

“Finally, we can develop Area 3.”

Area 1 had a Death Knight as a mid-boss.

Area 2 had a Goblin Lord as a mid-boss.

Compared to that, Area 3 was too plain with only plants.

This had always been a concern, and now the appearance of the elf was timely.

“As you wish, my master”

Celia murmured as she walked away.

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