The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices
Chapter 86: The Snake's Jealousy (1)

The dungeon monsters keep offering sacrifices – 086

EP.86 The Snake’s Jealousy (1)

The atmosphere of the banquet gradually intensified.

The venue was filled with dazzling lights and mouth-watering foods.

Those in attendance were enjoying themselves in the glamorous and elegant atmosphere.

Although caught up in the mood, they did not forget the purpose of their presence here.

Some came to form connections with many dungeons.

Based on those connections, they could form alliances and perhaps even aim for more.

They harbored such hopes.

Or perhaps, there were those among them who came to overcome the current difficulties.

The reasons for attending social events like this varied, but there was one commonality.

That was securing one’s own interests.

Regardless of the reasons, they all moved ultimately for their own gain.

And to achieve their goals, they couldn’t just stand still.

In fact, they were still acting swiftly even now.

Especially in this social circle, the appearance of one individual had hastened the steps of the undead monsters.

“Tick, Tick?”

(Did you hear that?)

“What about it, what are you saying?”

Even now, in a corner, a skeleton and a mummy monster wrapped in bandages were conferring with each other.

“Ddak ddak.”

(Someone extraordinary has attended this place.)

“Extraordinary, someone, who?”

The skeleton glanced around before whispering to the mummy.

“Ddak… ddak.”

(Do not be surprised… the great Arch Lich has descended here.)

“…!”

And from their mouths, the name of one being was being discussed fervently.

It was none other than the Arch Lich.

Who was the Arch Lich?

Wasn’t it a high-grade undead monster of 5 stars?

The moment they heard that name, what they had to do was clear.

It was to promptly go to the place where the Arch Lich was.

Was he really such an extraordinary figure?

Various monsters were lined up in front of the table where the Arch Lich was seated.

Most of them were undead monsters.

They were eager to make contact with the Arch Lich by any means necessary.

Just forming a connection with the Arch Lich would fulfil the purpose of attending this social event.

But it was not an easy task.

Even now, there were quite a few who left with despairing expressions, turning their backs and leaving.

“Ddak ddak-”

(They say you need money if you want to form a connection with the Arch Lich.)

That’s right.

Various gold coins and jewels were piled up on the table where the Arch Lich was seated.

Those were all kinds of gifts meant to ingratiate themselves with the Arch Lich.

When the Arch Lich received a gift, a connection was established.

“Ddak ddak ddak!”

(And then your name goes up in the Arch Lich’s book!)

The moment they heard that story, Mummy’s eyes sparkled.

Usually, the strong only make verbal promises.

But the Arch Lich in front of them was different.

He actually wrote their names in his book.

What could that mean?

If your name was written in the Arch Lich’s book, it meant the connection was solidified.

As if determined, Mummy, with her bandaged body, took her place at the end of the line.

The line was quite long, but if they could establish a connection this time, it would be helpful someday. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

However, contrary to their thoughts, the Arch Lich didn’t think much of these connections.

“……”

Instead, he had come to a significant realization here.

And based on that realization, he continued to jot down something in his notebook.

[Ghoul Dungeon, located near the Free City Union. The distance is more than expected.]

It was information about the opponent’s dungeon.

Before attending the social circle, Celia had said.

Collect as much information as possible.

To comply with her order, the Arch Lich continued to be busy without a moment’s rest.

There was no hesitation in his records, thanks to the realization he had just gained.

He had figured out how to gather information about the opponent while also arranging gifts.

– Jingling. –

Even now, a considerable amount of gold coins lay on the table.

The Arch Lich nodded and began jotting down the names and locations of the dungeons that the opponents mentioned.

Thanks to this, his luxurious blue robe was now stuffed with coins and jewels.

Nodding.

The Arch Lich nodded slightly, wearing a satisfied expression at the modest gain.

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***

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– The Arch Lich gained enlightenment at the social banquet. –

– The [Dungeon Monster Enhancement System] of the Arch Lich has been unlocked. –

“Oh, what’s this?”

The Arch Lich sent to the [Dungeon Social Circle] gained enlightenment.

“Sending the Arch Lich was indeed the right choice.”

But unfortunately, there weren’t any skills or traits readily available to enhance the Arch Lich right away.

“Hmm…..”

Anyway, there was plenty of time.

When skills or traits suitable for the Arch Lich emerged, they could be applied then.

After checking that alert, I immediately summoned Maru.

“Maru, let’s start getting ready to go out.”

Maru, who had returned from the El Dorad Continent, had now transcended to a 5-star skeleton.

He had become not just an ordinary skeleton but a skeleton Holy Knight.

Thanks to him, all the chronic weaknesses of undead monsters were nullified.

With Maru as he is now, he would be a tremendous help even in dungeon exploration.

‘A skeleton Holy Knight wielding a dark sword.’

It sounded contradictory, but it was the truth.

With Maru as he is now, he could easily hunt down even villain hunters.

And my goal was also hunting villains.

“Shall we go leveling up in the dungeon soon?”

====

***

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The banquet had grown lively in no time.

While everyone was moving for their own interests, there were also those who simply enjoyed the atmosphere quietly.

The succubus and incubus were exactly like that.

“Isn’t this social circle really splendid and charming?”

One succubus brought up the topic.

She elegantly tilted her wine glass and brought it to her lips.

But it wasn’t just casual drinking.

She swept her long hair back, emphasizing her own body.

And it wasn’t just the succubus.

The incubus were the same.

Everyone was radiating their own charm and engaging in intense competition.

“Haha, it truly is an amazing place. Those exquisite paintings and sculptures are so beautiful that I would want to place them in my dungeon.”

Azmo spoke plainly about his inner thoughts, unrelated to the ongoing competition.

This place was truly beautiful.

He wanted to bring those artworks into his dungeon right away.

“Is this your first time at this social circle, Mr. Azmo?”

One succubus showed interest in Azmo, approaching him subtly as she spoke.

But it wasn’t just her.

Most of the succubus gathered here were looking at Azmo.

“……”

Just looking at Azmo made one feel somewhat uneasy.

Why did that feeling arise, one couldn’t say.

But one thing was certain.

Azmo was different.

There was an energy and atmosphere about him that other incubusi couldn’t exude.

It was like the atmosphere of a beast that seduces without discriminating against anyone.

It was drawn to that aspect.

The problem was, some incubus also felt that way.

‘How can I feel the same towards a fellow incubus…’

They were currently confused by the situation.

They didn’t even know that this was due to Azmo’s skill, [Distorted Allure].

The small banquets of succubus and incubius were peaceful.

And they naturally hid themselves from the social circle by engaging in various conversations.

Where they were headed was a secret.

There was even one person who watched them quietly as they each enjoyed the party in their own way.

That person was Arcane.

She was a Lamia, with the upper body of a female but the lower body resembling that of a snake.

And currently, she was not pleased with the party.

‘Why did it turn out like this…!’

At the table where she was currently seated, there was no one besides her subordinates.

No one came to visit her either.

“Kuk….”

It was humiliating.

There was nothing more humiliating than fading into obscurity in the social circle.

Moreover, the Succubus Queen was absent from this banquet.

It had been a long time since she had shown herself, so her absence was predicted.

That meant they didn’t have to worry about one of the strongest competitors.

And another competitor, the 5-star vampire Baalzerith.

She, too, was a formidable opponent.

The strong were always favored in banquets.

That’s why Baalzerith was considered the biggest competitor.

But it wouldn’t last long.

Baalzerith’s current situation wasn’t great either.

Rumors had it that the White Order was suppressing her and cracking down on surrounding forces.

At first, they thought it was just a rumor, but seeing Baalzerith’s dark expression, they realized it was true.

And the reaction was immediate.

Although Baalzerith might have been famous in the last social circle, it wasn’t the case this time.

There wasn’t a single monster approaching her, who was sitting in the corner.

Even the vampires, who were of the same race as her, ignored her.

Everyone had already heard the news.

That Baalzerith was currently in danger.

The vampires were probably avoiding her in case things got heated.

‘But she still showed up.’

Baalzerith had already exposed her appearance.

Even though she was busy defending her dungeon against the church’s attacks.

‘She had no choice but to come.’

Arcane understood.

Maybe even if her own dungeon was in danger, she would have attended the social circle no matter what.

The social circles hosted by the Association were not ordinary banquets.

Just attending had several benefits, one of which was the Association’s responsibility to protect the dungeon.

Thanks to this, dungeon masters could attend the social circle without worries.

If Baalzerith had considered her dungeon in jeopardy, she wouldn’t have missed this point.

That way, the Association would take responsibility for protecting her dungeon.

Well, even so, Baalzerith was practically being treated as non-existent already.

“Tsk.”

But Arcane also encountered a problem.

In this party, even two beings of 5-star caliber were overshadowed, and her own presence seemed to vanish.

“How dare they…”

A party where a 5-star being disappeared.

And she was soon to reach the position of a 5-star herself.

She believed that she would stand out in this party with her distinctive presence.

She wanted to demonstrate her unique presence to the Association.

Surely, the Association would take good care of her dungeon as well.

She was certain of that.

But this thought was distorted by a single being.

“Where did that guy come from?”

Arcane muttered with an irritated voice.

Her eyes were directed elsewhere, specifically at the table where Arch Lich was.

“Stia.”

“Yes, Lady Arcane.”

Arcane secretly instructed her subordinate, Stia.

“After this party ends, no, gather information about that guy thoroughly using all available contacts.”

“Understood.”

Stia obeyed her master’s command and immediately rose from her seat.

‘Where have you been hiding all this time?”

Surely, Arch Lich wasn’t present at the last party.

But he appeared at this one.

It didn’t make sense for a being of 5-star caliber to suddenly appear out of nowhere.

‘Where on earth did this guy come from?’

Luckily, her opponent was Arch Lich.

Lich, by default, were undead monsters that utilized magic, but their power wasn’t overwhelming.

The only usable skill was corpse explosion, but even that couldn’t be used freely here.

“I’ll just have to show my strength in the dungeon battle anyway.”

There would be a dungeon battle event in the future.

It was a showdown to determine which dungeon possessed the strongest forces.

The dungeon that performed well in this event would receive the protection of the Association.

She just had to showcase her strength there.

“I’ll show that bone that I’m superior.”

Moreover, she had always attended social circles.

There was no way that guy, who had just arrived, would have many connections in the banquet.

As time passed, this would become increasingly apparent.

“Yeah, then the tide will turn in my favor.”

Arcane smiled softly.

She wanted to show how terrifying a jealous snake could be.

But she didn’t know.

“Oh, Lord Arch Lich! What a coincidence to meet you here. Chwiik!”

“Ttak?”

Arch Lich turned his head at the voice calling him.

There stood an Orc Scout.

And the Squall, like himself, was an orc serving the same master.

“As if it wasn’t enough that all the master’s minions were invited, isn’t this just great!”

The Squall smiled as he spoke.

He also thought it was only natural for the master’s minions to be invited since this was their first invitation to this social circle.

But that’s not all.

There was talk that all four dungeons managed by Celia, who serves the great one, had their masters attend the social circle.

It was also mentioned to Arch Lich that his allies, all under the same master, had officially debuted in the social circle.

This fact was beyond Arcane’s wildest dreams.

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