Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 26

You who have overcome the trial,your battle was splendid.

The voice that echoed was neutral and monotone.

It sounded like praise, but there was no real emotion behind it.

“Oh. So the legend was true—when the lower-floor boss is defeated, a voice speaks out of nowhere.”

Michelle was as knowledgeable as ever. She was an avid reader and had gathered a wealth of information from various books.

“Are we getting a reward? I want a big mana stone.”

Oi, gold-hungry demon. Don’t just demand things out of nowhere.

<< Hmm. You have already entered the deeper floors, I see. Very well. Continue as you have been. >>

“Huh? What do you mean? We only challenged the lower-floor boss to stop the Stampede.”

What exactly was “very well” supposed to mean?

That’s it?

Even Claire had a point—shouldn’t there at least be some kind of reward?

<< The Stampede, you say? Ah, I see. You refer to that phenomenon where monsters spill out beyond the dungeon’s borders. You dislike it, then? >>

I had no idea who—or what—this voice belonged to, but it seemed capable of holding a conversation.

“Yes. A city has been built outside this dungeon, and we’ve suffered from multiple Stampedes in the past. The most recent one was just a short while ago, and before that, three years ago. We heard that defeating the lower-floor boss could stop them, so we took action.”

<< I see. Yes, of course, it is possible. There is a way to stop it. >>

“Please! Stop the Stampedes!”

Shifa cried out earnestly.

Of course she did—who wouldn’t want that?

“Will stopping them cause any problems?”

Michelle cut in with a sharp question.

Good point.

If it meant the entire dungeon would disappear, that would be a serious issue.

We had heard that dungeons with deeper floors didn’t vanish even after the lower-floor boss was defeated, but it was best to confirm.

<< No particular issues. If anything, as long as the lower-floor boss is defeated at regular intervals, the Stampedes will not occur. I shall tell you the necessary cycle—you are responsible for keeping them in check. >>

“Huh? I thought dungeons with deeper floors stopped Stampedes entirely once the lower-floor boss was killed.”

<< Lower-floor bosses do not spawn frequently, but they are never eradicated completely. Their spawning cycles merely become much longer. And as a result, the interval between Stampedes also lengthens. >>

“I see. So it’s not that Stampedes stop, but rather that they become much rarer. That also means that if I die, Stampedes will start up again, right?”

<< Correct. But to completely stop them, you would have to erase the dungeon itself. Is that what you desire? >>

“That’s too extreme. I understand. Please tell me the cycle.”

<< Very well. The next monster will be an Orc Tyrant. It will appear in five years. >>

“I’ve heard that Stampedes happen when monsters from the lower floors start invading the upper ones. Is just dealing with the boss enough?”

<< In general, yes. In this dungeon, however… Hmm. Recently, a group of lizards evolved and triggered a Stampede. I see… so that’s why you came to defeat the lower-floor boss. >>

“Yes, that’s right.”

<< No matter. It will no longer be an issue. You have defeated this dungeon’s lower-floor boss. That has altered the dungeon itself. From now on, nothing besides the lower-floor boss will be capable of triggering a Stampede. The previous lizard outbreak was an anomaly caused by the boss still being present at the time. If a similar monster were to evolve in the future while the lower-floor boss is absent, the dungeon would recognize it as a new boss and confine it within the boss chamber. Furthermore, even if a powerful monster appears after the next boss emerges in five years, it will take a significant amount of time before it can trigger a Stampede. >>

It was a bizarre system, but I supposed that’s just how dungeons worked.

“So once something becomes a lower-floor boss, it won’t leave the dungeon?”

<< Of course, if left alone, there is always a possibility that it could emerge. That is why you must come and defeat it. >>

“Understood. Also, is there absolutely no chance that monsters from the deeper floors will ever come up?”

<< Monsters born in the deeper floors cannot ascend beyond the lower floors. That is the law of this dungeon. On rare occasions, however, deep-floor monsters can be born in the lower floors. In such cases, they may trigger a Stampede. But from now on, that will no longer happen in this dungeon. Only creatures born specifically as lower-floor bosses will have the potential to cause a Stampede. >>

“I see. Then we’ll return in five years to take care of the next one.”

Even though the voice lacked any emotion, I strangely found it reassuring.

Maybe because it was answering all of our questions properly.

Now that we had the information, we could prepare accordingly.

<< A lower-floor boss does not immediately trigger a Stampede upon appearing, so there’s no need to rush. As long as you defeat it within ten years, there should be no issues. >>

“Would it be better to delay taking it down?”

<< That is up to you. It makes no difference if you defeat it early. The dungeon’s energy will decrease, but that is simply the natural cycle. >>

So… the dungeon’s energy is finite?

Or maybe there’s just a limit to how much can be used at one time?

“In that case, would it be possible to spawn lower-floor bosses more frequently?”

“Lord Lax is strong. What if he came here every day and defeated a boss—what would happen?”

<< I would greatly prefer you not do that. The energy supply wouldn’t be able to keep up. At best, the soonest another lower-floor boss could appear would be next month. >>

“Alright, then. We’ll be back next month. See you.”

<< Huh? Wait—hold on! I’d really prefer if you waited at least a year… >>

But we were already gone.

Our job here was done, and we made our way back to the surface.

The return trip was even livelier than before.

Between getting my arms pulled on and having girls clinging to me, it was a bit troublesome…

But… I guess I’d call it a fun journey.