Giant Tree Guardian

[Name: Giant Tree Guardian]

[Level: lv4]

[Skills: Nature's Spirit lv4, Earth Resonance lv4, Limb Weaponization lv3, Resilient Body lv3, Colossal Strength lv3, Shapeshifting Disguise lv3, Tree Spirit Summoning lv3, Root Regeneration lv3]

[Description: A lifeform condensed from the core of an ancient giant tree. It is a Dungeon layer guardian with the ability to control plants and communicate with nature. Its innately massive body grants it incomparably powerful strength, while its mana-filled trunk provides natural armor and extremely high resistance to physical and magical attacks.]

"Pulled a gold on a single draw!"

Lucifer looked at the monster's status panel before him. Even its lowest-level skills were level three. Its nearly ten-meter-tall body gave the Treant strength no less than that of a giant, while the power of the earth and nature continuously supplied it with strength.

Its limbs and arms could freely transform into all kinds of weapons, and its ability to control plants was innate. Its plant-based nature meant that even if adventurers successfully slew it, it only needed half a month to absorb nutrients and mana before recovering.

"Supreme Sovereign, I offer you my highest respects."

The Giant Tree Guardian opened its eyes, lowered its head toward the great orb of light before it, and regarded loyalty to the Sovereign who had given it life and purpose as something carved into its soul and consciousness.

"Not bad. The Fourth Layer will be yours from now on. Don't disappoint me."

Lucifer answered. He had long expected the monsters he created to possess self-awareness. However, every monster he created was absolutely loyal to him, so there was no need to worry about betrayal.

"Yes."

The Giant Tree Guardian rose from the ground. Its enormous body took heavy steps toward the nearby lakeside, where it rooted itself once more and transformed into a great tree. Its canopy swayed as vast natural mana erupted forth. The surrounding ground began to tremble, and tender shoots burst through the soil, growing into trees five meters tall.

"Feels like something's still missing."

Lucifer looked at the forest before him, thought for a moment, then reluctantly took out that low-grade wand and a pile of ordinary equipment from the treasury. The ground before the Giant Tree Guardian rose and condensed into a treasure chest.

How could it attract adventurers without a treasure chest? Lucifer even moved one of the passages to the Fourth Layer here.

If they wanted to enter the next layer, they would have to defeat the boss first.

"Hm?"

At that moment, Lucifer suddenly sensed something. He directed his mental power toward the entrance from the Third Layer to the Fourth Layer and saw several round, plump Puchis spraying spores as they entered, with a vast mass of mycelium spreading in behind them.

"I nearly forgot about you, little guy."

The Fungus Lord was the first monster Lucifer had created. It had also been created using the Dungeon's unique resources, making it the monster with the greatest potential in the entire Dungeon. It was an important pillar of the Dungeon's Ecosystem Formation.

It simultaneously served as the decomposer, symbiote, and provider within the Dungeon's monster ecosystem.

"Keep growing."

He allowed the Fungus Lord to reproduce and grow freely throughout the Fourth Layer. With its adaptability, the environment here would not affect it in the slightest.

Incidentally, once the Dungeon reached level four, the Fungus Lord's level cap also increased.

It would probably level up successfully before long. As for the other monsters, if they wanted to break through their own level limits, they could only rely on their own efforts.

Outside the Dungeon entrance.

A brand-new town was rising from the ground at a visible pace. With the power of magic, building an ordinary town was easy so long as one was willing to pay a sufficient price.

For example, an Adventurers' Guild built overnight.

At that moment, numerous adventurers crowded around the quest board in the adventurers' hall, selecting suitable quests amid the ceaseless din.

"Need a vanguard, preferably a professional."

"Any mages? A professional adventurer party is exploring the Second Layer. No rookies."

Throughout the hall, adventurers recruited temporary teammates as they prepared to explore this brand-new Dungeon. Those who had rushed overnight from several nearby towns after hearing that a Dungeon had appeared were especially enthusiastic.

They spared no expense to buy maps of the First Layer from the Adventurers' Guild or others, all so they could catch up with the vanguard as quickly as possible.

"Miss Helen, we're here to turn in a quest."

At the counter, a half-elf archer smiled and knocked on the countertop. Under the envious gazes of the others, he placed several Steel Slime corpses down.

"Are those the newly appeared Mutant Slimes in this Dungeon?"

"I heard these Slimes have bodies as hard as steel. Unless you use magic or battle aura, ordinary swords can't hurt them at all."

"Quite a few careless newcomers have died to those monsters. They're practically rookie killers."

Amid the adventurers' discussion, a girl named Helen came over. After confirming the number of Steel Slimes, she settled the half-elf archer's quest reward.

"By the way, would you like to sell these monster materials to the Guild, sir?"

"How much for each one?"

"The Guild's current purchase price is one hundred copper coins each. Of course, those containing Mana Iron Ore are worth one silver coin."

In just one day, the Adventurers' Guild had already discovered the value of these new Mutant Slimes and was willing to pay a considerable price to collect them.

"Then we'll sell them all to the Guild."

After gaining his teammates' agreement, the half-elf archer sold all the Steel Slimes before him to the Guild. He took the payment and prepared to celebrate properly with his teammates.

Nearby, the adventurers who had only just arrived from other towns saw that even Slimes could be worth one hundred copper coins. They immediately turned and headed for the Dungeon, as though endless treasure awaited them inside.

As for danger, what adventure was ever without danger?

Besides, they had heard that many rookie adventurers had found treasure chests in the Dungeon and brought out all sorts of equipment, making a small fortune. If even rookie adventurers could do it, then Bronze adventurers like them, already professionals, would only gain more.

Just as more and more adventurers poured into the Dungeon, driven by wealth and greed.

Deep within the Second Layer.

"Have you found the entrance to the next layer yet?"

Official Knight Mark bit into the jerky in his hand as he lowered his head and asked the subordinate before him.

"Sorry, Lord Mark."

The knight being questioned looked somewhat grim. Internally, he cursed this Dungeon without restraint. Who knew what was wrong with this place? It was clearly only the uppermost layer, yet its terrain was as complex as a maze.

It was not as though he had never visited other Dungeons, but he had never seen one as infuriating as this. The maze-like passages were riddled with dead ends, and some passages even concealed hidden routes.

Exploring this Dungeon required a great deal of time and gradual investigation.

"Pick up the pace. The lord has ordered that we find the entrance to the next layer before those adventurers do."

Mark swallowed the food in his mouth and turned to look at the dark stone cavern ahead. To conquer this Dungeon more quickly, the lord had dispatched three more squads of knights.