Dungeon Rescue

Val City, the territory of the Val family.

Gong Qiying had no interest in what industry the Val family made a living from; he only knew that they certainly didn't live off the underground city.

Because no one has ever mentioned the Val Dungeon!

If he hadn't received the message, he wouldn't have known that such a place was hidden nearby.

Rivals are enemies, especially those who live nearby. If the Val Dungeon really exists, they must be incredibly anxious while Saine is shining brightly and attracting crowds.

If even breakfast vendors can fight, imagine what would happen between dungeons!

Gong Qiying's consciousness returned to the Zane Dungeon, and he carefully examined what the so-called rescue request actually was.

After a moment, he raised his eyebrows, his expression somewhat complicated.

Simply put, as long as he agrees to the Val Dungeon's request for rescue, he can summon his monsters inside to help them drive away the invaders. What he gets in return depends entirely on the sincerity of the dungeon lord.

If the other party agrees, Gong Qiying can also allow his monsters to reside there permanently in the form of "assistance".

"The American soldier was actually myself,"

He didn't agree rashly, intending to first see what kind of trouble would make a Dungeon Lord ask for help. Surely it wasn't a demon invasion.

Those demons, who don't possess Spirit Power and can kill dungeon monsters, are truly a cancer to the dungeon.

Along with the rescue request came a video showing the appearance of the Val Dungeon.

Ancient ruins cast in bronze, a pervasive black miasma, and distorted figures dancing wildly like demons.

They really are demons. These guys have gone into the Val Dungeon and it looks like they've even made it their home.

In other words, the Val Dungeon wants me to help it eliminate the demons, right?

Gong Qiying had just turned off the video and was about to contact the other party to discuss something, but after searching for a long time on the colorful map, he still couldn't find the color of the Val Dungeon.

Whether it's Bede City, Val City, or even neighboring cities further away, they've all been stained with Gong Qiying's colors, without a single impurity.

A nearby resident: All I want to say is that we are huge fans of the Zane Dungeon.

"It has no color at all, either because its Spirit Power reserves are insufficient to activate the world map, or because no one really remembers it."

"But without the world map open, they can't send messages to me or other dungeons, so..."

"How does it manage to have enough Spirit Power reserves while remaining unknown?" Gong Qiying asked with a puzzled expression.

There are indeed many things in this world that he has not been able to understand.

When talking about things he couldn't understand, he suddenly thought of something, reopened the video, and became more and more aware of the problem the more he watched it.

"One, two, three, twenty-four, twenty-five,"

The number of demons that could be clearly seen wandering around the Val Dungeon was already more than twenty, and this was just the tip of the iceberg; there were definitely many more beyond what could be seen on screen.

You said a maximum of ten people could explore together at the same time? How did it turn into a large-scale raid in your case?

Too many rule-breaking things have happened all at once, and he now really wants to have a talk with the Dungeon Lord.

Suddenly, a bronze envelope appeared on the Shrine, containing only one short sentence. "Please reply, Val Dungeon."

Gong Qiying thought for a moment, then pressed a 'one' button, thus establishing contact.

There are no traps to be had. Once the other party sends a rescue request, it cannot be withdrawn. As long as Gong Qiying agrees, he can teleport the monster to the other side anytime, anywhere.

The rescue requests are divided into several different levels. The one sent by the Val Dungeon is the highest level rescue request. If Gong Qiying agrees, he can even take over it and obtain authority similar to that of the city lord!

Is the other city lord being honest or something else, intending to show his sincerity through this behavior?

Fortunately, I, Gong Qiying, am a good person. If we had encountered a scoundrel like the one from the Calamity Nest Dungeon, the Val Dungeon would have been in big trouble.

I thought they would send another letter, but instead, something else came.

[You have received a gift from the Dungeon Lord: Image Stone. Would you like to accept it?]

Of course, the choice is yes. After the Image Stone was placed on the Shrine, a phantom figure emerged from it. Judging from its appearance, it should be the lord of the Val Dungeon.

"Hello, thank you for listening to my request."

Is the speaker a robot?

The other party's body was a mechanical body made of a bronze-like material, only one meter tall, and its shape was very similar to R2D2 from Star Wars. Its outer shell shimmered with a special texture.

This surprised Gong Qiying a little. Was the technology in this other world really this advanced?

But that doesn't make sense. The Yharnam Hunter's muskets can scare adventurers, which doesn't seem like something a civilization with robots would do.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that the "robot" in front of him was not technologically advanced.

It's just Iron Ball made up of crude gears and simple mechanical structures, powered by crystals imbued with magic. Upon closer inspection, you can see that these mechanical structures are held together by magic.

Ultimately, it all comes down to magic.

This thing should be classified as a magical puppet or something similar, which is far from the definition of a robot.

Gong Qiying shook his head and continued listening to the video of the Dungeon Lord.

"My name is Gide, and I am the acting lord of the Val Dungeon. I am a golem created by the previous lord Kirici, who gave me consciousness through alchemy and transferred the lord's authority to me."

"Kiric-sensei disliked fighting. He placed a command to prohibit fighting deep in my consciousness. Before transferring the authority of the city lord, he closed the Val Dungeon, intending to let it be submerged in history."

"He left me with enough Spirit Power to survive for two hundred years, which is why I am able to speak with you now."

"My Spirit Power reserves are expected to be depleted in thirty-five years, and the Val Dungeon will fall into silence as Kiric-sensei wished. However, twenty-seven days ago, a group of demons restarted the portal in a way that I cannot understand, transforming my dungeon into a lair."

"Kiric-sensei hated demons the most when he was alive. I am unable to fight them because of the ban, so I beg you to help me wipe out the demons."

"In return, you can have whatever you want, even if it means becoming your subject."

Gong Qiying subconsciously crumpled the envelope little by little. He couldn't understand why the person named Kirici had done all these things, including transferring the city lord's authority, closing the dungeon, setting a combat ban, and so on.

Kirici's actions seem to reveal his hatred for the dungeons, but why did he leave enough Spirit Power for the robots to survive for two hundred years?

He didn't understand, but he knew one thing:

It's time to fight!

As for the compensation, he needs to conduct an on-site inspection before deciding whether to accept the Val Dungeon.

Just as Gong Qiying finished watching the video and hadn't had time to think too much, more news arrived.

[The Dungeon Lord requests entry into your dungeon]

What a practical and efficient approach!

When Dungeon Lord enters another's territory, he descends in a spirit-like form, able to touch things, but unable to use any Weapon Skill, magic, or talents. His range of movement and what he can see are controlled, and the master can send him back with a single thought.

It's fine to just let him stay in the city lord's room.

Gong Qiying was about to click "OK," but—

[You have received a gift from the Dungeon Lord: 1,000 Spirit Power]

Oh?

[You have received a gift from the Dungeon Lord: 3,000 Spirit Power]

Um!?

"So extravagant?"

He waited a while longer, but unfortunately the other party did not send any more Spirit Power, so he clicked "confirm".

Gide's round body gradually emerged on the Shrine. Gong Qiying adjusted his posture, trying to make himself look somewhat dignified.

It was my first time meeting other Dungeon Lord, and I was a little curious and nervous.

Gide's round body gleamed with a mysterious luster, and the traces of rust seemed to have accumulated over time. He looked somewhat comical in the video, but the feeling of actually meeting him was quite different.

"Hello,"

Gide emitted an emotionless, mechanical voice as the wheels beneath his body spun.

"I'm here to talk—"

"Bang bang bang, bang!"

The robot's words came to an abrupt halt as it made intimate contact with the ground, even cracking the floor tiles.

It fell from its Shrine!

"Click-clack, click-clack—"

He struggled to get up, but his cylindrical body, the wheels that replaced his legs, and his short arms were simply not enough to make him stand.

"Do you need any help?"

Gide struggled for a while, then stopped moving.

"Want"

The meeting between the two Dungeon Lord broke the silence in a rather absurd way. Gong Qiying, while helping Gide to sit up, asked:

Didn't Kirici consider this issue when he designed you?

"I installed the wheels myself; Kiric-sensei never considered letting me move around."

"Should we replace the wheels with tracks?"

What are tracks?

"Well... never mind, it's too much trouble to explain," Gong Qiying squatted down in front of Gide, looking him straight in the eye, and asked, "What are you doing here in person?"

The crystal above Gide's head flashed. "I think a personal visit would show more sincerity. Also, I'd like to confirm if you are qualified."

Do I have the qualifications? Are you looking down on me?

"No, I don't mean to belittle you, I just want to know what kind of monsters you are good at controlling,"

Gide realized there was something wrong with what he said and quickly added:

"It wouldn't be so nice if your strengths were countered by the demons."

"I have brought information about the demons. Their leader is quite powerful and possesses Unique Talent. I think he will need your special attention."

"I can provide you with combat advice, but due to the ban, I cannot participate in the combat process. Please understand."

Gong Qiying asked, "What is the Unique Talent of the demon leader?"

"He has the ability to intensify the negative emotions of living beings; once you make eye contact with him, he becomes so violent that he cannot distinguish friend from foe."

Oh, so it's cyberpsychosis.

Gong Qiying nodded. "As long as he doesn't see it, it'll be fine, right?"

"No, no, he can also force it—"

"What if there is absolutely no contact? No monsters will appear around him and the other demons, and they will never see the enemy until they die."

Gide's voice was filled with doubt.

"Completely no contact? Are you going to use magic that surpasses the King Rank?"

Gong Qiying shook his head.

"That's much more useful than magic."

He chose to accept the rescue request.