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Volume 6 Chapter 132

The Great Misfortune of the White Dragon

Allow me to introduce myself: I am Hakua.
I am a White Dragon, and my strength is not to be trifled with.
At the moment, due to the difficulty of moving in a dungeon in my dragon form, I’m in a human one.
Under the orders of the powerful god, the Creator God, I bear the responsibility of managing this dungeon.
Initially, it was my uncle, the Red Dragon, who served as the dungeon master. But, almost a hundred years ago, a hero appeared and defeated him.
It seems that it was my uncle’s role to be challenged by heroes. The purpose, after all, of this dungeon is to forge heroes into stronger individuals.
Of course, my uncle did not intentionally lose. He fought valiantly against the hero, but alas, was bested. The hero was formidable, or so he said.
By the way, despite my uncle’s defeat, the Creator God revived him, and he now serves him. Serving the Creator God directly is a tremendous honor for us dragons.
—Therefore, when the previous dungeon master vanished, the Creator God selected me as the successor.
Being a dungeon master does not demand much exertion. My duties involve arranging the naturally occurring monsters infused with the dungeon’s mana on each floor, issuing commands to my subordinates, and placing items within treasure chests……
Oh, occasionally, I venture beyond the dungeon’s confines and— erm, diligently scout powerful monsters and magical beasts to serve as floor bosses.
I have always been prepared for the arrival of the next hero. However, it appears that ordinary adventurers and such are unable to enter this dungeon, leaving me perpetually bored.
Monsters do not increase in numbers unless they are defeated. Also, in the absence of humans challenging these creatures, no new monsters are being created either.
As a result, there is no pressing need for me to arrange monsters. Moreover, the contents of the treasure chests remain unchanged, as they are enchanted to prevent deterioration. Remarkable, isn’t it?
All of this is made possible by the astounding power of the Creator God.
Thus, I have been stuck in this state of monotony for quite some time.
Until today—
Today, after an extended boredom, I sensed the presence of someone entering the dungeon. A surge of excitement coursed through me, for it marks my first assignment in a while.
Will they make it to the final floor?
Should they advance this far, I shall assume my dragon form and proclaim, 　『Guhahaha! Welcome, brave hero. Now, defeat me and conquer this dungeon!』 —Uttering that line has long been a cherished dream of mine.
Honestly, I surpass my uncle, the Red Dragon, in terms of strength. Among dragons, I was even hailed as a prodigy.
However, when my uncle was resurrected as a Divine Dragon by the Creator God, his status was elevated. As a result, I likely cannot best him now.
Nonetheless, as someone significantly mightier than my uncle during his time as dungeon master, I cannot afford to lose to a mere human.
The fact that they have managed to breach this dungeon implies they have garnered recognition from the king of the Beastman Kingdom to some extent. Thus, I hold certain expectations.
Well then, let us begin, let me see your strength.

　──＊＊＊──
　「……..」
W-Wait!
Wait, wait, wait!!
The Goblin Fighter on the first floor got defeated already. Well, I wasn’t particularly surprised by that.
The issue is that they didn’t stray from the main path and proceeded straight to the boss rooms from the second to the fifth floor, obliterating all the bosses in an instant!
Moreover, they accomplished this feat without even setting foot inside the boss rooms──
W-What is happening!?
The bosses on the fifth level are warwolves, right?
They possess incredible speed and attack with flawless coordination.
When I selected the warwolves as bosses for this dungeon, I myself struggled to subdue them……
And now, these individuals who are clearing the dungeon are wiping them out effortlessly with a mere handful of magic spells.
Impossible.
Also, what is with that attack speed……?
Feeling a surge of anxiety, I am currently operating the terminal in the Master Room of this dungeon. This terminal allows me to access information about the monsters and humans within the dungeon. Only the Dungeon Master has such privileges.
After consulting the terminal──
L-Level 250!?
Wait, could it be Tina──
I-It is Tina, the Half-Elf who managed to clear this dungeon a hundred years ago!
Why has she returned!?
I was already shocked by Tina’s reappearance, the Half-Elf who once conquered this dungeon, but there was more.
W-What is this?
Three individuals other than Tina possess levels exceeding 100……
One is a human who is on the path to being a Sage, another is a Dragonoid, and then there’s that woman──
A Nine-Tailed Fox!?
Why is this dangerous being venturing into this dungeon alongside humans?
I don’t understand.
Amidst all of this──
Huh? This person named Haruto…… Is level 1.

He is a man of incredibly low level for a human.
It will be tough for him to engage in battle within this dungeon at level 1…… Will they form a party with him?
As I ponder this, they have reached the boss room on the sixth floor.
Ah, they are attacking!
Haruto, the level 1 individual, is engaging the boss monsters of the sixth floor, Mahonome and Kirenu, alongside Tina and the others. However──
Ah, just as I suspected, only Tina’s attacks seem to be connecting. Haruto’s level remains unchanged.
Well, with a level 1 magical attack, he won’t be able to inflict any damage on Mahonome, which means he definitely won’t receive any experience points…… How sad.
An extraordinary group of fighters has launched an attack, and it was undoubtedly intimidating, but Haruto’s presence brought me some relief. Despite being level 1, he is earnestly casting magic spells alongside Tina and the others. His efforts managed to bring a semblance of healing to my spirit.
At this rate, they will reach the final floor today, won’t they? If that comes to pass, I will have to confront Tina with all my might…… However, if possible, I would prefer not to involve Halt.
There’s a risk that for him at level 1, even the aftermath of the battle alone could prove fatal to him. And because his level remains stagnant, it indicates that he hasn’t managed to form a party.
If so, there’s a possibility that he won’t receive any healing from his companions even if he sustains injuries, right?
Therefore…… Before the battle commences, I am considering allowing Haruto to escape.
And when I let him go, I shall advise him to defeat monsters at an appropriate level in order to level up.
He mustn’t misconstrue that merely following powerful individuals will make him strong! He must strive to become strong enough to protect himself──that is the message I shall convey!
──＊＊＊──

I want to punch myself for entertaining such foolish thoughts.
Haruto— no, Haruto-sama is an exceptionally formidable individual.
He was truly extraordinary.
Honestly, I believe he’s more of a monstrous being than Tina.
Actually, Tina = Elnor and Halt = Elnor, I wonder if the two of them are married?
A mere level 1 human being able to wed a Level 250 Half-Elf. Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Well, Haruto-sama isn’t just an ordinary human.
He is truly a monster.
He single-handedly created hundreds of magical knights with levels that I could barely beat even if I fought with all my might.
Incredible, isn’t it?
Even if there were just three of those knights, I would be defeated, let alone hundred.
Those hundred knights ravaged the eighth floor.
In a matter of minutes, they eliminated all the monsters on the eighth floor.
And then those knights proceeded to make a formation in front of the boss room on the eighth floor.
While I observed that scene through the terminal in the Master Room, I received a message from the Ogre, the boss of the eighth floor.
　『Please, help me』 — It said.
Thanks to the power bestowed upon us by the Creator God, the bosses of each floor in this dungeon can be revived even if they are vanquished. But that’s only if they possess the will to 　『continue living』.
If they are defeated and have come to terms with their past existence or have succumbed to despair regarding their future, even if they are bosses, they cannot be revived.
The Ogre expressed that if it were to be assailed by those hundred knights, it would readily relinquish its life.
…… I don’t have a choice.
Probably because I feel the same way.
That’s why I have resolved to surrender to Haruto-sama.