My Dungeon Life – Chapter 2709-2711

Chapter 2709

The days passed by quickly, everyone falling into a rhythm within the mansion. Cal spent nearly all of his time shut in the master bedroom, alternating between being cared for by Milky or Diana. While one was taking care of his needs, the other cooked and delivered his meals and maintained the household. There wasn’t that much to do, since Hope and Deses didn’t make much of a mess, and in Hope’s boredom, she cleaned up after any messes they did make.

The mansion was usually filled with moaning and the sound of thumping. Hope had even started to get used to it and could sleep through the night, although it affected her dreams terribly. She kept dreaming of her homeland covered in blood, everyone screaming, and a rhythmic heartbeat sound in her ears. The previous night, Cal had taken both women into his room. Hope couldn’t help but bury her head in a pillow, her cheeks burning with embarrassment and a gnawing discomfort she couldn’t explain.

The next morning, someone knocked on the door, breaking up the monotony of the day. Thankfully, two women seemed to finally satiate Cal, and the morning was blissfully quiet. When Hope answered the door, she found the guildmaster standing there with a heavy-looking coin purse in his hands made of some kind of animal hide.

“I’m here for Cal.” The guildmaster’s expression was rough, like he hadn’t had a good few days. “It’s what we owe him for the herb-gathering quest. He should know the quest has been suspended until further notice.”

Hope blinked. “I’m sorry you had to come all this way, but I think this money is going to the slave auction?”

“Technically…” Deses stepped up from behind her, his arms crossed. “He never actually bought her. The regional lord bought her and then gave her to Cal.”

The guildmaster’s mustache twitched. “The regional lord… gave him something?”

Hope nodded. “That’s what he told us. He ran after the lord’s carriage, pleaded with him, and the man just handed her over.”

The guildmaster’s face took on an odd pallor, his lips parting as if he had more questions. Deses noticed the shift immediately.

“Is something wrong with that?”

“It’s just…” The guildmaster scratched his chin, clearly uncomfortable. “Odd, because… the regional lord is dead.”

The words settled over the room like a lead weight.

Hope’s eyes widened. “What?”

Deses stepped forward, his gaze sharpening. “How did he die?”

The guildmaster gave a short, nervous laugh. “Come now, I’m sure it wasn’t Cal. The official report says it was natural causes.”

Deses didn’t look convinced. “Natural causes? What kind?”

“Well…” The guildmaster paused, then sighed. “He was returning from Greenglen, passing through the canyon trail, when a sudden landslide occurred. The entire ravine shifted. The lord, his men, and the whole carriage… crushed under hundreds of boulders.”

Hope and Deses exchanged a long, heavy look. Deses said nothing, though, keeping his jaw tightened. Hope looked uncomfortable. Could he have left and murdered the regional lord? He did come home unexpectedly with Milky. As for how he separated her from the carriage… he still had his flee ability. All he needed to do was grab her and flee. If they chased after him, he could have led them right into a trap…

Just then, footsteps echoed from the upper stairwell. Cal appeared, shirtless, stretching as if he’d had the best sleep of his life. Diana trailed behind him, her cheeks flushed and a look of adoration in her eyes as she looked at Cal. Milky followed soon after, and although her face was expressionless, she also had flushed cheeks. Hope immediately noticed the girls were holding hands.

“Oh hey, perfect timing!” Cal grinned when he noticed the guildmaster walking up and snatching the bag of coins out of his hands. “Thanks for the delivery.”

The guildmaster watched him in bewildered silence.

“Now that that’s settled,” Cal said, tying the coin pouch to his belt, “I think it’s about time we head back to the slave auction. I want to see what else they’ve got!”

Chapter 2710

 
Deses glared at Cal as his gold disappeared into his inventory. “Are two women not enough for you?”

His words even caused Diana and Milky to glance at Cal worriedly, wondering if a third person was going to be added to their group dynamic.

Cal raised an eyebrow, but then laughed. “Relax, I’m not shopping for housemaids this time.”

Deses didn’t look convinced. “Then, what are you looking for at the slave auction?”

“Money!” Cal shrugged. “I can’t live off the herb quest anymore, so I need to come up with a reliable revenue stream.”

Deses frowned. “So, what, you’re going to start selling slaves?”

Cal grinned. “It did cross my mind. I wouldn’t step on the slaver’s feet, though. I was thinking more like opening a brothel with Diana and Milky.”

The two girls gasped.

Diana’s cheeks reddened. “C-cal…”

“Brothels are illegal here!” The guildmaster cried out, and then flushed when everyone turned to him. “Well, they are…”

“The local and regional lord is dead. The king is off fighting the Demon King. Who would force these laws?” Cal asked. “I’m the closest thing to a lord in these parts. It wouldn’t be tough to amend some laws. Relax, ladies, I came up with a more respectable side hustle. I heard about it at the adventurers’ guild.”

The guildmaster blinked. “What did you hear?”

Cal grinned and pulled out a folded parchment from his pocket. It was slightly crumbled with a tear at the top, like he had snatched it off the noticeboard. He lifted it in front of them and showed everyone.

Hope leaned forward and read what it said. “Large reward for successfully clearing the Darkwood Dungeon. High pay, suitable for experienced adventurers only.”

The guildmaster’s brow lifted. “The local dungeon? That’s not some rat nest for beginners, you know. The place is a former graveyard controlled by a lich. He’s been sealed in there for years.”

“I’m not afraid of a little work,” Cal responded smugly. “Besides, I’m not the one who will be doing the dangerous work.”

Deses narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Cal laughed. “Slaves! As long as I buy a few strong fighters, I’ll send them to the front lines. I’ll help too. I’ll carry their burdens so they can focus on fighting. Of course, if things go south, I still have to flee. No risk to me.”

Hope’s eyes widened, and a strange feeling of dissatisfaction rose inside her. “You’re going to use other people to fight your battles?”

“Why not?” Cal shrugged. “The dungeon needs to be cleared. I’m willing to pay to gather the people to clear it. Everyone wins.”

Milky and Diana looked relieved that their positions weren’t being challenged. Hope was still frowning, but Deses nodded contemplatively.

“It’s a start. Gathering a party of powerful people and training them to fight in an environment like that… it will prepare you for the future.”

“And, it’ll make me rich!” Cal declared.

Hope watched as the two boys nodded to each other in agreement. She didn’t say anything, though. She looked one more time at the flier, the bold letters advertising riches. Although she knew that this wasn’t the same dungeon as the ones created by the dungeon life system, she still couldn’t help but get a sense of foreboding. It didn’t feel like the beginning of a hero’s journey, but the start of something darker.”

Chapter 2711

 
“This one here,” The slaver gestured toward the figure standing quietly in the corner. “They are a swordsman of extraordinary skill. They are an expert in dual wielding and capable of executing swift and precise strikes upon request. They naturally have top eyesight, especially at night. They’ve survived countless battles and would be an asset to any team that needed a skilled warrior.”

Deses’s lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowed in displeasure. “Are you sure about this?”

Cal chuckled, giving Deses a side look. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, my friend. Do you have a problem because they’re from the cat tribe?”

“It’s because it’s a girl!” Deses snapped.

The figure they were both arguing over was, naturally, a catgirl. She had two pointy ears on her head, twitching, and a tail swishing lightly behind her. She looked fit, but most of her muscles had atrophied after a long time in bondage. Like all the slaves, she wore cheap burlap and had an emaciated look, but there was fierceness within her feline eyes.

“Wow… I didn’t know Deses was sexist…”

“You’re only considering females!” Deses hollered. “There are several perfectly acceptable male warriors you’ve skipped over already.”

“If I’m going to be supporting them from the rear, I’d rather be looking at a rear that I can enjoy!” Cal shot back. “Is it so wrong to want an aesthetically pleasing party? Why must I give up looks to obtain talent?”

Deses couldn’t help but frown, but he didn’t push further. He could see the look in Cal’s eyes, and he knew that if he caused any more trouble, he’d only irritate Cal and make him less likely to listen to him in the future. He had to pick his battles when it came to Cal.

Cal stepped forward when he saw Deses sigh. “What’s your name?”

The catgirl tilted her head, and it looked like she at least knew the common tongue. “Mimi, Nya!”

“Cal’s eyebrows shot up. “Nya?”

“Nya? Nya.”

“No, you said Nya.”

“What is Nya? Nya.”

“You said Nya Nya!” Cal accused.

“I don’t say Nya Nya… Nya!” She responded defensively.

Hope shook her head. “That’s annoying. Do all catgirls in these stories end their sentence with ‘nya’?”

Deses looked at her with surprise. “I’m a bit surprised you don’t like something like that. It’s not every story, but this one does. Some stories start with it, but they forget to keep doing it, and the ‘nya’ goes away. We’ll have to see if this is one of those stories.”

“It’s just irritating to me. Do people actually like stories that do this?”

Deses shrugged. “Some people must like it, or they wouldn’t do it. I believe it’s something called moe.”

“Sounds like you’re making words up again.”

Deses sighed. “You really should study more.”

The conversation between Mimi and Cal had finally ended, and Cal turned to the slaver happily. “Alright, I’ll take her!”

“You’ll buy me, Nya?” Mimi asked in surprise.

Hope groaned unhappily. “I’ll tell you, if I ever write a story, regardless of whatever this moe thing is, I’ll never make a girl say ‘nya’!”