The Villainous Me Turned the Losers into Blackened Bosses - Chapter 309

Chapter 309: “As Long as This Place Exists, You Can Always Return”

—

“Ahem~ Finally decided to wake up, freeloaders?”

Lucifa sat at the bar on the first floor of the Tenth Demon Castle, arms crossed teasingly.

“Hah… We did clear ten more floors for you, so cut us some slack.”

Will stretched his wrist before slapping the “loot” from the tenth floor onto the counter in front of her.

Loot?

In a small dungeon like this, the so-called loot was nothing more than vials of “Demon Blood” or “Demon Tears.”

“By the way, I’ve always wondered… This ‘Demon Blood’ and ‘Demon Tears’—do you guys actually extract them on the spot?”

“Yep!”

Lucifa, like a factory foreman, held out her hand over the plate.

Without even a chant, a small orb of blood formed in her palm.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It pooled into the dish.

“Since we demons can regenerate our bodies, blood and tears are just… produced on demand. No harm done.”

“……”

“…Seriously?!”

Will and Shuna exchanged a look.

“We’ve been scammed all these years! I thought we were actually getting monster drops!”

“Hehe~ That’s how lower-floor loot works. Higher floors do have a randomized reward system—like a gacha? So lazy dungeons end up dropping weird stuff sometimes!”

Will wasn’t surprised.

Take, for example, the camera that had appeared far too early in this era. Clearly, it had been a random dungeon drop.

“Here. Take it back.”

“Th-Thanks…? But you could just keep it?”

“……”

“Uh… Is it… useless?”

“Not completely.” Shuna mused seriously. “For example, um… blood replenishment?”

“Ugh! That is useless!”

“W-Well, it’s a decent catalyst for novice mages…”

Lucifa pulled her cloak’s hood over her head, curling into a ball on her chair.

“J-Just novice mages…? I knew the Tenth Demon Castle was weak, but… this bad…?”

Then—tap tap—she felt Will gently knock on her head.

Looking up, she found…

Freshly grilled meat skewers?

Not the illusionary “looks-like-meat-but-is-actually-flour-paste” kind her dungeon usually produced.

“As compensation, we taught your demons how to make the real deal before leaving. Took a wild boar from the mountains—winter makes hunting tough. Try it?”

Will held one out, and behind him, her subordinates watched eagerly.

“Boss! Taste it!”

“We didn’t bring the meat, but we cooked it!”

“If you like it, we’ll make more!”

Lucifa hesitantly took a skewer.

She’d eaten real meat before in the village, but this—real food made inside her dungeon—was a first.

She took a bite.

“Well? I tried one—thought it was decent.”

“They didn’t quite get the seasoning ratios, but hey, progress.”

Will and Shuna explained as Lucifa devoured it.

Honestly?

It wasn’t the best—nowhere near the illusory flavors she could conjure.

But…

For the first time, someone had come here—taught her demons how to cook like humans.

She couldn’t help but be moved.

“I-It’s good! A bit… saltier than illusions, but… there’s room for improvement!”

“Great. Then we can leave without worries. Who knows when we’ll meet next?”

“Mm!”

Lucifa nodded, chewing.

Then—

In the silence between the three of them, a realization struck her.

“Wait… Leave?! You’re going today?!”

Shuna nodded, arms folded.

“We’re heading out this afternoon.”

“T-THIS AFTERNOON?!”

“Yep.”

“Where? I thought… I thought you had nowhere else to go… that you’d… stay…?”

“We did help push your dungeon’s progress forward a bit. But… we are still adventurers.”

Will glanced at Shuna.

“Besides… the reason this place is ‘isolated’—that’s something we’ll have to find outside these walls.”

Lucifa lowered her head, hiding her slightly reddened eyes.

She’d known this day would come. But she hadn’t expected…

They’d still remember this place.

“Fine. If… if you find any leads, tell me. I’ll give those behind it a piece of my mind!”

“Deal.”

“And… like you said… this place is safe.”

Lucifa scratched her head, embarrassed.

“As long as it exists… you can always come back. I’ll welcome you.”

“Yeah!”

—

[Afternoon. Departing Carriage.]

“Just to be sure, let’s go over it one last time—the list of dungeons the Adventurer’s Guild flagged as ‘abnormal events’?”

“Mm. Here.”

Shuna pulled out the letter from her pocket, unfolding it.

It was formal stationery—official Adventurer’s Guild correspondence. Wireless telegraphs wouldn’t arrive for months yet.

Stamped with the Guild’s seal.

Hysterm’s seal.

But now…

That crest felt like a thorn in Will’s eyes.

Only five names were listed:

Bluewolf Hills.

Moon Trench.

Dustbone Corridor.

Flower Fortress.

Dream Summer.

…

Just as Will expected—

The four-character dungeon name he couldn’t recall…

The moment he saw it on that list, it flooded back into his mind.

Dustbone Corridor.

A mere B-rank dungeon.

In the story, Young Master Will had entered its first floor—unequipped, trying to prove himself—only to be crushed by a falling slime the second he stepped inside.

Just reading the name made his pulse spike, his breath quicken, his blood rush.

Dustbone Corridor…

It sounded like a desert or death-themed dungeon. But… why would a place like that have slimes?

“Hah…”

The carriage jolted—and Will, still steadying his breathing, stumbled into Shuna’s arms.

She caught him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, cushioning his head against her chest.

“Heh. Looks like just seeing that name still throws you off.”

“Can’t help it. Who isn’t afraid of death?”

Shuna’s grip tightened.

“I’ll cross that bridge with you.”

—