Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

1 – Banished from another world

Luck favors the prepared.

A popular saying.

Even if good fortune comes your way, it’s meaningless if you don’t have the power to make it your own.

Just like me right now.

“Mr. Lee Kanghyun, I apologize, but you need to return to Earth.”

This is the continent of Eldorado, a world in a separate dimension from Earth.

The saint of the only and most prestigious order in Eldorado, the White Order, has given me an expulsion order.

Her sudden announcement left me speechless for a moment before collecting myself.

“Saint! If you suddenly say that…”

Going back to Earth is absolutely not an option.

I still had to stay here.

15 years ago, a huge change called the great transformation took place on Earth.

Dungeons, monsters, and beings that were only seen in novels appeared in reality.

They ran rampant around the world, threatening the survival of mankind.

Humanity was at a crossroads towards destruction.

It was then that dark tales of no hope spread.

People with the power to stand against the monsters began to appear.

Those who had awakened their power worked hard to rebuild civilization by hunting monsters and dungeons.

Their existence breathed hope into humanity, and people called them Hunters.

Of course, I also became a Hunter after awakening.

Though I was called a half-baked one.

And now, in this world where I am.

The continent of El Dorado, where only a select few Hunters can come, chosen at random.

This place, filled with opportunities that made strong Hunters even stronger, and allowed the insignificant Hunters to at least do their part, was the dream of every Hunter.

I was no exception.

The reason I was called a half-baked Hunter was simple.

I had no status window.

Even though I had awakened, only I was without a status window that other Hunters had.

This created quite a gap: I couldn’t grow.

I had no skills or attributes and couldn’t even learn.

I couldn’t gain experience even after defeating monsters.

How could I grow under these circumstances?

I was just like an ordinary person with a little more strength.

In the end, I had to resort to any method available for growth.

One of them was to enter the Hunter Academy.

Fortunately, since I had awakened, it wasn’t difficult to get into the academy.

But would anything change by just enrolling?

I had no status window, and my fellow students were growing like monsters.

I got an F in every subject.

I struggled to survive, at least avoiding expulsion.

Perhaps my situation was pitiful, or maybe they didn’t want to acknowledge me as a Hunter, my classmates considered me a disgrace to the academy.

I was treated like an invisible person until graduation, but at least I managed to graduate as the bottom student.

Of course, graduating didn’t grant me a status window.

Nothing changed at all.

Unable to make a living as a Hunter, I eventually turned to working as a porter.

And then, there was one last chance.

Pure luck, indeed.

Eldorad Continent.

By an unknown mechanism, only a few hunters were randomly selected, and I was among them.

When I first set foot on the Eldorad Continent, I was truly delighted.

Perhaps I thought I might obtain a status window here.

If I could just get a status window, it wouldn’t be long before I could escape my life as a porter.

I could even give my fellow trainees a taste of their own medicine.

Until then, I had imagined my peers looking up to me, and other guilds competing to scout me.

But that dream had just turned to dust in an instant.

“Please. Just reconsider one more time. I beg you. Your Holiness! I’ve done everything I can up to this point. I can’t go back like this!”

I pleaded, even kneeling down.

One year since being summoned.

I had really acted like a dog.

Knowing my own lack of ability, I wanted to work even harder.

I did all the menial tasks within the order, and took care of the paladins and priests without asking for anything in return.

And what was the result of all that effort?

The status window I had hoped for, I still hadn’t obtained it. And any item that could be of help to me was as elusive as a mirage.

Go back to Earth with no gains at all?

I barely held back my twisted expression and waited for the words of the Holy Woman.

“Sigh… Mr. Lee Ikhyun. No.”

The Holy Woman’s expression contorted in real-time.

“Hey.”

The tone of the Holy Woman, who had always treated me kindly, changed.

Even for me, who had spent a year with her, it was the first time seeing her like this.

“Why are you acting so pathetic? Huh?”

The Holy Woman’s words became even harsher.

“What did I need to do was just to pick up a worthless brat until now. What more are you expecting here? A status window? Is it my fault that you don’t have a status window? Or are you mad because I didn’t give you any items? You’re already a piece of trash, and you’re pissing me off.”

“….”

I couldn’t say a word.

At my current position, no dissent was allowed.

When the saintly figure spoke, I remained silent, and the surrounding holy knights rallied around her.

“Odd jobs? You’re nothing but trash, so it’s only natural that you do them. You shouldn’t be parading it as an achievement.”

“That’s right! Who would have thought such a moronic person would show up?”

“From the beginning, you never fit in with our order.”

“Even now, you should return to where you came from. The saint is merciful, you know.”

Even those known as the Righteous Swords criticized me.

“……”

Yes, it’s true that I was useless.

That’s why I kept silent.

Of course, it was unfair.

Because I was weak, I tried my best to work harder than anyone else.

I trained early in the morning every day, compensating with my body since I lacked skills and attributes.

Not only did I handle cleaning within the order, but I also took on menial tasks, cooking, and errands to make sure others were comfortable. I did all of that without complaint.

“Ha….”

Now that I think about it, they were always like that.

It’s regrettable that I bent over backward and entered first, but they took my presence for granted, as if it were natural.

They even sent me out as bait to disarm traps in dungeons, so there’s no need to say more.

At least I wouldn’t have felt so wronged if I had received some money.

Now that I think about it, it’s infuriating.

However, I can’t just openly express my thoughts.

It’s a shame, but what can I do?

Revenge was not something I could exact, let alone confront directly.

Such privileges were granted only to those with power.

For someone like me, weak and powerless, revenge was merely an echo in my mouth.

As someone once said, maybe it’s better to just turn around and leave when someone tells you to.

“Sigh.”

Suppressing my anger, I looked at them all.

“Well, in that case, I’ll go back. Thank you for everything.”

No matter how much I struggled here, there would be no ears to listen.

For a moment, I thought about running away from this place, but soon, I shook my head.

The El Dorado continent is enormous.

With no abilities or connections, even if I were to escape from the organization, I would still be lost in the palm of their hand.

The moment the organization designates me as a heretic, I would have no place to set foot on the continent.

That’s just how powerful the organization is.

Upon hearing my words of willingly returning, the saintess seemed surprised.

“Well, fine then. I’ll send you back to Earth right away.”

Before I knew it, the saintess was speaking to me more politely again.

She even returned the belongings I had when I was first summoned.

‘At least I’m glad they returned those to me.’

The belongings were simple.

It included clothes, a wallet, smartphone, and other miscellaneous items.

The smartphone didn’t turn on, probably because it was unused for a year.

“Well then, shall we go back to the original world? Let’s never see each other again.”

After saying those words, the saintess murmured a spell.

A circular transfer magic circle appeared beneath my feet, emitting light.

Is this the spell to return to Earth?

I’ve heard that ordinary residents throw a farewell party for hunters when they return to Earth…

Having gained nothing from coming here, I felt bittersweet about suddenly returning.

Ah, if there’s one thing I gained, is it a resentment towards the organization?

As I thought that, the light enveloped my entire body, and my vision was reversed in an instant.

“Where am I…?”

It was my own room.

That’s how I was banished from the other world.

* * *

Returning to Earth after a year.

I immediately connected my smartphone to a charger.

Soon after, I turned on the power and checked for any notifications I might have missed.

“Hmm….”

However, the smartphone remained silent without a single message.

Why is there none at all?

It must have been a year.

A whole year without any contact from anyone wondering about me?

When I was a child, my parents left this world due to a monster’s attack, but I took pride in having some business relations.

My small apartment monthly rent was deducted from my bank account, so the landlady must have considered me as existing, let’s say.

Ah, even my academy classmates treated me as if I didn’t exist, so I can’t count them either.

But not even a message from the party where I work as a porter? Isn’t that a bit too much?

I tried calling the party I worked for until last year, but it didn’t connect.

“Must be busy.”

Well, porters often go off the grid, so it was expected.

Besides, if I had any skills, it might have been different, but I was utterly useless.

While sighing and lamenting,

Ding.

My smartphone rang.

I checked, and there was one message.

“Ah, it was just an advertisement?”

For a moment, I had some hope, but it was an ad message.

An advertisement for a game that I had pre-ordered, which had been released.

“But did I pre-order such a game?”

I couldn’t remember, probably because I had been through so much.

“Well, whatever.”

I had plenty of time anyway.

After a year away, I postponed cleaning my apartment.

Honestly, I had been through a lot during that time, so I just wanted to relax now.

I immediately followed the link in the message and installed the game.

“The game is called ‘Eldorad.'”

Being banished from Eldorad had become the top word I didn’t want to hear inside my head.

But now it was coming out of the game’s name.

I resisted the strong temptation to delete it and pressed the play button.

[El Dorado]

The title appeared large on the screen.

Usually, there should be cool background music playing at this moment, right?

The music seemed bland somehow.

Maybe it was an indie game.

After all, I had spent a whole year in El Dorado, and the game, which I pre-ordered before that, had just been released.

As soon as I touched the screen, the story began to unfold.

-In the beginning, there was a goddess. The goddess created the continent of El Dorado…

I immediately pressed the skip button.

The story I’d heard a million times while on the platform was history.

It was fine to skip stories like this.

The main game started right away.

-Welcome. From now on, you, the player, will become the master of the dungeon and operate the dungeon.

From noble mtl dot com

– Spread the fame of your dungeon throughout the continent of El Dorado using any means necessary.

– Please enter the name of the dungeon you will make famous.

I didn’t get a proper look earlier because I skipped the story, but it seems that the concept of this game is dungeon management.

It was refreshing in its own way.

What was a dungeon in El Dorado?

Non-stop monsters would pour out, turning the nearby villages into wastelands.

That’s not all.

Dungeons were the places most heavily guarded because they were where high-ranking demons and monsters existed.

As a result, various nations, mercenaries, and even the platform would periodically launch subjugations on dungeons.

A game like this was a relief for me now.

It would allow me to unleash my desire to turn El Dorado into a mess, even if it’s only in a game.

Maybe the creator of this game also had many complaints about El Dorado, like me.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made a game this blatantly.

Suddenly, I felt a favorable impression towards the game maker.

‘Anyway, a name…’

It was at that moment when I was faced with the most difficult choice at the beginning of a game.

My hesitation didn’t last long.

Dungeon Name: Heretical Sect

Hmm. Very nice.

Personally, I think a name should be simple yet carry a goal.

True to its name, the game objective from now on is to torment the Saint and the Heretical Sect.

– Will you proceed with this name?

– [Yes] [No]

I immediately pressed “Yes.”

– The dungeon name will be adjusted automatically.

– Dungeon Name: Nest of the Malevolent God

– The name cannot be changed.

“What is this?”

Suddenly, the name changed on its own.

Is it acceptable for the game to change the name the player chose?

It felt like the goodwill I had built up towards the creators just moments ago was plummeting.

Well, it doesn’t matter. If I try it and it’s not fun, I can just quit.

I examined the name that the game had arbitrarily changed to.

Malevolent God?

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t too far from my intentions.

“After all, my ultimate goal is the Heretical Sect.”

I sensed the opposing force to the goddess.

It was acceptable to me.

I touched the screen once again.

– Alert! The Saint of the White Sect, who worships the goddess of the Eldorado Continent, has detected your dungeon.

– Caution! Without any action, the White Sect may launch an expedition against your dungeon.

– We recommend using items to protect your dungeon.

– Recommended Item: ＜Beginner Protection Package!＞ (1,200 won)

[Dungeon Concealment]

Effect 1: Permanently conceals the presence of your dungeon from anyone’s detection.

Effect 2: Hides the location of your dungeon for 7 days.

“What is this again?”

Not only does it arbitrarily change names, it’s even inducing me to make in-app purchases.

“Crossing the line.”

This time, I almost decided to quit, but I held back and clicked on the screen once more.

As if being cursed at by the saintess wasn’t enough, I was expelled.

Even if it was just a game, I didn’t want to lose to the saintess.

Anyway, the price was only 1,200 won, so it wasn’t a burden.

“Alright, let’s buy it.”

I didn’t want to be stressed from the beginning of the game.

– The item purchase has been completed.

– The energy of the dungeon is permanently blocked.

– The location of the dungeon is concealed for seven days.

– The White Church’s saintess failed to detect your dungeon.

It seemed that the first purchased item was accurately applied.

“I don’t know what it is, but let’s think positively.”

And I touched the screen to see the next one.

– The synchronization of the dungeon location will be initiated before it is created.

– 1%… 2%… 4%…

Suddenly, the screen stopped, and an alert appeared stating that something was being synchronized.

What is this?

Could it be?

Is it downloading additional update data?

Let’s wait and see for now.

* * *

“……”

The saintess, Helisa, slowly opened her eyes.

Her face was full of bewilderment.

“Sister, your expression doesn’t look good.”

A paladin who had been guarding the area approached her.

“It’s alright. Thank you for your concern.”

Even though she said that, her mind was filled with confusion now.

‘It was definitely an immense energy…’

She felt an immense energy during her prayer.

The problem was that the energy didn’t feel good, which weighed on her mind.

She immediately tried to chase after the energy due to the ominous thought, but it suddenly disappeared.

As if it had never existed in the first place.

‘Maybe it’s because I used too much power.’

Helrisa had expended a lot of energy before praying.

It was to send Lee Kanghyun back to Earth.

She would probably have to recuperate for several days.

‘If only it wasn’t the will of the Order…’

If it wasn’t for the order from the higher-ups, there was no reason to send him back to Earth with all that effort.

However, it was already past.

Helrisa erased Lee Kanghyun, who had already left, from her mind and focused again.

The energy she felt a while ago.

She tried to find that energy once more, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t feel it.

‘I must have been mistaken.’

Thinking so, Saintess Helrisa erased her anxious heart.