Chapter 8

Misfortune, no matter how often it strikes, can be endured by staying positive.

But excessive good fortune…. sometimes it becomes uncontrollable.

Excessive luck sometimes brings irreversible misfortune.

Raizen who proudly claimed to have been born lucky—

His true weakness was, in fact, his luck.

He felt uneasy.

This streak of luck was so unsettling, he couldn’t even laugh it off.

There was nothing more terrifying than hitting jackpot after jackpot in a gamble.

And Raizen absolutely loathed anything related to gambling.

After all, his father had ruined the family fortune through gambling and ended up turning to loan sharks.

There was nothing Raizen despised more than gambling.

To him, excessive luck was a jinx foretelling impending misfortune.

“Phew.”

Raizen exhaled deeply and soon lifted his head again.

But there’s nothing more foolish than being too afraid of what you’ve gained to do anything with it.

What was there to fear?

If something big came his way, he’d just face it and overcome it.

Raizen bared his teeth in a grin.

So this is the result of a hundred years, huh?

More ascension experience had piled up than he had expected.

Besides, there are still tons of dungeons I haven’t even touched yet.

The first time you hunt a phantom beast, it gives you a large amount of experience.

To reach Ascension Level 18, I’ll have to clear almost all the high-level dungeons.

Which meant he could still gain that much experience.

That was a huge advantage.

An advantage that could realistically make clearing the game possible.

Seeing this, one fact became clear to him.

The non-human races he had encountered in the game—

Why did they have such unusually high average Ascension Levels?

It was the difference in lifespan.

The difference in lifespan was truly astonishing.

[Lord Raizen, is something wrong? Is there a problem?]

Syria suddenly called out to Raizen in a hurried voice.

Looking around, he realized it was a voice only he could hear.

Raizen, who had frozen from the overwhelming realization, came to his senses.

“Thank you.”

He bowed to the confused clerk and was about to leave.

“Oh, are you heading to the Lord dungeon again this time?”

The clerk asked, trying to continue the conversation.

“No. I’m thinking of finally trying a different dungeon.”

“What? Really?”

The clerk looked genuinely surprised.

Well, he had been running the same dungeon nonstop for a hundred years.

I was probably clearing that dungeon even before she started working here.

To her eyes, he must have looked like a perfectionist. Someone like Kant.

Kant was known for his precise and regimented lifestyle.

So much so that people would set their clocks by the time he went on his daily walks.

I wasn’t all that different.

Run the Lord-type dungeon.

Finish it, then sell the materials to the Pioneer Guild.

Come back the next day.

Repeat that endlessly for a hundred years.

No wonder she was flustered when he said he was leaving.

“Thanks for everything until now.”

He had already cleared most of the dungeons in the capital before setting them on auto-hunt.

So there was no more reason to return to this Pioneer Guild outpost.

As Raizen gave his farewell and turned to leave, her eyes went wide.

“M-Mr Raizen, wait a moment!”

“Yes?”

“It’s just… it’s all so sudden, and, um, I mean, how about….at least sharing a cup of tea before you go?”

Her voice echoed throughout the area.

For some reason, the surrounding pioneers’ stares pierced like arrows.

He could feel them on the back of his neck.

“D-Did Ella just ask him out for tea?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. She always brushed us off with a smile, but him?”

“That scary-looking, ugly Lord Dungeon native?”

Why were they suddenly bashing someone’s face?

From Raizen’s perspective, they weren’t exactly lookers either.

But he didn’t care in the slightest.

Under the mask, I’m good-looking anyway.

[Should I kill them all?]

More than anything, Syria looked like she genuinely wanted to kill someone.

Raizen hurriedly tried to calm her down.

“Sorry. I’ve just been busy.”

When Raizen politely declined, she looked a little flustered.

“Right. Yeah, I just… wanted to say thank you for everything.”

She waved it off like it was nothing.

“It’s embarrassing, but… watching you persevere through rain and snow gave me comfort. I know it was just me selfishly drawing comfort from it, but I still wanted to thank you.”

I see.

Even if it was just the auto-hunt that Raizen had left unattended,

There were still those who found solace in it.

Raizen looked at the clerk’s name.

Ella.

Raizen, now familiar with that name, smiled gently.

“I should be the one thanking you for everything.”

“Right. I hope you become a great Pioneer.”

After saying goodbye to her, Raizen stepped outside.

Once outside, Raizen checked the Ascension Quest first.

The condition to go from 6th to 7th Ascension.

Ascension level 6 → Ascension level 7

Clear a mid-tier dungeon 3 times at Ascension level 6 or higher (0/3)

He had to clear three mid-tier dungeons.

In other words, because of that condition,

It meant he hadn’t gotten stronger just yet.

Still, from now on, I’ll maintain full stats even as I ascend.

His Pioneer License listed his physical stats as well.

These were Raizen’s current stats:

[Ascension Level 6]

Class: Poison Necromancer

Race: Half Dark Elf

Ascension Experience Accumulated: MAX%

(!Eligible for Ascension 18!)

Health: 60 (Max)

Magical Power: 60 (Max)

Mental Power: 60 (Max)

Character stats were based on a default Health stat,

With two additional stats determined by class characteristics.

Raizen was a Poison Necromancer.

So the given stats were “Magical Power” and ‘”Mental Power”.

60 stat points was the full stat value for Ascension level 6.

A character can gain a total of 10 stat points per Ascension level.

For every 10% of Ascension experience gained, one stat point increases.

Which means—

Raizen could keep ascending, all the way up to Ascension level 18.

He would be able to maintain full stats moving forward.

There was no need to check his stats for a while.

Every time he ascended, his stats increased by 10.

Raizen clenched his fist tightly.

All that was left was to take action himself.

It was the field he was most confident in.

Still, even so.

He couldn’t just walk into a dungeon empty-handed.

Once something happens, it’s already too late.

Even with Syria around, letting his guard down was not an option.

Raizen had learned this thoroughly through the lord dungeon.

Misfortune struck those who failed to prepare.

Right now, his equipment and skills were optimized for auto-hunting.

So, he needed to fine-tune his skill setup and gear more carefully.

First, maybe I should stop by the spellbook shop.

Although the shop only offered up to B-rank spellbooks,

They would still be better than his current setup.

Just as Raizen finished that thought and was walking—

Thud, thud, thud, thud—

At that moment, imperial soldiers suddenly appeared from the distance.

As soon as they showed up, the street fell silent.

They were officials tasked with enforcing imperial law.

Naturally, they had the authority to arrest anyone.

[Lord Raizen, shall I get rid of them all?]

At that moment, Syria’s voice rang out.

Perhaps because she had heard about Raizen being attacked by an imperial soldier,

Her voice overflowed with killing intent.

Raizen quickly waved his hands side to side.

What happened to this kid, growing up so fierce?

Just let it go.

He had no desire to be chased by the Empire.

The soldiers walked through the quiet street with familiar expressions.

They swept their gazes over the pioneers.

There was a strange pressure in the eyes of the soldiers.

They clearly knew the weight of their authority.

One of the soldiers locked eyes with Raizen.

Avoiding eye contact for no reason would only raise suspicion.

So Raizen stood his ground confidently.

“…Tsk tsk, what a rough-looking guy.”

And for some reason, he was pitied.

Though his actual face, true to a dark elf, was very handsome and he didn’t take damage from such remarks,

For some reason, it still made him feel a bit gloomy.

[That worm! Our Raizen is incredibly good-looking, you know!]

As Raizen calmed Syria down,

One of the soldiers pinned a sheet of paper to the bulletin board.

It was a public wanted poster.

All the targets were necromancers.

So the Empire really is hunting necromancers.

Raizen clicked his tongue as he looked over the necromancers on the wanted list.

And the moment he saw the poster, one thought flashed through his mind.

Now that I think about it, this means there won’t be any necromancer spellbooks left on the market.

The Gray Magic Tower, which had produced necromancer spellbooks, had collapsed.

Naturally, the production of spellbooks would stop as well.

Damn it.

The game difficulty had just gone up again.

What now?

…What do you mean, what now.

If you have no teeth, chew with your gums.

I’ll just have to find them myself.

He had to acquire high-level skills on his own anyway.

I’ll put off the skill issue for now.

With that settled, he moved on to the next problem.

Equipment.

Raizen knew a place well-suited for obtaining such gear.

I should head to the Imperial black market.

When it came to equipment, nothing beat the black market.

***

The Niflheim Empire’s black market.

It was the largest black market on the continent, a place overflowing with all kinds of rare and exotic items.

At first, the Empire had attempted to suppress it by sending soldiers.

But after discovering that various powerful figures were connected to the black market,

The Empire stopped investigating. As long as no one crossed the line.

Even after a hundred years, this place is still standing.

The black market was a stage for merchants.

And with a hundred years gone by, there were bound to be some fascinating items.

Raizen, filled with anticipation, handed over money to the gatekeeper of the black market.

Then he stepped through the door the man had opened.

He walked along the underground path lit by blue lanterns.

And before long, the sight of the black market unfolded before him.

Tents packed into the underground space, and the hustle and bustle of people.

This was the black market of the Niflheim Empire.

As he walked down the path, Raizen’s appearance had once again changed from earlier.

In addition to the mask he wore, he now had a transformation robe draped over him.

It was a robe commonly seen in black markets.

After all, many people here wanted to hide their identities.

So no one looked at Raizen with suspicion.

[You look amazing in that, Lord Raizen!]

Syria offered flattery like a loyal follower.

Even though his face was hidden,

He wasn’t sure if he should take it as a compliment or as teasing.

But judging by the bright gleam beyond the shadow, it seemed to be genuine.

[It’s my first time in a black market, and it really was a dungeon before, huh?]

Like Syria said, the black market had originally been a dungeon, even before the Empire was founded.

But due to an individual known by the nickname “The Watchman”,

It had since become an abandoned dungeon.

“Fresh materials just arrived! Come take a look!”

“Latecomers miss out, so don’t bother coming if you’re slow! Only real buyers, step up!”

The black market was surprisingly loud with aggressive vendors shouting to attract customers.

Raizen followed the calls and looked around.

And whatever decent item he spotted, he picked up without hesitation.

Before coming here, he had bought a backpack imbued with spatial magic.

With a spacious inventory, he could shop without worrying.

“Syria, if you spot anything good on the way, let me know.”

[Got it! I’ll keep a sharp eye out!]

Raizen and Syria diligently explored the market.

But just because it was a black market didn’t mean everything was valuable.

Items came to the black market for a reason.

From equipment with ambiguous value that couldn’t be sold on the surface,

to cursed items that should never be sold at all—

A wide variety of trash ended up on display.

[This one’s cursed!]

Syria had an exceptional eye for sorting out this kind of trash.

She was of the same dark element as Raizen.

She reacted with great sensitivity to equipment as well.

Thanks to that, Raizen made some solid purchases.

His once-empty backpack was now stuffed.

Still, this isn’t the real reason I came here.

Even in the black market, there were items worthy of being called treasures.

And all of those were gathered in one place.

The auction house.

That was Raizen’s real reason for coming to the black market.

“The auction will begin shortly! Anyone wishing to participate, please come to the plaza!”

People associated with the black market walked by, announcing it to the crowd.

Looks like it’s about time.

Raizen was just about to turn and make his way there.

That was when something caught his eye.

It was a non-human being that had been captured.

What else would you expect from a black market?

There were even slaves.

But that didn’t mean they were being mistreated.

They were merchandise meant to be sold.

If they looked filthy or ragged, no potential buyer would want them.

So they were properly groomed and treated well, sitting in a clean state.

Of course, magic of obedience was firmly secured around their necks so they couldn’t escape.

Slaves, huh?

Normally, he wouldn’t have paid them any attention.

But necromancers were being hunted throughout the entire empire.

Eventually, I’ll need a party.

Slaves could be an excellent alternative.

Even though I already have the undead.

No matter how capable Syria was—

She was still an undead.

There’s no such thing as an all-purpose class in Dungeon Replay.

He might be able to push through the high-level dungeons somehow,

But the Four Great Dungeons couldn’t be cleared without a variety of classes.

If I’m aiming for the ending, I can’t go without recruiting party members.

But if they were slaves, it wouldn’t matter even if Raizen was a necromancer.

He could seal their lips with obedience magic and use them as party members.

Given the current situation, it was actually a pretty decent choice.

The downside is, that I’d still have to train the slaves.

But that wasn’t much of a drawback for Raizen.

All he needed to do was keep pushing forward toward ascension.

It was fine to invest resources related to growth.

Slaves might unexpectedly turn out to be a good option.

At the very least, better than regular pioneers who might report him to the Empire at any moment.

Slaves, whose lips could be sealed, were clearly more efficient.

Let’s put this on hold for now.

Let’s keep it in mind as a last resort.

There’s still time to think it over after the auction ends.

Raizen followed the auctioneer who had been calling for customers.

The central plaza of the black market.

As he got closer, the number of people gradually dwindled.

Auctions were a privilege reserved for those with money.

The peddlers disappeared, leaving only those with wealth behind.

Soon, a large tent in the center plaza came into Raizen’s view.

The black market auction house.

In truth, all the valuable items from the black market ended up here.

That’s why Raizen’s eyes gleamed with intensity.

“Sir, please pay the entrance fee.”

As Raizen stood at the entrance to the auction house, an attendant blocked his way.

He was a burly man with a rough face.

But with money, he could become the kindest person in the world.

Raizen reached into his coat and handed him a gold coin.

The attendant paused for a moment, then flashed a friendly smile.

At the auction house, how much entrance fee one paid determined the level of treatment as a guest.

A business practice that was very much in line with the black market.

The amount Raizen had just paid was the highest possible fee.

“A VIP guest. Escort him in with care.”

The attendant quickly summoned someone to guide Raizen inside.

And just like that, Raizen was seated in the VIP section of the auction house.

Given the spacious seat and the clear view of the auction floor,

Raizen felt he had spent his money well.

Though he had lived a life of poverty,

He was glad he understood that not spending when needed could be even more harmful.

Quite a few people here.

There were more people in the VIP section than Raizen had expected.

Some of them looked like trouble just at a glance.

Mostly, they seemed to be from the Empire.

If the VIP section is filling up, that means rare items will be up for auction.

The items that came up in the auction were always random.

So, even in the game, when using the auction house,

You could estimate the quality of the items by how many VIP seats were sold.

While it wasn’t a full house, the seats were reasonably filled.

At this level…

It looked like this auction might be worth the anticipation.

“We will now begin the auction!”

Right at that moment, the auction began.

Usually, the first item up for bidding wasn’t anything noteworthy.

So Raizen was ready to pass on it indifferently.

“A Saberfang boy slave!”

“100 gold coins!”

Raizen raised his hand sharply and shouted.

Hand him over. That one.