Count Philip felt clear-headed now.
At least, that was what he told himself.
No one understood why he had ordered the dungeon sealed off. Even Sali openly opposed him—at a time like this, all effort should have gone into cleaning up the aftermath, not waging war with the dungeon. But the Count ignored every question.
As long as he lived, he was the supreme authority of House Bedford. No one dared disobey.
For now, the Light Eagle Corps still stood by him—two captains, their elite mercenaries, barely a hundred men in total, yet enough to rival the entire city garrison.
"Have you made your decision? Do you need us to act?"
The speaker was Simon, one of the Light Eagle captains—the same man who had once tried to warn Philip, only to be brushed aside.
"I beg you," Count Philip said, bowing solemnly. "Bring me the Purple Blood Crystal. That is my last hope."
Still chasing that?
But Philip knew—this was his only lifeline.
The reason His Majesty the King had temporarily granted him authority over Sein Dungeon, and even dispatched two Light Eagle captains to assist him, came down to one thing: the Blood-Therapy Elixir.
For the ailing king, tormented daily by his illness, those injections were the only relief left. No magic could compare to Blood Therapy.
For years, he had consumed it in vast quantities—so much that his blood was nearly replaced by the potion itself.
But now, resistance had taken root.
What once lasted a week dwindled to a day, then to mere hours. Ordinary elixirs no longer worked.
The dosage had to rise. The concentration had to increase.
Yet overly concentrated elixirs damaged the body as well. The king was already using the strongest mixture possible without risking harm. Any further increase required something else—better ingredients.
The Purple Blood Crystal—rarest of the rare, jewel among jewels. An elixir brewed from it was dozens of times stronger than normal, with almost divine effects.
When Sein Dungeon mutated, workers had unearthed a piece no bigger than a fingernail. The potion refined from it had allowed the king to live normally for three whole weeks.
Its effects were nothing short of miraculous.
Philip knew his worth to the crown: he existed solely to produce Blood Therapy.
If he could present a large supply—no, even a single chest—of Purple Blood Crystals refined into elixirs, the king would surely protect him. That was his only chance to survive the Shadow Brotherhood's onslaught.
His sins were too many. His enemies, countless. Only the king's protection could save him now.
But if he failed to secure enough to bargain with, the king would not care if he fell. At most, new lackeys would be sent to strip the dungeon bare.
Why hadn't the king dispatched stronger men to seize the crystals outright?
Partly because Bedford City lay too far from the capital—too remote for nobles to abandon their comforts. Partly because Philip had always delivered enough potions, keeping himself valuable with promises of more.
A useful dog was kept—for now. Later, when hunger struck, dog meat could be stewed.
And why seal the dungeon?
Because that was the Light Eagle Corps' way: domineering, distrustful, selfish.
They allowed no outsiders near. Even if adventurers didn't interfere, they would still be driven off.
Backed by royal authority, no one could resist them.
Philip, meanwhile, acted out of spite. He believed all his misfortunes stemmed from the dungeon. The place was cursed. The bawdy songs mocking him in taverns only deepened his humiliation.
Why not post a commission and hire adventurers to search for the crystal?
Because he had already offended them beyond repair. No one would take his requests now.
And so, the portal of Sein Dungeon was locked down.
Adventurers were forced out of the ancient city and forbidden to return. Those who resisted were beaten bloody by Light Eagle mercenaries.
Each mercenary was strong enough to rival a silver-ranked adventurer. Not quite at Stella's level, perhaps, but against common adventurers, they had the advantage.
And unlike adventurers, they specialized in killing humans, not monsters. The difference was night and day.
The adventurers cursed them, but could do nothing.
Some thought of Leon and his group. If they were here, the Light Eagle would never dare run rampant! But the city's strongest were absent, and so the locals suffered.
With the Light Eagle Corps at their back, the guards swaggered again, smirking at the adventurers as if watching a circus.
They didn't dare start direct fights yet—but once Philip settled his affairs, they intended to "have words" with the adventurers and return every slight they'd endured.
Amid the noise, a black-haired figure watched in silence.
Wade.
He had rushed over the moment the rumors spread, and now he saw with his own eyes the Light Eagle blocking Sein Dungeon.
How dare they…
This wasn't arrogance—it was madness. He wanted to strike back, to summon the strongest beasts, guard the gate, slay any who dared approach.
But no. Killing them inside the dungeon would solve nothing.
Even if the Light Eagle were wiped out, Philip could still keep it sealed until he got what he wanted—or until his enemies finally dragged him down.
If Philip succeeded, his power would solidify. The workers would again be sent first, and taxes would return.
If he failed, House Bedford would collapse—but who knew what kind of ruler would replace him?
The more Wade thought, the hotter his fury burned. He wanted to destroy both the Light Eagle and Philip himself.
All adventurers wanted was to live in peace. Why did trouble always find them?
The demons. Philip. The Light Eagle. The cursed dungeons.
This wasn't the world he'd envisioned. He had designed dungeons to let adventurers clash and grow together.
But reality refused to let him rest. Greedy nobles, arrogant soldiers, scheming dungeons—every one of them made his work unstable.
Couldn't they behave for once?!
[Detected: Dungeon surrounded by hostile forces.]
[Detected: Dungeon Lord's emotional fluctuations rising.]
[Sein Dungeon temporarily converted into Open Dungeon.]
[Beast Hordes—unleashed.]
"Listen up!" roared Gelka, captain of the Light Eagle Corps. "We've fought countless battles—but fighting men isn't the same as fighting monsters. Stay sharp!"
"You're stronger than that rabble—stronger than adventurers! Believe in your power! Believe in the Light Eagle!"
"It's just a dungeon. We'll tear it apart with our claws—reduce it to rubble!"
His words thundered across the field.
But the more Philip listened, the worse he felt. Tear it apart? What am I supposed to live off then?!
"In the commander's absence, we must win every battle! Failure is not permitted!" Gelka raised his hand toward the portal, his voice like iron.
"Plunder to your heart's content! Trample everything, my brothers!"
"OUUUH!"
The mercenaries howled in unison. Gelka glanced at Simon, then strode toward the portal.
As captain, he would lead the charge.
Step. Step. Step.
One foot crossed the threshold—when a strange sound echoed.
Hooves. Heavy, iron-clad, striking like thunder on stone.
Sensing danger, Gelka leapt back—just in time.
A golden halberd slammed down where he had stood, shattering earth and stone.
Silence fell.
Step. Step. Step.
Something emerged from the portal.
"Gulp…"
An adventurer pointed with a trembling finger, voice cracking.
"A monster! A monster's coming out!"
Panic erupted.
From the gate rode a towering knight in golden armor astride a mighty warhorse. Sunlight glinted off his plate like fire.
It was Sein Dungeon's first greeting to the world.
The Tree Sentinel had arrived.
[Tree Sentinel (Elden Ring)]
[Mana Required per Unit: 1500]
[Overall Combat Power: C+]
"This is—"
Never in his life had Gelka seen such a thing. Monsters, leaving the dungeon? Impossible!
Far off, Sali gaped, nearly collapsing. "It's… going berserk…" he whispered.
Elsa, the Hero, caught him before he fell. Her eyes fixed on the knight, weighing whether she should intervene.
Simon snapped first. "Together! Kill it!"
One monster should be no problem for two captains—
But then the thunder of hooves came again.
A second Tree Sentinel emerged.
Both turned their helmed heads toward Simon.
His sword froze halfway out of its sheath.
And that wasn't the end.
"More monsters!" someone screamed.
From the portal glimmered countless pairs of crimson eyes.
[Zinogre (Monster Hunter)]
[Flying Dragon Agheel (Elden Ring)]
[Stonedigger Troll (Elden Ring)]
[Black Knight (Dark Souls)]
[Leonine Misbegotten (Elden Ring)]
The horde was unleashed.