Episode 174

1.

High-level players might disagree, but most players would say:

"Regardless of level, aren't all dungeons about the same difficulty? That's how it felt to me."

In other words, there is no such thing as an easy dungeon.

As the players' levels rise, the dungeon difficulty rises with them.

Patterns become more varied, monsters grow stronger, and mobs get smarter.

By the time players have adapted to a new dungeon, they are forced into the next tier, and suddenly they are back at square one, challenging something brand new.

Of course, it's exhausting and difficult.

Even players who only run Normal dungeons end up leveling up eventually.

It might be slow, but after a month, two months, or a year, the first digit of their level eventually changes. Especially these days, with events that accelerate player growth, players are pushed to break through their limits, whether they want to or not.

To those players, Legendary-grade dungeons are far more terrifying and intimidating than simply stepping into the next tier of dungeons.

—I'd rather just go into the next tier. At least my level goes up with the dungeon level, so once I break through the start, I'm fine. But how are you supposed to clear a Legendary dungeon stacked with penalties?

It was true that adding clearer conditions increased the difficulty. However, depending on the situation and the dungeon, there were times when having clearer conditions actually worked in the players' favor.

Not every dungeon had its clear conditions tightly linked in a way that made things harder for players. In most cases, it just meant the clear time would be a bit longer.

So the debate began.

—What's tougher, a 3-star Legendary or an 8-star Epic?

—What a stupid argument. Obviously, the 8-star.

—They're both overgeared for those dungeons anyway. Why compare the dungeons? Compare the dungeons and the players together. For Fly, at least a Unique dungeon would be needed to match the difficulty Buja's facing, right?

Of course, it was all meaningless.

—They're going in.

—They're entering at the same time again.

—Who's coming out first?

There was no need to argue. The results would explain everything.

2.

Desolate.

That was the only way to describe it.

A vast, ruined wasteland.

The red sky, straight out of a novel, and the cracked earth made one wonder if anything could survive here.

In the middle of it all stood a single castle.

It was just as gloomy.

The walls were piled so high that you could not see inside, and they were so worn and aged that the place truly lived up to its name: the Castle of Nightmares.

"Chilly."

Fortunately, the dungeon had at least one courtesy prepared for intruders.

It spawned him outside the castle, not inside.

It was a single strategic fortress armed with five dungeon penalties.

The first problem, then, was how to breach the firmly shut front gate. Still, that was a far better problem to have than being dropped straight into the action before he could even get his bearings.

Not that this was a good thing, of course.

One way or another, he had to come up with a plan.

If he chose wrong, things could easily spiral in a much worse direction.

'What should I do?'

In the end, the castle had to be destroyed, but it was far too solid to simply smash through in one go.

He needed a small crack.

Of the three available paths, which one should he start with to create that first fracture?

He did not agonize over it for long.

[The "Nightmare Banquet" will begin shortly. Please equip the provided "Demon Disguise Mask" and enter.]

The 3-star special dungeon, "Castle of Nightmares," had already laid out the path for him.

* * *

Special dungeons—especially theme dungeons—were popular with players not just because of their difficulty, but because they allowed one to experience a unique story.

"This is pretty wild."

Since his appearance had been perfectly transformed into that of a demon, no monsters interfered as he walked toward the front gate. On the contrary, the way they checked his face, bowed their heads, and politely guided him along was enough to make him stand a little taller, as if he truly were a demon.

The interior of the Castle of Nightmares was so intricate and well-constructed that he had to admire the dungeon's design.

[The curse of the "Castle of Nightmares" seeps into your body.]

[All stats are reduced by 15%.]

[You become more susceptible to "Nightmares."]

[Movement speed is reduced by 8%.]

[You are immune to the curse while transformed into a "Demon."]

There was no information yet on whether the castle itself could transform like a robot and attack players. However, the curse alone was enough for it to serve its role as a strategic fortress. Worse, the castle itself wasn't a suitable first target to attack.

'This is a headache.'

Like all players, Buja was most wary of debuffs. Penalties that couldn't be easily removed, like this dungeon-wide curse, felt like a burden far beyond mere numerical reductions. Still, he had anticipated this, so he didn't let it bother him.

Instead, he focused on other aspects.

'The Nightmare Legion's level looks high, too.'

To escape the Island of Nightmares, he had to conquer three objectives: the Lord of Nightmares, the Nightmare Legion, and the Castle of Nightmares itself. He expected the castle lord would be his first target, but there was a good chance he would have to face the Nightmare Legion at the same time.

Either way, it was a 3-star dungeon, so it wouldn't stray too far from that category. But even a small difference—1% or 2%—would stack up, and the thousand-strong Nightmare Legion would prove to be a much greater threat.

"We thank all the demons who have joined the Nightmare Banquet. The banquet will begin shortly, so please gather in the banquet hall."

More importantly, there was a much bigger variable at play.

'There are way too many other demons here.'

They were different from the Nightmare Legion. Like Buja, they were beings who had appeared to fit the "Castle of Nightmares" theme.

How strong were they? Once the Nightmare Banquet ended, would they disappear as mysteriously as they had arrived? With this variable in play, a head-on assault was out of the question.

For now, he obediently headed toward the banquet hall.

In the grand, spacious hall, nearly a hundred demons were gathered, casually enjoying light refreshments. Aside from their appearances, it didn't look all that different from a party in the real world.

'What is this supposed to be, exactly?'

Buja's usual style was to draw his weapon and charge in screaming, "Let's have some fun!" but standing in the banquet hall, he couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't that he was intimidated by the oppressive presence of the castle or the demons gathered like gentlemen.

'If I start something here, it'll turn into a literal hell party.'

A thrilling chill ran down his spine, and the corner of his mouth twitched. If anything, Buja loved that kind of scenario: endless waves of monsters and the sense of accomplishment from overcoming them alone.

There was only one reason he was holding back.

'At the very least, I should see the whole theme dungeon story before I start.'

Theme dungeons, which so many players went crazy for, were the most expensive among special dungeons, despite their prohibitive difficulty. The steep price and high difficulty meant that players who wanted to experience them but couldn't naturally turned to video channels. The view counts from people seeking vicarious satisfaction were unimaginably huge, even if the video only captured the story in a half-assed way.

That was why Buja was restraining himself. He wanted to leave behind a clean, stylish narrative for the permanent record—his video channel, a collection of his life's achievements.

"Now then, let us begin the banquet."

And so, the Nightmare Banquet began.

* * *

Putting the impending brawl aside for a moment, the "Nightmare Banquet" itself was an excellent affair. Demons of all shapes and sizes clustered in small groups, holding cocktails as they chatted. Most were humanoid with wings and horns, and their outfits alone were a feast for the eyes. Some walked around completely naked, unconcerned with anyone's gaze, and no one—no, no demon—seemed particularly bothered by it.

A true banquet of demons.

And befitting such a banquet, the scenes being captured on video were anything but normal.

"Now this is a banquet."

Walking past the demons who were just sipping cocktails, he took in the rest of the vast hall. Plenty of them were indulging their desires without a shred of hesitation, to the point where one couldn't help but wonder at their barbarism. From blatant seduction to acts that taught him, whether he wanted to know or not, exactly how demons reproduced as a species.

He felt a wave of relief that he had held himself back. At the same time, he didn't forget to carefully examine the interior of the banquet hall. Filming the video was one thing, but to actually run a channel with it, the footage he recorded had to make it safely out of the dungeon.

For that, there was one crucial factor he had to confirm.

'Where's the castle lord?'

The master of the Castle of Nightmares. The boss monster of this dungeon.

"The castle lord is entering."

Before his question could fully form, an announcement rang through the hall. All the demons froze, and every gaze turned to a single point: the second floor.

A lone woman stepped through the doors of the seat of honor. With a dreamy face and a body that made one swallow hard, she appeared with everything on full display, her gaze sweeping across the hall.

The instant their eyes met, his heart pounded. It wasn't excitement.

'I need to be careful.'

The Castle of Nightmares was a cliché setup, but true to its name, the master of the castle was a succubus.

"So many of you have gathered."

When her lips parted, the dreamy voice that flowed out was full of challenge and interest. Her gaze and tone looked down on every demon in attendance. When he glanced around, the other demons were staring back at the Lord of Nightmares with belligerent eyes. The atmosphere was so tense, it wouldn't have been strange for them to charge her at any moment. This did not feel like a banquet between a ruler and her subjects.

"It has been nine hundred years since I claimed dominion over this castle. And once again, you have come, right on schedule."

What followed was not a simple congratulatory speech.

'It's the story.'

If this were a game, it was the kind of cutscene he would have skipped without a second thought. With countless demons before her, the Lord of Nightmares stared into the middle distance, lost in reminiscence, a faint smile playing on her lips. It was a look of confidence, nostalgia, and pleasure.

"Once every hundred years, you are granted a single opportunity. I have gone through this nine times, and this time as well, I stand here in the seat of the castle lord to greet you."

With those words, he understood.

'This is…'

He understood how this story was unfolding. He understood what the Nightmare Banquet truly was. And he understood why the countless demons around him, despite being invited to a banquet by the master of this castle, looked so aggressive.

"I shall begin. The Nightmare Banquet."

With the succubus's declaration, the real banquet began.

* * *

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