"YAHOO!" - Garami

One month (plus one week on the roads) after the battle on Iron Isle, and we're here! The Sekarot Desert!!

Man, this place is huge. I figured Lake Velantas was massive, seeing how it felt like being in the middle of the ocean once you left the nearby proximity of one of the many islands or the city sharing the lake's name. But this desert takes the cake! Sand cake? Probably.

Still, nothing is impossible for this beauty of a ship!

"Garami, speed it up!" - Mira

"Stop asking about that again and again! This shaking is killing me!" - Noire

*Sniff*. Why isn't everyone sharing my enthusiasm for the upgraded Marauder?

The large ship has been retrofitted to gain wings on each side. These wings have some special magi-tech implanted into them, allowing the ship to turn into a Floatship... As in, the wings make the big boat float in the air. Okay? Do you get it? Good.

Other than the flotation devices, we have a pair of rocket boosters on the back now that propels the ship forward. It's also possible to put up a pair of "aether sails" in case we want to save on physical fuel, but none of us had any clue as to how that's done. Therefore, we're sticking to plain old rocket fuel.

Other than that, the ship's not so different from before. I'm making good use of the secret storage room, the place where Filyn played stowaway when we traveled to the Tree Sea Isle before. Specifically, I'm storing the Dungeon Core and all the other important items for my little project down there. Let's see if some random thief can try and find those! Not that I think there's anyone stupid enough to try and rob a group as scary-looking as ours. We got demons, spirits, the undead, and even a fallen angel for good measure!

"But Noire, if we stop now, the scorpions are going to catch us." - Revi

"I already know that! I just want her to keep this mechanical mayhem still for just a second so I can blast those f***ers into oblivion!" - Noire

Someone's got some aggression they need to release.

As for the current situation, I kind of bumped into a scorpion hive of some sort while it was my turn to steer the ship. Due to that, boatloads of super-sized scorpions are after us. At least give us fries and a Coke to go with those! I miss Rassel's cooking already...

---

"Damn, why did we have to hit the only scorpion nest for miles?" - Noire

"Bad luck, I guess. Mostly for me," said Alf, who had been sleeping in the coffin in the luggage area while we were escaping the scorpions. Those swellings look painful. There's a good lesson for everyone: do not sleep in coffins while in a moving vehicle. Your head's not going to survive.

The scorpions ended up as bits of gore in the desert after we turned around and greeted them with the Marauder's cannons. The other scorpions fled after seeing the first group getting turned to mush. They were only a bunch of E-rank monsters, despite their size after all. Having them swarm on top of us would have been too much for us though, so I'm honestly glad they took a hint and fled.

Still, thanks to this event, my Necromancy Counter stock has risen nicely. I've got over 4,000 now~. Most of it originates from when I gave a hand cleaning up Iron Isle, but whatever~.

Oh, speaking of the undead devil, during the time it took for the Marauder to get its makeup done, I discovered a grimoire that taught me the spells I needed to remove my Undeads' weakness against sunlight. Now I can have them slave around setting up camp each night~.

I even had them create a resting place for us after we stopped and picked up the scorpion remains. Then I switched the Skeletons for Ghosts and had the specters take a look at the nearby area. Both to keep an eye out for more rowdy desert dwellers and also because we're getting close to our goal...

After dispatching the ghosts, I joined the others having lunch underneath the giant tent. Alf is still not too hyped about the sun after evolving into the Vampire species, despite his special trait giving him sunlight immunity. And I'm worse off than him. That blasted [Pale Beauty] trait is making the desert a living hell for me!

The food's homemade by Revi, who took up the Cook Class before we left the city. A brilliant choice, if I should say so myself. Even more so since she studied under Marcus Pollen and Rassel during our brief break period. *Munch, munch, munch*

"Garami, isn't it about time for you to tell everyone why we're out here in burnt-and-dry-land?" - Mira

"Hmm? Didn't I already tell you guys that? About the Dungeon?" - Garami

"In that case, WHY HAVEN'T YOU STARTED BUILDING THAT STUPID THING ALREADY?! We have been in this gigantic sandbox for a week already!" - Noire

"Truth be told~, my inner Muse hasn't whispered to me lately~. I think I'm in an inspirational slump..." - Garami

"That lazy bum Bloom needs to get her job right." - Mira

"That one has been KOed for the last week due to heatstroke." - Garami

"...How is that even possible?" - Mira

You tell me, sister. That fairy's "biological" structure is a mystery even to me. Sometimes I suspect she might be more than just a skill's avatar.

"...In that case, there is nothing to be done about it." - Noire

"Gah, Crafters!" - Mira & Alf

The two heretic no-good warriors got the stink eye from me, Noire, and even Revi who was busy preparing the next dish for us. Iron was outside of the discussion, happily polishing his shield. That guy sure has a nose for trouble, and how to stay out of it. I wish he taught me his secret techniques.

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"Okay, jokes aside, my wish for this Dungeon is that it can act as an oasis for people." - Garami

"...An oasis?" - Iron

Oho~? Iron started to get interested. But why is Revi sharing his confused look?

"It is one of the few areas in the desert that one can find water." - Alf

"Now I see!" - Iron & Revi

You mean THAT was your problem!? Geez, sometimes I forget they were living trapped on a secluded island of gloom and death.

"So, what? Is your plan to sell water to the people passing by?" - Mira

"That's also an idea, but no. I plan to discourage people from crushing the Dungeon Core, in case of the worst possible scenario where some people managed to reach the deepest part of the Dungeon." - Garami

"...Why wouldn't they?" - Noire

"If the Dungeon goes bye-bye, so will the water it creates. If there's no other source of refilling water nearby, then the desert expedition is as good as dead. And I'm serious when I say 'dead'." - Garami

"Ahh, I see."

A unanimous agreement to my idea was made. Over half of this Sekarot Desert is, as of the moment, an unexplored area, meaning that there'll be more than a few adventurers who would want an extra waterhole or two.

Of course, there's still the potential case where the adventurers, or any other type of invaders, would try to occupy the Dungeon to get all of its treasure and water for themselves. Therefore, I want to get us deep enough into the desert so that the Dungeon will stay a mystery for the rest of the world. At least until we have managed to develop it strong enough that I can send an anonymous report to the Adventurers' Union.

"So that's the reason why you only stored loads of water in that Inventory skill of yours! You want to find a spot of sand with no water nearby!" - Mira

"Bingo~. I was waiting for one of you to notice that point." - Garami

And that is also the main reason why I'm keeping my "Dungeon Creation Kit" (made-up name) inside the hidden storage room. The trip has shown me just how blessed Velantas is, and how much in trouble it was due to Glavras' schemes. A lack of water is FATAL! It's kind of obvious, but when you experience this kind of heat and thirst firsthand, it feels like a completely different beast compared to just hearing talk about it.

"Then...where do you want...to create that...oasis Dungeon?" - Revi

"Hmm, there's that... According to the map, we should be in a location far enough away from the nearest oasis, but-" - Garami

"Okay, I will go and bring the Dungeon Core!" - Noire

"STOP THAT! Seriously, do you want the Dungeon to stay right out here? In the middle of the dunes? The key to a successful business is location, location, LOCATION!" - Garami

"Isn't that about restaurants?" - Alf

"Not that I can blame her disinterest to put up shop here. This sand gets everywhere!" - Mira

"Agreed," replied Iron while stubbornly trying to polish off some sand from his shield.

"AND I want to place it somewhere with a lot of shade." - Garami

"AGREED!!" - Alf

Glad to know our boys are with me. But where could such a dream spot be? I'm not asking for much. Maybe some ruins with a roof left, or an underground-

"Cave?" - Garami

"Hmm, yeah, a cave sounds good." - Mira

"No, not that. I think...I found a cave." - Garami

---

After packing up our stuff, I had the ship go to where Ghost Scout #5 had reported its findings. The place is like a gaping jaw of stone that came up from the sand. A natural cave in the middle of the desert. In the past, it might have been the resting spot for a caravan or a bunch of passing-by adventurers, not so different from us, but today, there's no sign of anyone, not even monsters, having lived here for a loooooong while.

"This...looks promising." - Garami

"Are you for real? This place is the DUMPS!" - Noire

"Nah. It's closer to an unpainted canvas in my eyes," I told the fallen angel while looking at the cave's interior and posing with framing hands just to look more like an artist judging their location.

The cave is large, not that the entrance was big enough to drive in the Marauder, and it's utterly empty. It looks similar to the place where we met Alf for the first time, and where Mira cleared the Extra Trial that gifted her the Airgetlám Extra Skill. Except this place is way more empty than that place. Which is quite the feat when you remember that place was located in a place called "Little Wasteland".

"The Guild Master is right. This place is paradise." - Alf

"Paradise~." - Revi

If it has shade, then this undead(?) duo is all for it. Wait, was the sun too bad for you too, Revi? Gosh... Sorry?

"Ehm...when you put it that way..." said Noire, looking partly convinced by my words, partly due to her not wanting to ire the two who looked like they had gone from hell to heaven while sitting in the shade.

"Well, that settles it. In this cave, a new Dungeon will be born!! Besides, I doubt any of us can go on for much longer in the first place. Iron, get the Dungeon Core!" - Garami

"Already here." - Iron

...Yeah, nobody here can wait any longer. Excluding Mira, whose race lets her fare better in light-filled places, and Noire, for some reason doesn't seem bothered about the heat for some weird reason.

Well, four out of six demands a Dungeon, so who am I to say no? Besides...I AM ONE OF THOSE SIX! Dungeon Core, ACTIVATE!!

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Activation of Dungeon Core: unsuccessful.

Have unrelated personnel leave the nearby area, and try again.

"Huh?" - Garami

Hey, don't tell me I overlooked someone hiding in this cave?! Ah, a hologram of a map over the cave appeared. There are 5 red marks here, the "unrelated personnel", probably...

"Yeah, sorry, you guys. This thing here seems to be the shy type." - Garami

I showed them the System Message and the hologram map, which convinced them to wait outside with the Marauder. I made sure to leave behind most of the water tanks I had stored in my Inventory and returned to the cave. Who knows how long this will take?

Oh, and by the way, an "Inventory" is what people call their "Storage-type skills". I seem to have been infected with that naming sense over the last month.

But enough digressing. Let's try this again.

I touched the watery blue orb, which still gives me a slight flashback from Glavras' monster form, again and a new System Message appeared.

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Activation of Dungeon Core: successful.

Now starting the generation of the Dungeon.

YES! It worked! Okay, the different items are placed all around the Core, just as that guidebook "Dungeons for Dummies" said...

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Magic Stones are located.

Absorbing Magic Stones: Complete.

Setting Dungeon Type as...: "Desert Cave".

Please select the Dungeon's "Dungeon Theme", its "Main Attribute", the members of the "Standard Monster Line", and its first "Specialized Monster Line".

...Yeah, this is gonna take a while.