"So? You just fled with your tails between your legs?" - Mira

"And we did it as cowardly and puny as possible." - Garami

"Nice! Gold is good, but safety is platina. You don't get a redo on life that easily." - Mira

So there is a way to get a redo!? Wait, I did get one. I even got that [Reincarnator] title and everything...

After Iron and I escaped the under-sand dome that housed the sudden Extra Quest we were forced to participate in, we returned to the Dungeon where the rest of the gang waited for us. Since it was getting late, we only briefly reviewed what had happened before going to bed.

While trying to eat breakfast, Mira and Alf had shanghaied me into telling them the rest of my story. And they took my bacon & egg hostage for that! Evil! They are pure evil!!

"You did well in escaping from that Quest without any harm," said Alf as he finally returned my (now stale) breakfast. "The bit about this 'gate' suddenly unlocking itself did get my attention."

"Right. Are doors supposed to do that? Was it the same kind as those 'automatic' doors they have at the Adventurers' Union Hall back at Velantas?" - Mira

"Hardly. I don't have any evidence, but I think there was a group already inside the underground dome before Iron and I arrived." - Garami

"...I see. I don't get it." - Alf

"Huh? It's easy. If neither Garami nor Iron opened the door to the surface, then someone else had to do it for them." - Mira

"That is the part I do not understand. Just who could have done it." - Alf

"Probably a party who challenged, or rather, was challenged by that giant mantis lamia. Failing that Quest doesn't automatically kill you, so they could stay behind if they wanted to." - Garami

Plus, while the Quest asked us to "escape with your desert-traveling vessel', it did not mention that every crew member had to be onboard...I think.

"I bet they wanted the bonus reward but had no clue what to do to obtain it. Therefore, they sent some of their party back home to gather resources while the other half camped in the underground dome. And then..." - Mira

"...And then, Garami and Iron were brought to the dome. Maybe they even convinced this 'mantis lamia' to bring new challengers...? No, that is too unlikely..." - Alf

"In short, some guys with lots of time to kill decided to play the long game with the Quest for some reason. And Iron and I seem to have been their key to success." - Garami

Looking back, the gate opened after I talked with Iron about the Kheperiktot, not after we unlocked the last chain. That gives the theory of "the second party needing information to clear the quest" more credibility.

"In any case, along with the treasures we obtained, we also acquired information about a group of psychopath adventurers(?) that are operating in the...not-so-nearby area." - Garami

While talking, I double-checked [Auto-Mapping]'s data from yesterday's "expedition". The underground dome is several kilometers away from the Dungeon. That mantis lamia could make a living on cross-continental high-speed deliveries. Ah, but I guess it could only be active in sandy biomes. There goes that business plan.

"Is there a chance for them trying to infiltrate the Dungeon?" - Alf

"Hmm, if I were part of their group, I'd look for places with treasures. All we have are urban ruins and half-starved goblins." - Mira

"Yeah, yeah. My Dungeon's the dump......? Hey, what did you say? 'Half-starved goblins'?" - Garami

"Haven't you noticed? The Dungeon monsters are starting to die from starvation." - Mira

"WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!?" - Garami

"They started showing signs of extreme hunger while you and Iron were being Quest-napped. And today, I saw some goblins fainted on the floor while making my rounds." - Alf

"Also known as 'looking for a fishing pond'. Give it up already." - Mira

"There has to be someplace where there's fish to catch in this godforsaken cave...!" - Alf

Eh, sorry? Did you forget we live in the middle of the desert? On the other hand, a cave with an underground lake should be plausible. I have long experience with that type of Dungeon setup, for better or worse.

Though, the Dungeon monsters need to be fed? That idea completely slipped my mind. I thought the monsters would have some automatic feeding process, or that they didn't need food in the first place. Those "Dungeons for Dummies" books I read in Velantas never mentioned food! Dammit!

Even the breakfast I'm done eating is something made by the chefs of the Hotel facility's kitchen, but only because I provided them with ingredients. Last night, I wanted to spend the capped DP and didn't have the mental capacity to look for a new Facility, so I purchased lots of food items and stored them in the Hotel's fridge.

"For now, let's ignore the fish-" - Garami

"For now!?" - Alf

"...Yes, for now. Right now, we need to improve the Dungeon's military power in case those psychopaths arrive one day. But before that, we should try to solve the ongoing food crisis." - Garami

"'Trying' is too weak. If nothing gets done, we are forced to see the monsters drop dead and reborn every 3rd day." - Mira

Ugh... Technically, it's not impossible to run the Dungeon with such a system as dead monsters are automatically replaced after a while, but that would create a repeating period of weakness for the Dungeon... More importantly, I don't have the heart to run the Dungeon with such a system. I wouldn't be surprised if my Karma Value did the impossible and went even further down.

Come on, let there be some handy solution in the Dungeon's facility list! I can't be the only Dungeon Master who has to deal with these malnutrition problems! Please don't tell me the other Dungeons go around this problem by creating some sort of sick ecosystem where the monsters are eating each other, or one species specially designed to be eaten is included! They might be disposable pawns, but they're MY PAWNS!!

"...Ah. I found it." - Garami

"Found what?" asked Mira as she leaned over along with Alf to see the screen of the Dungeon Terminal.

"...It couldn't hurt to try." - Alf

"You heard the man, boss! Time's a-wasting!" - Mira

It seems the thing I found struck Mira's heartstrings. That's a good sign. When it comes to anything that's not gamble-related, her instincts tend to hit the jackpot all the time. Though I'm not sure if placing it on the 1st floor is such a good idea. Therefore...

---

Later, on the Dungeon's 2nd floor:

"Wo-hoo! People on the surface would go green with envy if they saw how easy it is for you to make a whole restaurant, Garami!" - Mira

"People on the surface? The only one I can think of is Markus Pollen." - Garami

We're currently looking at the new facility I created to defeat the hunger plaguing the Dungeon. Glutton Kitchen I. Why "I"? Is just a simple "1" not good enough? And instead of saying that we built the thing, it's more right to say we revived one of the destroyed buildings into this fancy soup kitchen.

"Garami, what is this?" asked Revi, whom I had brought along to the Kitchen's grand opening.

She's not the only one I ended up dragging along. Iron noticed us and decided to come along. For some reason, his attitude had grown depressed since we returned from the underground dome. I wonder why. Did he feel like it was a loss that we fled from the Kheperiktot Quest? What a weird suit of armor he is.

"This is the solution to the Dungeon's nutrition problems, the Glutton Kitchen!" - Garami

"What? We're supposed to make the food for the monsters by hand now?" - Mira

"Don't worry. It shouldn't be long till we see some results..., there you go." - Garami

Noticing that the ground was starting to rumble vaguely, I snatched Revi into my arms and ran into one of the abandoned buildings. One beat later and Mira urged Iron to follow her to do the same.

Not a moment too soon, the street we had been standing on was overrun by dogs, bats, goblins, rabbits, and demonic spirits. No need to say it, but they all went for the Kitchen. Wait, did the spirits even need to eat?

"Oh, okay, I see. The kitchen has automatic serving?" - Mira

"Yup. Glutton Kitchen has two main uses. One is that it will passively generate food-type items. The second is that it can provide the Dungeon monsters on the floor with grub. Though, it's not without downsides." - Garami

One of them would be its steep price. It cost 500 DP, the same as what I paid for the luxury hotel we're using as sleeping quarters, without giving any other advantages such as increasing the DP-cap. Plus even the invaders can use the facility if they pay for it, providing them with the nutrition they need to clear the Dungeon.

Oh, and how I managed to gather enough DP for the kitchen, despite the current natural limit being 350, is a secret. To give a hint, let's just say that the fancy, yet useless, treasure chest that contained all the Quest Rewards for me and Iron turned out not to be so useless after all. It was covered in fancy gold ornaments, so it should have been worth more than a few Sols. And for a Dungeon, even more so... But let's worry about that later. The food problem is more pressing right now.

And speaking of food, the stuff created by the Glutton Kitchen is simple. At the moment, it can only produce simple gruel. For the hungry, hungry monsters, it might taste like nectar at the moment, but motivation and enthusiasm rely on good food and sleep. Even Dungeon monsters are living beings. To keep them in top shape, I need to provide them with the best stuff possible.

"Right now, the Kitchen can only sell plain, boring gruel." - Garami

"Yuck!" - Mira & Revi

"And that is where you come in," I said while pointing at Revi.

"M-me!?" - Revi

"Don't act so surprised. You're the only one in the Guild with the [Cook] class, so of course I'm going to rely on you for food-related goals, Revi." - Garami

"Rely...!" - Revi

"Hold on, let me guess. A Cook can add new items to the menu?" - Mira

"Yup. In addition, we can set up Glutton Stands on other floors to extend the Kitchen's clientele." - Garami

Just an afterthought, but each Stand gives the Dungeon an additional 10 points to the DP-cap. The downside is that several automated stands are scattered across the floors the stands are placed on, giving invaders a reliable food source as long as they have the money for it. Well-fed adventurers are going to be a pain to fend off. Maybe I should include some floors where the monsters don't need to eat? A starvation gauntlet of floors.

"That's why we have to rely on our little genius witch chef here to keep everyone fed and happy." - Garami

I patted Revi on her witch hat-covered head, which she used to pull over her face. We could still see her ears reddening in shy joy.

"Hmm... Revi? How many recipes do you know? Food recipes, I mean." - Mira

"...*Gasp*!" - Revi

"What now?" - Garami

"......I only know...basic recipes...they will grow old...before long..." - Revi

"...Is that bad?" asked Iron, who had been sitting in a corner and sulking since we evacuated into this building.

"If I had to choose between 'good' and 'bad'..., it might be a little bad..., perhaps?" - Garami

"It is bad. Variation is the key to a happy stomach. Plus there's also the opportunity to make invaders pay lots of Sols so they can eat delicious food that would normally be impossible in the desert." - Mira

"*Nod, nod*!" - Revi

Those two, they're unexpectedly in good sync when it comes to food. Though, I'm sort of in the same boat as them. Whether it is living in haunted cities, slums, or world-threatening Dungeons, you earn a great appreciation for good grub.

"Hey, I think there was a desert village a stone-throw away from here. We could try looking there for some cooking books that lil' Revi could learn from." - Mira

"*Nod, nod*!" - Revi

"A stone-throw, you say... I don't know..." - Garami

That stone is half a day away even if we run the Marauder at full throttle all the while. It will be less of a shopping trip and more of a shopping expedition.

"That village, does it have a blacksmith?" - Iron

Hmm? Now the sulking armor is joining the conversation. What for?

"Who knows~? But for a village in the desert to not have a metallurgy specialist would be fatal." - Mira

"...? Why?" - Revi

"Metal is one of the few things that Crafters can hope to work with in the desert. Unless you're a sand castle builder." - Mira

No, where are you supposed to obtain said metal?

"Okay, I'm in." - Iron

"Eh?" - Garami

"I'll come along too~. Or else Noire would steal my seat for the trip~." - Mira

Hold on there-!

"Master...are you not coming...*tear-eyed*?" - Revi

"......FINE! Get your stuff ready! We're leaving tomorrow morning!!" - Garami

Damn it... And I wanted to look into these Dungeon attributes. The boss never gets a break, does she?

---

Name: Iron Tirnog| [Guardian] Race: Phantom Mail Gender: Male Level: 10/65 Traits: 2 Karma Value: 75 Main Class: Guardian Knight Lv.8 Sub Class: Sentinel Lv.50 (Max) Sub Class: Pathfinder Lv.13 Skills: 35 Titles: 8 Blessings: 0 Aether Points: 9.0 HP: 609/603 + 30/30 MP: 350/350 + 20/20 SP: 418/418 + 20/20 STR: 464 VIT: 929 MAG: 200 RES: 661 SPD: 315 DEX: 338 INT: 95 LUC: 104 LP: 15

Skill List:

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Skill List: Ability Skills: [Extra Health Lv.13] UP5 [Health Auto-Recovery Lv.50 (Max)] [Massive Mana Lv.6] UP2 [Increased Stamina Lv.4] NEW/UP3 [Strength Lv.50 (Max)] [Tougher Vitality Lv.15] UP5 [Mystical Magic Lv.2] NEW/UP1 [Swift Speed Lv.3] UP1 Attack Skills: [Guardian Knight's Combat Arts Lv.6] NEW/UP5 [Shield Arts Lv.50 (Max)] [Guard Lv.50 (Max)] [Parry Lv.50 (Max)] UP8 [Shield Stance Lv.11] NEW/UP10 [Metal Counter Lv.50 (Max)] UP4 [Magma Touch Lv.13] NEW/UP12 [Lava Bomb Lv.11] NEW/UP10 [Magma Mine Lv.16] NEW/UP15 [Ghost Slash Lv.42] UP9 Magic Skills: [Summon Phantom: Ghost Sword Lv.20] UP5 Active Skills: [Covering Lv.36] UP11 [Taunting Lv.32] UP13 [Cover Move Lv.20] UP13 [Heavy Stance Lv.17] UP7 [Energy Warfare Lv.23] UP8 Passive Skills: [Sword Proficiency Lv.35] UP9 [Guardian Knight's Shield Lv.9] NEW/UP8 [Close Quarters Combat Lv.26] UP5 [Guardian Knight's Armor Lv.11] NEW/UP10 [Metal Defense Lv.50 (Max)] [Battle Continuation Lv.50 (Max)] [Stalwart Lv.15] NEW/UP14 [Weapon Reinforcement Lv.34] UP10 [Defense Reinforcement Lv.26] UP15 [Discovery Lv.14] NEW/UP13 Perception Skills: [Danger Sense Lv.24] UP9 [Path Perception Lv.18] NEW/UP17 [Lookout Lv.45] UP6 Resistance Skills: [Metal Resistance Lv.21] UP10 [Death Resistance Lv.25] UP18 [Magma Resistance Lv.5] NEW/UP4 [Undead Resistance Lv.50 (Max)] [Pain Resistance Lv.50 (Max)] [Daywalker] NEW Elements: [Metal Element Lv.15] UP10 [Lesser Magma Element Lv.6] NEW/UP5 [Undead Element Lv.21] UP14 Monster Skills: [Inverted Lifeforce Lv.3] NEW/UP2 [Inverted Mana Lv.2] NEW/UP1 [Inverted Stamina Lv.2] NEW/UP1 [Undead's Strong Hide Lv.4] NEW/UP3 [Undead's Spiritual Force Lv.4] NEW/UP3 [Undead's Swift Fingers Lv.2] NEW/UP1 [Phantasm Body Lv.6] NEW/UP5 [Spectral Weapon Lv.7] NEW/UP6 [Soul Detection Lv.50 (Max)] UP10

Title List:

Title List: Achievement Titles: [Guardian] [Metal Technique User] [Undead Technique User] [Magma Technique User] NEW Hunting Titles: [Undead Slaughterer] [Monster Slaughterer] [Skeleton Slaughterer] [Zombie Slaughterer] [Ghost Slaughterer] ADVANCED [Inorganic Slaughterer] NEW/ADVANCED [Crucestean Slaughterer] NEW/ADVANCED [Feral Slaughterer] NEW/ADVANCED Status Titles: [Liberator of Tir na Nog] NEW