It had been a few weeks since they’d pledged to repay their debt by staying in the dungeon.
Though she didn’t show it outwardly, Isabella often felt these days were more than she deserved.

From being a small, weak race ousted in territorial battles to waking up as a subordinate in the Abyssal Palace?
It was like going from a slave to a servant in a grand duchy overnight!

Even she and her companions couldn’t deny that instead of repaying their debt, they were the ones being indebted.
The boss was incredibly strong, giving them a sense of pride, and he treated them well. Life was more than satisfactory.

No overwork. Safety guaranteed thanks to the Abyssal Palace. The occasional chance to drink human blood.
Other than the slightly terrifying lieutenant, it was practically paradise.

But that paradise...

"Grrooowl..."
"Eek!"

Isabella’s gaze reflexively darted away as soon as she locked eyes with a werewolf.
Just look at those bloodshot eyes. What’s with that thing? It’s terrifying.

Looking around, she couldn’t even recognize the dungeon anymore.
She knew reinforcements had arrived from the Castle of Nightly Chants. She understood why it had to happen.

But still, this is just too much.

Just being in the same space made it hard to breathe.
These monsters, treated as mere "fodder" in their own dungeon, came from the sixth-ranked Abyssal Palace.
Here, that meant every one of them was strong enough to tear someone like Isabella apart without breaking a sweat.

But I’m a True Ancestor Vampire!

Being a True Ancestor Vampire meant she should be able to scoff at most opponents anywhere else.
So why was it so suffocating here?

Isabella huddled with her kin in a corner.
They kept their heads down, eating silently so as not to draw attention—even their food was the corpse of a dead minotaur.

The added misery of their circumstances nearly brought her to tears.

Please come back soon, Boss...

At this point, she even missed the terrifying lieutenant.

***

The claim that it would take three days by carriage involved multiple factors:
The slower speed of a carriage compared to a single horse, the camping and resting breaks in between, and the long, winding road leading to the destination. Barring any unexpected events, three days was a reasonable estimate.

But what if you used a single horse, skipped rest entirely, took risks, and cut through shortcuts?

"You got here fast."

Turned out, it didn’t even take half a day.
We had set out shortly after sunrise, and now the sun had already set.
The skeletal horse, being the exceptional steed it was, never tired due to its undead nature and had sprinted at full speed the entire way. Six to eight hours, and we had arrived.
A heartless creature beating two figurative hearts of stamina—it was something to behold.

We halted just before the tropical rainforest where the Insectfolk lived.
I patted the white mane of the skeletal horse, and it nuzzled closer as if asking for more.
Why was that so endearing? Had my aesthetic sense been completely undeadified?

"Can you keep up?"

Being undead, I had no qualms about entering the forest at night.
The real question was Charlotte.
Unlike me, Charlotte would find the nighttime jungle dangerous due to limited visibility.

"I'm used to the dark, so it’s no issue."

Right, witches were known to be most active while humans slept.
If she was genuinely nocturnal, she’d be fine. By now, her eyes had likely adapted to the darkness.

"We’ll walk from here."

Technically, this was the territory of the Insectfolk.
If outsiders barged in, they’d naturally become wary. Charging around on horseback would likely get us labeled as enemies.

"I’ll put Bone-Bone away."

It’s not Bone-Bone, I muttered internally.

Charlotte extended her hand, and the skeletal horse’s form slowly faded, sinking into the shadows.
The shadow slithered into Charlotte’s, merging seamlessly.

"Let’s go."

Charlotte lit a small lantern and took the lead, moving with impressive awareness.
Without needing instruction, she handled herself perfectly. I liked that.

Her attitude’s commendable, too.

Charlotte had followed me all the way out here without even knowing the purpose of the trip.
She hadn’t questioned my intentions, instead demonstrating unwavering loyalty.
Her level glowed a deep green (though it occasionally flickered pink), which aligned with my expectations.

"Don’t you wonder why we’ve come here?"

I followed behind Charlotte as we ventured into the forest.
The lush vegetation and thriving life of the rainforest were undeniable.
It was untouched by civilization, preserved in its natural state.

Charlotte spoke without turning back.
"If it’s the boss’s decision, questioning it would be insolent. My duty is simply to follow your orders."

"What do you think of the Insectfolk?"

As someone with strategic aspirations, Charlotte needed to know about them.

The Insectfolk were monstrous creatures resembling oversized insects.
The Insect King Balutak was their leader. Broadly categorized as arthropods, they included beetle-like and arachnid-like species but were collectively known as Insectfolk.

"They’re primitive and barbaric."

As expected.

The tropical rainforest where the Insectfolk resided was located in the southernmost region of the empire.
Across the sea to the south lay the Demonic Continent.

In the game, whenever the Insectfolk appeared, they were usually victims.
Caught between two major powers, they were often crushed in the crossfire.
Before the DLC, the Insectfolk were dismissed as one of the weakest races, alongside vampires.

That changed once Balutak became their boss.

When the Insect King Balutak rose to power and claimed the Abyssal Palace, everything shifted.
Their influence grew so significantly that their dungeon, The Spiral Caverns of Deceit, became a notable independent force, even outside the Demonic Continent.
With their impenetrable defenses, they stood strong against the surrounding superpowers. If recruited, they’d be a tremendous asset.

"I admire the Insectfolk for their endless evolution. My goal here is to recruit them as allies."

"I don’t mean to doubt you, boss, but the Insectfolk are extremely barbaric. They don’t live in organized groups or follow hierarchy like dungeon monsters. They’re some of the hardest creatures to manage."

She wasn’t wrong.

The Insectfolk had no concept of loyalty or group affiliation.
Their existence revolved entirely around evolution and survival, with ruthless natural selection driving their actions.

"They don’t hesitate to cannibalize their own for the sake of evolution. Even if recruited, controlling them seems impossible."

Their survival methods were the epitome of savagery.
Bringing such creatures into the dungeon? Many had tried and failed.
There was a reason the Insectfolk were considered wild monsters.

"I have a plan."

"Understood. I’ll follow your lead."

Despite her earlier warnings, Charlotte quickly accepted my decision.
What a loyal subordinate—offering advice yet ready to follow orders without hesitation.

"As you know, survival for the Insectfolk is all about the rule of strength."

The logic was simple.

"If an overwhelmingly powerful figure were to reign over them, even the Insectfolk would submit."

"..."

I knew what Charlotte’s silence meant.
The rule of strength wasn’t entirely incorrect but not universally reliable.
In reality, Charlotte would be the one managing them, not me.

Ruling purely through strength wouldn’t foster lasting loyalty.

"To make them reliable subordinates, I’ll grant them their ultimate desire."

The key to long-term loyalty was mutual benefit.
And the Insectfolk’s deepest desire? Evolution.

"Fortunately, I can fulfill that desire."

My Evolution Skill would be an incomparable blessing to the Insectfolk.

"Of course, controlling large numbers would be challenging. But if we carefully select only the most useful ones, you’ll be able to handle them, Charlotte."

Sorry, but you’ll have to manage them alone.

Even from the past perspective, Balutak would likely surpass me in strength.
Keeping someone like him around would be asking for trouble. If my bluff was ever called, my undead life would be over.

We’ll just have to establish a clear hierarchy.

Insectfolk → Fodder.
Charlotte → Lieutenant.
Me → The untouchable boss of all bosses.

As long as that chain of command was clear, there shouldn’t be any major issues.

"You’re truly remarkable, boss. I’ll follow you with unwavering loyalty."

Charlotte nodded, understanding my intentions.

We continued in silence after that, staying alert for any potential ambushes.

After about 30 minutes of walking, we began spotting traces of the Insectfolk: footprints and droppings.
Charlotte crouched to examine the droppings, smearing and inspecting them with her fingers.

"They’re unusually small for Insectfolk droppings. The texture crumbles despite the moisture, and there’s no trace of consumed prey. If they’d eaten wild animals, there would at least be fur left behind."

"Interesting."

"The faint footprints we saw earlier make sense now. It seems there are starving or sick Insectfolk nearby—likely outcasts from evolutionary competition."

KREEEEEKK!

A shrill scream pierced the air.
I recognized it immediately from the game—it was an Insectfolk.

Charlotte and I exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.
Without another word, we moved toward the source of the scream.

To find Balutak, we’d have to catch and question any Insectfolk we could find.

"...?"

Breaking through the dense undergrowth, an unexpected scene unfolded.
A wide clearing had been carved out of the jungle. Dozens of Insectfolk were carrying materials—bricks, ore, wood, sacks of sand, and stones. All construction supplies.

CRACK!

A beastman cracked a whip over the laboring Insectfolk.

"Keep working, you filthy bugs! No rest until this is done!"
"No slacking! Finish by tomorrow, or no water for you!"

This was completely unexpected.

The Insectfolk were being used as slaves, forced to build something in the jungle.
From the shape, it looked like a pyramid. But for what purpose?

"What’s going on with the Insectfolk...?"

Charlotte’s muttered question reflected my own thoughts.
The Insectfolk were supposed to be uncontrollable savages, yet here they were being worked like slaves.

"Wait a second."

Among the struggling Insectfolk, one stood out.
It had an ant-like face, spider fangs, and dragonfly-like side eyes. But its size was pitifully small, and it lacked key features like the mantis forelimbs or the dragonfly wings it should’ve had.

It wobbled and collapsed, pinned beneath the stone it had been carrying.

"Kree... Balutak... thirsty... dying..."

Its weak voice confirmed it—it called itself Balutak.
So this was him, the legendary Insect King.

[Lv. 38]

His level was lower than mine, a far cry from the monstrous figure infamous in the DLC.
At this point in time, he was nothing more than a malnourished slave.

"Give me the

canteen."
"You’re going to offer him water?"
"Yes. He said he’s thirsty, so I’ll give him some."

"Boss, even as the ruler of an Abyssal Palace, you’re so considerate. I admire that about you."

It’s just water. How bad are the other bosses if this seems extraordinary?

I took the canteen from Charlotte and approached Balutak, tilting it to his mouth.
He drank desperately, spilling as much as he swallowed, as if it were the first rain after a drought.

"Water... Balutak... lives..."

"Intruders! Humans have invaded!"

The whip-wielding beastmen finally noticed us. A shrill whistle sounded, drawing the attention of every beastman in the area.

[Lv. 32]
[Lv. 36]

Their levels were laughable. What could they do against Charlotte, let alone me?

"Charlotte, handle it."
"Understood."

While Charlotte stepped forward, I counted silently.

Within ten seconds, the sounds of magic firing, beastmen screaming, and bodies hitting the ground filled the air.
When the dust settled, the beastmen were sprawled unconscious. Sleeping on bare ground? That’d be uncomfortable.

BAM!

A beastman burst out of what appeared to be a shelter.

"What’s going on here?!"

The wolf beastman’s level was 62. A bit impressive, but still not a threat with Charlotte here.

"Humans? Did you do this?!"

The wolf growled, baring his teeth.
Even though Charlotte clearly outmatched him, avoiding unnecessary fights was the smarter move.

Feeling annoyed, I yanked off my helmet, letting my skeletal face show.
The wolf’s eyes filled with confusion, his hostility faltering.

"A Death Knight? Why is an undead here?"
"I’ll be the one asking questions. What are you using the Insectfolk for?"
"Hah! How dare you talk down to me!"

At Level 62, he probably thought he could handle a Death Knight.

AAWWWOOOO!

The wolf let out a loud howl, and more beastmen emerged from the underbrush, bolstering his confidence.

"Don’t take another step! Move, and I’ll tear you apart!"

Charlotte stepped forward, deliberately taking a single step, then waved her arms mockingly.

"My limbs are still intact."

Even I felt secondhand frustration.

"Kill them!"

The wolf leapt at us, his followers charging alongside him. Charlotte responded with a flick of her hand, her signature gravity spell.

"Ugh..."

The wolf and his men were instantly pinned to the ground, unable to resist.

"You’re no ordinary human..."
"A witch."

"Hah! Drunk on your pathetic power, are you? Do you even know what you’ve done?"

As expected, he resorted to empty bravado. I crouched in front of him, meeting his eyes.

"Do I need to know?"
"Death Knight, you’ll regret this. My boss will—"
"Your boss?"

The wolf sneered, nodding toward a distant structure.

"See that tower? Even with your undead eyes, you can’t miss it. That magnificent structure belongs to one of the 72 Dungeons!"

Charlotte tilted her head.

"What’s your boss’s rank?"

The wolf grinned, as if savoring a private joke.

"Finally scared, aren’t you? Our boss is none other than the Lionheart King, rank 14 of the Abyssal Palaces. If you value your life, run now!"

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed, a faint smirk forming.

"The Lionheart King’s dungeon should be on the Demonic Continent. It’s incomplete, so they must be relocating it here."

The wolf’s eyes widened.

"How do you—"

"You insulted my boss by calling him ‘just a Death Knight.’ You even threatened to kill him. Such disrespect is inexcusable."

"What... What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the lieutenant of the new seventh-ranked Abyssal Palace. And this—"

Charlotte gestured toward me with reverence.

"This is the new boss of the Abyssal Palace, my master."

The wolf’s jaw dropped.

It’s a bluff, but who cares?

I raised my head arrogantly and gave a single command.

"Take me to your boss."

Let’s see who this Lionheart King really is.