I am the Demon King of the Dungeon!

"By the way," Kate swallowed a bite of steak, looked up at Arthas, and asked, "Dick, is this your first time in Dark Hemkas?"

"No, I've been to the second level." Arthas swallowed a piece of meat and said, "A few days ago, the Adventurers' Guild sealed off the third level, so I couldn't go up."

"Did you get past the second level?" Kate raised an eyebrow.

"Passed."

"You guys led newbies through the second level?" Kate's gaze shifted to Rein and Oris, a hint of surprise in her voice. "The necromancer level is tough. The bone dragon cubs and the area-of-effect curse are so strong that many newly promoted silver teams get stuck there. You guys actually cleared it?"

"Hehehe." Raine, holding a knife and fork, said, "Don't underestimate Dick, he's level 100!"

"Oh? So you're almost at Gold rank?" Kate glanced at Arthas, then asked thoughtfully, "What's your class? Aren't you considering a second job advancement?"

Job... Second job advancement...

Arthas, as a transmigrator, understood all of this, but he was unaware of the rules of this world...

"Yeah, yeah!" Renn chimed in, then asked疑惑地问道, "I don't think I've ever seen you use martial arts techniques before?"

"..." Arthas paused for half a second, then replied without changing his expression, "I've been training in the mountains and haven't chosen a profession yet."

Upon hearing this, the three of them simultaneously stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at Arthas.

"Level 100 and still no class?!" Renn broke the silence first. "Dick, are you some kind of legendary Sword Saint from Ten Mile Mountain? That's unbelievable!!!"

The Sword Saint of Ten Mile Mountain?

Arthas had only heard of "Shilipo," the legendary player who played "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" and leveled up to 71 in Shilipo for half a year.

"Just do your best." There were still too many things Arthas didn't understand about the human world, so he could only casually reply, "I swing my sword a thousand times a day, do a hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, a hundred squats, and run ten kilometers."

Kate smiled and didn't press the matter. As a squad leader of the Dawn of Light, he had witnessed many strange and unusual things, and the "Hundred Mile Mountain" that Raine mentioned was one of them, so he didn't think too much about it.

"Alright, now that you've cleared the first two levels, our journey is much safer." Kate put the last piece of steak in her mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and wiped her mouth. "We can just pay the toll to get through the first level, and with the clearance certificate for the second level, we can go straight to the third level. The time saved should be enough for us to reach the safe zone on the sixth level by tomorrow morning."

"A safe zone?" Renn asked curiously, "There's a safe zone on the sixth floor?"

"Each level of Dark Hemkas has a safe zone for adventurers to rest. The original safe zone on the third level was on the west side of the lava pool, in a cave separated by a magical barrier. The temperature inside was normal, and you could make a fire and cook." Kate smiled with a complicated expression, "When I first found out that there were safe zones in the dungeon, I was completely dumbfounded."

Why?

"Because it's a dungeon! Adventurers are invaders, so there should be danger everywhere. But the Demon King of Dark Hemcas is different. He not only set up safe zones, but also put stone tables and benches inside."

Arthas picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression remaining perfectly unchanged. The safe zone was something he had personally planned decades ago, inspired by rest stops in tourist attractions from his previous life. After all, adventurers are human; when they get tired, they need a place to rest before they can continue fighting. Only by fighting at higher levels can they have a chance to gain fear points.

Win-win.

"What kind of monster is that Demon King?" Renn asked, resting his chin on his hand with curiosity. "His name is so long and strange, and the dungeon is like an amusement park, with safe zones complete with stone tables and benches..."

"Legend says it's a dragon." Kate put down her teacup. "But apart from 'Hero Jade' from decades ago, no other adventurer has ever seen its true form."

A hero? Jade...

Arthas silently took a sip of tea. He still remembered the adventurer who had "exploited a bug" to approach him; back then, the dungeon wasn't stable yet...

It seems that after this person was killed, he used his encounter with the Dark Hemcas as a topic of conversation.

"However, one thing is certain," Kate lowered her voice, "that Demon King's operational capabilities far surpass those of other dungeons. Dark Hemcas has the best reputation among all legendary dungeons in the adventurer community. Not because it's weak, but because it's 'comfortable.' There's a place to rest after each floor, there's a guaranteed drop from the boss battle, and there are even completion certificates and souvenirs. This unique experience is something other dungeons can't replicate."

Ryan nodded repeatedly as he listened.

Oris, unusually, didn't complain and quietly drank her tea.

Arthas put down his teacup, his expression unchanged, but a subtle unease stirred within him. He was managing the dungeon as if it were a company, drawing on his past life's experience.

Unexpectedly, it has become the "best-reputed" dungeon in the eyes of human adventurers.

"So," Kate slapped the table, steer the conversation back on track, "we're leaving at 10 p.m. tonight. It's about a two-hour walk from Graystone to Dark Hemkas. We'll meet at the entrance at midnight."

He untied his money pouch, counted out 150 gold coins, and placed them on the table, continuing, "This is the advance payment for travel expenses. Fifty coins per person, which can be used to replenish equipment and potions. The remaining fifty coins will be settled upon completion of the mission."

Renn stared intently at the pile of gold coins on the table, his eyes wide with disbelief. He hadn't expected that the quest he bought for fifty gold coins would bring him double the reward.

"Then it's settled." Kate stood up and emphasized again, "Meet at the entrance of Dark Hemcas at midnight. Remember to bring your equipment, potions, dry food, and water. Bring everything you can."

"No problem!" Ryan gave a thumbs up.

The four people left their seats.

Kate stopped at the alley entrance and turned to look at the three of them.

See you at midnight.

See you at midnight!

Kate nodded and walked towards the Adventurers' Guild, his figure gradually disappearing at the end of the alley.

Ryan watched Kate leave and stretched.

"Since there's still time, I'll go to the market to buy some more medicine. Sis, are you coming?"

"Go," Oris replied curtly, then turned to Arthas, "Where's Dick?"

Arthas thought for a moment, then put on a perfectly measured expression of exhaustion and replied, "I'd like to go back to the inn to rest. I didn't sleep well last night, so I'll take a nap this afternoon to make sure I'm not tired."

Raine nodded understandingly and said, "Then you should get some rest! I'll come to your room to wake you up in the middle of the night!"

"Um."

The three parted ways at the alley entrance.

Renn and Oris headed toward the adventurers' market.

Arthas turned the first street corner, and after confirming that Renn and Oris had disappeared from sight, he turned into a deserted narrow alley, making sure that no one was watching him.

A flash of white light appeared.

Arthas disappeared into the alley.

……

Dark Hemkas, Throne Room.

Arthas appeared on the throne. The candlelight beneath the Gothic dome flickered, illuminating a figure organizing documents at the long table.

Dracula looked up and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.

"My esteemed Demon Lord, you have returned."

"Where's the Oracle Squad's progress?" Arthas asked directly. "Have they cleared the nineteenth floor?"

Dracula replied, "As of noon today, the Oracle Squad has broken through the sixth tribe and is currently resting on the outskirts of the Dragon Roar tribe. They are expected to launch an attack this evening."

"Very good." Arthas nodded and instructed, "A five-man supply team will enter the dungeon at midnight tonight. The leader is the captain of the third squad of the Dawn of Light, a level 147 warrior. I will be going with them."

Dracula's pen paused for a moment.

"You mean...?"

"Let them reach the sixth floor smoothly."

"Understood, sir." Dracula made a few notes on the document. "And then what happens after the handover of the supplies?"

"I've given the Oracle Squad supplies so they can keep fighting." Arthas tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his throne. "I want to see just how far the Dawn of Light Chapter can go."

Dracula was silent for a moment.

"My esteemed Demon Lord, if I may speak frankly, you seem... quite eager for them to continue their conquest?"

Arthas did not answer.

Looking forward to it?

Maybe.

For a hundred years, the dungeon's daily operations have been running smoothly. Monsters perform their duties, adventurers come and go, fear levels steadily increase, and everything is proceeding according to plan. But it's too stable, so stable that it's boring.

The appearance of the Oracle Squad and the comprehensive strategy of the Dawn of Light Warband have now broken this boredom.

Furthermore, since his transmigration, Arthas had only heard tales of heroes, and everyone said that monsters could not defeat heroes, but he had never seen a truly powerful "human".

However, the continent of Ashu is vast, and he can only stay in the dungeon, so he has no way of knowing the truth. He can only work hard to upgrade and strengthen the dungeon to prevent Dark Hemkas from being defeated by adventurers and leaving him with no way out.

"How is Pirien's preparation going?"

"Everything is normal at the moment."

"Okay, then I'll go check out the twentieth floor."