Dungeon Designer: Bringing Smiles to the World!

Just as Rogge was completely bewildered, the lich Horak initiated a communication.

After hesitating for a full half minute, Roger finally answered the call.

"Ahem." An aged voice came from behind him, and the other party first introduced himself: "I am Horak, the Lord of the [Taifa Dungeon] and the [Plague Apostle]."

The voice matched the stereotypical image of a lich, making Rogge wonder if he had misheard.

However, he quickly realized: "I am Rogue, the lord of the Dungeons of Dorne, a human."

"Oh?" Horak asked with a hint of doubt. "I remember the lord of the Dorne Dungeons was... uh, something like that..."

The sound of turning the pages of books and documents could be heard, and a few minutes later, Holak's voice rang out again.

"I remember the city lord there was a vampire."

"vampire……"

Rogge's lips twitched slightly. He had checked the records and found that the vampire Horak mentioned was the former lord of the Dungeon of Dorne, which was nearly a hundred years ago.

All I can say is that the opponent truly deserves to be called a lich with an infinite lifespan.

Rogge could only remind him, "I am the newly appointed city lord, Mr. Horak. The city lord's bracelet should have been sent to all the city lords of the dungeons in the Katachon Wasteland."

Horak was too embarrassed to say that he had been engrossed in researching and creating new undead creatures and hadn't had time to check the notifications, so he could only awkwardly change the subject.

"Speak, what do you want with me?"

"I'd like to make a deal with you."

"Oh?"

Roger explained, "I have a pair of daggers here that only mid-level Shadow Assassins can use. I hope to exchange them for some negative energy."

In Rogge's view, the energy reserves of the level 2 dungeon were definitely much greater than his own.

After being ravaged by that high-level shadow assassin, he was now desperately short of energy, and if any unexpected situation arose, he wouldn't even be able to provide emergency relief.

Although exchanging equipment for energy is a bit of a loss, it's a last resort.

However, once again, something unexpected happened to Rogge.

"I refuse," Horak replied crisply.

"Well……"

Roger was still somewhat unwilling to give up; he had no intention of going to make a deal with a succubus.

"May I ask why you declined?"

"Anyway, you won't be the dungeon lord for long, so telling you won't hurt, human," Horak said quite matter-of-factly. "Because I don't have any extra energy!"

"ha?"

Rogge was stunned again and couldn't help but ask, "But the [Taifa Dungeon] that you manage is a level 2 dungeon, so logically..."

"No energy means no energy, why all the questions?" Horak said impatiently. "Human kid, if you don't have anything else to say, I'm shutting down the communication."

Even the lord of a level 2 dungeon can experience a lack of negative energy.

Is this an isolated case?

Or is it a widespread phenomenon?

Realizing this might be an opportunity, Roger quickly spoke up.

"Why don't I design the dungeon for you?"

After a brief silence, Holak's voice suddenly rose on the other end of the communication line.

"What! Human brat, do you think I'm out of energy because I can't design a good dungeon?! I don't need your help, you short-lived creature!"

Sensing the slight anger in the other party's words, Rogge, not wanting to be resented by a powerful lich with a title, quickly explained, "No, no, no, I just want to cooperate with you."

As he spoke, Rogge displayed some data about his dungeon.

Number of adventurers entering today: 53

Number of adventurers entering this month: 53

Adventurer completion rate: 0%

Comment: Even Gold-rank adventurers failed in your dungeon! For a Level 1 dungeon, this is simply unbelievable!

Seeing the glaring 0% on the data, Horak fell silent again, but then he questioned, "Human brat, you're not trying to fool me with fake data, are you? How could a level 1 dungeon possibly stop a gold-rank adventurer?"

"How could I dare to deceive the great [Apostle of Plague]?" Roger wisely flattered the other party.

"Hmph." Horak snorted coldly, "Tell me your cooperation proposal, human brat."

Upon hearing this, Rogge was overjoyed, thinking that things were looking promising. He immediately brought out the heavyweight map design he had prepared long ago—Blighttown.

Vast stretches of dilapidated, crumbling wooden structures, resembling a three-dimensional maze, could plunge one into the abyss with the slightest misstep.

The bottom is a disgusting, toxic swamp where all filth gathers.

There are also residents who, living in this environment for a long time, are forced to contract terrible diseases and become twisted ghouls.

It can be said that the diseased village perfectly fits Horak's title of "Apostle of the Plague".

Staring at this map, so full of malice yet so ingeniously designed, Horak was completely dumbfounded, muttering to himself, "Perfect...absolutely perfect..."

"So you see, our cooperation..." Roger whispered a reminder.

"Ahem." Horak, regaining his composure, resumed his authoritative demeanor: "How do you intend to cooperate? Sell me the design of this map?"

“No, I have a better win-win proposal,” Roger said.

"Speak."

"You can transform your dungeon into this map. Believe me, those adventurers who dare to enter your dungeon will contribute even more negative emotional energy, and what I want is a cut."

Rather than a one-off deal, Roger prefers a steady, long-term approach.

"Ha, you're the first human to dare talk to me about profit sharing." Horak laughed, a loud laugh.

It took him several minutes to calm down again.

How much do you want?

50%.

"Don't be too greedy, human." Horak's gaunt face showed displeasure. "30% at most."

50%.

Rogge persisted with the number, adding thoughtfully, "I think other dungeon lords might be interested in this map."

"Are you threatening me, human?"

"No, it's just a reasonable trade." Rogge smiled. "Trust me, this map will definitely help you upgrade your dungeon to level 4 sooner, and also allow you to return to the Underground City sooner."

"Ha, what a boring rumor." Horak recalled the past: "Human, do you, like those ignorant fools, think that I was demoted to the position of dungeon lord?"

Seeing this, Roger felt he was about to hear some secrets, and immediately replied, "I'm all ears."

"Do you know how I got the title of 'Apostle of Plague'?" Horak asked in return.

"It is said that a hundred years ago you infected an entire ratman tribe with a terrible plague, turning hundreds of thousands of ratmen into your slaves..." Rogge said, recounting the rumors he had heard about Horak.

"Hmph, this is just a version altered by those treacherous ratmen." Horak revealed the truth known only to a very few.

"I didn't make those ratmen my slaves; they just begged me to make them the antidote."

Roger asked curiously, "What antidote?"

"I infected that ratman tribe with a disease that greatly suppresses sexual desire, and also rendered the female ratmen in the tribe unable to reproduce."

Horak recounted the most terrifying events in the most calm tone.

The rat-people are a species with an extremely strong reproductive drive, which even the beastmen admire.

Horak's actions were tantamount to mass chemical castration, a form of torture that could not have been more cruel and vicious for the ratmen.

No wonder an entire tribe of rats were willing to be Horak's slaves; it turned out they were seeking the antidote.

"Indeed..." Roger carefully considered his words: "A formidable plague, worthy of your title."

"Tch, who told those idiot ratmen to build illegal structures on my lab? As a result, a landslide destroyed my valuable instruments and data."

Horak got angry as soon as the topic came up: "The ratmen should be completely exterminated! I really don't know what the Demon King keeps those guys around for, as slaves? They're not even as good as the undead I created on a whim!"

"Uh, you might not know this."

Rogge explained to Horak, the lich who was out of touch with history:

"In the hundred years since you became the lord of the [Taifa Underground City], the status of the ratmen in the underground metropolis has improved considerably. Three years ago, a giant rat even successfully became one of the members of the Supreme Council."

"Huh? Have those guys in Shanghai gone mad?! How could they let a ratman become a councilor?!" Horak jumped up suddenly, his tone full of dissatisfaction, completely unlike a lich. However, since it was a voice call, Rogge couldn't see this.

After pacing back and forth a few times, Horak changed the subject: "Human, I accept your deal."

"You wouldn't be thinking of going back to the Skaven in the Demon City..." Out of goodwill towards his partner, Roger kindly reminded him, "Ten years ago, a powerful figure emerged among the Skaven who received a title, named [Demon Blade] Kratok. He was a member of the Supreme Council."

"Just send me the design drawings, and I swear on my name as the 'Plague Apostle,' you won't be shortchanged on your 50% share." Horak hurriedly hung up the call.

"This lich, could he be planning to get back to the capital to do something big?" Roger muttered, sending the design blueprints for Blighttown to Horak via his bracelet.

Rogge shook his head, not thinking too much about it: "Just don't interfere with my extraction of negative energy."

After doing all this, Roger glanced at the pair of Shadow Daggers on the ground: "So I still didn't sell this thing. Oh well, I'll keep it for now. Maybe I can make a Black Blade Assassin for her to use someday?"

Finally, using the little negative energy he had left, he made a bed, and Rogue, having completely finished his first day as the dungeon lord, fell asleep almost immediately.

Outside the underground city, a storm howled.

Roger, however, slept exceptionally well.