Three days later.
During that time, I'd been completely focused on building Heizen's dungeon.
When I say "building," it was mostly just running tests, listening to the results and feedback, then making improvements and adjustments over and over.
Three days before now.
When I went to ask the witch about the save function, I was surprised to hear her say it was already 96% done.
She also said the remaining 4% could be finished in three days, including operational testing.
There were still post-installation performance checks and whatnot to deal with.
Still, the fact that saving was even possible felt strange.
It wasn't the same as an actual game save, but something close to it could be done in this world too.
"S-s-s-s-s-sp-sp-sp-spe-speaking honestly, it's a d-d-d-dungeon revolution!"
Mirese said, her voice somewhat excited.
This was the deepest level of the dungeon, where the dungeon core resided.
In the center of a sterile, featureless space, a massive black sphere hovered above a pedestal, slowly rotating.
In one corner sat a tent house made of unknown metal that I'd received from Riv.
I used it as a nap room, and it was surprisingly equipped with a bed and a shower. Aside from that, it was pretty bare-bones.
Mirese was a fox-person introvert beauty.
Very long gray hair hid her eyes. Yeah, she had the bangs-over-eyes look going on.
She had large fox ears and two tails, both of them fluffy and bushy.
She wore glasses, though whether they served any purpose when her eyes were hidden behind her hair was debatable.
She always wore the same wrinkled white robe.
She was a Delvers' Guild staff member and the second Dungeon Master.
She was a researcher by profession and had lived in this dungeon for a very long time.
She used to commute, but now she lived right here in this tent house in the deepest part.
So her personal belongings were scattered all around the tent house interior.
And she wasn't slacking off just for fun.
She had become an official Delvers' Guild staff member of Hydrangea, and this was part of her job.
For her, this must be the dream workplace.
This sudden transfer had been decided by a single word from Grand Guild Master Abramirin.
As expected of the Guild's supreme ruler. Well, it also meant she was that highly trusted.
Which was actually scarier. Or rather, I'd prefer if she didn't put that kind of pressure on me.
"I-I see..."
Well, the concept of saving would be pretty hard to grasp in this world.
Besides, the entire dungeon was built using my knowledge and experience from dungeon games.
Games were being applied to reality.
This indescribably complicated feeling was probably something only I could understand.
"W-w-wait, in the first place, the Dungeon Ruler who can create dungeons... dungeon researchers were all skeptical, even Master... but, but that legendary Dungeon Ruler, Lord Wof! I-I'm so impressed!"
"Ah, thank you."
The fact that she hadn't called him Dungeon Ruler before was probably because she was still half in doubt.
"I have so much respect for you!"
She came on so strong with her enthusiasm that the distance between us was already zero. Something soft pressed against my body.
An introvert with a killer figure — the kind of body that was absolutely stacked.
She'd probably look incredible with her robe off. Wait, no, that's not the point.
"Miles, the save point that was set up — let's go check on it soon."
I'd gotten a message from Chibe earlier that the installation was complete by early morning.
The witch, meanwhile, was working at her home in Hydrangea.
She'd wanted to come, but her deadline was too close, so she had to pass.
As for Chibe, he was sleeping at my uncle's hideout.
Thanks for all your hard work.
"R-R-Right! I-I-I'm so, so sorry!"
Miles hesitantly pulled away.
We left the deepest level and teleported down to basement floor one.
The dungeon's first basement level had become the Haizen Delvers' Guild.
Reception counters lined the entrance, and there was a waiting room too. The entire first floor was the Guild, with plenty of rooms to boot.
"So this is the save crystal..."
The save crystal had been set up just before the descent to basement floor two.
It was a massive crystal glowing a vivid green, floating gently above a black pedestal.
"Lord Wof, I'll — um — explain how to use it."
"Please do."
Incidentally, at some point she'd started calling me Lord Wof.
I gave up on correcting her since she was so stubborn about it.
I remember Juicy getting annoyed when she heard about that.
"Th-the, the way to use it is, first you hold the save stone."
A save stone. A small, pale green stone. It reminded me a little of a return stone.
"Like this?"
"Y-yes. Th-the save stone you're given is ref-memories... it's refined from a memory stone... and the save stone issued by the Guild, th-this one, is already... i-it's synchronized with this save crystal..."
"So it's already saved?"
"Y-yes, th-that's right. So, the save crystals are... p-placed every ten floors..."
"Then why don't we move to each ten-floor mark and run a function check?"
"Y-yes!"
First up, the tenth floor.
We descended normally, combining it with calibration testing for monsters, traps, and treasure chests.
We arrived without anything in particular happening. I defeated a few monsters and found a treasure chest, which I opened.
There was a potion inside. I talked it over with Milese.
She gave me a so-so stamp of approval.
There was a save crystal just in front of the Boss Keeper's door on the tenth floor.
A large crystal that glowed green, the same as the one on basement floor one.
"P-please press the save stone... t-right up against the save crystal..."
"Like this?"
When I did as instructed, the save stone faintly lit up.
"H-ha, yes. S-so, a-a-and then, pl-please press the save stone against the save crystal, a-again."
"Like this?"
A pale green teleportation circle appeared at my feet.
In the blink of an eye, we were transported to the first basement floor.
"O-ohh, ohhh, so this is a save!"
"...So it's forced?"
Well, can't be helped.
It worked properly, at least.
"A-a-at this rate, should we check the other floors too?"
"That's right. I'm thinking of going all the way to floor one hundred."
Trial-and-error function checks were unglamorous but necessary.
There was no guarantee that not a single malfunction or failure would occur across a hundred floors.
"Yaaawn..."
I heard a yawn and turned around. There stood Chive-san.
She wore a yellow coat with the hood pulled low over her head.
Gray hair spilled from the hood, and behind it, gray retinas like a reptile's glinted eerily.
When she spotted me, she flashed a wide grin. A predator, probably.
"Mornin', Wof-chan!"
"Good morning."
"G-g-g-good morning..."
Milece greeted us from behind me.
Maybe she found her reaction amusing. Chive peeked around from my waist.
"Milece! What's with that attitude? We met yesterday! We already said hello!"
"Y-y-yes, I know, but, um, it feels presumptuous..."
"Come ooon, let's get along! Right, Wof?"
"Milece. She's not a bad person."
Being suddenly put on the spot like that was awkward.
Milece peered up from behind me and gave a small nod.
"I-if Wof says so..."
"Ohhh, as expected of Wof!"
"No, I didn't really do anything."
"Nyee-hee-hee-hee! Sugoii Wof!"
"Please stop doing that."
And so the three of us ended up doing a save-point action check together in a friendly mood.
Honestly, it was a relief.
She was a Grade I delver. A "Beast of Sound Judgment."
Meaning a genuine powerhouse. A pro among pros.
Keepers below the fiftieth floor were honestly pretty rough to handle solo.
The fact that Milece could hold her own position meant I didn't have to fight while protecting anyone, which was a blessing.
Come to think of it, I'd never actually seen Chive fight.
I know about Relics, but "a sensible beast"... huh.
How does he fight, I wonder.
Floor 60. Keeper battle.
Dungeon Keeper: Golden Minos Unit Z Mark Two.
Four horns, four arms, twice the height of a normal minotaur.
Plus golden armor, a sword, an axe, a spear, and another axe.
Let me be clear. Strong. Undeniably strong.
VROOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRR!!
And yet it was getting pummeled bare-handed by the terrifying, great-horned, pitch-black giant beast.
The Golden Minos Unit Z Mark Two was being beaten to a pulp.
Clutched in its black, fluffy tail was a warped blade studded with emeralds.
But it never once used that sword.
It was beating the Golden Minos Unit Z Mark Two senseless with its bare hands.
VROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRR!!!
"..."
That terrifying, great-horned, pitch-black beast. Its name was Frazzerei.
It was the form Chive took by transforming with his Relic, [Frazzerei].
If I recall, this was the third form.
And just like that, the Golden Minos Unit Z Mark Two went down without much of a fight.
Chive raised both arms high to the sky and let out a roar of victory.
"VOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTSSS!!!!"
"………………"
Hmm. Oh.
Yeah. I see.
And what is common sense?