Monster Company Tycoon - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Monster Company Tycoon
Chapter 10
Dawn finally broke.
The newly hired employees of the Dungeon had spent the entire night in combat drills, preparing to receive the Challenger.
And all this without even overtime pay.
I suddenly felt that the Dungeon needed a training facility.
Of course, there were still plenty of other facilities to install first…….
Still, I resolved that as soon as this Challenger was dealt with, I’d immediately set up spaces for the new employees.
“I’m so nervous.”
I hadn’t slept much all night either.
If things went wrong, the first Challenger could Clear the Dungeon in one go and that would be the end of it.
Brownie and I hid near the Entrance together, waiting for the Challenger to appear.
Please let it be someone really weak. Let it be a complete novice just starting their adventure!
How long had we waited? As fatigue set in, I heard voices from a distance.
“This time I’m definitely going to get Mom and Dad’s permission!”
“Are you sure about this? We haven’t even finished Basic Sword Training yet.”
Two different voices.
The fact that there were two Challengers instead of one made my head spin for a moment, but there was still hope.
As long as they were both weak!
The closer the two figures came, the more clearly I could see them.
Up close, what I saw was…….
“What? They’re just kids?”
Though I try not to judge people solely by their appearance—having a complex about my own small stature—it was clear even so that these were children.
Middle school age at most?
“Humans can work as Adventurers once they’ve lived for thirteen years,” Brownie said matter-of-factly.

“So thirteen years old? That’s way too young. Kids that small… they actually fight monsters?”
In our world, thirteen was the age for cram school and playing games at internet cafés…….
“There are Adventurers who’ve left records in high-level Dungeons by sixteen. In three more years, these kids will be shaking down passing monsters for pocket change.”
“Still…….”
“Actually, this works out great. No matter how weak the newbies are, they won’t lose to kids like that, right? Look at how they’re holding their swords. Sloppy as anything.”
Brownie chattered away excitedly.
But my conscience wouldn’t let me ignore it.
What if the children got seriously hurt in the Dungeon? What if they lost their lives…….
No matter how desperate my situation was, I didn’t want to do anything terrible to children.
“Brownie, I don’t think this is right.”
“What? Are you worried the monsters might take an Adventurer’s life?”
“Of course. I’m human too. How could I ignore a human child coming to harm?”
“You’re seriously misunderstanding what a Dungeon is!”
Brownie reproved me, sounding incredulous.
“W-what do you mean it’s not?”
“Obviously! If an Adventurer dies, the Dungeon loses out! We only make money when they come back and challenge us again.”
Now that I thought about it, that made sense. If the number of Adventurers dropped, the Dungeon couldn’t earn.
The Demon Lord gained power from the Fear extracted from Adventurers, and the Dungeon was maintained by money from the Prayer Box donations.
“So… what are the conditions for a Challenger to fail to Clear the Dungeon?”
“When they feel extreme Fear that they might die. At that point, the Sacred Artifact can curse the Challenger with unconsciousness and render them unable to act. For us, that means there’s no more Fear to extract, so it’s a sign to throw them out.”
We had to stop the Challenger from reaching the deepest parts of the Dungeon no matter what.
The reason was to protect the Sacred Artifact.
On the first day of the contract, Brownie had explained to me about the “Sacred Artifact” kept deep within the Dungeon.
“The Sacred Artifact is the very core that maintains the Dungeon! It extracts Fear from Adventurers and grants the Demon Lord’s blessing to the Dungeon—it’s an extremely, extremely important object.”
Completely “Clearing” a Dungeon meant the Sacred Artifact was taken from the Adventurer, leaving the Dungeon unable to function as a Dungeon.
Normally, to prevent that, a Reward Chamber is built right in front of where the Sacred Artifact is kept as camouflage, so Adventurers obtain a suitable reward and leave satisfied.
But since we hadn’t even built such a Reward Chamber yet… we had to stop the first Challenger by any means necessary.
“Of course, injuries during combat are unavoidable. Still, the Dungeon never goes so far as to cause permanent injury or death. We need them to recover and challenge us again!”
In other words, injuries were allowed only up to the level where medical treatment would restore them completely.
Even so, I wasn’t comfortable with it…….
“Ooh! They’re coming, they’re coming!”
Brownie bounced up and down on my head, pointing outside.
By the time we’d finished our conversation, the children had already reached the Dungeon Entrance.
“I had no idea there was a Dungeon near our Village.”
“I happened to be gathering medicinal herbs when I discovered it. I might even be the first to find this place!”
“Wow… but doesn’t it feel a bit eerie? Do you really think we can do this?”
“How long are we supposed to keep practicing Vertical Slash until our arms cramp? If we clear the Dungeon and come back with our heads held high, Master will have no choice but to recognize us. Then she’ll let us set out on our adventure!”
“Wait! Don’t you want to pray before we challenge it?”
“I already did that yesterday. If I carried the Prayer Box around, someone would catch me pocketing the money meant for errands, so I just left it in there.”
The children had come thoroughly prepared for their Dungeon challenge. They carried wooden swords worn smooth by hands, and had tied strips of leather to their chests and backs with cord, calling it armor.
They were exactly the novice adventurers I’d been hoping for, yet an uncomfortable unease lingered.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to tell the monsters to take it easy on them.”
“Do we need to do that? They should taste the bitterness of life!”
“If we push them the right amount, they won’t give up in despair and will keep trying.”
“Oh! You’ve thought this through.”
I hurried down to the 1st Floor where the monsters were waiting.
***
I sat in my Personal Office and monitored the Dungeon’s situation on the status screen.
It was a sort of administrator-only privilege that let me see every corner of the Dungeon—the power of the Sacred Artifact.
Moments later, I saw the tiny Challengers enter the 1st Floor with trembling legs.
“I can see the children’s Attack Power and Defense Power.”
Remarkably, the monitor displayed the Challengers’ combat stats.
Both were Level 2, with Attack Power at 50 and Defense Power at 10—far below the monsters’ capabilities.
‘They have no chance of winning.’
Brownie, watching beside me, spoke up.
“At this level, I can only see information on Challengers below Level 10. To see higher-level data, we’d need to strengthen the Sacred Artifact.”
“If a high-Level Adventurer visits, we’ll have a real problem…”
The Dungeon provided a Lobby just past the Entrance where adventurers could prepare for combat at their ease.
The Lobby was an unspoken Save Point where monsters never crossed over.
“When you open that door, a monster will come out.”
“I’m scared…”
At last, the Dungeon’s first Challengers opened the door, and following their training, a lesser Goblin burst out with a roar to seize the initiative.
“Ahhhhh! A Goblin!”
“Kehehehe, soft-fleshed humans wandering in without fear—how amusing.”
Despite such sinister words, the Goblin was actually a vegetarian.
“Um, does the Dungeon happen to provide lunch?”
“Ah… no. Our Dungeon still lacks many benefits, I’m afraid…”
“I see—I was just checking since I’m a vegetarian. Of-of course! I can work hard even without meal provisions!”
To draw out the Challengers’ fear, the monsters needed to act as brutally as possible.
One child fell backward on his rear, but the other immediately grabbed his Wooden Sword and stepped in front of his friend.
“I’ll face you!”
His hands trembled, yet he showed real courage.
“Hyah!”
The little adventurer’s attack was clumsy but surprisingly well-executed.
“Teon!”
‘So the brave child’s name is Teon.’
The Goblin had no equipment yet and had to take the attack bare-handed. Fortunately, the children’s Attack Power was weak enough that damage barely registered.
The Goblin only winced slightly.
Still, the monsters were faithfully following my request to hold back appropriately.
“Not bad for a little one! But can you withstand this attack!? Clang!”
“Gasp! Some incredible technique is coming! Teon, dodge!”
“I’m not running away!”
“Here it comes! Fatal Heavy Swing!”
As they were driven into corners, a crimson aura began to bloom from the children’s bodies. It must be a visualization of the “Fear” that the Dungeon absorbed.
Battered by the monsters’ strikes, the children finally lost consciousness as their Fear reached its threshold.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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