Monster Company Tycoon - Chapter 43

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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 43
Certification Holders stood apart from the start—their expected weekly salary was in a class of its own.
“Two thousand eons a week….”
Four times what a Low-Rank Monster earned.
Of course, even this rate was considered relatively modest, since they only held Grade 3 Certification.
After careful deliberation, I decided to hire five workers for trap setup roles.
First, three Gnomes from the Physical Traps team—installation and maintenance required teamwork, which made coordinated labor essential.
One Fairy to handle Illusion and Sensory Distortion, skills with high utility even in emergencies.
And finally, Alraune—the rare specialist Brownie insisted I’d regret passing up.
With these five new hires, the fixed personnel costs allocated to weekly salaries jumped by another ten thousand eons.
I deliberated over Mimic until the last moment, but since there was no clear use case for her in our Dungeon yet, I decided to shelve the decision for now.
I stamped the hiring approval on all five resumes and immediately summoned them to the Dungeon.
As all existing staff gathered, five figures materialized in a brilliant flash of light.
The new hires were thrilled to have found employment, and the existing staff genuinely welcomed their new colleagues.
“Everyone, let me introduce our new Setup Team members joining us today. They’ll be handling all our trap installations.”
“Hooray!”
“Welcome aboard, everyone.”
Once the Setup Team expanded further, I planned to subdivide them into three teams based on their trap specializations.
“And these are our field staff. This is Durahan, our Combat Team Lead.”
“Make our Dungeon fun, will you? It’s been terribly boring lately.”
The atmosphere was warm and cordial.
Monsters seemed to bond instantly simply from belonging to the same Dungeon.
“I apologize, but we’ll need to begin work immediately—starting today, if possible.”
According to Luadis, the first graduates from the Training Center would arrive in a few days, and we needed to have the Dungeon ready to accommodate them by then.
The Setup Team wasted no time and convened their first meeting right away.
Basement Level 1.
Using Brownie’s Space Creation ability, I had carved out a Setup Team office directly next to my own.
The desks were spacious enough for collaborative work, and I’d had chairs crafted in different sizes to match each monster’s frame.
The problem was that everything was made of earth.
‘I can’t keep using earthen furniture forever. I should ask around the Village about discarded furniture.’
I eyed the drab office furniture with obvious skepticism about its impact on work efficiency.
Directly across from the Setup Team office, I’d also prepared a dedicated storage room.
A space for keeping the tools and materials needed to fabricate and repair various traps.
It stood empty for now, but once I began stocking it with necessary supplies, it would take proper shape soon enough.
The Combat Team didn’t need a separate office—they stayed at their assigned combat posts as usual.
Instead, I created a staff break room where they could rest comfortably during downtime.
Though at present, it was quite literally just a hollow space.
‘Those furnishings will have to come from the Village too.’
Finally, I prepared a conference room next to the Setup Team storage.
A long conference table capable of seating up to ten people occupied the center of the broad space, surrounded by neatly arranged chairs.
Of course, these were all made of earth as well….
In that hastily assembled conference room, the Setup Team and I settled around the table.
It was time to begin our first meeting on the fundamental Dungeon renovation.
“Manager, could you allocate a budget for our team?”
The very first agenda item brought the budget question to the table.
“I, I suppose we must…? Traps won’t simply materialize out of thin air, after all….”
Truth be told, I’d completely overlooked this aspect before the meeting began.
I’d been foolish enough to think that simply hiring Certification Holders would make everything work out somehow!
‘Perhaps our Dungeon isn’t ready yet for installing such elaborate facilities?’
“Yes. Physical Traps in particular require direct fabrication and installation on-site.”
Alraune, who held the most experience and had been appointed team leader, continued her explanation methodically.
“We must first secure raw materials like Lumber, Stone, and Metal Components for production. After installation, ongoing inspection and maintenance are necessary, so we’ll need to stockpile replacement parts and repair materials as well.”
“Right!”
“Because once a trap is triggered, it absolutely requires reloading.”
The Gnomes nodded in rhythm with her words, as if keeping time to a silent beat.
“The Plant Traps I oversee are similar. We need to start by cross-breeding Monster Plants to secure seeds, so we’ll require Seedlings, Cultivation Soil, and Fertilizer. However, unlike Physical Traps, they don’t need restoration work every time they’re deployed.”
Listening to this, I realized it wasn’t simply a matter of installing a few traps and calling it done.
Properly operating even a single trap meant covering the costs of fabrication, installation, inspection, and maintenance.
“M-me too! Making Fairy Dust takes preparation, y’know.”
“This is my first collaboration in the Sensory Distortion field, so I overlooked it. What do we need to create Fairy Dust?”
“Lots of sweet things and shiny Gemstones and fluffy Thread and also….”
The materials she listed were so peculiar that I found myself interjecting without thinking.
“Are those really necessary for production? Or are you just listing things you want for yourself…?”
“Fairy Dust only comes out when a Fairy is happy!”
Setting aside her wings, she looked more like a blood-drinking bat than a storybook fairy, yet every single item she demanded was irresistibly charming.
“In any case, running the Setup Team requires materials budget. Could I perhaps receive a rough budget estimate?”
“This is my first time managing a Dungeon of this scale, so I think we need to review the internal structure and traffic flow first. How would you like the traps arranged, Manager?”
“I’ve designated the Ground Floor as the Combat Zone, and for now we’re only using the First Floor.”
At my request, Brownie drew a cross-section diagram of the First Floor across the meeting table.
“The current First Floor structure is laid out like this.”
Three Gateways in a line, each guarded by three Low-Rank Monsters.
Each room’s entrance is sealed by a locked door, and challengers must defeat the Monsters to obtain the Key and advance to the next area.
After clearing all three Gateways, they finally reach the Boss Room.
“It’s quite a simple structure.”
With limited staff, we’d done our best to make the Dungeon feel authentic…… this was the limit of what we could manage.
“I’d like to design the Dungeon so that the Difficulty increases each time challengers clear a Gateway.”
That way, they can gradually recognize their own limits as they progress.
“In that case, traps can be deployed in two main ways: either inside the Combat Room where battles occur, or in the transit zones between rooms.”
The smaller Gnomes and Fairy climbed up onto the table one by one, examining the diagram carefully.
Each seemed to be considering where to place the traps they were responsible for most effectively.
“If we install traps inside the Combat Room first, we can coordinate them with the Monsters. They become obstacles that restrict the challenger’s movement, while simultaneously becoming terrain features that give the Monsters combat advantages.”
Alraune pointed to one section of the diagram.
“However, since it’s the actual space where combat occurs, the installations run a high risk of being caught up in the fighting. That means more frequent damage and malfunctions, requiring shorter inspection and maintenance cycles.”
So we can give each Combat Room its own battle concept?
“Conversely, traps installed outside the rooms are effective at maintaining tension between battles. They can also be used to deplete a challenger’s health or resources to some degree before they enter the next combat.”
The problem was the Dungeon’s current layout.
The rooms were connected almost directly to each other, leaving barely any space to install external traps.
To properly utilize external traps, we’d need to widen the gaps between Gateways first.
We’d have to redesign the traffic flow itself—adding intentional buffer zones like corridors or empty spaces, then spreading traps throughout those areas.
“Hmm….”

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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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