You promised to wreak havoc on the dungeon, but instead you've got Dragon Slime!

Lilith slammed the lava crystal goblet onto the table with a sharp "crack," accompanied by a few sparks flying.

"shut up!"

Elisa had never seen her mistress so enraged; the flames leaping in her ruby ​​eyes seemed to devour her.

She immediately fell silent, all her words stuck in her throat, leaving only a heart full of grievances and confusion.

Chapter 3 Recruiting Monsters

Outside the side room, Ron carefully examined the scroll that contained the magic of the contract.

The terms were crystal clear, and the compensation was far more generous than expected.

You can earn 20% of the dungeon's profits every month!

Without hesitation, he signed his name at the end of the scroll with a quill pen inlaid with tiny obsidian stones.

Ron.

The handwriting is elegant and smooth, with a subtle hint of antiquity.

Lilith and Alyssa walked out of the side room one after the other.

Lilith's face was colder than when she went in, while Alyssa looked slightly pale.

Ron immediately stepped forward and presented the signed contract with both hands:

"Miss Lilith, when may I begin my duties?"

He couldn't wait to show his otherworldly "talent" to this generous employer.

"at any time."

Lilith's voice returned to calm, but a trace of lingering anger remained in her eyes.

She reached her long, slender fingers into the exquisite silk pouch embroidered with intricate spatial runes at her waist, and fumbled around for a moment.

She then removed the dark red ruby ​​ring, which she wore on another finger and which symbolized her status as a designer, and casually tossed it to Ron.

"There are 5000 gold coins inside, the initial capital for designing the dungeon."

Ron steadily caught the heavy money bag and the warm ring, which emitted faint spatial fluctuations.

He carefully put away this huge sum of money, enough to drive any adventurer mad.

Then, with impeccable ancient aristocratic etiquette, he bowed deeply to Lilith:

"My dear lady, I assure you that when we meet again, the joy of success will make your smile even brighter than lava from hell."

Lilith returned his gaze meaningfully, her red lips curving into an enigmatic smile:

"hope so."

Then, under Alyssa's gaze, which was filled with worry, anger and helplessness, Ron left the castle surrounded by lava.

Black Language Caves is not far from Kevin Castle.

But before venturing into the dark cave, Ron must first go to the recruitment market—

That place was a bustling hub where dungeon lords acquired "building materials" (various monsters).

Upon arrival, the enormous arched hall was already bustling with noise, and bizarre creatures exuding an abyssal aura filled every corner.

On the most prominent obsidian wall, a huge announcement written in lava script floats:

[LV1 Monster: 1 Gold Coins]

[LV2 Monster: 2 Gold Coins]

[LV3 Monster: 4 Gold Coins]

……

[LV10 Monster: 500 Gold Coins]

The ironclad rule of the dungeon world: the initial dungeon starts at level E.

The core rules of E-level dungeons:

All resident monsters have an individual level of ≤LV10.

When first built, the total monster level is ≤100.

This means that whether you cram in 100 weak LV1 monsters or 10 powerful LV10 elites, you can fill the "capacity".

However, the costs, combat power, and deterrent effect required by the two are like the difference between the abyss and the surface of the earth.

The returns will naturally be vastly different.

More importantly, the dungeon difficulty curve is a double-edged sword.

While excessive difficulty increases the failure rate of adventurers, it also deters many who are not strong enough, leading to a sharp decrease in the number of challengers.

Ultimately, the rewards are not as good as those from well-designed dungeons with moderate difficulty.

Therefore, how to optimally allocate monster levels and types within a limited total level range to achieve a balance between cost, difficulty, and appeal—

This is precisely the core subject that dungeon designers have dedicated their lives to studying.

But this is only the rational model.

As a veteran player of "Dungeon & Lords", Ron is well-versed in the art of game operation.

No matter how impressive the revenue curve is, without hype and traffic, it can only attract a maximum of 10,000 to 20,000 users.

If dungeons are given unique features, especially E-rank dungeons that cater to a diverse range of adventurers, the benefits will be even more substantial.

Ron weighed the bag of gold coins in his hand and smiled.

For example, build a dungeon with a 0% completion rate.

Once this gimmick is used, fearless adventurers will always come to try it.

In any case, young adventurers are all destined for greatness and always dream of charging into the dragon.

He led a reluctant Alyssa straight to the enormous figure in the corner of the hall, which reeked of decay and stitches.

I hate Patchwerk.

Ron's voice was clear:

"Sir, I need to recruit a group of monsters."

Patchwerk's three ugly heads turned simultaneously, his murky eyes glancing at Ron, and a dull, rolling "hum" came from his throat.

He reached his thick arm into the bulging, greasy leather pouch at his waist, pulled out a thick, heavy leather booklet, and handed it to him in a deep, muffled voice:

"The monster atlas, look it up yourself."

Ron took the heavy picture book, which reeked of a strange mixture of leather preservatives and other chemicals, and quickly flipped through it.

The booklet roughly categorizes the monsters that can be hired into five types: wild beasts and insects, humanoid creatures, undead demons, elemental summons, and plants.

It features a wide variety of categories, vivid images, and annotations of basic attributes and skill preferences.

Ron pondered for a moment, seemingly confident, and fluently stated his requirements:

“LV1哥布林，30只；LV1小骷髅、LV1巨狼蛛、LV1麻痹蘑菇、LV1雷纹蜥、LV1黑藤、LV1火元素、LV1邪能蝙蝠——以上各10只。”

Alyssa, who had been observing coldly, suddenly furrowed her brows into a tight knot!

Sure enough! This scammer is an amateur!

All of them are the cheapest and weakest LV1 monsters!

With this setup, let alone a defensive chain, even a small team of slightly experienced LV2 or LV3 adventurers could easily crush it without taking any damage!

Despite her utter loathing for Ron, this matter concerns Miss Lilith's debut dungeon, a matter of reputation and the starting point of her career!

As the chief assistant, she bears the responsibility of supervision and support, and she must not sit idly by and watch this amateur squander the principal and ruin the opportunity!

At this thought, Alyssa could no longer restrain herself; her voice was as cold as a poisoned dagger piercing Ron:

"Hey! Do you even understand basic design? Hiring all level 1 cannon fodder? This kind of harmless combination won't pose any obstacle to adventurers at all!"

"You'll need at least a few level 9 or even level 10 bosses guarding the level for it to be a challenge! Otherwise..."

At this point, even Patchwerk, who hated Patchwerk, couldn't hold back anymore.

His three mouths hummed in a deep, thunderous voice, carrying a hint of pity for the novice:

"Mr. Vampire, please remember the rules of the Abyss: once a monster is selected and a hiring contract is signed, it cannot be changed within a full month! Therefore..."

Several heads shook simultaneously, and the stitches tightened.

"Selecting all LV1 little guys? This doesn't seem like the choice a wise designer would make..."

Chapter 4 Black Language Cave

Ron ignored all their advice.

He precisely counted out 100 gold coins from the silk purse and handed them, along with the heavy illustrated book, to Patchwick's large, stitched hand:

“My mind is made up. Please click here to recruit, Mr. Patchwick.”

Patchwerk's three heads simultaneously pursed their lips and uttered a muttering that was difficult to decipher—

This kid is as stubborn as a black stone from hell!

He wisely shut his mouth, and the eyes of several heads carefully counted the gold coins.

After confirming that everything was correct, his fanged maw on his bloated belly suddenly opened, extending a thick tentacle with a rusty flesh hook at the end.

"Clang-crack-!"

The meat hook precisely caught the greasy gong next to it, and the deafening sound instantly drowned out the market's clamor:

"Level 1 Goblins - 30! Level 1 Skeletons - 10!..."

Figures of various shapes and sizes, exuding the aura of low-level monsters, surged forward like hyenas drawn by the scent of blood.

Patchwick waved his arms and roughly pulled out individuals that met the requirements and were considered "complete".

Alyssa witnessed this scene and a chill ran down her spine.