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

That withered demonic eye seemed to be pleading silently.

The three goblins with their arms outstretched huddled together for warmth.

The sickly little ogre was gnawing on its own paw...

And the giant pink slime shrank back into the shadows, its massive gelatinous body emitting a forlorn glow; its earlier plea seemed to have exhausted its last bit of courage.

“No need for that, Mr. Moretti.”

Ron's voice was steady and powerful, echoing clearly in the empty second floor:

"I'll take all twelve of them here. Could you please calculate the total price?"

"Huh?! You...you want them all?!"

Moretti's smile froze instantly on his stitched-up face, his single eye widening as if he had heard something out of a fantasy:

"Sir! You...you mustn't be joking with me! This...this is unacceptable! These little monsters...no, these 'special' employees, their abilities are indeed...um...very 'unique,' I'm afraid they won't be of much use! What if they affect the...uh...stability of your dungeon's operation?"

As he spoke, he frantically looked to Princess Claudia for help, fearing that Ron might act impulsively and that the princess would give in to him again.

If something goes wrong, Moretti's fat body won't be able to withstand the wrath of the Grand Lord!

Chapter 85 Moretti's Regret

Claudia was also startled. She grabbed Ron's sleeve and whispered:

“Ron! Calm down! I can roughly sense the abilities of these monsters too, it's simply... simply catastrophic! Hiring them is tantamount to..."

Ron gently pulled his sleeve back, his gaze unwavering, instead carrying a strange gleam that Claudia had never seen before—

That was the excitement of seeing a potential treasure, and a determination.

"Your Highness Claudia!"

His tone was gentle but exceptionally firm:

“I’m absolutely certain. I’m going to hire them. Mr. Moretti, please settle the bill.”

This determination is not merely a challenge to established patterns, but a genuine commitment to exploring the potential of these mutated organisms.

Claudia was so taken aback by the certainty in his eyes that she forgot to refute him for a moment.

She looked at Ron, then at the bizarre monsters in the corner, finally sighed, and waved helplessly at Moretti:

"...Fine, let's do as Baron Ron says."

Seeing that the princess had nodded, Moretti dared not say anything more, but the expression on his face was even more unpleasant than if he had eaten rotten meat.

He returned to the counter with a long face, pulled out the ledger, did some quick calculations, and then, trembling, pushed a receipt filled with numbers in front of Ron, his voice choked with sobs:

"Sir... according to the rules... the settlement is as follows: 1 LV20 Slime, 4500 gold; 3 LV19 Slimes, 1500 gold each, total 4500 gold; 5 LV17 Slimes, 800 gold each, total 4000 gold; 3 LV16 Slimes, 700 gold each, total 2100 gold. The total is... 15100 gold coins."

Claudia stepped forward, her eyes sweeping over the prices, then comparing them to the basic hiring rates posted on the wall for each level. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her voice was as cold as ice:

"Moretti! This is all 'inventory' that's been sitting on the market for years, it should have been discounted long ago! Or even cleared out! And you're still charging full price? Is this how you run a business?"

Moretti's legs went weak with fear, and he almost knelt down, his voice trembling with terror:

"Your Highness, please calm down! This...this is truly not something I could decide! The market has set strict rules, with clearly marked prices, and the price remains the same regardless of the grade! What we fear most is malicious price-cutting that disrupts the market...I...I can only follow the rules!"

Ron looked at the exorbitant price list and the anxious "defective" monsters in the corner, and a faint, yet challenging, smile appeared on his lips.

"It's alright, just follow the rules."

He swiftly took out his stored-coin card and swiped it across Moretti's card reader.

A blockade targeting him unexpectedly opened a door to the unknown potential of mutated creatures.

These monsters, despised by everyone, will become the freshest and most... unexpected blood in the future "Black Language Caverns".

"Not even a basic discount! This is blatant robbery!"

Claudia, her face flushed with anger, shoved the receipt with the full price printed on it into Ron's hands.

"Don't be fooled! If I say the word, Father can make those nobles obediently vomit up a few useful monsters!"

Ron, however, appeared unusually calm. He casually took the receipt and traced a line with his finger on the magic payment rune board next to the counter.

With a soft "beep," 15300 gold coins were transferred from Ron's account, the action swift and decisive without the slightest hesitation.

"They have to find a way to survive, don't they?"

Ron glanced casually at the group of uneasy monsters whose eyes had suddenly lit up, then folded the receipt and put it away.

This explanation was purely to shut down Claudia's subsequent long-winded persuasion.

He was certain in his heart:

These "failures" contain unique potential and should not be overlooked.

Claudia, seeing his unyielding attitude, was both angry and helpless, and could only give a deflated snort:

"Alright, alright, Mr. Ron, the great philanthropist! You are kind-hearted!"

She put her hands on her hips and looked at him with a "you're hopeless" expression.

Money and goods are both in order.

Moretti forced a smile that looked more like a grimace onto his fat face, frantically waving his short, thick arms and shouting at the dozen or so dejected figures in the corner:

"Hey! You lot! Come here! This generous Mr. Ron has taken care of all of you! From today onwards, you are Mr. Ron's employees! Quickly thank your new boss!"

Shouts of ecstasy, disbelief, and gratitude erupted instantly:

"Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Ron!"

"We will definitely work hard!"

"Waaaaah... I finally have a job..."

The giant pink slime was so excited that its entire pink gelatinous body trembled violently, emitting a sobbing sound:

"Thank you so much... Lord Ron! I... will repay your kindness with the utmost gratitude..."

It tried hard to mimic a bowing motion, but ended up looking like a bouncing pink jelly.

Amidst the noisy chorus of thanks, Moretti's tiny, beady eyes suddenly widened!

His massive body shuddered as if struck by an electric current:

"Ron...Ron?!"

The fawning on his face was instantly replaced by a greater sense of horror:

"You are the one from the Black...Black Language Cave?!...The legendary designer?! Baron Ron?!"

Claudia finally found her footing, proudly raising her chin and deliberately drawing out her words:

“That’s right—it is I, Baron Ron, the sole chief architect of the Blackwhisper Caves! You only realize that now?”

boom!

Moretti's reaction at this moment was ten times more exaggerated than when he recognized the princess!

The enormous abomination seemed to have been struck in the knee, and almost collapsed to its knees with a thud!

His fawning smile was stiff and distorted from the excessive strain on his muscles, and his voice was choked with sobs as he pleaded incoherently:

"Oh dear! I...I was blind and didn't recognize the true god! I deserve to die! I deserve to die! Please, Baron, forgive me! I just...I...I..."

He was so anxious that he kept slapping his fat face:

"Yes, yes! I'll contact those reckless noble brats right away! I, Moretti, will cover the breach of contract penalty!"

"Immediately vacate all the good goods they forcibly seized for you, sir! I'll take care of it! If they want to stay in this business in the future, they'll have to give me face!"

He patted his chest and made a promise, trying to make up for his previous neglect.

However, Ron's will was as firm as a rock.

He didn't even bother to look at Moretti again, merely gesturing for his excited new subordinates to "follow," then turned and left, leaving behind the words:

"No need, I'll take them."

"But...but..."

Moretti reached out, wanting to persuade her again, but Ron's unwavering back blocked her way, leaving her only to open her mouth in vain to the air.

Claudia watched Ron lead his odd, ragtag army away, sighed, and jogged after him, muttering to herself:

"Sigh... No matter how clever you are or how ingenious your design is, if all the pieces you have are terrible... how can you turn this situation around..."

Chapter 86 Lilith's Joy

Ron arrived at the plaza and took the monsters into the dungeon.

He looked at these monsters and quickly calculated in his mind:

“Pink slime LV20, three LV19... Add and subtract... The total level is now 230 points... 70 levels away.”

His gaze unconsciously swept over Claudia, who was following closely behind him and occasionally stealing glances at him.

“Claudia.”

Ron suddenly spoke, his gaze sweeping over her exquisite mage robes as if assessing some rare material:

“I remember… you don’t hold any dungeon lord position yet, right?”

Claudia felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze and instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.

"...So what if it is? What do you want to do?"

She had a vague sense of foreboding.

Ron's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, revealing his pearly white teeth.

To Claudia, that smile looked exactly like that of a fox trying to trick a little girl out of her candy.

"That's perfect... You're level 18 now, your foundation is quite solid. How about... coming to my dungeon and temporarily serving as... a lowly monster?"

He guided the conversation patiently, as if describing an interesting game:

"It's about experiencing life."