Dungeon Overlord: Monster Girl Harem!

"I'll go ahead and check for any danger."

Leonhardt waved back to the exhausted girls, but his hidden face beamed with excitement at the fact he would soon have control of this dungeon.

'Now I can meet Zafira, or my goblins at any three of my dungeons.'

His steps became faster, reflecting his delight and desire to start building this secondary dungeon. But he then wondered about the future.

'Controlling the villages in the east will be tough.'

Leon understood that overtaking Munat would be difficult, unlike the village of Embers, which he could slowly convert over time to avoid potential enemies.

Could he succeed?

Munat's history of resisting a powerful monster like the brood mother and her death weavers made him worried.

'How can I take over, naturally or by force?'

[It's about time you started acting more like a Dungeon Master!]

Ifrit's scolding voice made his lips curl into a smile as he stepped into the inner chamber.

The low, rumbling hum of the dungeon's core made him realise something.

He then noticed many scribbles and markings on the wall, a language nothing like human or common tongue, but they were a kind of expressive language that spiders and arachne used to speak to each other.

"These words, are all showing her anger and anguish after losing her mate and dying... no, this isn't the mate I killed but maybe the one from the image in the inn?"

Leonhardt's mind flashed, and now he understood why the brood mother seemed more intelligent than he expected. But also why she lacked the rationality of an experienced dungeon master.

'The dungeon didn't vanish because they left the core?'

[Correct]

"I see..."

'How do I take this dungeon and make it mine?'

His gaze flicked through the neglected panels, where he read about the different types of traps he had gained after evolving: flaming arrows, spear traps that could be set from the roof, tar pits, and a lava waterfall.

[You can take it as is... with the current damage and layout for free]

Ifrit never treated Leonhardt like a fool and always taught him what he needed—this helped him to relax and calm himself while listening to her explanations.

[Or use the reserved DP in the core and then reform the entire area in your style and your colours and spend a lot on customising it!]

'Can I take over it now and delay my choice until nightfall?'

Leonhardt rubbed his smooth chin, which had grown slightly stubbled from their days of travelling and his lack of Zafira, who had started shaving his beard after transforming her tail into a blade.

[Normally, no]

[But because you swore an oath to me and we haven't officially reached Rank D, I will help!]

Ifrit's excitement became obvious from her breathless voice and slight squeak whenever she spoke to him about things she enjoyed or found interesting.

"I see since you sound so cute... I'll choose option two."

[Understood~ hehe]

[◊ Dungeon Attack Started: ...1% ...6% ...11% ◊]

His voice rumbled through the barrow. The dungeon core hummed with defiance, producing small vibrations in the air. These vibrations caused the lingering mana to prick his skin like tiny blades, which caused a slight pain.

"Tsk, annoying things."

His Djinn and Fae hearts started pumping mana-enriched blood through his body, causing Leonhardt's eyes to shine bright red and his pupils to gleam with glowing pentagrams.

Ba-Dump

Ba-Dump

Bzzzt!

Thanks to his immense aura and the ability to devour any mana, the sharp, resisting motes soon became food for his organs crushed and absorbed into his bloodstream, while Leonhardt's warm, fiery mana flowed into the dark den.

[◊ Dungeon Attack Progress: ...35% ...58% ...72% ◊]

The more progress made caused the walls to shake, dust and cracks forming with a low quaking rumble. Thanks to the changes, Leonhardt's excitement increased as he smiled quietly in the darkness.

"Let's head back. I don't need to stay here, right?"

[No, but are you sure? If someone sneaks inside, they could take it back!]

'I know, but haven't you noticed?'

Leonhardt's eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.

His eyes focused on the map on his dungeon map. There were several blinking red dots near the entrance and spread throughout the mountains.

[I thought you might ignore them...]

'At first, I did, but then I remembered red dots didn't mean dungeon monsters... but enemies, which normally means humans right?'

[You're right—how do you plan to fight them?]

Ifrit's words contained a subtle meaning and asked him a question.

"I'll let the girls see the reality and hope that the humans can serve to boost their belief and trust in me if possible."

[It could be dangerous—the girls know you are strange, but to win against these humans, you might need to use everything, even your monster heritage.]

'Thanks for caring about me, Ifrit.'

He couldn't deny that without Ifrit's nagging or help, Leon couldn't deny he would be dead in place of the brood mother.

[We're partners—how could I let you suffer]

"Hehe... you're just after my body, pervert!"

Meanwhile, back in the cave, the three women started a small fire and cooked some of the fresh white meat from the spiders.

"Ugh, it looks so nasty." Erina's face twisted as she watched Asuka frying the skewered meat while covering her mouth with one hand. "Are you really going to eat that?"

Asuka's eyes sparkled while sprinkling the strange orange powder from her small pouch, causing the flame to change colours for a moment. "Hehe~ this is gonna be so good. Trust me, Erina!"

The saintess candidate's face twisted as she pointed at the dragonoid. "YOU SAID THAT ABOUT RABBIT MEAT!"

"Huh?! You wolfed that meat down. Did you forget?" Asuka's eyes narrowed as she wiped her brow. The browned meat was sizzling with delicious, bubbling fat that released a wonderful, flavourful smell.

"W-What, don't lie... how could a priestess wolf down a poor rabbit!"

This bickering was something that Erina hid during their time with Leonhardt. She became a little more reserved, but finally, after killing the brood mother, it seemed most of the party started to relax around each other.

Sylvie sat a small distance away, but when the scent spread, she couldn't help but watch Asuka's rather showy way of cooking. 'Does it really taste good?'

In the past, Asuka tricked her into eating many disgusting things, with most of her ideas of delicious food having a nine in ten chance of missing the mark.

"Sylvie, you can't eat that! You'll get sick with such a delicate stomach..."

"Don't say that... she always eats weird elven food!" Asuka complained, jamming one of the sticky kebabs into Sylvie's mouth with a loud pop.

'It's too hot!' Sylvie's mind screamed as the sizzling meat burned the insides of her mouth, yet the moment the soft, sticky flesh and the slightly tangy sauce mixed, her eyes started watering in delight.

"See, it's good, right?"

Chew~ chew~ Munch~

Sylvie's small mouth tore the meat apart like a rabbit ravishing the fields. By the time she stopped, the entire thing had vanished, including the succulent spider meat.

"Ah... it was good."

"Eh?"

Erina, shocked by Sylvie's sudden sigh of sorrow, couldn't help but cover her mouth in genuine shock from the current situation.

"S-Sylvie? Is it really good? Your tongue doesn't hurt, and there's no stabbing pain, right?"

"Mm, it's sweet, spicey and delicious. Asuka, more."

Asuka's cheeks turned red when her friends ate her food, though she had often failed. Since becoming Leonhardt's mate, she worried about future women being more skilled fighters and started working on other skills.

"I cannot believe it!"

Erina looked shocked, her eyes wide as she watched the bubbling meat. Finally, she extended her arm gingerly.

It shook before she grasped one of the cooling skewers.

"There's no way that this tastes—Mmmph?!"

A hot stream of flavours, something the priestess who normally ate bland dishes couldn't handle and yet her face turned bright red down to her neck.

Erina couldn't deny that this taste, this soft, chewy texture, might just surpass chicken!

"She's fallen."

Sylvie muttered.

"She acts so proper but loves meat more than me," Asuka added as they shook their heads with a knowing smirk.

Leonhardt probably had no idea how much of an easy woman this priestess could be if you tempted her with delicious meat or strongly seasoned foods.

"M-Maybe it's okay..." Erina's tongue slipped across her lips, lapping up the greasy remains of her meal, leaving a sticky trace of saliva, unbefitting of a priestess when the sound of people walking through the gravel echoed from outside.

Asuka's body jolted up.

Her hand grasped the handle of her axe, and she looked in shock, not because of their looks or aura, but because...

'How couldn't I sense them until they came this close?!'

The group consisted of a mixture of men and women, with a tall, handsome blonde taking the lead. He seemed the type to run a bar or some cheap tavern to trick lonely women with his wavy hair and emerald eyes.

"Erina, Sylvie, prepare for anything..."

"Understood."

"Mm."

It wasn't the first time danger greeted them, but the reaction from Asuka, who was the party's danger alarm, caused the girls to snap out of their mood instantly.

The man's face was masked in the darkness, only briefly revealed by the crackle of flames. He approached and waved his hand.

"Hey there, I'm looking for this man. Have you girls seen him?"

The leader showed a poster with an official guild stamp.

Someone had made a bounty with an assassination guild, and the face was... Leonhardt's.