Chapter 67

The imp’s smug confidence evaporated instantly, replaced by visible dread. “Wait, you’re not sending me to check for traps? Then why—”

“To trigger them, of course. I already know they’re there. Now I just need you to… help disable them. With your body.”

Sweat beaded on the imp’s forehead as its forced smile dissolved entirely.

“W-Wait! Let’s talk this over, Master! Surely there’s another way—”

“No need for alternatives,” Justin cut him off, smirking. “I can only summon you three times a day, right? Might as well get my money’s worth.”

“Master! You’re making a mistake! No, please—!”

Ignoring its panicked protests, Justin issued the final command: “Move forward. That’s an order. No take-backs.”

“Master! At least listen to meeeee—!”

Despite its curses and pleas, the imp obediently shuffled forward. The moment it reached the center of the trap, a deep rumbling echoed from above.

THUD.

The heavy square ceiling block plummeted downward, squashing the imp flat without even leaving a mess behind. The poor creature’s final, hollow whisper echoed faintly:

“…Life is suffering…”

As the ceiling retracted, resetting the trap, Justin’s voice rang out confidently.

“Now! Everyone, move!”

“Yes, sir!”

The group sprinted forward, clearing the trap with ease before it could reset.

Staring at the now-pristine floor, devoid of any blood or remains, Justin muttered under his breath, “No mess since it’s a summon… I should remember this for future traps.”

The others, however, shot him with varied looks—equal parts judgment and bewilderment.

What? Why’s everyone looking at me like that?

The traps didn’t stop there. More obstacles emerged as they progressed deeper into the dungeon.

Some were simple—like pressing specific panels on the wall to disable pressure plates—while others required delicate maneuvering around trigger zones.

But all of it was manageable thanks to one person.

“Without Nathan’s Trap Detection, we’d be screwed.”

The thought made Justin shiver. Unlike in a game, a misstep here wouldn’t just reduce their “health bar”—it could mean instant death.

Their team’s advantage was now crystal clear:
Anyone without a Scout or a sacrificial summon would be forced to brute-force their way through deadly traps, suffering injuries—or worse.

CLANK.

“That’s the last one! It should be safe now!” Nathan declared triumphantly after disabling the fifth trap.

His face was practically glowing with pride—a sharp contrast to the self-consciousness he’d carried over his weak offensive power before.

“Man, we’d be dead without you,” Derek praised, clapping him on the back.

“Seriously, this has been a breeze thanks to you,” Ethan added.

The compliments made Nathan’s grin stretch even wider.

Eventually, the team descended a set of stairs, only to stop dead in their tracks.

“Another metal door?” Justin muttered.

Nathan cautiously stepped forward, using Trap Detection to sweep for danger.

“…Nothing. It’s clear.”

“Hold up,” Justin interrupted. “Get ready for a fight.”

“A fight?”

“Dungeons usually end in one of two ways: a boss room or a treasure vault,” he explained. “Or both, if we’re unlucky.”

The others immediately tensed up, tightening their grips on their weapons. The memory of the earlier Orc encounter still lingered fresh in their minds.

“God, I hope it’s not another orc,” Derek grumbled.

“Could be something worse,” Justin said darkly.

“Gee, thanks for the encouragement.”

“Relax. If something strong does show up, we’ll focus fire on it immediately—no hesitation this time.”

Unlike earlier, there’d be no holding back to spread combat experience around. Everyone was already exhausted from the first fight and the constant trap-dodging.

With a final nod, Justin signaled Derek to open the door.

GRRRRRK.

The heavy door creaked open—and the entire party froze.

Inside, glittering piles of gold coins stretched from wall to wall, forming literal hills of treasure.

“…Holy crap,” Ethan breathed.

“Gold! Actual gold!” Derek whooped, practically diving into the coins.

“I’ve only seen stuff like this in movies!” Nathan shouted, scooping up a handful of coins with childlike wonder.

Even Ethan, usually the reserved one, struggled to contain his excitement. “C-Clearly… a treasure vault indeed…”

“Don’t hold back,” Justin teased. “Go ahead and dive in if you want.”

“I-I’m not that kind of person!” Ethan protested, though his reddened cheeks said otherwise.

Meanwhile, Rachel’s reaction was far more subdued. She stared at the gold, an uncertain frown on her face.

“…Is this even useful?” she asked. “We use mana stones as currency, not gold.”

“…!”

The group fell silent, a chilling realization sinking in all at once.

What if the gold coins were just useless relics?

The dread of it turned the mountain of gold before them into a potential mountain of disappointment. Even Justin felt a flicker of concern creep into his thoughts. To confirm his suspicions, he picked up a coin and checked its properties.

〈Gold Coin〉

• Category: Exchange Item
• Description: A form of ancient currency. Though its era has passed, its value remains. Can be used as development funds for the domain, with each coin equivalent to the value of one mana stone. Cannot be used for any purpose other than domain development.

“Phew… Thank God.”

Relief swept through him. While limited in use, the coins could still serve as an alternative currency for developing their domain—exactly what the system had been encouraging all along. Given the sheer volume of gold, there wasn’t a better place to invest such wealth anyway.

“Damn, that nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“I thought we just hit the world’s biggest pile of useless treasure,” Ethan admitted, exhaling deeply.

Everyone breathed easier after confirming the coins’ utility, though a tinge of disappointment lingered.

Where’s the thrill in treasure hunting if all we get is money?

The real joy of dungeon rewards came from rare and powerful equipment, not just piles of currency. For all their effort, getting nothing but development funds felt like a letdown.

“Still, this isn’t bad,” Nathan offered optimistically. “Improving the domain helps all of us in the long run.”

They were starting to console themselves with that thought when Justin noticed something odd buried beneath the pile of gold.

“What’s that?”

Between the shimmering coins, a blunt, metallic handle was barely visible. Acting on instinct, he strode over and pulled it free.

〈Stormbreaker Hammer〉

• Category: Warrior Equipment
• Rarity: Rare
• Description: A warrior’s hammer imbued with the essence of lightning. Increases impact force with each strike and has a chance to inflict a minor shock effect on enemies.

“A rare-tier item!”