Dalun Li had been repeatedly plucking branches from the substitution magic tree to create monsters, and it now appeared somewhat withered.
Dalun Li, of course, did not intend to continue persecuting the substitution magic tree.
If he kept it up, he would truly kill it, and the loss would be his own.
Dalun Li planned to expand this floor and turn it into a massive farm specifically for growing plants and wheat.
To accelerate the growth of the crops on this floor, he needed monsters dedicated to cultivation.
Taking out a large pile of branches from the magic tree on the fourth floor, Dalun Li began his Monster Creation.
Having created the guardian Zeno, Dalun Li found creating these plant-type monsters to be second nature.
Soon, a monster specifically for plant growth and crop cultivation was completed.
[Name] Plant-growth man of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment
[Level] lv11
[Skills] Vigorous Growth lv5, Plant Growth lv4, Water Manipulation lv3, Harvest Dance lv3, Sprouting lv2, Soil Nourishment lv2
[Description] A monster servant created by the unknown existence Dalun Li. Almost harmless, it can cultivate other plants, accelerate plant growth, and nourish the soil. It is a monster beneficial to the environment.
The plant-Growth Man looked like a humanoid tree, with a canopy resembling a conical hat growing on its head and flexible branches that it waved like arms.
It had no combat capabilities; it could absorb mana and transfer it into the ground to nourish the soil.
As a trade-off, the mana concentration in the atmosphere of the area where the plantborn resided would continuously decrease.
Dalun Li didn't need to worry about this, as magic stones could increase the mana concentration of an area.
He only needed to periodically toss a magic crystal into this hidden floor, and the floor's mana would not be sucked dry.
The plantborn's reproduction method was also that of a plant.
If there were enough plantborn and he regularly threw magic crystals into this floor, the mana in the soil would continuously rise, making the plants grow even faster and with more vitality.
Furthermore, the substitution magic tree growing on this floor could grow even more vigorously, providing him with more materials.
The substitution tree was still only in its sapling form; if it could grow to the size of the magic tree on the fourth floor under the cultivation of this floor, he wouldn't have to be so stingy when creating monsters.
Naturally, water of life could also be used to irrigate the substitution magic tree to boost its vitality and accelerate its growth.
However, he couldn't just use his only remaining half-bottle on a whim.
Dalun Li created a batch of plantborn in succession and gave them a large bag of seeds, tasking them with cultivating crops on this floor.
With the tasks on all floors completed, Dalun Li turned his gaze to the tenth floor.
The actual pitch-black palace had already been cut and transferred by Dalun Li into a hidden floor opened on the tenth floor.
The tenth-floor palace was now just a replica, with its core being the boss room of this floor.
A mage would be able to sense the location of the floor boss on the floor where it resided.
So there was no need to hide it, but he could create a small maze within the palace to cause interference.
He also placed several treasure chests in various rooms of the palace and hid them.
Then, he would have the monster merchant sell information to earn another profit.
When adventurers found the treasure chests based on the purchased information, they would discover that entering the room where the chest was located required a key.
And the keys were placed by Dalun Li on the floors above.
To find the keys on the upper floors, unless they were lucky souls who discovered them on their own, they would have to find the monster merchant on those floors to buy information about the keys.
That would be the second profit.
At the same time, the monster merchant wouldn't sell the information to just one adventurer.
This way, he could earn a third profit, a fourth, and so on.
When groups of adventurers ran into each other based on the information they bought, there was a high chance of conflict breaking out over the keys.
Adventurers who died in the conflict would then earn him a sum of Earth Vein Power.
This was an n-win scenario; he won n times over.
Should he put a few mimics among the treasure chests?
No, that would be going too far, and it wouldn't earn him much anyway.
In the end, he was still moved by his own kind compassion.
The monsters inside the palace were set as undead lizardmen and skeletal shamans.
Dalun Li sighed after finishing his day's work; it had been another productive day.
To ensure the adventurers had a fulfilling adventure, he truly had to go through a lot of trouble.
Just then, Tongmu issued another alarm, glowing with a red light.
"Hmm, someone else has come to deliver themselves. Let me see what's going on."
Dalun Li turned his gaze to Tongmu.
Because he had obtained the pitch-black palace, Dalun Li's stealth abilities had significantly improved, and he had also gained spatial abilities.
As a result, Tongmu's stealth ability had also been greatly enhanced by Dalun Li.
Now, relying on its improved stealth, it was basically impossible for anyone to notice Tongmu's gaze while it monitored the outside world.
Outside the dungeon.
The construction of the town here had never stopped. Everyone was working constantly, each performing their own duties to contribute to the construction of the place.
At the edge of the town, an armored knight on horseback led his unit of knights and guards through the town gates.
The leading knight wore a cloak embroidered with a special family crest.
Roland Vine patterns clustered around a golden rose.
It was precisely the crest of the Grey family.
This knight had been dispatched to this location by the Grey family.
As the knight led his subordinates into the town, the people on both sides immediately bowed their heads in respect, fearing they might offend a knight of the Grey family.
The knight led his men across the paved streets all the way to the entrance of the newly established Adventurer Association.
The leading knight did not dismount. Instead, he pulled the reins tight, bringing his horse to a halt, and looked down at the adventurers coming in and out of the Adventurer Association.
"I am Caiman Grey, a knight knighted by the Grey family and the direct cousin of Lord Fenris."
"The vanguard team sent here by the Grey family—Manfred, Rhine, Weiss, and the others—have defected from the family and committed unpardonable crimes of murder."
"Their actions are destined to be liquidated by the Grey family."
Caiman Grey shouted loudly, his voice clearly reaching the ears of every adventurer below.
Immediately, the crowd broke into a clamor.
"In this dungeon, no one is allowed to harbor Manfred's group of criminals, nor provide any assistance or aid."
"All information regarding them must be reported to the Grey family, otherwise you will be treated as accomplices, sentenced to hanging, and will not be accepted by the Light after death."
"The Goddess of Light shall bear witness."
After making his proclamation in front of the Adventurer Association, Caiman did not stay any longer.
He turned his horse around and left the Adventurer Association directly.
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