“That is prohibited.”
“E-excuse me?”
It seems my mana had properly recovered to 5, because I was able to spend it and generate the treasure chest.
The trade-off was passing out again — but when I came to, Lady Fiona’s displeased face was right in front of mine.
“Pushing yourself past your limits is prohibited. Demon Lord’s orders.”
“It wasn’t really past my limits…”
“Are we understood?”
“…Yes.”
If she’s going to worry about a subordinate’s health, this might actually be a pretty decent workplace.
That small reassurance about my future situation settled something in me, and I turned to examine the treasure chest I’d been neglecting.
“That is exactly what a treasure chest looks like.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that, but it is the same as the treasure chests generated within dungeons.”
“Dungeons generate treasure chests on their own?”
“Yes. When there’s an abundance of mana inside a dungeon, it gathers and takes form.”
Probably a mechanism for burning off excess mana.
In my case, the skill consumes it before that happens.
So unless I specifically select Create Treasure Chest, one won’t just appear on its own.
“And the longer they sit, the more mana gets absorbed into them — until eventually they become weapons, armor, and items that help intruders. Rather inconvenient…”
“Couldn’t you just collect them before the intruders do?”
“Apparently they can’t be opened by demons… it really does feel like the dungeon is deliberately making things difficult…”
Lady Fiona gets that faraway look again.
Maybe this Demon Lord has actually had a pretty rough time of things.
“In that case, I probably shouldn’t have generated one carelessly. I’m sorry.”
“No, they’d be created on their own regardless. Knowing where one is actually helps.”
If I manage the dungeon’s mana, they shouldn’t appear on their own anymore.
So she was probably just being considerate when she said that.
“Still — a shame to build one and not be able to open it.”
The form factor alone screams treasure chest.
Even without ever playing this game, there’s something undeniably appealing about that shape.
I really wanted to try opening one and getting whatever was inside…
I poke at the lid with vague longing.
“Oh… it opened.”
The lock must not have been engaged — the chest swung open without any resistance.
Inside, sitting all alone, was a small glass bottle containing a green liquid.
“…She opened a treasure chest. As a demon? Could it be because she’s a reincarnate? Or perhaps the authority of a dungeon’s master?”
Lady Fiona was surprised, but quickly started working through the possibilities.
She didn’t reach a firm conclusion, but seemed to settle for now on the practical fact that I can open treasure chests.
“That property is quite valuable as well. If you’re the one building them, other races won’t be able to abuse them.”
“I’m not sure what will come out of them, but it seems like it could work for restocking supplies.”
I handed the item to Lady Fiona, and she examined it with those clear, fantastical eyes.
Maybe it’s because her features are so striking, but everything she does ends up looking like a painting.
“A recovery potion. …Unfortunately, it appears to be the lowest grade.”
“So the quality of what comes out of treasure chests isn’t something to rely on.”
“…Actually, there may be a way to improve it.”
Expected nothing less from someone who both lives in this world and has called a dungeon home.
Unlike me, who knows nothing, she’d apparently already thought of something.
“Should we try building another treasure chest?”
“…”
Why the flat stare…
“Are you going to push yourself and collapse again?”
“If I use my own mana, I might collapse while recovering.”
“Then no.”
Hmm. A very humane Demon Lord’s Army…
Which leaves only the dungeon’s mana.
As I’m thinking that, my eyes land on the recovery potion Lady Fiona is holding.
“That potion — does it restore mana too?”
“It does. Only a small amount, though.”
My mana pool is also a small amount, so that probably isn’t an issue.
Actually — for me, that potion might restore me to full.
“In that case — what if I build a treasure chest, and before I pass out, I drink the potion to recover my mana? I might not pass out at all.”
“…You’ve thought of something dangerous again. If you don’t manage it in time, you’ll still collapse.”
“…That’s true.”
“Fine. If it comes to that, I’ll force it into you.”
“Thank you…”
Permission granted, somehow.
Then I won’t waste dungeon mana — I’ll use my own mana for this one too.
I take the recovery potion from Lady Fiona in one hand and get the other hand ready to touch the menu screen.
Create Treasure Chest: Mana Cost 5
Alright, the option is selected.
Like someone cutting the power to my consciousness, the drowsiness slams in fast.
If I can just drink the potion before it takes me—
“Pfhah—”
“…That was quite dangerous to watch.”
“S-sorry… I’ll do it cleaner next time…”
“I’d really prefer there wasn’t a next time like this…”
The plan worked, somehow.
The drowsiness evaporated all at once, and nothing in my head or body is complaining.
“Looks like the same kind of treasure chest as before.”
“Yes, they all look like this right after being made.”
Saying that, Lady Fiona raised her palm toward the chest.
The chest began to change — growing steadily more elaborate before my eyes.
“Wait — what is this?!”
“I’m channeling mana into it. Just as I expected. The chest improves in quality by absorbing excess dungeon mana — so doing the same with my own mana should achieve the same effect.”
What had been a plain wooden chest had already transformed into something ornate and metallic.
It had started out looking like something from a beginner’s dungeon. Now it looked like something that belonged in the final stretch.
“…And I can sense it, in a way. Channeling mana seems to be changing what’s inside as well, in kind.”
“Oh, really? Let me try—”
“Not you, Rei. You’ll collapse again.”
She said it with a smile, but the warning was firm.
I’ll ask to try it once my mana is higher.
“…I’ve never thought about what a treasure chest’s limit might be, but it’s absorbing quite a substantial amount of mana.”
Several minutes have passed since Lady Fiona started channeling.
What kind of changes are happening inside that chest?
“As it may not look like it, I do happen to have a considerable amount of mana — but I believe I’m approaching roughly ninety percent spent.”
“What?!”
It very much does look like it — you are visibly the most powerful being in the world.
Ninety percent of Lady Fiona’s mana… that means something in the range of 9,000 mana has already been poured in.
“…There, that appears to be the limit. Ninety percent, as I said.”
“G-good work…”
Which makes what’s inside extremely interesting.
A treasure chest enhanced with nearly all the power of the Demon Lord.
Whatever’s in there can’t be anything like that lowest-grade recovery potion.
Hands almost trembling, I was given permission to open the chest.
“…Another recovery potion?”
As before, all that sat inside — absurdly underwhelming for the size of the box — was a single small glass bottle.
The shape of the bottle itself seemed somehow more refined than the last one.
And above all, the color of the liquid inside was completely different.
It shimmered and shifted in a rainbow of colors, cycling through one after another… honestly not a color that made me want to drink it, but a color that promised something extraordinary.
I took out the rainbow gaming potion, and Lady Fiona’s eyes went wide.
She seems to recognize this one too.
I was about to ask what it was, but her murmur stopped me cold.
“A resurrection elixir…”
Resurrection.
As in… restoring someone from death?