Eight Months Later

It had to be said that after going through such a complete process, it was impossible for anyone other than a witch to use this resurrection magic.

In a way, this prevented technology leakage.

If anything, it would be best if all the magic everyone researched in the future was stamped with a witch's mark, making it impossible for others to imitate.

Only then would those bastards realize just how formidable the witches were.

And so.

While everyone sat together resting during a break between resurrections, Lucia mentioned her idea to the group.

“It’s a pretty good idea.”

“It doesn't seem like it would be difficult technically.”

“True. Isn't Black Witch Smoke a spell that only witches can learn?”

“In that case, why don't we just research some special, basic, practical spells—like the original Harvesting—to sell, while using restriction technology for the magic we research for ourselves?”

“Sell them...? To be honest, I'm not really willing. You have no idea how much they're gloating on the world channel right now.”

“We don't have much of a choice. No matter how you look at it, we've suffered the most losses in this battle. To recoup our losses, buying and selling is necessary. But we can't make it easy for those guys either. These practical spells should be essentials that everyone needs, and then we set the price high.”

Although the battle outside was still ongoing, some things could already be arranged.

Even though only a dozen or so hours had passed since the invasion began, and the situation had only just entered a first-day stalemate thanks to Diana's arrangements, these matters needed to be prioritized.

Currently, the witches across the Abandoned Land were hunkered down in their respective shelters, defending their cities.

Consequently, supplies and everything else had to be purchased from the outside.

In this situation, money had become everyone's lifeline.

Fortunately, the previous auction had earned the witches a lot of money, and since they hadn't had much time or opportunity to spend it, they were quite well-off.

There was no need to worry about supplies at all.

But they couldn't just live off their savings forever, could they?

So.

After receiving the report, Diana, who was organizing documents, immediately agreed to Lucia's proposal.

She also had Bei Adolis coordinate with her on the matter.

The documents Diana was currently organizing contained all the information gathered from witches in various towns.

For instance, which races were involved in the rebellion, where witches had suffered heavy casualties, and which areas had been leveled by witches who had taken the initiative to attack.

It was messy and chaotic, but it was absolutely necessary to organize.

Once the Clan Leader was free, she would let whoever wanted the role of administrator take it; she certainly didn't want the job anymore.

It was nothing but exhaustion with no benefits to speak of.

This was especially true after being attacked this time.

Or... perhaps she could try streamlining the tedious management and processes, letting everyone manage themselves?

Regardless, the Witch race didn't have a concept like taxation.

So there were no 'musts' involved.

While this would significantly reduce her power, witches didn't seem to care about such things anyway.

Compared to that, spending time in the research lab was much more appealing.

Wait—

Letting everyone manage themselves? This idea seemed feasible!

The more she thought about it, the more Diana felt it was worth doing, and she noted it down in her notebook.

...

...

Scritch—scritch—

A series of harsh sounds rang out, the sound of a sharp tool scraping against rock.

“Has it already been 251 days?”

“Yeah. Converted, that's over eight months.”

“Time really does fly.”

“You can say that again.”

Beneath a massive rock covered in tally marks, Lan Qingyou sat with a dagger in hand, chatting idly with Vivian.

It had been over eight months since their group entered the dungeon.

The two of them, who had originally been full of passion and excitement for the novelty of the dungeon, were now a bit weary of it.

It would be a lie to say nothing had happened during these eight months, but aside from those disgusting respawning monsters, everything else had been minor.

After several months, not just Lan Qingyou, but the entire team participating in this 'expedition' had seen a massive improvement.

This was especially evident in their levels.

Even Gu Xiaobei, a non-combat member, had reached level 43, while the average level of the other members was around 48. One could only imagine how fast leveling was here.

However, this was also thanks to the high level of the dungeon itself.

The monster levels at the entrance were basically around level thirty, and they only got higher the further in they went.

Combined with the respawning monsters that could be farmed for experience, their levels had risen rapidly.

Of course, one of the reasons for this 'speed' was simply that everyone was bored; aside from three meals a day, sleeping, and chatting, there was nothing to do but kill monsters.

Even though the witches had brought some research tools with them, they could only conduct small research projects.

There was simply no space or equipment for major ones.

“Dinner time! Dinner time!”

Gu Xiaobei's voice drifted from the nearby woods.

It was immediately followed by a series of 'clanging' sounds, like a bell being struck.

“It's mealtime again,” Lan Qingyou said with a hint of dissatisfaction after glancing in the direction of the sound.

“The days go by so fast. I wonder what it's like outside now.”

“What else could it be? In the worst-case scenario, more people died, and then life goes on as usual.”

Spreading her wings, Vivian flew toward the camp along with Lan Qingyou.

Lan Qingyou and the others had built their camp next to a small stream.

It wasn't exactly a picturesque mountainside retreat, but at least no one had to worry about water.

After all, this place was isolated from the outside world. Never mind supplies or materials—even trying to contact the outside was impossible.

“It’s a good thing Gu Xiaobei came along this time. Otherwise, just figuring out what to eat every day would have been a massive headache.”

Picking up her bowl, Lan Qingyou managed to eat despite not having much of an appetite, showing that Gu Xiaobei had gone to great lengths during this time.

If nothing else, all the wild vegetables in the vicinity had been picked clean by Gu Xiaobei.

Fortunately, dungeons in Kalim weren't like the games on Blue Star; typically, a new batch of monsters would refresh every two or three days.

So, while they could ensure a regular supply of meat, they could also ensure the safety of the camp.

This was probably the greatest benefit of the dungeon.

Especially for those like them who were trapped inside.

Although it still couldn't compare to the comfort and convenience of their own homes outside, it had to be said that the past few months in this dungeon hadn't been too bad for everyone.