13

Chapter 13 [Edge Village, 2. Mountain Hut]

From the mountain hut guided by a village man, the spirit tree's presence could be seen in the distance. Is the spirit tree revered for some ritual in this village?

"There's a strangely large tree over there. Is it a sacred tree or something?"

"Nah, not really. It's just that if you harm that tree, they say there'll be a curse. Be careful yourself."

"Oh, a curse... Is something dwelling in it?"

"Who knows? Bonzo's kid claimed to have seen fireballs flying around at night, trembling in fear... But it's just the nonsense of a bed-wetting child."

Hmm, so that's the situation. Are those fireballs related to spirits?

After thanking the guide, he left, advising to inform if anything happened. The hut seems sturdy enough, but it needs repairs to prevent leaks and drafts. Whether to discreetly fix it or claim to sleep in a sleeping bag, repairs are inevitable. The village chief probably expects that.

Now, officially, this hut will be his dwelling. In reality, he'll be living in an Earth apartment, so he'll be away often. It's a matter of smoothly justifying that. Now, about returning to Earth...

"I'm thinking of turning this mountain hut into a dungeon."

"Can you really do that, Master?"

"You won't know until you try, but probably."

"But, won't it be suspicious if the hut suddenly turns into a cave?"

"No, I don't think it'll turn into a cave, probably..."

Conclusion: It didn't turn into a cave. It appears the exterior is the same, but the roof and walls seem reinforced. To avoid causing discomfort, he decides to keep the dungeon transformation minimal for safety. At the very least, as long as the dungeon gate allows travel to and from the cave, there shouldn't be an issue. Unexpectedly, the transformation eliminates worries about leaks and drafts. Still, he needs to repair it visually. Wait, aren't dungeon walls indestructible?

Failed. He should have repaired it before transforming into a dungeon. The dungeon walls, even for repairs, reject saws, and nails, require partial undoing of the dungeon transformation for each fix. Doing it all at once would hinder opening the dungeon gate indefinitely. It's a tedious process.