End of the Third Day

As for the tunnel, it only needed to be large enough for a single row to file through. Making it too large would cause unnecessary problems such as cave in or the likes. There is also a problem of running into subterranean monsters or that titan with its roots growing everywhere.

I do not think its root has spread this far yet, and since I am the only person who could dig out tunnel without getting all physical and exhausted, I am obviously in the lead.

Immediately behind me is the Major. Behind her are a few of her men. After that is the civilians, who are in awe. The rest of the soldiers are at the far back, making sure nothing follows behind.

And due to the way that I have carved out the tunnel, anything that enters would definitely meet with an unavoidable wall of bullets. It is a kill-box design, and it is a good design, especially against superior numbers.

While I can probably dig tunnels, chambers and elaborate labyrinth just like a Dungeon Designer could, I was not a Dungeon Designer. I would not be able to place traps, summon monsters, create zones, or more. These skills and abilities belong to the Dungeon Designer class itself, and I am just a Merchant.

Despite being a Merchant, I do need to know the trades of other classes or professions, especially if I have any plan of making use of others and earning a hefty profit in return. But knowing the trades and mastering those trades are two different things.

In the near future, I must contract a Dungeon Designer to do my bidding. Not just a Dungeon Designer, but a Blacksmith, Enchanter, Runemaster, Alchemist and much more. Unfortunately, procuring those talents is much harder now, considering that no one is given a class by the new System thus far.

People are given skills or abilities instead, and while those skills and abilities belong to a certain class, it is not equivalent to having the actual class. Luckily, this problem can be solved with money. With a lot of money, sadly.

I need to be much wealthier!

"Merchant, can you make the tunnel bigger, so everyone can rest," the Major eventually speaks up. It is getting late, and the civilians cannot keep up. There are also children in the group.

Small children too.

I cock my head around to see her before nodding. "I can, it might be unstable for comfort. Please wait until the ground become more agreeable."

Once I start hitting hard rocks, I trace out a larger chamber and send it into my Inventory. At that point, I stop digging and eye the Major, who understands immediately.

"I want a few men guarding the entrance on rotation," the Major orders and tells the civilians to take a rest while the rest of the men prepare something to eat. The foods that they have brought were all MRE (Meals, ready-to-eat), and it cannot compare to actually cooked foods.

Of course, cooking was impossible in the underground chamber, but that does not mean there isn't a way to get actual cooked foods now that I have access to Fire Essences. But I should not reveal such a thing for the sake of luxury.

"You should keep your strengths up, Merchant," the Major tells me when she and her men distributed foods amongst everyone. She does not need to tell me that, but it the thoughts that count, I suppose.