Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?-Chapter 1079 - 701: Bargain Irene

"Gedwin, why did you come to Scameroon to open a branch dungeon?"

The originally human-like Flame Fire transformed into an abstract flame floating in the air. This form seemed to be the most effortless for him.

Anyone would be curious about the actions of the Sain Dungeon setting up a branch in Scameroon.

The situation here in the Ten Thousand Religions Country is somewhat unique; many people contemplate whether their beliefs align with their actions upon entering a dungeon, in short, they have a whole bunch of annoying quirks. Sometimes city lords are too lazy to cater to them, often thinking of escaping if the opportunity arises.

So when a well-known chain like the Sain Dungeon suddenly moves in, it's no wonder Flame Fire is intrigued.

It can't be just to profit from wartime chaos, right? I believe Gedwin wouldn't be so lacking in consideration...

"Of course, it's because there's war here, making it more suitable to harvest spiritual power."

Alright, I take back my previous words. The City Lord of Sain Dungeon is also focused on the conditions provided by wartime chaos.

Feeling as if the image he had mentally outlined of Gong Qiying was cracking, Flame Fire sighed and said:

"Let me just say, although from a short-term perspective, wartime chaos can be profitable, but war will eventually calm down. When peace comes, you'll see how strange the people living on this land are, guaranteed to annoy you to the point you won't want to keep your branch here and I myself am considering the chance to leave."

That was his piece of advice, as he watched Gong Qiying waiting for a reply.

"No worries, I have confidence in my business management skills."

"...Alright, it seems I can't persuade you." Flame Fire extended a small tendril of flame to scratch himself, "If you can open a branch here, I'd really welcome it. You're helping me a great deal."

"A great deal?" Gong Qiying questioned.

"Helping me divert those annoying folks who can't offer much profit." Flame Fire answered without hesitation.

This time it was Gong Qiying's turn to be silent for a while. Just how much does this flame dislike the locals? 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

It seems all the Scameroon city lords have a low opinion of the locals.

"Alright, since I can't stop you, we'll be friendly neighbors from now on. As a good neighbor, I'll tell you all the things you need to take care of. Are you recording?"

Gong Qiying picked up the Image Stone and gave Flame Fire a thumbs-up.

The flames of Flame Fire flickered as a response, and he began to provide information about the local city lords in Scameroon.

Ecouraged by Gong Qiying's inquiry, the first topic was naturally the Holy Light Underground City and White Blood Dungeon, which was a very reasonable question.

"White Blood Dungeon is home to many bloodsucking monsters, attracting adventurers due to its unique medical appeal. There exists a bat-like bloodsucking monster that extracts damaged human blood and then filters it to return healthy blood, achieving a therapeutic outcome and even strengthening the body. It requires at least a month to produce noticeable benefits, and this is its core attraction."

This description makes White Blood Dungeon sound quite peaceful, doesn't it?

"Irene has a mercurial temperament and is quite a difficult character." Flame Fire molded an image of Irene with his flames.

"When she's in a good mood, the dungeon is filled with treasures. However, her mood is bad most of the time, often leaving entrants tortured and wishing for death. Due to her personality, the dungeon's revenue has always been poor, although it unexpectedly attracts a group of eccentric regulars."

Those folks are probably getting PUA'd by White Blood Dungeon.

"There are also a group of vampires who are loyal fans of hers, they even moved their coffins in to be permanent residents."

Flame Fire thought for a moment and suddenly said:

"Right, before you took over the Sain Dungeon, White Blood Dungeon experienced a significant event."

"What?" Naturally, Gong Qiying was curious.

"Part of its Sealed Item leaked out."

Flame Fire molded a group of monsters with more prominent bat features but similar to humans using flames.

"Fortunately, that group of monsters didn't cause too much destruction and was completely wiped out by the virtuous humans of the time before they could grow."

Gong Qiying understood; this incident is recorded in the history of the Warrior Country, explaining why they struggled against the sealed monsters.

"The Sealed Item escape incident was caused by the previous White Blood City Lord. By the time it was resolved, the city lord had become the current Irene. Yes, Irene is her real name. Poor thing had to deal with the locals' reluctance to enter White Blood Dungeon immediately after taking over, but she managed to endure it."

Gong Qiying nodded, finding it surprising that White Blood Dungeon has such a past.

However, since this event occurred before Irene's tenure, it should have no bearing on the present.

"If you want to deal with her, I suggest being straightforward and tossing spiritual power at her. It might make her submit to you."

Wait, is there a gold-digging aspect to this?

"How much, specifically?"

"What's the cost of your Burning Furnace Golem?"

Gong Qiying mentioned a number that made Flame Fire slightly mournful about his wallet.

"Then just a tenth of that should do it." Flame Fire quickly replied.

Gong Qiying twitched his lips slightly, this kid... is it really that cheap...

Though this advice didn't seem credible, he decided to jot it down for now.

With that, the account of White Blood Dungeon was complete; Irene is considered a new city lord with few stories.

"As for the follower, just think of him as a silly son of a landlord who believes in the Holy Light Church."

While discussing the Holy Light Underground City, Flame Fire's demeanor was rather casual, suggesting familiarity with the follower.

"Don't let his mystical demeanor fool you; he's actually a good guy."

"What kind of good guy engages in a battle to the death right off the bat?"

Faced with Gong Qiying's sarcasm, Flame Fire laughed heartily and said:

"You know why? Because his dungeon frequently hosts gatherings of Holy Light believers, and during these meetings, rumors have been circulating for months that many believers from the Sain Dungeon intend to sabotage the Holy Light Church. The follower has been marinated by these claims daily, and as an experienced believer himself, it's natural for him to have prejudices against you."

"Recently, the Holy Light Church encountered trouble, and the troublemaker seems to have been influenced by your dungeon. The follower initially didn't plan to pursue it too much, but seeing news of your branch dungeon put him in a fit of rage, leading to the battle challenge."

This comment... makes it difficult for Gong Qiying to find a counterargument, as his investigations have already provided him with a clear understanding of Scameroon's state.

"Just ignore him, he'll calm down in a few days, might even compensate you with spiritual power," Flame Fire remarked nonchalantly.

Although slightly biased, Gong Qiying doubted whether a religious follower can really calm down.

Recognizing Gong Qiying's concerns, Flame Fire added:

"Don't worry, he's different from the current believers."

Speaking further, Flame Fire looked elsewhere, his tone reminiscent, adding:

"In his era, believers were like saints, and moreover..."

"His position within the church is precarious. He's above ordinary believers but below management, meaning he lacks access to the real leadership."

"I dare say, the follower is the purest among our city lords."

Faced with these words, Gong Qiying nodded, not fully convinced.

Flame Fire continued divulging lots of information, about creatures and specialties of the Holy Light Underground City, the characteristics of people it attracts, all seemingly useful yet useless intelligence.

Gong Qiying inquired further about the other city lords who challenged him, and Flame Fire answered each question, proving more helpful than AI.

Unknowingly, the narrative lasted over three hours.

During this interlude, Flame Fire casually asked:

"I say, have you been investigating anything lately?"