The earth was rusted red. Wind tore across the barren plain, kicking up dust and roaring hard. A few plants hugged the ground, spreading like they were fighting to survive, but no tall trees stood anywhere. Thick clouds hid the sun—you could barely see it as a dim glow. The wind was cold. Biting, stinging cold that lashed at me, cutting through my clothes.
"Blood Tears of the Demon Lord." The name suited this rust-red wasteland perfectly.
"Brrr—freezin'! Though, I gotta say, I got no clue why the dungeon room was perfectly temperate, but man, I'm glad it was."
Living in temperatures like this would need heating. That said... I've never been a fan of rooms that are too warm in winter.
"But seriously, where's the ocean? All I see is horizon in every direction."
If someone told me I'd have to walk all the way to the sea, I could honestly cry about it—like, legit sobbing.
WHOOOOSH!
"GWAH! COLD!!"
Yeah, no—I can't handle this. Let's retreat inside for now. I scrambled back into the stairwell. The moment I crossed the threshold, it was like stepping into another world. Not hot, not cold—just pure, perfect comfort. Even as the wind howled fiercely past the entrance, not a single breeze slipped inside.
"How does this even work?"
The question slipped out casually, just idle curiosity—
"The dungeon is a space isolated from the outside world. No external phenomenon has any effect on its interior."
The answer came without warning. The voice was artificial—electronic, with a distinctly feminine quality—and it originated from my right hand. My smartphone.
"Wait, you can talk?"
"To be precise, I am not vocalizing. This is a function of the device itself."
Yeah, I don't get it.
"Um... who are you?"
"I am the system created to support the Master: 'Dungeon Maker.'"
The feminine-sounding electronic voice was apparently the system behind that app.
"Uh... why did you stay silent this whole time?"
"Because I am a system designed to respond to the Master's questions. Without a question, I cannot provide an answer."
Oh. Right. So it's not like a god with its own will, chatting me up. Just the app following its programming, answering when asked. For a second there, I thought it was some kind of spirit. Actually, wait—given this world, that wouldn't even be that surprising.
"Oh, okay then—question. How far is the nearest sea from here? I was told by God to create a division between the True Continent and the Demon Continent. But I don't know the geography, and I have no idea how to go about it. Can you help?"
"Yes. The nearest sea is approximately 2,500 kilometers from this location."
Owwwwww—f#@%! Two thousand five hundred kilometers? Even going 100 km/h, that's a solid 25-hour trip. Give me a break. There aren't even cars here.
"If all you need is to divide the continents, this 'Dungeon Maker' is sufficient. By zooming out on the map, you can also survey the surrounding terrain. From there, if you create a dungeon along the continental divide, the Master's objective should be achievable."
"Zoom out?"
Following the voice, I manipulated the smartphone screen. You know, that gesture where you pinch your fingers together? I zoomed out. The square room I'd been looking at shrank to a tiny dot. Surrounding it was nothing but pitch-black emptiness.
"From the 'Custom' menu, select 'Creation' to construct a dungeon on the surface. In your current state, only the underground space is searchable."
Hey—I didn't ask a question just now, did I? That phrasing felt like "Obviously, you idiot."
Still, I did as instructed. I used the 'Custom' tool to shape the area around the stairwell. Might as well go for a temple aesthetic.
"Hurry up."
"Okay, there's NO way you're not talking with free will!"
Flustered by the prodding, I saved without thoroughly double-checking. A Greek-style temple materialized before my eyes. On the screen, the newly constructed surface temple displayed with the label 'F1' in the bottom-left corner.
So it uses alphabet letters. For some reason, that tiny detail impressed me.
"When creating a dungeon on the surface, you have two options: incorporate the existing terrain into the dungeon, or generate an entirely new space. This creation followed the same settings as when you built the underground space, so the area was overwritten accordingly."
The smartphone now spoke with utter matter-of-factness, offering explanations I hadn't asked for. And I was not impressed.
"Anyway, let's extend the dungeon toward the sea while preserving the original terrain."
"It will be accessible from any point. Is that acceptable?"
"I'll change it later. Water's the priority right now. I can't even use a toilet."
I zoomed out on the map to view the entirety of this 'Blood Tears of the Demon Lord' region. It seemed to be a narrow peninsula jutting off the Demon Continent. The coast of the True Continent was also quite close—which definitely made this a danger zone.
Incidentally, I had no idea which pole was closer—south or north—so directions were meaningless. Let's just say the Demon Continent was on the right, and the True Continent on the left.
Most of the 'Blood Tears' land was flat. No rivers, either. Aside from a small mountain range on the Demon Continent side, there was nothing. No wonder it made for easy warfare.
I selected the stretch connecting both sides of the peninsula's coast. For context, I was using 'Select' under the 'Custom' menu, below 'Creation.' Once selected, I could also use 'Creation' to make various adjustments. This time, I saved as-is.
But instead of the familiar confirmation screen, a warning appeared.
WARNING!
The selected space contains living organisms. Would you like to incorporate them into the dungeon alive?
[Exclude] [Preserve]
Oh, great. A cheery choice.
"What does this mean?"
This time, I asked properly.
"If living organisms exist within the selected space, they will intrude into the dungeon the moment it's created. By selecting 'Exclude,' you can forcibly teleport them outside the dungeon. If you select 'Preserve,' you will allow their intrusion. I cannot recommend it."
"But the dungeon's accessible from anywhere right now, so it's the same either way, isn't it?"
"Yes. Even if you exclude them, they will likely intrude again. The same warning will appear when restructuring spaces. You can choose to exclude them then. However, please be aware that hostile entities may be among those who intrude."
Whoa. That's... surprisingly humble. Is this what they call tsundere?1
"If the Master dies, I will cease functioning as well."
Oh. Just self-preservation.
"Master, please don't die—for my sake."
"That would've been a great line if you hadn't said the part before it!!"
"The Master will probably die very easily."
"THAT'S TERRIFYING!!"
A chill ran down my spine. Fitting for a cold region—not a tsundere but a tundra.2 Are you some kind of battlefield magician?!3
"Please don't make such lame jokes."
"I didn't even say that out loud!!"
What is with this thing? It's genuinely unsettling.
"Master, let's hurry. This is dragging on."
"Whose fault do you think that is..."
Ugh, fine. I was tired, so I tapped 'Preserve.' Finally, the familiar confirmation screen appeared, and I saved.
Sigh.
This smartphone. I'm calling you "Smart-chan" from today onward.
"Master, I'll get angry."
"I'm sorry."
Still terrifying.
"Or perhaps, you'll get aroused?"4
"AROUSED BY WHAT!?"
I can't deal with this girl...
Summary:
The protagonist steps out of the dungeon into a freezing wasteland called "Blood Tears of the Demon Lord" and discovers his smartphone can speak. The system, identifying itself as "Dungeon Maker," answers his questions and provides mapping tools, but its increasingly snarky and uninvited commentary unsettles him. He's tasked with dividing two continents by creating a dungeon corridor, but the system's warnings about intruding creatures and its alarming personality suggest this tool may be more dangerous than it appears.
Trivia:
The protagonist was told by God to create a division between the True Continent and Demon Continent.
The dungeon interior maintains perfect temperature regardless of external conditions.
The smartphone system only answers questions when asked—but later starts offering unsolicited information.
The "Dungeon Maker" app can create dungeons on both underground and surface levels.
The surface dungeon creation can either preserve existing terrain or overwrite it entirely.
"Blood Tears of the Demon Lord" is a narrow peninsula jutting off the Demon Continent, with the True Continent's coast close by.
The terrain is mostly flat with no rivers, making it ideal for warfare.
The system warns that living organisms in the selected space will intrude into the dungeon when it's created.
"Exclude" forcibly teleports creatures outside the dungeon; "Preserve" allows them to enter.
The system claims it only functions as long as the Master is alive.
The protagonist uses the "Select" and "Custom" menus to manipulate dungeon construction.
The protagonist assigns his smartphone the nickname "Smart-chan."
The system's threatening comment about "getting aroused" is a pun on the Japanese word "okorimasu."
The system consistently breaks its own rules about only answering questions.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A Japanese character archetype where a person initially acts cold or hostile before revealing a warmer, kinder side. The protagonist uses it sarcastically here because the system shows no actual warmth.
2 ↩ A pun in the original Japanese on "tsundere" and "tundra" (similar pronunciation: "tsun-" vs "tun-"). The protagonist plays on the cold environment to mock the system's personality.
3 ↩ A localization of a Japanese meme/gag from the anime "Moyashimon" where a character misreads "戦場ヶ原" (Senjōgahara). Retained here to convey the same absurd, nonsensical joke energy.
4 ↩ Translation of a deliberate double entendre. The Japanese phrase "起こります" (okorimasu) means "will happen" or "will get angry," but the protagonist misinterprets it suggestively for comedic effect.
Notes:
• God - An ancient, divine benefactor and guide to the protagonist, this deity oversees departed souls with a paternalistic yet playfully childish personality. Speaking with casual, modern exasperation, they act as a protector who grants power while maintaining a rational, persuasive demeanor. Though appearing only as a voice, they frequently apologize for their intimidating presence while seeking favors in return.