[D-rank Raider Warrior Cain's greatsword bisects the Low-rank Infiltrator Wild Dog.]

'Damn it all!'

The dog charging from the left was cleaved in two. Taehyun bit his lip, watching as Sit's dagger flashed in to finish another.

[D-rank Raider Thief Sit's dagger sinks into the Low-rank Infiltrator Wild Dog's neck.]

In a single, brutal moment, two of his dogs were dead. The remaining pack hesitated, their charge broken, and the momentum of the battle swung decisively in the raiders' favor.

"You filthy mutts! Who do you think you're messing with?" Gorden's shield sent another retreating dog tumbling through the dust. "Hey, Mirna! How's Roman?!"

"He's fine!" she called back. "The arrow wasn't deep. I'm healing him now, so don't worry!"

"Good! Alright, you bastards, I don't know where you crawled from, but you're going to pay for this!" Gorden held the front line, his shield deflecting the steady stream of arrows while Sit and Cain fell back to protect their casters.

The growling wild dogs, thrown off by the swift counterattack, refused to press forward.

"How dare they target Mirna!" Sit snarled. "I'll never forgive them!"

"Calm down, Sit," Cain advised, his eyes scanning the trees. "The arrows mean there are more of them. And they're smart for monsters, going for Mirna first."

"I know. They've probably been ambushing raiders here for a while." Orcs and goblins were known to keep wild dogs. The coordinated pack tactics and the covering fire from the archers all pointed to it.

"They must have followed us from the fortress," Mirna mused. "Could a Dungeon Master be commanding them?"

"The familiars were suspicious, but it's unlikely," Sit dismissed. "A brand-new D-rank dungeon couldn't possibly control a fortress."

"…I suppose you're right." As Cain said, the odds were close to zero. Sit refocused on the immediate threat.

Just as the tension peaked, new figures emerged from the undergrowth.

"Kieek!"

"Kiek!"

They were goblins, armed and armored.

"So you finally show your ugly faces, you sons of bitches," Gorden spat. He'd fought goblins and orcs dozens of times. For a veteran team like theirs, this was familiar territory. They were confident, almost arrogant.

"Let's end this quickly," Sit urged. "If we get bogged down here, it'll throw off our schedule."

"When does it not?" Cain shot back.

With a shout, Sit's dagger flew. Simultaneously, the goblins and the remaining dogs surged forward.

"You're not getting past me!" Gorden roared, moving to intercept them.

But in a flash of cunning, the monsters ignored him, swerving to make another run at Mirna. Cain and Sit scrambled to block them, while Gorden found himself pinned down by the relentless arrow fire.

"Damn it! This is annoying!" He was the only one who could block the projectiles. He had no choice but to hold his position, a lone bulwark against the archers.

With Gorden occupied, Cain and Sit were left to face the goblin warriors and wild dogs alone.

"Where the hell did they get this gear?!" Cain yelled, parrying a rusty sword.

"They must have killed other raiders and refitted the armor!" Sit shouted back. "Monsters are getting smarter these days!"

"They're really pulling out all the stops!" Sit dodged another clumsy swing and sliced open a goblin's leg.

"Kiek!"

The creature collapsed, but they couldn't afford to relax. Six more goblins were pressing the attack, while the wild dogs, drool dripping from their jaws, continued to harry them, constantly looking for an opening to get at Mirna. They couldn't let their guard down for a second.

"Hah…' I said let's end this quickly," Sit panted. "Doesn't look like that's going to happen."

"They're smarter than we gave them credit for," Cain agreed grimly. "Gorden's stuck dealing with the archers. It's on us to handle this."

"I know." Cain's greatsword carved another arc through the air. The goblins flinched back but didn't break. As the fight dragged on, even the once-confident Sit and Cain began to break into a cold sweat.

---

'Mid-tier raiders they may be, but they've never fought like this.' The tables had turned in an instant. Sit's party, once so self-assured, was clearly tiring. Their only tank was pinned by his archers, their priest was busy healing the mage, and their two damage dealers were being worn down by sheer numbers.

'I can't wipe them out here, but I can at least take one of them down.' The momentum was his again. Two of his warrior goblins were badly wounded, but he still had the numerical advantage.

[D-rank Raider Thief Sit's fatigue has surpassed 40%.]

[D-rank Raider Thief Sit's stamina has reached its limit.]

[D-rank Raider Warrior Cain's fatigue has surpassed 40%.]

[D-rank Raider Warrior Cain's stamina has reached its limit.]

The two were nearly exhausted.

[Roman's leg is 70% healed due to Mirina's Heal skill.]

He had to kill one of them before Mirna and Roman could rejoin the fight. This was his chance. Taehyun ordered all his goblins to charge at once.

[Thief Sit's Dagger Throw skill strikes an Elite Low-rank Warrior Goblin between the eyes.]

[Warrior Cain's Wind Slash decapitates an Elite Low-rank Warrior Goblin.]

He lost two more goblins, but it didn't matter. It was all part of the plan.

'The goblins are bait.'

While Sit and Cain were occupied, he sent the wild dogs through the opening they had created.

'The priest! Rip out her throat!'

At his command, the dogs leaped, a flurry of fur and teeth descending on Mirna. The startled warriors tried to intervene, but there were six dogs. They managed to fend off a few, but one broke through, its jaws clamping down on Mirna's neck.

[Low-rank Infiltrator Wild Dog has successfully landed the 'Bite' skill on Priest Mirina's neck.]

[D-rank Raider Priest Mirina's life force is rapidly decreasing.]

With a chunk of flesh torn from her throat, Mirna collapsed. A guttural roar of pure fury erupted from Sit.

'Their unfamiliar items and coordinated response threw me at first, but they're only human. They make mistakes.' This entire sequence had been orchestrated by Taehyun. He was a world away from the man who had hesitated to attack Dallas Village. For these raiders, he had no mercy.

As Sit's daggers tore through the remaining dogs and goblins in a grief-fueled rage, Taehyun quietly ordered his archers to pull back.

[You have retreated your soldiers from battle.]

[The Elite Low-rank Archer Goblins' combat experience has slightly increased.]

[The Low-rank Scout Goblins' combat experience has slightly increased.]

[The Low-rank Scout Goblins' combat experience has exceeded its limit.]

[7 Low-rank Scout Goblins have been promoted to Elite Soldiers.]

[The goblins are disappointed in the Dungeon Master for choosing to retreat.]

[Loyalty has decreased by 1.]

[Favorability has decreased by 1.]

It was his first tactical retreat, and his soldiers' morale took a slight hit. But it was a small price to pay.

'It doesn't matter. Taking out their priest is more than enough. Besides…' His gaze drifted to Sit's status window.

[Sit]

[Stress: 90/100]

'…another one of them is already on the verge of breaking.' The system had noted their relationship as 'Affection'. With the woman he loved dead at his feet, Sit's rage would be all-consuming.

"You turned the tide in a single moment," Riel observed, her voice tinged with admiration.

"No matter how skilled they are, as long as I have this fortress, they're playing on my board," Taehyun stated coldly. "The moment they chose to bypass it, I knew I had a chance. Even if they had attacked, the delay would have been fatal for their schedule."

"I was worried when you seemed so flustered earlier," Riel admitted with a pleased smile. "But I'm relieved to see you handle the situation so calmly."

Taehyun didn't hear her. His mind was already racing, predicting the party's next move. A thought struck him.

"Isn't it strange they still don't suspect a Dungeon Master, even with this level of coordination?"

"It's likely the fortress, just as with Bolton's party. It throws them off. And as mid-tier raiders, they've probably encountered all sorts of monsters, including highly intelligent ones that hunt in organized packs outside of dungeons."

"Intelligent, unaffiliated monsters actually exist?"

"Yes. It's said that some tribes of goblins and orcs operate as bandits, preying on raiders."

"Hmm. I see." Her explanation made a certain kind of sense.

"Still, it is a shame we lost the equipped goblins and wild dogs, even if we gained the advantage," Riel lamented.

"It's an investment," Taehyun replied, his voice flat. "If I can't stop them, I die."

Riel said nothing.

For a moment, his eyes were chillingly cold. His earlier hesitation was gone, replaced by a raw, desperate will to survive.

'The villagers of Dallas also attacked him,' Riel thought, watching him with a flicker of confusion. 'Why does he treat them so differently from these raiders?' Still unaccustomed to the complexities of human emotion, she kept the question to herself.

---

On the third day of their raid, Sit, still consumed by rage over Mirna's death in the Forest of Silence, had tried to storm the fortress. His comrades had barely managed to restrain him, but he was still a wreck.

Now, standing at the dungeon entrance, he remained silent, staring into the dark cave between the ravines with hollow eyes.

"We finally made it," Roman sighed, "but the cost was too great."

"Ugh... damn it all!" Gorden choked out.

"Gorden, get a grip," Cain snapped, though his own voice was strained. They were all grieving.

"…Let's just get this over with," Roman said, his age making him the de facto leader now. He took the first step inside, and the others followed.

They lit a torch, its flame pushing back the oppressive darkness of the cave as they reached the first room.

"This must be the first chamber," Gorden noted. "It's empty."

"Cain, how are we on supplies?" Roman asked.

"We have enough for one more day."

"Hmm. A D-rank dungeon has seven rooms at most, so that should be enough. Alright. Let's move."

"I'll help you, sir," Cain offered.

"Thank you, my boy."

Cain supported the limping Roman as they proceeded. Soon, they came upon the 'Plant of the Abyss, Landrozel'.

"A Landrozel," Roman identified it instantly. "We should avoid it."

"But we might get lucky and receive a buff," Cain suggested.

"No. Relying on luck in our current state is a fool's gambit." Roman's gaze flickered toward Sit, who was still practically catatonic. Cain followed his glance and nodded grimly. Luck was not on their side today.

"We press on," Roman declared.

"Yes, sir."

They bypassed the pulsating plant and reached the exit of the first room, only to find themselves standing before a corridor that split into two identical paths.

---

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