Episode 135

[The Resistance raid party has used Radar (Advanced).]

The raiders had used the radar, meaning they had found and disarmed the Radar Seal Trap in the sixth room. The entire layout of the Gwadomalla Dungeon, right up to the final chamber, was now exposed. Still, Naeul had succeeded in eliminating their priest, Injong Seo. If they tried to push forward now, the relentless battles would surely pick them off one by one.

"What's their status on single-use skills?" Naeul asked.

"Including the archer's and the Bounty Hunter's, they've used almost all of them," her subordinate reported. "Only the swordsman, Seonghwi, has any left."

"And their exclusive items?"

"The Effect Reversal Card can be countered with our own. The Save a Colleague Coin can be blocked with a neutralization item. And since they haven't placed a mark, they have no intention of using the Location Shift item."

"We've won," Naeul declared.

"We've won," the mercenary agreed.

The Dungeon Master and her subordinate were of one mind, already certain of the outcome. Naeul sneered at the image of Taehyun advancing to the next room. He was saving Seonghwi's skills as a trump card, but that was a fatal mistake.

"It's a shame," she murmured to the screen. "But this time, I'll be the one to catch you."

---

Day four. After their final rest, the raid party entered the eighth room. As predicted, the dungeon continued to throw soldiers at them, but they managed to push through by using their remaining single-use skills.

"Taehyun, stay close to me," Songyi said quietly.

"What's wrong, Songyi?"

"...It's nothing."

Other than Songyi occasionally glaring at Narae, things were proceeding smoothly. Taehyun fiddled with the Save a Colleague Coin as he surveyed the room.

[Giant Footprints]

[A Tail Sticking Out from Between Pillars]

[Dozens of Holes]

Red markers highlighted several points of interest. The massive footprints on the floor led behind a pillar—a clumsy attempt at an ambush, as the creature had failed to conceal its swishing tail. Taehyun stared at it blankly.

"That looks like a monster, doesn't it?" Seonghwi remarked with a grin.

"It certainly does," Taehyun agreed.

"Should we kill it?"

"No, wait a moment."

He was momentarily thrown by the blatant setup but quickly regained his composure. There were still dozens of holes dotting the room. He had Narae check them with her detection skill.

"It's not a trap or any kind of installation," she reported.

"Hmm. Maybe soldiers are hiding inside?" Geonwoo suggested.

"Come on," Hyunjun scoffed. "Even if this is our first raid, they wouldn't hide in a place that obvious."

"Then what is it, Narae?" Songyi asked, her eyes fixed on the swishing tail.

Narae fell silent, at a loss for words, and quietly stepped back. Seonghwi chuckled and approached Taehyun.

"With a setup this obvious, they must be trying to bait us into using a skill or an item, right?"

"...My guess is that it's meaningless," Taehyun countered. "The Dungeon Master just wants to inflict damage on us. But, thinking back on their strategy so far, you're right, Seonghwi."

"Then it's just as we thought, right?"

"Probably."

Taehyun nodded. Seonghwi was correct. The Dungeon Master's primary goal had been to drain their single-use skills. She had also prepared perfect counters for their exclusive items. Confident that no Location Shift mark had been placed, she was undoubtedly sure of her victory. The fact that she wasn't sending in her Guardians, even knowing Seonghwi had skills left, made her plan clear.

''It means she has a trump card that can handle Seonghwi's skills.''

By throwing all their remaining soldiers at them now, she was signaling her intent to end things with just the Guardian and the mercenary. Taehyun lowered his head, a smirk playing on his lips.

''Let's see how long that confidence lasts.''

---

"At this rate, the Resistance is going to lose," one of Mihye Han's faction members commented. "A final room with a secret like that? The raiders are at a huge disadvantage."

"Hmph. That's Duke Nikunbel for you," Mihye replied, her eyes glued to the screen. "He always rigs the game so one side is at a disadvantage. It's to be expected."

The Faction War was, after all, a stage built by the Duke. Every mission was designed to be unbalanced.

''He's always enjoyed this sort of thing.''

Her subordinate was right; the raiders were in a precarious position. Given the secret of the final room, even Taehyun was bound to lose. Yet, Mihye's smile never wavered. In fact, she watched Taehyun with a look of deep satisfaction. Her confused subordinate tilted his head.

"What are you so pleased about?"

"The Resistance is going to win this," she said simply.

"They've done well, but this is impossible even for Taehyun Yoo. No one could figure out a secret like that."

"No," Mihye corrected him, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Little Taehyun already knows. That boy is always..."

On the screen, Taehyun lowered his head, the picture of despair. But as the camera zoomed in, a confident smile was spreading across his face.

"...seeing through everything from the very beginning."

---

[You have entered the tenth room of the Gwadomalla Dungeon.]

The last room of the fourth floor. Beyond this lay the fifth and final floor, where the dungeon's crystal sphere awaited. Taehyun assessed the party's condition. Fighting without a priest had taken its toll; everyone was exhausted. Geonwoo and Hyunjun were wrapped in bandages, a testament to their hard-fought advance.

''Still, for a group of non-raiders to have made it this far is impressive.''

He had carried much of the weight, of course, but his Resistance comrades had performed admirably.

"Narae, are you hurt?" he asked.

"Mhm. No, I'm fine. Perfectly fine."

"Good."

The Bounty Hunter was, thankfully, unharmed. He had practically thrown himself in front of every danger to protect her, so it was only natural. Now, she could scout the final room's traps. Ignoring Songyi, who was tugging at his sleeve and glaring daggers, Taehyun activated Hunter's Eye.

[Hunter's Eye has been cast.]

[Hidden Staircase]

[White Button]

[Black Button]

[Murderous Gaze]

The room's layout was simple: a staircase leading to an upper level. The only problem was that the staircase was currently retracted into the floor. Taehyun noted the two buttons on opposite sides of the room and understood the mechanism.

"We have to press both buttons simultaneously."

"Aha! And that will raise the stairs?" Seonghwi deduced.

"Correct," Taehyun confirmed. "But the creatures on the ceiling will descend at the same time."

A swarm of monsters clung to the ceiling like bats, showing no sign of moving.

"They're too high for our archer or mage to reach," Geonwoo observed.

"But they'll have no trouble reaching us," Taehyun said grimly. "The Dungeon Master is expecting us to split our forces."

"Indeed," Hyunjun added, his gaze sweeping the ceiling with disgust. "To press the buttons, we'd have to split into two groups of three."

If they split up, one group would be overwhelmed. They would be forced to use a Location Shift or a Save a Colleague Coin. Yet Taehyun made no move to use an item. With only three ranged attackers—and considering Narae's negligible combat ability—one side was doomed even if they split up their main fighters, Seonghwi and Geonwoo. His inaction was puzzling.

"How do you plan on dividing us?" Seonghwi asked.

"I'm sorry," Taehyun said, his voice devoid of emotion. "But one of you will have to die here."

"What?!" The party erupted in confusion.

Taehyun's cold gaze settled on Hyunjun. The message was clear: the mage was to be the sacrifice.

"H-Hey, that's going too far!" Geonwoo protested. "Why does someone have to die? Who is it going to be?"

"It can't be me; I'm the raid leader," Taehyun stated flatly. "Songyi still has plenty of arrows. Seonghwi has two single-use skills. Geonwoo is our shield; he has to stay at the front. And Narae needs to disarm traps, so she can't die yet. That only leaves you, Hyunjun."

"Why Hyunjun?" Songyi cried out. "He's been doing great as our mage!"

"His mana is depleted," Taehyun explained calmly. "He can cast maybe two more spells, at most. Dying here isn't permanent. It's far better to sacrifice one for the good of the raid."

He was right. Hyunjun's mana was gone. Two more spells would be useless. From a purely logical standpoint, his death was the most strategic choice. After a moment of contemplation, Hyunjun raised a hand to silence Geonwoo's protests.

"Taehyun is right," he said with grim acceptance. "I'll be the sacrifice. I'll be watching from the other side. Make sure you clear this dungeon."

"Don't worry," Taehyun replied. "They won't be able to stop us. Go on ahead and have a chat with Injong."

"Heh. Thanks for that," Hyunjun chuckled humorlessly and prepared to cross the room.

Taehyun and the others moved to the white button. Once everyone was in position, he gave the signal. Hyunjun sprinted across the room and placed his hand on the black button.

"Press it!" Taehyun yelled.

"You got it!"

The staircase began to rise from the floor. They had succeeded.

Sensing the rising stairs, the monsters on the ceiling swarmed down. Taehyun's group fought off the creatures descending on their side, but the other side was a different story.

Hyunjun, alone at the black button, was overwhelmed and torn apart before he could even react.

[A-rank Raider Hyunjun Jo has died.]

Having sacrificed one of their own, the Resistance raid party ascended toward the final room.

---

[You have entered the final room of the Gwadomalla Dungeon.]

The floor was a massive, perfectly square chessboard.

[A-rank Raider Narae Min has disarmed the Hellfire Trap.]

[A-rank Raider Narae Min has disarmed the Arrow Trap.]

[A-rank Raider Narae Min has disarmed the Black Spider's Nest.]

With the last of the traps neutralized, the Bounty Hunter's job was done. All that remained was to destroy the crystal sphere glowing ominously ahead. Taehyun fiddled with his Save a Colleague Coin, his eyes locked on Naeul, who stood beside the sphere, looking down on them with unconcealed arrogance.

"What gave you the confidence to grace us with your presence, Dungeon Master?" Taehyun called out.

"The certainty that I can stop you, of course," Naeul retorted. "I've enjoyed your performance so far. But now, it's over."

Three powerful figures emerged from the shadows behind her, shimmering with buffs. A mercenary stood at the forefront, flanked by a Guardian and a Keeper. The Lamia that had escaped the fourth floor was among them. This was her entire remaining force. Taehyun scowled and activated his Effect Reversal Card.

"Useless," Naeul scoffed, countering his move as if she had anticipated it all along.

[Effect Reversal Card has been used.]

[All of the dungeon side's buffs have been converted to debuffs.]

[The dungeon side has used an Effect Reversal Card.]

[All of the dungeon side's debuffs have been converted to buffs.]

"Damn it!" Taehyun cursed.

He settled for using a buff item on his own party, but without a priest, they were still at a disadvantage. Worse, they were exhausted from the relentless fighting. A direct confrontation would mean certain defeat.

"What will you do now?" Naeul taunted.

"Grrr... It's not over," Taehyun growled. "You may not have expected this, but Seonghwi still has a single-use skill—"

In that instant, Seonghwi vanished. Naeul pointed to a newly formed cage hanging from the ceiling, a triumphant sneer on her face.

"Now, were you saying something about a single-use skill?"

"Wh-What is this?!"

Seonghwi was trapped. Flustered, Taehyun used the Save a Colleague Coin.

[Save a Colleague Coin has been used.]

[A-rank Raider Seonghwi Hyeon's location will be moved to the raid party's position.]

The coin flew into the air, glowing with a blue light. A flicker of satisfaction crossed Taehyun's face as he waited for Seonghwi to be summoned. But then, the coin's light sputtered and died, and it clattered uselessly to the floor.

[Dungeon Master exclusive item 'Item Neutralization' has been activated.]

[The effect of the Save a Colleague Coin has been nullified.]

[A-rank Raider Seonghwi Hyeon's movement has failed.]

It was Naeul's counter. She laughed, savoring his shock, and gave the order to attack.

"Looks like we'll be scoring the first point against the Resistance," the mercenary, Donghoon, said.

"Shall we start with a single-use skill?" the Keeper, Changsik, suggested.

"Don't get careless," the Lamia Guardian, Danbi, warned. "They still have enough power to kill one or two of us."

The three elite monsters charged. Taehyun desperately shouted orders, trying to mount a defense.

[A-rank Guardian, Lamia Queen Danbi Kim, has cast Despairing Scream.]

[The entire raid party's morale drops to its lowest.]

[A-rank Keeper, Lord of Pain Changsik Jun, has cast Titan's Vigor.]

[Changsik Jun's critical damage rate increases by his defense value.]

[A-rank Mercenary, Knight of Zess Donghoon Baek, has cast Radmille Swordsmanship.]

[Donghoon Baek's weapon destruction power triples.]

The enemy's main forces unleashed their skills, overwhelming the beleaguered raiders.

Narae was the first to fall, cut down by Donghoon's greatsword. Geonwoo tried to hold back both Donghoon and Changsik, but his shield began to crack under the immense pressure.

"Damn it! I'll kill the Lamia at least!" Taehyun roared.

Danbi was still weakened from her earlier injury. With Songyi providing covering fire, Taehyun charged toward her.

---

A small body hit the floor. It was the archer, Songyi. Taehyun, collapsed on the ground, looked around at the carnage. Geonwoo, who had been holding back two opponents, was also dead. The only ones left were himself and Seonghwi, still trapped in the cage.

"See? What did I tell you?" Changsik panted. "I said they could kill one or two of us."

"Whew... We're in bad shape," Donghoon gasped. "Danbi's dead, but the damage we took is considerable. If Seonghwi had been free, we would have lost."

The two surviving monsters staggered to their feet, heavily wounded but alive. Taehyun glared at Danbi's corpse beside him and ground his teeth. He had fought with everything he had, but taking down one of them was his limit.

"It seems I've caught my prey," Naeul said, walking toward him. "What a shame for you."

"What kind of bullshit is this?!" Taehyun spat. "A room that traps a raider? This is too unfair!"

"Weren't raiders always at a disadvantage?" Naeul replied coolly. "If you have a complaint, take it up with Duke Nikunbel himself."

"You damn bitch!"

Naeul sneered down at him. All his hard work, all his careful planning, was crumbling to dust. Taehyun slammed his fist on the ground in pure frustration. Just then, a voice echoed from the cage above.

"Taehyun," Seonghwi called out cheerfully. "Can I get out now?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Taehyun shot back. "We don't have any items left. What kind of miracle are you hoping for?"

"Hey, the one who's mistaken is you, Naeul," Seonghwi said, his voice laced with amusement. "You forgot about the Location Shift item, didn't you?"

"Hah! I already confirmed you never placed a mark," Naeul scoffed. "You can't use it from here. How do you plan to get out?"

She was right; he couldn't place a mark now. But Seonghwi just smiled and looked down at the floor. A slow, predatory grin spread across Taehyun's face as he held up an item in his hand.

"Your name is Naeul, right?" Taehyun said, his voice dripping with contempt. "You have some nerve, sneering like that, you bitch."

"Wh-What did you say?!"

"You caught one of mine. Now I get to catch three of yours. Have fun struggling."

He activated the Location Shift item.

[Location Shift has been used.]

[A-rank Raider Seonghwi Hyeon's location will be changed to the previously saved location.]

"Wh-What?! But you couldn't have placed a mark!" Naeul stammered in disbelief.

"I told you, didn't I?" Seonghwi's voice echoed from the now-empty cage. "I have two single-use skills left. Try and stop me if you can."

Seonghwi was gone. He was most likely making his way up from the first floor.

'"Taehyun. Looks like you're plotting something fun again?"'

'"You'll know if you wait and see."'

'"Then I'll look forward to it."'

It had all started in that Safety Zone. A swordsman with two single-use skills would be more than a match for a wounded mercenary and Keeper. One floor. Then another. And another. Seonghwi was climbing back to the top.

"N-No way! We don't have any single-use skills left!" Changsik panicked.

"Our stamina is at its limit! The two of us have to somehow...!" Donghoon yelled.

"Yo! Nice to see you again," a cheerful voice announced from the entrance. "Swordsman raider Seonghwi Hyeon, at your service."

Seonghwi stood there, sword in hand, flashing the brightest, most terrifying smile in the world.

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