Episode 143

"…I don't want to do that."

The room fell silent. The first sound to break the stillness was a quiet sigh of relief. The oppressive aura gradually subsided; Badon had calmed down.

'I guess that was pushing it,' Taehyun thought. 'We haven't known each other that long. Bringing up life and death was probably a step too far.'

His simple test could have backfired spectacularly. Taehyun signaled for Grai to stand down and smiled brightly.

"I was just joking. I wouldn't make you do something like th—"

"If I die, I can't see Taehyun," Songyi interrupted, hugging him even tighter. Her body trembled as if she'd just imagined it. "I don't want that."

'Well, I guess this is good enough. At least it means there's no risk.'

He didn't know why she was so taken with him, but he didn't need to. If she wanted to be his pawn, he would gladly use her to his heart's content.

Taehyun stood up, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.

"I was just kidding, so don't take it to heart. Now, calm down. It's time for you to give me a tour of your dungeon, right?"

"Okay. I get it."

And so, Taehyun changed the mood and moved on to touring Antelos.

---

'So you can design a structure like this, too. Interesting. Each room has its own mission, and items are restricted. It's a novel method, but you have to provide hints. One wrong move and they could break straight through to the final room. I suppose she designed it this way because she trusts that guy.'

He felt a strange killing intent at his back, a gaze that had been fixed on him since they began the tour. It was the A-rank Hero Guardian, Badon. According to Songyi, he was a powerhouse capable of facing even an S-rank raider. Grai remained on guard, but if a fight broke out, it would be a hopeless battle.

"Your name was Badon, right?" Taehyun asked casually. "What's your class?"

"I have no obligation to tell you… Hah. I'm a Pugilist."

"No need to get defensive. I was just curious. It doesn't mean anything, so don't dwell on it."

Badon's face twisted. With Songyi watching, he couldn't even express his anger. Taehyun chuckled and turned to Songyi.

"If he's an A-rank Hero Guardian, he must have a special title, right?"

"Yeah. He's the Commander of the Frost Queen's Army."

"…What?"

The Frost Queen's Army. The witch Yuslan. The Ice Palace. Larkan. The Brynhart Kingdom. A cascade of buried facts flooded his mind. Cold sweat trickled down his smiling face.

"The Commander of the Frost Queen's Army, you say?"

"Yeah. Badon is super strong."

He said nothing.

He had her confirm it again, but the fact remained unchanged. If he had brought Larkan, they would have recognized each other on the spot.

'That was a close call. If Larkan had seen Badon, he would have demanded an attack on Antelos without a second thought.'

Even with the strong traces of cold energy, if the target of his revenge was standing right in front of him, Larkan would have been blinded by rage. Taehyun let out a silent sigh of relief and finished his tour.

"I should be heading back," he said. "It looks like things are about to get busy again."

"You have to. You have to call me," Songyi insisted.

"I will if I have time."

And so, Taehyun formed an alliance with Songyi and returned to Balak.

---

[You have formed an alliance with the A-rank Dungeon Master Songyi Han.]

[Antelos and Balak are now established as allied dungeons.]

[You can now request Guardian and Keeper support from the allied dungeon.]

The alliance with Songyi was official. From now on, he could receive Guardian and Keeper support once a month.

"Master Taehyun, a communication came from the merchant guild," Riel reported as soon as he returned. "They said the first approach failed."

"I gave them a week's worth of food. Tell them to go back tomorrow. They're the ones who are in a hurry."

"Understood."

Not just Depay, but territories all over the West were suffering immense damage because of Count Dinen. If he could just sweet-talk them into opening trade, operating the merchant guild would become much easier.

[Rough Rock Tribe dwarf Herden has crafted a steel longspear.]

[Rough Rock Tribe dwarf Tatabo has reinforced a cracked section of the outer wall.]

[Knight Grai is training 500 residents to become swordsmen.]

[Raiders are visiting the small city of Myol.]

[Raiders are looking for an inn.]

As instructed, the dwarves had begun crafting equipment, and Grai was training the residents in his spare time.

'Now even raiders are visiting Myol. They set foot in a dungeon's territory and have the nerve to look for an inn.'

Low-level and irregular raiders came here to make a living. Including hunters, their numbers were quite large. Since they weren't aiming to conquer the dungeon and were just collecting byproducts, they had more or less adapted to Balak's territory.

'While I'm at it, I should build a logging camp to get materials from the forest. Buying entire buildings from the shop is too expensive. With Larkan and the dwarves, it should be possible.'

He had to utilize his natural resources. Taehyun established a logging camp in the Highlon Forest and recruited loggers. After he issued construction orders to the dwarves, an estimated completion time appeared on the world map.

"Sigh. This really feels like a territory management game."

"Master Taehyun, A-rank raiders will start coming now. Don't you think the damage to the territory will increase?" Riel asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"I'm sure there will be raiders who try to use the entire territory to their advantage, but they'll be at a disadvantage. The whole area is a danger zone; if they cause damage recklessly, they risk being surrounded. Besides, Balak is now the source of livelihood for low-level and irregular raiders. They aren't going to attack their own kind, and harming the dungeon residents or the territory itself would only create backlash. That's something even Count Dinen wouldn't want."

Considering the raiders who depended on Balak, the captive residents, the vast territory, and the pressure from Count Dinen, no one would dare target the territory itself. It would take a force on the level of a Dungeon Master or a feudal lord's army to even attempt such a thing.

As Taehyun watched his domain gradually develop, he thought of the merchant guild.

'Once the guild begins its operations, supplies and necessities will start flowing in. Goods unique to the dungeon, and goods unique to humans. If we capitalize on those specialties, trade and exchange will flourish.'

Gradually, even the raiders were beginning to see Myol as an ordinary town. If things continued this way, Dungeon Balak could establish itself in the West as a nation in its own right.

"A dungeon that exists to stop raiders, being recognized as a nation," he mused aloud. "The very thought is ridiculous."

"It can't be helped, since you're developing the territory according to human standards," Riel replied. "Honestly, I question if it's even possible. A dungeon trading and interacting with humans… it's hard to believe."

"Think about it," Taehyun said, his voice firm with conviction. "At first, you thought a symbiotic relationship with raiders was impossible, too. But look at Balak's territory now. Of course, Count Dinen's intervention played a part, but we did most of this ourselves. Nothing is impossible. If we just keep laying the groundwork, starting with the raiders, they'll have no choice but to accept it in the end."

To the raiders, Balak was already the undisputed center of the West. As their reliance on the territory grew, so too did its potential for development.

"By the way, how is Eclat?" Taehyun asked.

"She hasn't uttered a single word since we put her in the prison," Riel reported. "The soldiers say she just sits there, staring blankly at the ceiling."

"Hmm."

Eclat, the exiled angel. A system error had permanently changed her status to that of a mercenary, but in her current state, she was useless. Now that Balak was an A-rank dungeon, A-rank raid parties would soon follow. A vacant mercenary slot was a significant liability he couldn't afford.

"Should I summon another one?" he wondered aloud.

Remembering the empty slot for a direct mercenary, Taehyun opened the system shop. The summon card cost a staggering five million Zen, but with Eclat lost in despair, he had no other choice.

"It's time to shift my focus from the territory back to the dungeon," he decided. "It can't be helped."

Having made his decision, Taehyun headed for the final chamber.

"You must be the only Dungeon Master to summon two mercenaries in a row, Master," Riel remarked.

"It's a damned nuisance," Taehyun grumbled, activating the summon card he'd purchased earlier.

[You have used a Random Mercenary Summon Card.]

[A summoning circle is generating.]

[The summoning circle materializes near the Crystal Sphere, stabilizing its mana.]

A gray summoning circle shimmered into existence near the Crystal Sphere.

[Success!]

[Rank-A Named Mercenary 'Warlock Raimond' has been summoned.]

A figure emerged, clad in a black robe, its face a roadmap of deep wrinkles. With a hunched back and a gnarled staff clutched in one hand, the summoned mercenary was the very picture of a classic warlock.

A dry, rustling laugh escaped him. "'Pfft…' Thank you for the summons. I am Raimond, the warlock who drove the Nikal school to ruin."

"I am Taehyun Yoo, the Dungeon Master of Balak," Taehyun stated flatly. "From this moment on, you are temporarily employed as my direct mercenary."

"It is an honor, my lord. 'Pfft…'" Raimond bowed his head with a gloomy chuckle. Pleased, Taehyun inspected his information.

[Warlock Raimond]

[Rank: A (Named)]

[Level: 67]

[Class: Warlock]

[Title: Betrayer of the Nikal Magic Tower]

[Affiliation: Tower of Darkness (Temporary Contract)]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Favorability: 10]

[Obedience: 50]

[Skills: Blind, Bone Spear, Poison Nova, Fly]

[Special Ability: Absorb]

[Strength: 1] [Endurance: 1] [Agility: 1] [Stamina: 1]

[Mana: 64] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 1] [Luck: 1]

'Interesting. If Raviz is a support mage, this one is pure combat. He has curses and even an area-of-effect spell.' The skills, the mana-focused stats—everything was more than satisfactory.

"Raimond, we're short on time. I'll start with a brief test of your skills and abilities."

"A wise decision, sire," the warlock rasped. "However, skills like Blind and Absorb require a target."

"If there's no other choice, I'll use a soldier…"

Just then, a series of red messages flared to life before his eyes.

[A B-rank raid party has appeared from Hylon Forest.]

[A B-rank raid party has appeared from Hylon Forest.]

[A B-rank raid party has appeared from Hylon Forest.]

It was the arrival of the B-rank raiders. A wry smile touched Taehyun's lips as he dismissed Raimond.

"It seems some suitable prey has just arrived."

---

"So this is where Katarina's raid party was annihilated?" a woman's voice drawled.

"That is correct, Lady Valona."

"A B-rank dungeon with a territory is still just a B-rank dungeon. That little bitch probably charged in, trusting nothing but her own sword arm. I'm not so foolish."

Valona emerged from the dense woods, leading a contingent of four raid parties.

"Paris, what are you waiting for? Bring me my bow, now."

"Yes, my lady!"

"Shall we start by seizing the initiative?" Valona mused, her eyes fixed on the harpies circling high above. Since her party had arrived with their information fully public, the Dungeon Master would have already identified them through shared vision.

"Hmph. What's so special about this Balak that has everyone so terrified? It seems I'll have to conquer it myself."

Valona took the bow from Paris and drew the string taut.

[Mana Compression has been activated.]

[Mana Compression use limit: 1/3]

[Mana is charging into the arrow.]

[30%]

[60%]

[90%]

Mana slowly coalesced at the arrowhead. Sensing the immense power, Valona released the string.

A violent surge of mana tore a trench through the earth. The harpies in the sky were vaporized before they could even react.

"They've all been eliminated! As expected of you, Lady Valona!" Paris gushed.

"This is nothing," Valona scoffed. "I'm on a completely different level from that Katarina bitch."

"Indeed! You, Lady Valona, are the true representative of the Sapadin Guild!" Paris was practically clapping with glee as he laid on the flattery.

Meanwhile, the raiders watching from the rear grew uneasy.

"I joined because they were from the Sapadin Guild, but is this really how they operate?" one muttered.

"We already have to conserve our skills because of the party size penalty. What is she thinking?" another complained.

"And we came with our information completely exposed. This was a mistake."

Not only had they revealed their identities, but she had just wasted a limited-use skill on a flock of harpies. With watchtowers already established nearby, their position would be compromised in moments. At this rate, being wiped out inside the territory was a very real possibility.

"Ohohoho!" Valona laughed, oblivious. "Now, let's hurry and conquer Balak, everyone."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

And so, Valona's raid party marched toward the Revived Plains.

---

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