[You have thwarted the C-rank raid party's attack.]

[Raid Defense Rank: A]

[You have acquired 5,000 Zen as a bonus for an A-rank raid defense.]

[The experience of Balak's soldiers increases by 300.]

[The Wild Dogs' combat experience has slightly increased.]

[The Goblins' combat experience has slightly increased.]

[The Imps' combat experience has slightly increased.]

[The Minotaurs' combat experience has slightly increased.]

[The loyalty of Balak's soldiers increases by 1 for thwarting a C-rank raid.]

[You have acquired an additional 500 Zen from the corpse of D-rank Raider Milisha.]

[You have acquired an additional 500 Zen from the corpse of D-rank Raider Coldron.]

[You have confiscated all equipment and items from C-rank Raider Junhyun Cha.]

The raid was over. Taehyun had reversed the disadvantage Sebastian created, playing every card in his hand to secure victory. He hadn't anticipated his opponent's final gambit, but the contract had tied up that loose end perfectly.

From that day forward, something inside Taehyun shifted.

"Master," Riel asked, her voice steady. "What should we do with the three remaining survivors?"

"Kill them," he answered without a second's hesitation.

The old Taehyun would have paused and searched for another way. But that Taehyun was gone, burned away in the psychological crucible Sebastian had forged. 'This has taught me one thing for certain,' he thought, a cold certainty settling in his soul. 'Carelessness and hesitation will get me killed.'

He erased every last trace of doubt, eliminating all complacency. It was as if he had finally become the ruthless Dungeon Master Riel had always wanted him to be.

He first stripped the raiders' corpses of anything valuable before disposing of them. The collected equipment was distributed among his soldiers, and the rest was sold. With the Zen he earned, he immediately began restoring the fortress.

[Restoration of the Balak Fortress is complete.]

[Cost: 20,000 Zen.]

The cost was staggering, but the fortress was essential. Next, he reset the dungeon's traps and installations.

[All traps and installations within Dungeon Balak have been restored.]

[Cost: 5,000 Zen.]

With the basic repairs finished, Taehyun's mind turned to one of the pieces of information Junhyun had given him. 'You summoned a shitload of C-rank and B-rank soldiers with those random summon cards, didn't you? Too bad. At D-rank, you can only field five C-rank units at most. And B-rank? Completely unusable.'

The memory of Junhyun's black hair under his hood was still vivid. Player Raider Sebastian—real name, Junhyun Cha. He possessed knowledge that even a Supporter lacked. 'He must have used the Peyton Ducal Family to gather intelligence, or maybe he tortured other Dungeon Masters for it.'

Armed with this crucial information, Taehyun decided not to replace his fallen soldiers just yet. First, he needed to upgrade the Crystal Sphere and the dungeon itself to C-rank. He immediately led his forces back into Yuslan's Ice Palace.

'Other raid parties won't be a problem for now,' he reasoned. 'They all originate from the small city of Partren. That bastard Gelix is smart enough to know not to send more troops right away.' In fact, Gelix was probably more concerned with saving his own skin. Thanks to Taehyun, Junhyun now knew he'd been manipulated, and Taehyun could only imagine how Junhyun's fury would play out.

---

"Oh, you've made it back in one piece!" Gelix exclaimed, his face a mask of pleasantry as he greeted Junhyun and Ludin. "A successful raid, I presume?"

Inside, his stomach was a knot of ice. 'Damn it all, the one I sent that letter to was a knight of the Peyton Ducal Family. And the others... they didn't come back at all.'

Cold sweat beaded on his neck as Junhyun stepped forward and drew Ludin's sword, its polished steel gleaming in the lamplight.

"Wh-what is this madness?!" Gelix stammered, stumbling back.

"You played me for a fool," Junhyun snarled, his voice a low growl. "Now you pay the price, you slippery old snake."

"W-wait! Hold on!" Gelix pleaded, his hands shooting up in surrender. "Let's talk this through! I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." The point of the blade pressed against Gelix's throat.

"I-I understand! I'll tell you everything!" Realizing his life was on the line, Gelix confessed without resistance. When he finished, Junhyun was grinding his teeth, his face a demonic mask of fury.

"Listen to me very carefully," Junhyun hissed. "My first instinct is to kill you where you stand, but you're a clever bastard. So, for now, I'll let you live. On one condition."

"...Which is?"

"For the next year, you will not touch Balak. Instead, you will focus all your efforts on developing the Raider Association and the raiders in this city. The Peyton Ducal Family will provide all the support you need. All you have to do is fill out the paperwork. Understood?"

"Wait a moment. Don't tell me you failed to conquer Balak?!"

Junhyun's silence was answer enough. Gelix studied his tightly sealed lips, a question forming in his mind. 'What is this? Why won't he say a word about what happened at Balak?'

The silence in the room was heavy. Gelix glanced at Ludin, but the knight's face was a stone wall. Then, an idea flashed through the old schemer's mind.

"Sebastian," Gelix began carefully. "Did you, by any chance, use a Contract item?"

Junhyun didn't answer.

"I see." Silence was confirmation. Gelix quickly deduced the likely terms. If they had been captured and released, the contract would almost certainly include the following: First, they were forbidden from sharing information about Balak. Second, they were forbidden from attacking Balak or ordering others to do so. Third, they couldn't speak about what happened during their capture or even mention the contract itself.

Gelix finally understood Junhyun's intentions. 'So that's why he can't kill me. He plans to use me to build up his forces for a year. The contract must have a one-year duration.'

The wrinkles around Gelix's eyes smoothed out. Junhyun smirked and sheathed his sword.

"Don't try anything clever. You're not using me; I'm using you. Cooperate, and I will guarantee your future."

"So that's how it is. Hahahaha!" The old fox and the young lion had reached an understanding. Junhyun couldn't mobilize the Peyton Ducal Family for a direct assault—attacking a mere D-rank dungeon would look pathetic to the other nobles, and hiring high-rank raiders for such a low-level target was impractical. Besides, Junhyun wanted to crush Balak with his own power.

'Empty vain,' Gelix thought. 'Whoever Balak's Dungeon Master is, he certainly tweaked the lion's whiskers.' Balak's growth over the next year was an unknown variable. Developing Partren's forces was Junhyun's insurance policy, while Viscount Crowley's inevitable rage over his son's death would serve as a convenient distraction. For the first time, Junhyun had acknowledged a true rival.

'So it's a 'let's fight again in a year' challenge. How childish. But for me, it's an opportunity.' He couldn't rot in this backwater forever. His goal was a position in the Raider Association's main headquarters, and this was his chance.

"Very well. I accept."

"Accept? This isn't an offer. You will do as I say. This is merely a warning."

"I'll keep it in mind."

"One wrong move, and your head will roll." With that, Junhyun and Ludin departed.

Left alone, Gelix sat down and lit a cigarette. "He chose this place, rather than a larger branch, so he could start on the same footing as Balak. Hah. This is the problem with such lofty pride."

Through the window, he could see Junhyun's face twisted into a mask of sadistic pleasure.

---

A week after Junhyun's departure, Balak officially became a C-rank dungeon. Taehyun had poured every magic stone from the Ice Palace into the Crystal Sphere, and the dungeon had evolved with it.

"My sincerest congratulations on becoming a C-rank dungeon, Master."

[B-rank Named Supporter Riel of Healing is impressed by the dungeon's rank increase.]

[Loyalty increases by 1.]

[Affection increases by 1.]

The increase in Riel's stats was a welcome bonus.

[All soldiers are cheering due to Balak's rank increase.]

[The residents of Dallas Village have shed some of their anxiety due to Balak's rank increase.]

He ignored the other messages, focusing on the results of his week-long campaign. 'First, all soldiers are now equipped with Frost-series gear. The next difficulty level of the Ice Palace is still out of reach, but it might be possible once the C-rank units level up more.' They were armed to the teeth with equipment dropped by spirits and Voldak. He had effectively grinded the dungeon dozens of times, accumulating hundreds of magic stones and spirit stone fragments in the process.

"Still not willing to talk?"

"...Get lost."

"I'll be back again."

He had tried to speak with Larkan dozens of times during his runs, but every attempt had failed. With a sigh of disappointment, Taehyun returned to Balak.

[As a result of Dungeon Balak rising to C-rank, the prices of all items and equipment in the shop will increase.]

The first thing he saw was the price hike. Taehyun scowled. 'It's so different from D-rank. It's like the System was giving me a tutorial discount, and now the real game has begun.' This was the start of true dungeon management. He began by reassigning his soldiers.

[C-rank High Orc (15)]

[C-rank High Lizardman (10)]

[C-rank High Fenrir (5)]

[D-rank High Goblin (10)]

[D-rank High Imp (10)]

[D-rank High Wild Dog (10)]

[C-rank High Minotaur (5)]

[B-rank High Troll (2)]

[Elite D-rank High Warrior Goblin (2)]

[Elite D-rank High Mage Imp (8)]

[Elite D-rank High Spirit Master Imp (3)]

[Elite D-rank High Archer Goblin (4)]

[Elite D-rank High Infiltrator Wild Dog (3)]

[Peak Elite C-rank High Minotaur (2)]

[Elite D-rank High Rogue Goblin (7)]

[Elite D-rank High Scout Goblin (10)]

His army now numbered 106, just shy of the 110-unit population cap. With their levels and equipment in place, Taehyun promoted his C and B-rank soldiers. The new Imps filled the need for Priests. The Goblins, Orcs, and Lizardmen were promoted to various melee classes. The Fenrirs and new Wild Dogs became Infiltrators, while the Trolls and Minotaurs became Shieldbearers.

With his forces reorganized, he utilized the remaining Zen to fortify his territory. 'I want to turn the fortress into a proper dungeon extension, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.' For now, he increased the population limit slightly and stationed the men from Dallas Village as soldiers in the fortress, allowing them to establish a new home there. 'I'll just have to let them visit their families in the dungeon from time to time.' The villagers were adapting.

They didn't fully trust him yet, but their anxiety had lessened. 'With the shop prices so high, manpower is more important than ever.' He constructed a few new facilities in the fortress before turning his attention back to the dungeon itself.

C-rank items were now available, but their prices were exorbitant. Left with little choice, he prioritized purchasing an environmental item.

[The entire interior of Dungeon Balak will change to a forest environment.]

[Swamps will be created in some areas.]

[The Dungeon Master can toggle the environment's visibility with an On/Off setting.]

This was what he wanted most. 'Swamps are the ideal habitat for Lizardmen and Fenrirs,' he recalled. 'And the forest itself will be the ultimate home-field advantage for my scouts and infiltrators.' With a larger army, he could now field separate ambush units for both internal and external defense. He finished his initial investment by slightly expanding the dungeon's rooms and their overall size.

'Should I expand my search to other regions now? Or re-explore the ruins?' No new raid parties had appeared since his clash with Junhyun. Taehyun was studying the world map, contemplating his next move, when a new message materialized before him, glowing an unfamiliar, ominous yellow.

[A demon has arrived from the Demon World.]

It wasn't a monster or a summoned unit. A real demon had come to visit.

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