"He's finally making his appearance," Mihye murmured beside him. "That's the man in charge of the Demon King Candidate competition, Duke Nikunbel. He's practically the ruler of the Demon World as it stands."

Her explanation answered his first two questions. With the Demon King's throne vacant, the Duke was the de facto leader. He was the one commanding the demons and orchestrating the entire competition.

'Which means his influence over the outcome is enormous.' A figure of his stature would naturally attract a swarm of sycophants. As if on cue, Dungeon Masters began flocking toward the Duke.

"See that woman with the red-dyed hair?" Mihye pointed. "That's Jieun Kang, currently ranked 4th among A-ranks. They call her a psycho." She then gestured to another man. "The one with the cat is Taeseong Han, B-rank 2nd place. A few months ago, he attacked the capital of the Niflheim Kingdom in the east." Her eyes shifted again. "And that one with the narrow eyes kissing up to the Duke is Chanhwi Baek, B-rank 8th. He's a parasite who latches onto anyone he thinks is useful."

Mihye continued her running commentary, providing a concise rundown of the more prominent Dungeon Masters.

'So there's a ranking system within each grade.' Taehyun watched the scene unfold with a detached expression. It seemed most of them had already accepted their new lives, laughing and socializing even with their lives on the line. Some were loudly boasting about new items and gear as if they were playing a game.

Recalling Mihye's introduction, he turned to her. "So, what's your rank?"

"Hmm. What do you think it is?" she teased.

"You seem like a lunatic, so I bet it's pretty high. The ones here who are half out of their minds seem to have the best ranks."

"Ahahaha! You hit the nail right on the head!" she shrieked with laughter, slapping him on the back. Since she didn't deny it, he assumed he was right.

As Taehyun frowned at her boisterous reaction, Duke Nikunbel finally addressed the crowd.

"Thank you all for attending," his voice resonated through the hall, commanding immediate silence. "I am Duke Nikunbel, and though I have my shortcomings, I am responsible for the Demon World." He unrolled a scroll in his hand. "First, as is tradition, I will announce the top-ranking Dungeon Masters for this session."

It seemed they announced the top player of each grade at every gathering.

"For A-rank, 1st place goes to Jihwan Jeong. Unfortunately, he has chosen not to attend this gathering either." Apparently, this Jihwan was a perennial absentee. "For B-rank, 1st place…"

The moment the words left the Duke's lips, Mihye stood up and strode forward.

'First place. I knew she was strong, but I didn't realize she was at the very top.' His heart skipped a beat as he recalled his earlier insolence, but he quickly dismissed the thought. A player of her caliber wouldn't hold a grudge over something so trivial. 'Right. To you, I must look like nothing more than a cocky little rookie.' From the peak of B-rank, every C-rank player must seem adorable.

Taehyun watched her take her place beside the Duke and waited for the next announcement. 'Alright, who's the current C-rank number one?' There had to be someone who held the title from the previous gathering. That was the person who interested him.

However, the name that came from Duke Nikunbel's mouth was completely unexpected.

"For C-rank, 1st place goes to Taehyun Yoo. A rookie who has shown remarkable results since his D-rank days, claiming the top spot immediately upon his promotion."

A murmur swept through the hall. Even Mihye shot him a look of genuine surprise. Taehyun himself was so stunned that he remained frozen in his seat.

"M-Master," Riel whispered urgently. "You have to go up."

"Ah, r-right." It was absurd, but he had been called. Prodded by Riel, he walked up and stood beside Mihye.

Instantly, a man from a table to the left shot to his feet. "I don't accept this!" he roared, glaring daggers at Taehyun. He must have been the previous number one. "How can a guy who just ranked up take first place? It's impossible!"

"Hey, kid," Mihye said, her voice dripping with condescension. "Stop making a scene and sit down."

"What, you crazy bitch?! What did you just say to me?!"

"Do you want to die?" A wave of pure killing intent washed over the man. He paled, belatedly realizing his mistake, and began to tremble.

"Now, now, that's enough," the Duke interjected smoothly. "It is only natural that some of you would find this hard to accept. However, Master Taehyun is the newcomer who subdued the rookie raider, Sebastian. That achievement alone is more than enough to warrant this position."

"S-Sebastian?!"

"You mean that C-rank rookie who's said to be as strong as a B-ranker? I heard he's been slaughtering Dungeon Masters left and right! How could a D-rank possibly defeat him?!"

Suddenly, all eyes were on Taehyun. Sebastian was a figure of terror among the Dungeon Masters. While he was no match for the top B-ranks, his rapid growth had made him infamous. Taehyun finally understood why he'd been ranked first.

'This is insane. I never wanted this kind of attention. If Junhyun had attacked with a proper raid party, I never would have been able to stop him.' He had only succeeded because the party was unstable and Gelix had been scheming behind the scenes. It was pure luck.

The man who had protested eventually ground his teeth and sank back into his chair.

"Ooh," Mihye purred, nudging him playfully. "So you're the one who took down Sebastian? I like you even more now." She licked her lips, her eyes gleaming.

Taehyun ignored her, his mind racing. 'This puts a target on my back. More people will try to use me, and others will approach me looking to form alliances. I have to use this first-place ranking to my advantage.'

The result was out; there was no changing it. He forced his expression into a neutral mask and held his ground. Just then, Duke Nikunbel leaned in and whispered, "I have high expectations."

Taehyun remained silent.

With that, the Duke finished the announcements. Once the brief ceremony was over, Taehyun was finally allowed to return to his seat.

---

"So the important announcements are tomorrow?" Taehyun asked later.

"That's right," Mihye confirmed. "Tonight is just for enjoying the party. And for making acquaintances, if you're so inclined. Rooms are already assigned; you'll be guided to yours when you leave."

"Hmm. Riel, you should go on ahead. I'm going to walk around for a bit."

At his consideration, Riel hesitated for a moment before nodding. As soon as she left the hall, Taehyun got to work.

"Oh? Finally making your move?" Mihye chirped.

"Don't follow me. You're a nuisance."

"Oh, my. How cruel."

Leaving Mihye behind, Taehyun moved from table to table. Seeing him make the first move, the other hesitant Dungeon Masters began to approach him as well.

"To become C-rank number one right after ranking up… that's incredible, Master Taehyun."

"You flatter me. It was just a stroke of luck. I wasn't expecting it at all," Taehyun replied with a humble smile. It was the truth; the bewilderment on his face during the announcement had been genuine.

"Ahaha, some things can't be achieved by luck alone. Subduing that monster Sebastian as a D-rank dungeon? That's pure skill."

"He's right! How did you do it?"

"Did you have some special method or a unique item?"

The other C-ranks swarmed him, hungry for an edge. Taehyun met their questions with a friendly demeanor, carefully casting his line.

"Really? A method like that exists?!" one exclaimed after Taehyun shared a carefully fabricated tidbit.

"It was something I stumbled upon by chance," he explained. "To be honest, I'm still new to C-rank and quite inexperienced. I was hoping you could offer me some guidance, as a fellow C-rank."

He baited the hook with a sense of camaraderie. It wasn't the truth, just a plausible story, but the phrase "fellow C-rank" created a bond that made them lower their guard. Some might have seen through the act, but they still ended up sharing information first.

"Well, the truth is…"

They all wanted something, after all.

"If you look at the world map…"

For every two pieces of information they offered, Taehyun gave them one of his own—a piece of data so cleverly packaged that even the sharpest among them wouldn't detect the lie.

"But isn't that a bit ambiguous?"

"I've never heard of that before."

"Could it be…?"

When his fabrications became too far-fetched, he would anchor them with a single, verifiable truth.

"Oh, I have heard of that."

"Oh! So that's how it connects!"

"I understand now."

This was how he compensated for his own lack of knowledge. He adapted. Humans are inherently skeptical. A single suspicious detail can make them dismiss an entire story. But if you follow that detail with an undeniable truth, they hesitate. They've heard it before, and they remember it. The ambiguity forces them to conclude it must be a fact they simply didn't know, connecting the dots themselves.

'The hook, baited with a question mark, is the truth.'

The foolish fish began to bite. The third stage of his operation was complete. 'Show interest, create solidarity, and make them talk.'

By the end of it, Taehyun had built a bridge to every single C-rank Dungeon Master in the room—save for one.

---

'The operation was a success, but none of them would consider me an ally,' he reflected later. 'This is a competition. They're all just waiting for a chance to betray me.'

Appearances were deceiving. He had established a network, but there was no trust, no friendship—only a transactional exchange. After finishing with the C-ranks, he sought out other players, targeting those who seemed relatively sane and avoiding the obvious psychopaths.

"You're the C-rank number one, I believe," a deep voice said. An A-rank Dungeon Master with an imposing presence had approached him. "Care for a private conversation?"

"You want to speak alone?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Making a powerful enemy would be foolish. He had to at least hear the man out.

Taehyun followed him out onto a terrace overlooking the demonic landscape.

"Sorry for pulling you away like this. My name is Seunghoon Han."

"Not at all. What did you wish to discuss?"

"I'll be direct," Seunghoon said, his gaze intense. "I intend to conquer the Demon World."

The statement was so blunt it was staggering. To reveal such a monumental goal to a complete stranger was unbelievable.

"…What are you talking about?"

"Exactly what I said. I plan to drive out Duke Nikunbel and his ilk, seize control of this realm, and escape this damn world."

"Are you saying there's another way to return home, besides becoming the Demon King?" Taehyun asked, his heart pounding.

"Of course."

Taehyun's world tilted. He had fought and killed just to survive, all for the singular goal of returning home. To hear that another path existed… it was difficult to believe.

"And this method… you're not going to tell me right away, are you? You're asking me to join your side."

"That's the gist of it. Are you interested?"

He couldn't answer immediately. Seunghoon was physically imposing, clearly a close-combat type. But what mattered was the strength of his dungeon and his faction. Even if another way existed, one needed the power to seize it.

"Why should I trust you? You haven't shown me anything to back up your claim. I can't accept your offer right now."

"Hmph. I expected as much," Seunghoon grunted. "I don't make this offer to just anyone. I'll show you proof soon enough, Taehyun Yoo."

With that, Seunghoon turned and went back inside. Left alone on the terrace, Taehyun stared out at the alien vista of the Demon World, trying to cool his racing thoughts.

'This is a huge shock for the first day. Two completely unexpected things have already happened.'

The gathering was a three-day event. With a major announcement scheduled for tomorrow, he couldn't leave yet. His mind a tangled mess, Taehyun finally turned and left the party hall.

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