Dungeon Balak, the upstart dungeon that had humiliated the rookie raider Sebastian. His failure, from a man who boasted a nearly 90% success rate, sent shockwaves through the Raider Association. Based on his recent record, Sebastian was on the cusp of A-rank. For him to flee from a mere D-rank dungeon was unthinkable.

The Association immediately re-evaluated Balak, estimating its true rank to be at least C. Raiders buzzed with interest, while many took the opportunity to mock the fallen star.

"Sebastian's washed up. Some rookie. He ran away from a D-rank dungeon."

"Yeah, I never liked the way he looked down on everyone. This is just perfect."

"I heard he was dropped from the B-rank candidate list because of this. Serves him right."

The sentiment was no different at the Raider Association headquarters in the Penatic Empire. That day, the lobby was filled with whispers about Sebastian.

Just then, a figure in a shabby hood walked through the doors. The chatter died as every eye in the room turned to him.

"Hey! Isn't that Sebastian?"

"Looks like him. What's he doing here?"

"The nerve of him, showing his face after running from a D-rank dungeon."

Jeers and insults followed him, but the hooded figure paid them no mind. As if deaf to the noise, he calmly approached the reception desk.

"Welcome," the employee said nervously. "What is your registered name with the Raider Association?"

"Sebastian."

"Ah! Y-yes. You have an appointment with Director Ridmarth. Please proceed to the fourth floor."

Upon confirming his identity, the employee stuttered through the directions. Junhyun glanced around the lobby, then leaned in close to the trembling employee.

"Hey," he whispered, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "You don't have to look so scared. I don't eat people, you know."

"Y-yes, sir."

Then, Junhyun's sinister laugh echoed as he stepped onto the magic circle and vanished, reappearing on the fourth floor.

Unlike the bustling lobby, the fourth-floor corridor was silent. Junhyun saw another raider approaching from the far end. The man wore white gloves and carried a greatsword that seemed too large for his frame. It was the B-rank raider, Rexner. He stopped when their eyes met.

"What brings you here?" Rexner asked, his voice flat.

"I must have business to be here," Junhyun retorted. "I'm busy, so would you mind getting out of the way, Seongjun Han?"

"I believe I told you not to call me by my real name," Rexner said, his voice dropping an octave.

A heavy pressure filled the corridor as Rexner unleashed his aura. Divine power, cold and constricting, wrapped around Junhyun, but he didn't even flinch. Instead, his smile widened.

"You can just call me by my name, too. Right, Seongjun?"

In response, the chilling aura of the Reaper surged forth. The sacred and the profane clashed in the narrow hallway, each trying to consume the other.

'This guy is a bit of a pain,' Junhyun thought.

The Holy Knight Rexner. He was another Player from Earth, one who hid his real name, Seongjun Han. They had clashed many times since being summoned to the Astral Continent. By becoming a Holy Knight of the Ainkart Holy Kingdom, he had rocketed to B-rank. He was taciturn, unyielding, and utterly incompatible with Junhyun. Their relationship was one of mutual animosity.

"Hmph. Dealing with you is a waste of my time," Rexner finally said, withdrawing his aura with a sigh. "I don't need the headache. Go on."

Junhyun shrugged, letting his own aura dissipate. He started toward the director's room, but Rexner's voice stopped him.

"By the way, I heard you ran away from that D-rank dungeon, Balak. It must have been quite strong?"

Junhyun chuckled. "You son of a bitch. You say you don't want a headache, but you keep picking a fight."

"The Dungeon Master must have been very difficult to deal with," Rexner continued, his tone dripping with mock sympathy. "I feel for you."

Junhyun's hand fell to the hilt of his scythe, but the mention of the Dungeon Master made him pause. He let go of the weapon and grinned.

"Yeah. He was an incredibly difficult bastard," Junhyun said, his eyes gleaming. "So difficult that even you wouldn't be able to conquer him."

"What nonsense," Seongjun scoffed. Sebastian was, for all his faults, a top-tier raider. Even at C-rank, he could hold his own against most B-rankers. For him to praise a D-rank Dungeon Master so highly—and to claim that he, Seongjun, would also fail—was absurd.

"Well, think what you want," Junhyun said with a shrug. "But I wouldn't recommend you try."

"Hmph. Stubborn until the end."

"I'm leaving. Bye-bye."

Junhyun sauntered off toward the director's room. Left alone, Seongjun turned to leave, but a thought gave him pause.

'Come to think of it, his attitude changed the moment I mentioned the Dungeon Master. And that guy, for all his posturing, doesn't make baseless claims.'

He hadn't just been posturing about the Dungeon Master. He had made a definitive, uncharacteristic assertion. And his entire demeanor had shifted. It was all a mystery.

'Balak. The dungeon that recently became C-rank. Located in the Valley of Silence in the western part of the Astral Continent...'

A strange curiosity took hold. A Dungeon Master who had defeated Junhyun while still D-rank. It was... intriguing.

'It's hard to believe, but it wouldn't hurt to see for myself.'

And so, Seongjun Han set his next target: Dungeon Balak.

---

[You have annihilated Viscount Crowley's forces.]

[Raid Defense Rank: A]

[You have acquired 20,000 Zen as an A-rank annihilation bonus.]

[The experience of Balak's soldiers increases by 420.]

[The combat experience of the Wild Dogs has slightly increased.]

[The combat experience of the Goblins has slightly increased.]

[The combat experience of the Imps has slightly increased.]

[The combat experience of the Orcs has slightly increased.]

[The combat experience of the Lizardmen has slightly increased.]

[The combat experience of the Fenrirs has slightly increased.]

[The combat experience of the Trolls has slightly increased.]

[The combat experience of the Minotaurs has slightly increased.]

[The loyalty of Balak's soldiers increases by 1.]

[The obedience of Balak's soldiers increases by 1.]

[You have obtained all equipment and items from Viscount Crowley's forces.]

[You have acquired 132,000 Zen from the corpses of Viscount Crowley's forces.]

[You have acquired 512 corpses from Viscount Crowley's forces.]

The feast was a resounding success. Beyond the massive experience boost for his soldiers, he had reaped a fortune in Zen from the annihilation bonus and the corpses themselves. He had also claimed every piece of equipment from Crowley's army. Including the value of the 512 corpses, he had earned hundreds of thousands of Zen in one fell swoop. Though prices in the System Shop had risen, this was more than enough to re-equip and strengthen his forces, with plenty left over to summon the Guardian he had been eyeing.

"Riel, sell all the corpses to the shop," Taehyun ordered. "Including the ones they buried in the dungeon."

"Understood. What should I do with the equipment?" Riel asked, placing a few sample pieces on the floor.

[Viscount Crowley's Titanium Armor]

[Rank: C]

[Restriction: None]

[Description: A magic-grade item. This is the standard armor worn by the soldiers of the House of Crowley.]

[Viscount Crowley's Full Plate Armor]

[Rank: C]

[Restriction: None]

[Description: A magic-grade item. This is the standard armor worn by the knights of the House of Crowley.]

The gear worn by the soldiers and knights stood out.

"There's equipment for the archers, spearmen, and shield bearers as well, right?"

"Yes, there is."

"Equip our soldiers with the viscounty's gear as needed. Store the rest in the warehouse."

The C-rank equipment, forged by a proper blacksmith, was a significant upgrade from the gear he'd scavenged in the Ice Palace. With over two thousand pieces in total, he could outfit his army for a long time to come.

After dealing with the loot, Taehyun turned to replenishing his losses.

'Since the prices have gone up, I'll avoid Random Summon and Blind Mode for now. First, let's see what's in the daily Random Mode shop.'

Blind Mode was a pure gamble, selling items with their names and stats hidden. Random Mode, on the other hand, offered a rotating selection of items each day. Taehyun carefully perused the listings. Most were standard fare, but one item caught his eye.

[Intermediate Wyvern Summoning Card]

[Rank: B]

[Restriction: C-rank Dungeon or higher]

[Description: A summoning card that can summon a draconic Wyvern.]

A Wyvern. A flying monster. Befitting its B-rank, each card cost a hefty 20,000 Zen.

'Hmm. Three would be 60,000 Zen.'

His total earnings from annihilating Crowley's army were close to 300,000 Zen. A lord's personal army yielded far more than a typical raid party. After a moment of consideration, Taehyun purchased three. He filled the remaining summoning slots with a variety of C-rank soldiers.

"Caaaaaw!"

"Caw."

"Caaaaaw!"

The summoned Wyverns materialized. They were nearly the size of Trolls, with leathery brown hides and massive, outstretched wings. The problem was their cry.

"Seriously? Why do Wyverns sound like crows?" Taehyun muttered, baffled. The sound was completely at odds with their fearsome appearance. He frowned and pulled up their information.

[Intermediate Wyvern]

[Rank: B]

[Level: 1]

[Status: Cursed (Cry)]

...

'A curse. This damn Random Mode shop!'

So that was the reason for the crow-like cawing. Taehyun sighed and approached the beasts.

"The cry is unpleasant, but as flying monsters, I should be able to ride them, right?"

He tried to climb onto one of the Wyvern's backs.

"Caw!" it shrieked, shuffling away with a glare.

"Hah. These things."

It was clearly a favorability issue. Taehyun clicked his tongue and gave up.

---

After replenishing his soldiers, it was time to summon a Guardian. He was torn. At C-rank, he could only have one Guardian or one Keeper. Guardians excelled on the offense, while Keepers were masters of defense.

'A Guardian would be better for me.'

Now that he controlled the fortress, he anticipated fewer defensive battles. To execute the kind of aggressive, strategic ambushes he favored, a Guardian was essential.

Decision made, he returned to the shop.

'Since this is my first Guardian, I might as well go with random. It'll be at least C-rank, and I might get lucky.'

He needed a powerful Guardian, one who could hold their own against the forces of other Dungeon Masters. Trusting the incredible luck he'd had with summons so far, he decided to roll the dice.

[You have used a Random Guardian Summoning Card.]

[A summoning circle is being generated.]

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

A brilliant summoning circle materialized on the floor. Taehyun watched with bated breath as a figure began to form within it.

[A Huge Success!]

[The Rank B Hero Guardian 'Orc Swordsman Grai' has been summoned.]

Familiar green skin. A sword in each hand. Intricate tattoos covering his entire body. This was no ordinary orc.

"A H-Hero?!" Taehyun gasped, his eyes wide. He hadn't dared to expect a Hero-grade summon.

The Orc stood frozen for a moment, then his eyes snapped open.

"Are you my Master?" he asked, his voice a low rumble.

"...Yes."

"I look forward to working with you," the Orc said, his tone formal. "I am Grai, formerly a warrior of the Morata tribe. I am confident in my sword skills. I do not think I will be found lacking."

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