As expected, Kinjo was exceptionally clever. His competence had been proven during the battle for Lasten, but having him as a Supporter was a true convenience. His first act was to calculate the budget for the second Balak. Restoring the soldiers and Guardian lost in the previous battle was the top priority.

"To restore the original forces, we will need roughly 800,000 Zen, Master," Kinjo reported.

"Let's summon a Guardian first," Taehyun decided with a sigh.

"You already operate an assault squad with Sir Grai. I would recommend summoning a Keeper this time."

The assault squad led by Grai was undeniably effective, but a Guardian's strength lay in offense. Kinjo was right; a Keeper would be a prudent choice for defense. Nevertheless, Taehyun shook his head.

"You're right, it would be wise to prepare for defensive battles. But my style is to bite first, not to guard." He planned to target the nearby territory and its surroundings immediately. His primary strategy had always been to whittle down attacking raid parties, bleeding their strength before devouring them whole. "Besides, this dungeon has everything it needs except soldiers. I don't have 800,000 Zen on hand, and I'll be building the army up gradually. A Keeper would be useless right now. It's better to summon a Guardian and strike our enemies outside the walls."

With Lasten gone and Balak's name in its place, more raiders were sure to come—stronger ones than before. He needed to be ready. A Keeper could be summoned later, once he had established a stable foothold. Simply defending would lead to a dead end.

"I-I see. I understand, Master."

"This is just the beginning," Taehyun declared. "The territory, the surrounding villages and towns, even the small city of Partren. I'm going to make this entire region my domain."

His primary goal was set. At Taehyun's confident proclamation, Kinjo's eyes welled with tears.

"H-hey, what's with the sudden waterworks?" Taehyun asked, taken aback.

"I, Kinjo, am moved, Master!" the goblin sobbed. "It is an honor to serve such a perfect Dungeon Master! I will devote my life to serving you!"

He was so overcome with emotion that his tears wouldn't stop. Taehyun scratched his cheek, embarrassed, and opened the shop. "Well, I'm glad you understand. Let's get that Guardian summoned."

Fortunately, there was still Zen left over from the old Lasten. He purchased a Random Guardian Summon Card.

[You have used a Random Guardian Summon Card.]

[A summoning circle is being generated.]

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

The circle blazed, summoning another Guardian.

[Great Success!]

[A B-rank Named Guardian, 'Mana Bullet Marksman Mederia,' has been summoned.]

A human-shaped fairy with white, leaf-like wings and vibrant green hair appeared, looking as if she'd stepped directly out of a fairy tale. Taehyun stared, dumbfounded. Kinjo, equally flustered, stopped crying and gaped.

"Hey," Taehyun said, breaking the silence.

"Y-yes, Master!" Kinjo squeaked.

"You two planned this, didn't you?"

---

"I greet the Master," the fairy said, her voice clear and steady. "My name is Mederia, a high fairy. My main weapon is the bow, and I hold the title of Mana Bullet Marksman."

Unlike Kinjo, this Mederia had no memories of her past. She seemed mentally sound, with no recollection of Hyuntae or the abuse she had suffered. Taehyun belatedly nodded and helped her to her feet.

"I'm Taehyun Yoo," he said. "As you probably know, I'm the Dungeon Master of Balak, and this is the second Balak. You'll be in charge of this place from now on."

"I will do my best to assist you."

"Hmm. By any chance, do you know someone named Hyuntae?" Taehyun probed again, just to be sure.

Mederia tilted her head. "Hyuntae? Who is that?"

"Never mind. Return to your room for now."

"Understood."

After she left for the Guardian's quarters, Taehyun sighed and reviewed the information for his new subordinates.

[Kinjo of Schemes]

[Rank: C (Named)]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Strategist]

[Title: Tongue of Schemes]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 70]

[Favorability: 30]

[Obedience: 20]

[Skill: Cunning]

[Special Ability: Negotiation is Timing (Active)]

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

[Mana: 4] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 4] [Luck: 4]

[Mana Bullet Marksman Mederia]

[Rank: B (Named)]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Archer]

[Title: Mana Bullet Marksman]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Favorability: 10]

[Obedience: 50]

[Skill: Rapid Shot]

[Special Ability: Mana Bullet]

[Strength: 1] [Endurance: 1] [Agility: 6] [Stamina: 1]

[Mana: 5] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 4] [Luck: 1]

Kinjo was, as expected, a Supporter perfectly optimized for dungeon management. Lasten's growth had likely been almost entirely his doing. While his combat stats were abysmal, his skills were impressive. As he leveled up, he would undoubtedly excel in management and politics.

'Expanding a dungeon isn't just about fighting off raiders like in a game,' Taehyun mused. 'There are systems for exploration, invasion, events, trade, psychological warfare, and NPC recruitment. This world requires a battle of wits that extends far beyond the battlefield.'

Eventually, he would face political mind games and sit at negotiation tables with other Dungeon Masters. Whether he formed alliances, betrayed them, or manipulated them, a purely combat-oriented lineup would have its limits. Kinjo would be invaluable in those intricate conflicts.

'And even if my style is to strike first, there will be times I need to defend. I may be growing faster than anyone else, but crises are inevitable. I need to prepare for them.'

Simply running a dungeon like a defense game was a path to failure. This world was real and brutally cruel. That had been Hyuntae's fatal mistake. He foolishly believed he could survive just by strengthening his dungeon, underestimating the competition, the raiders, and the continent itself.

A Guardian was strong, certainly. In combat, they could do the work of several people. But against an army, against hundreds of high-rank raiders, against another Dungeon Master, or against an entire nation, their strength had its limits. Strategy, tactics, and psychological warfare would become paramount.

'Not that a Guardian becomes useless, of course.'

He had fought Mederia once before and seen her prowess as a ranged Guardian. Paired with the melee-focused Grai, she would create a perfect combination. 'Plus, she's a flying type, like a wyvern. A unit of fairies led by her would provide formidable ranged support.' She was a Guardian specialized in tracking and pursuit—an excellent addition to his assault squad.

Satisfied with his analysis, Taehyun used the remaining Zen to summon soldiers. "Since this is a fairy world environment, fairy soldiers are the best choice, right?"

"Yes, Master. The environment will grant a bonus to their stats."

"Good." He invested the last of the Zen from the old Lasten.

[Intermediate Fairy]

[Rank: C]

[Level: 1]

[Class: None]

[Title: None]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Favorability: 10]

[Obedience: 50]

[Skill: None]

[Special Ability: None]

[Strength: 1] [Endurance: 1] [Agility: 2] [Stamina: 2]

[Mana: 2] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 2] [Luck: 1]

He couldn't restore Lasten's original army at once, but he managed to summon about thirty fairies as a temporary measure. They were only C-rank, but it didn't matter. He could supplement them with soldiers from the first Balak until their numbers were replenished.

"It's the Dungeon Master!" one of the new fairies chirped.

"He looks human, but he's a demon. How strange."

"He's not that good-looking. Not my type," another giggled.

The summoned fairies were a lively bunch, chattering and staring at Taehyun with open curiosity—a stark contrast to the ones Hyuntae had commanded.

"Hey! You insolent things!" Kinjo snapped. "Who do you think you're talking to so carelessly!"

"Oh, that's funny," a fairy retorted. "Look at the goblin with the long nose trying to act tough."

"I don't like him."

"Me neither."

Kinjo's scolding only earned him mockery for his appearance.

"Grr!" he growled.

"Stop it," Taehyun said calmly. "I'm fine. And he's right, your nose is long."

"E-even you, Master…" Kinjo whimpered, collapsing dramatically. For a schemer, he had a surprisingly fragile heart.

---

The next day, Taehyun began to seriously test his new dungeon.

"Master, it's good to test this place, but won't the original Balak be in danger while you're here?" Kinjo asked.

"It's fine," Taehyun reassured him. "That place has a fortress, and its defenses are decent enough. Besides, Riel and the main force are there, so there won't be any problems. I gave her a communication device, so if things get dangerous, she can move with Grai immediately."

"A-a fortress, too! As expected, you're amazing, Master!"

For now, Grai and the assault squad were stationed at the second Balak. Taehyun wanted to test the dungeon itself as much as possible without relying on his Guardian.

[A C-rank raid party is approaching Riel Valley.]

Right on cue, a raid party appeared. They must have come to investigate Lasten's disappearance. 'They're either here to find out what happened or to probe the new dungeon that's taken its place.' Either way, it didn't matter. He used his summoned familiars to observe the dungeon entrance. The party consisted of about twenty people. The fact that they spotted his familiars meant they had some basic competence. Just before the screen share cut out, Taehyun checked their information.

[Gapilder]

[Rank: C (Intermediate)]

[Level: 26]

[Class: Swordsman]

[Affiliation: Alon]

[Stress: 40/100]

[Status: Annoyed]

[Relationship with comrades: Mostly favorable, filled with complaints about Phillip]

[Description: A raid party selected to uncover the reason for Lasten's fall. They received a personal request from Branch Manager Gelix.]

As expected, they were an investigation team. Their levels were low, but their connection to Branch Manager Gelix suggested they had some experience. 'Oh. A personal request from Branch Manager Gelix, huh.' It was no exaggeration to say that Gelix, the branch manager of Partren, and Taehyun had a strange connection. From the Sheet raid party to Junhyun's, and now Gapilder's—Gelix was behind them all.

'Looks like I'll have to apologize again.' He'd already heard from Junhyun that Gelix was constantly plagued by Balak's existence; the stress Taehyun was causing him must have been immense. A smirk touched Taehyun's lips as he positioned his soldiers. This was merely a test run. He had no intention of using any items.

'As long as Grai is here, there's no need for items or complex strategies.' Besides, with the exception of Gapilder, the rest were all D-rank raiders. The west was clearly lacking in high-ranking talent.

"Muahaha! The raider scum have finally entered!" Kinjo chortled. "What do you plan to do, Master?"

"Well, I don't think I'll need any items," Taehyun replied. "How about I just sow a little discord using their stress index?"

The screen lit up again, showing the raiders inside the dungeon. Taehyun's mouth curled into a grin as he watched Gapilder and a man named Phillip exchanging wary glances. He was suddenly reminded of Bolton.

'Defending isn't just about trading blows. Even minor details like the stress index are well worth exploiting.'

He was already looking forward to what would happen next. Beside him, Kinjo was practically vibrating with excitement, eager to witness Taehyun's methods firsthand.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.