The sky shimmered with a greenish hue, and flowers bloomed everywhere. It felt as if they had stepped into a land where fairies lived.

The beautiful scenery, however, was the last thing on the raiders' minds. Once a raid began, their lives were on the line; they couldn't afford to lower their guard for a single moment.

"The dungeon's environment looks the same as it did under Lasten," one raider observed.

"And the presence of monsters suggests a Dungeon Master is still active," another added.

"You never know," a third countered. "The Master could be dead, and these are just summons wandering an abandoned dungeon."

A flurry of theories filled the air. They hadn't even breached the first room, but caution was already their watchword.

"Let's just go in," Gapildeo cut in, his voice sharp. "We need to find out why Lasten vanished and who's squatting here now. The Master might be dead, but we still have to confirm it."

As the others began to murmur, he silenced them with a stern look. The raiders nodded in agreement. He was right—they needed to investigate first.

Gapildeo huffed and took the lead. Just then, Philip slung a casual arm around his neck. "Hey, hey. Why so serious? Gapildeo, my man. Let's lighten up a bit, huh?"

Gapildeo gritted his teeth. "A raider must never be afraid, but they must always be cautious. That's the most basic rule there is. If I'm not serious now, when should I be?"

"Of course, I'm not saying we should cower in fear," Philip said smoothly. "Just that we should relax, have a little leeway."

Philip was infamous among the raiders for his slick, sly demeanor. Once again, he was ignoring the raid leader's authority and acting as if he were in charge. This womanizer, who hit on every girl in sight, was now meddling in official business. Gapildeo's expression soured at his oily confidence, which banked on their slight friendship.

"Gapildeo was a bit high-strung today," one raider whispered to another. "He had the atmosphere wound tight right before we left."

"Don't be too hard on him. He has his reasons."

"Well, whatever. Philip has a point."

The group's mood was already shifting in Philip's favor. Gapildeo's fists trembled as he fought to suppress his rage.

"...I'll try my best," he managed to say through clenched teeth.

"Wow, that's like Gapildeo!" Philip boomed, patting him on the shoulder with an exaggerated flourish. "You're my friend, so you have to humor me this much. Of course."

For a split second, Gapildeo's temper flared, and he nearly threw a punch. Instead, he turned away.

'You bastard,' he seethed. 'Wasn't it enough to mess with my woman? Now you're getting on my last nerve.'

Philip Moyre. He was the heir of Baron Moyre, and he used his noble status as bait to take advantage of his so-called friends. In truth, they weren't friends at all—just tools he paraded around to flaunt his own importance.

Until a few days ago, Gapildeo had been one of those tools. That all changed the moment Philip made a move on Rone, the woman he loved. In that instant, the deception became clear, and a deep, cold anger surged within him. If Philip hadn't been a noble, he would have beaten him to a pulp on the spot. But the chasm in their social status forced Gapildeo to hold back.

'Why the hell did I have to come here with this guy?'

Today's raid was a personal request from Branch Manager Gelix. He had accepted it for the significant upfront payment of Zen, but now, he was drowning in regret.

"Ahahaha," Philip laughed, loud enough for all to hear. "Come now, everyone. Be generous. My friend here seems to be under a lot of stress lately."

It was all because Philip was part of the raid party. Even now, he was hijacking the atmosphere, systematically undermining Gapildeo's authority. He was doing it deliberately, knowing full well that Gapildeo had seen him hitting on Rone. The proof was in the mocking, sidelong glance he shot him.

'Hold it in. I have to hold it in,' Gapildeo told himself. 'Even as a C-rank raider, I can't touch a noble.'

Rone hadn't been able to put up much of a fight for the same reason. If he lost his temper now, he would endanger not only himself but her as well. Forcing himself to calm down, Gapildeo focused on the raid.

---

[Gapildeo]

[Stress: 60/100]

They had barely been in the dungeon for any length of time, yet his stress level had already climbed. Watching the scene unfold on the monitor, Taehyun could see that Gapildeo and the raider named Philip did not get along. Or rather, it seemed Gapildeo was harboring a one-sided rage.

'That Philip character... he's completely toying with Gapildeo,' Taehyun mused. 'Subtly seizing control of the mood while prodding him just enough to keep him on edge.'

Though Gapildeo was clearly the raid leader—a full rank higher than Philip—he was powerless to stop him. Philip was almost certainly the son of a noble family.

'I remember Junhyun saying that even raiders don't mess with nobles.'

He had already gleaned most of what he needed to know about raiders from Junhyun. It was no exaggeration to say he had a firm grasp on even the minor details of their culture.

As he watched the party enter the first room, Taehyun's mind began to race.

'Alright, let's think. What's the real reason for Gapildeo's anger toward Philip?'

The answer, perhaps, was simple. On the screen, Gapildeo's gaze kept darting toward the female raider at the back of the group. He was obviously bothered by Philip sticking so close to her.

[Rone]

[Rank: D (High)]

[Level: 26]

[Class: Mage]

[Title: None]

[Affiliation: Alon]

[Stress: 30/100]

[Status: Annoyed]

[Relationship with Comrades: Mostly Favorable, Affection for Gapildeo, Uncomfortable with Philip.]

'Well, well. So they're lovers,' Taehyun thought with a cold smile. 'Of course he'd be furious if some noble is hitting on his woman.'

The situation clicked into place. The son of a noble was making moves on his girlfriend, and he couldn't even voice his anger, left to do nothing but grind his teeth. Philip, fully aware of this, was likely provoking him on purpose. His slick attitude made that much obvious.

Taehyun scanned the traps and contraptions in the first room, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.

"Hold on, why doesn't Gapildeo's status window show 'Affection' for her?"

Something was off. If they were truly in love, both of their windows should have reflected it. But the word only appeared on the woman's profile. Taehyun tilted his head, pulling up Gapildeo's information again.

[Gapildeo]

[Rank: C (Mid)]

[Level: 26]

[Class: Swordsman]

[Title: None]

[Affiliation: Alon]

[Stress: 60/100]

[Status: Irritated, Suspicious]

[Relationship with Comrades: Mostly Favorable, Full of complaints toward Philip]

In that short time, 'Suspicious' had appeared in his status box. The word 'Affection' was definitively absent from his profile.

'This is better than a soap opera.'

The twisted relationship between the three, the reason for Gapildeo's lack of affection, the sudden appearance of 'Suspicious'—it all made perfect sense.

The unfolding drama was far more interesting than a simple test. A delighted smirk spread across Taehyun's face as he began to set the stage.

"Shall we add a little fuel to this fire?"

"Muahaha," Kinjo cackled beside him. "I don't know what that means, but you look like you're having a wonderful time."

"That's because an interesting show has just begun," Taehyun replied. "This is a dungeon test, yes, but it looks like I'll get to enjoy myself for a change."

---

Meanwhile, the raid party stepped into the first room and found themselves in a lush, indoor garden.

"I can't believe this is inside a dungeon," one of them marveled. "I've never seen anything so beautiful."

"It's probably due to the fairy-world environment," Philip chimed in, sidling up to Rone. "Fairies adapt easily to places like this. Just like you, of course."

"Ahaha... you think so?" Rone replied, flustered by the sudden compliment.

At the head of the group, Gapildeo watched them, grinding his teeth.

'Philip, that bastard!'

He glared at them both, his anger simmering.

'Rone, why can't you just shut him down?'

He was furious with Philip, but he was also deeply disappointed in Rone for not pushing him away more decisively. Even if he was a noble's son, he wanted her to be firm, at least when he was watching. But she just kept glancing at him nervously, unable to properly reject the man's advances.

'Don't tell me she's actually fallen for him... No, no way. Rone wouldn't do that.'

Though doubt gnawed at him, his eyes remained fixed on her. The rest of the party, meanwhile, had gathered around a small pond.

"Look at this. The water is black."

"That's ominous. Best not to touch it."

"This pond could be a trap. Your hand could rot the second you dip it in."

The water in the pond was an inky black, clearly stagnant and foul. Gapildeo ordered the raiders to step back, wary of any potential danger.

Just then, massive vines erupted from the ground behind them.

"Gahhh!"

"A-aaack! What are these things!"

It was the first room's trap: the Vines of Neplancy. Before they could react, Rone and Philip were ensnared, their ankles bound as they were hoisted violently into the air.

"Rone!" Gapildeo yelled, drawing his sword and lunging forward.

Fortunately, the vines didn't seem aggressive; they were merely restraining the two. The rest of the party quickly moved to cut them down.

"Are you okay, Rone?!" Gapildeo shouted up at her.

"Ugh! Other than being upside down and trying to hold my skirt down, I'm fine!"

"Hang on! I'll get you down!"

One by one, the thick vines began to snap under their blades. Spurred on by the progress, Gapildeo hacked through the remaining tendrils with renewed vigor.

"Hurry up and get me down!" Philip shrieked from above. "This is humiliating!"

"Just wait a minute, Philip! I'm almost—"

Suddenly, a horde of monsters poured out from the corridor leading to the second room. Orcs, goblins, even wild dogs—a formidable force. The raiders froze, their rescue attempt forgotten as they instinctively adopted battle stances.

"Gapildeo, this is no time to be cutting vines!" a comrade yelled.

"Damn it!"

He had been moments away from freeing them, but the monsters had to take priority. They were suspended high in the air; it wouldn't be too late to rescue them after the fight. With that grim thought, Gapildeo turned to face the oncoming wave.

---

[The battle has begun.]

[Balak's ambush troops are charging head-on.]

[Line of Sight Battle conditions are not in effect for either side.]

The soldiers Taehyun had positioned stormed in. The raid party, forced to abandon their rescue of Rone and Philip, chose to fight.

So far, everything was unfolding according to his script.

'Completely surround the raid party,' Taehyun commanded his troops mentally. 'A few of you, break off and head for the vines. Pretend to target the two captives, but cut the remaining vines instead.'

His soldiers executed the command instantly. The main force formed a tight circle around the raiders, trapping them. Gapildeo and his comrades glanced around nervously, their eyes wide. Meanwhile, the detached unit made its way toward the dangling pair.

—Raider: No!

—Raider: Stop, Gapildeo! How are you going to save them in a situation like this?

—Gapildeo: But Rone is in danger!

—Raider: The vines are holding her high up for now, so she should be fine. Focus on the battle!

At his comrade's sharp command, Gapildeo clenched his jaw. He had no choice. He turned his attention back to the swarming soldiers.

While the raid party was locked in combat, the orcs reached the base of the vines and began hacking away.

—Philip: Get away! Get away, you bastards!

—Orc: Chwik. Do it. Ignore!

—Philip: What are you babbling about, you damn orc!

Philip struggled, dangling helplessly, but it was useless. The last of the vines snapped, and the two of them plummeted to the floor. Crying out in pain, Rone and Philip scrambled away from the looming orcs.

—Philip: Damn it, this is bad! We have to run!

—Rone: B-but our comrades are still fighting!

—Philip: Who cares about them? We're about to die! Besides, they're completely surrounded. How are they supposed to help us? Follow me!

—Rone: But—!

Even as Philip dragged her away, Rone couldn't tear her eyes from her comrades. He pulled her into the corridor leading to the second room, and they vanished from sight.

Now, only the remaining raiders were left.

'Stall them,' Taehyun ordered his troops. 'When their stamina is about to give out, fall back. Oh, and feel free to kill a few of them. Just leave Gapildeo alive.'

Gapildeo was the star of this tragedy. After going to all the trouble of engineering Rone and Philip's escape, he couldn't very well kill off his lead actor.

Following his master's command, the soldiers dispatched several more raiders. The party fought to the last, but their stamina was rapidly draining. One by one, they collapsed to the floor, panting for breath.

'Now's the time,' Taehyun decided. 'Retreat.'

He immediately pulled his soldiers back. The surviving raiders stared in bewilderment as the monsters suddenly turned and fled. Utterly unaware of Taehyun's plan, they could only let out ragged sighs of relief.

---

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