[Final Goal of a Raider Player]

[Conquer S-rank or higher Dungeons: 0/1000]

[Defeat Named-rank or higher Dungeon Masters: 0/1000]

[Achieve SSS-rank as a Raider: 0/1]

[Obtain the 'Hero' Title: 0/1]

He had no talent. That was a truth he'd been forced to accept the moment he was thrown into this unfamiliar world and became a Raider. To return home, he had to become a Hero. He had to gain game-like abilities and conquer dungeons as a Player. The goal was clear, but the world was cruel.

"A Raider can't even do this?!"

"You really don't have any talent. Why don't you just die?"

"How do you expect to get anywhere if you struggle with a pathetic new D-rank dungeon like this?"

He fought with every fiber of his being, but all he received in return were bitter wounds. Kill or be killed. The untalented were cast aside, and the weak were never followed. That was the reality of being a Raider.

For two years, Seongjun had been kicked around, surviving day by day. He'd gained plenty of experience, but without natural talent, his skills never truly improved. Struggling had become his new normal.

Raiding a dungeon helmed by a Dungeon Master was a different beast entirely. Lacking any talent for strategy, tactics, or psychological warfare, Seongjun was always just scraping by, narrowly avoiding death. He felt as if he were being driven to the edge of a cliff, his mind and body growing more exhausted by the day.

"Have you thought about joining the Holy Kingdom?" a fellow raider had suggested. "Even if you don't have any real talent, becoming a Holy Knight means you'll be welcomed anywhere. The class alone is enough."

Acting on that recommendation, he became a raider for the Holy Kingdom. From that day forward, Seongjun received special treatment. The Holy Knight class was an all-purpose powerhouse, allowing even those without innate talent to excel. Delighted by his growing list of achievements, Seongjun became a devout follower of the Holy Kingdom.

Operating under the alias Rexner, he soon rose to C-rank. His growing renown attracted more comrades, and he finally made a name for himself as a respectable raider. He no longer had to fear being abandoned or struggling just to survive.

But eventually, he hit a ceiling he couldn't break through, falling behind his fellow Holy Knights and other C-rank raiders.

"That bastard," he overheard one day. "I heard he became the Holy Kingdom's lapdog. A talentless hack, acting all high and mighty just because of his class."

"I went on a raid with him once," another added. "All he knows how to do is spam his skills. It's like his head is just for show."

"They say his divine power is impressive, but that doesn't matter if he has no talent as a raider."

Once again, Seongjun was forced to confront his own inadequacy. Around that time, Junhyun, who had joined the prestigious Peyton Ducal Family, returned with the title of 'Rookie Raider.' In just a handful of dungeon raids, he'd shot up to C-rank, his brilliant mind allowing him to perform incredible feats. Of course, Junhyun was also known as a madman who would kill his own comrades without a second thought, but Seongjun couldn't suppress the bitter sting of envy.

From that day on, he sought out more difficult dungeons, believing that if he could just conquer a truly powerful one, he would finally earn the world's acknowledgment. His comrades pleaded with him not to, but Seongjun's mind was made up. He soon stepped into a C-rank dungeon that had been officially deemed unconquerable, and the ordeal began almost immediately.

Dozens of soldiers poured out at once, a tide too strong to hold back even with divine power. One by one, his comrades fell. They were on the verge of being annihilated when a Keeper appeared before them, sealing their fate. Death seemed certain.

But in that moment, a miracle occurred.

'Time… had it stopped?' he wondered in disbelief.

Just as the Keeper's spear was about to pierce his heart, time itself froze.

[You have learned the Special Ability 'Time Freeze'.]

It was this ability that allowed Seongjun to narrowly conquer the dungeon. 'This is my chance,' he thought, a desperate hope surging through him. 'A godsend. From now on, I can become a raider everyone acknowledges!'

After that, Seongjun kept Time Freeze a closely guarded secret and formed a new raid party. He needed raiders from the Holy Kingdom—men who were tight-lipped and hungry for success. With the help of Wigan, the Captain of the Holy Knights, he gathered his new comrades. Thus, the Rexner Raid Party was born, and every member became another 'Rexner.'

'Back then, it had activated instantly because he had just awakened it,' he mused. 'But now, it required a casting time. To protect myself, he had to remain hidden.'

Items for information manipulation, identity concealment, and disguise became essential. He used them on every raid, and the Rexner Raid Party began a flawless ascent, achieving one incredible success after another. Rexner himself rose to B-rank, and the rest of his comrades all became C-rank raiders.

"Our raid party is invincible," one of them boasted. "As long as the leader has Time Freeze, no dungeon is unconquerable."

"It's a hassle having to act the same and put on a performance every time," another admitted, "but it's damn effective. Just look at how the Dungeon Masters can never find the real Sir Rexner."

"How could they? A whole squad of identical guys moving as one? We even have shield skills, so there's no chance of the casting being interrupted."

From the very beginning, his comrades had been accepted on the condition that they keep his ability an absolute secret. Since they were all ambitious, it had been easy to gather them through Wigan.

'My raid party is invincible.'

The name Seongjun Han was no longer necessary. He never had to worry about being abandoned or treated as an incompetent raider again. And so, Rexner lived on, having left his original self behind.

---

A deep rumble shook the passage as a massive boulder began to roll down the slope. Below, a unit of soldiers blocked their only path. If they didn't break through immediately, they would be crushed.

Rexner quickly began casting Time Freeze.

"Kieeeek!" a soldier shrieked.

"Chwiik, chwiik," another hissed.

"Grrr…!" a third snarled.

The soldiers charged, but it was no use. The magic, released just in time, was already warping the space around them. In an instant, time stopped. Rexner seized the opportunity, drawing his greatsword.

'Annoying pests.'

In a flash, he cleaved the soldiers in two. Their numbers were considerable, and while he worried about the spell's duration, he managed to dispatch them all just in time. Soon, Time Freeze dissipated, and time resumed its flow. With a sickening slice and a series of heavy thuds, the soldiers' bodies fell to the ground, blood pooling beneath them. The raid party stepped over the fallen corpses and narrowly dodged the boulder.

"That was a little close this time, Sir Rexner," one of his men commented.

"It was no problem," Rexner replied dismissively. "However, it looks like the number of soldiers is increasing by one or two each time."

"It must be the Dungeon Master's ploy to figure out the duration of Time Freeze," another suggested.

The ability's duration was its greatest weakness. Every other vulnerability had been covered by the formation of his raid party, but the time limit was absolute. He had no choice but to recast it whenever it ran out. But Rexner wasn't worried. In fact, he seemed more relaxed than ever.

"How foolish," he scoffed. "Even if he figures out the duration, it's all for nothing if he can't find me. He's just sacrificing his soldiers for no reason."

This Dungeon Master was certainly smarter than the others, but his efforts were pointless. They had lost their priests in the fifth room, but casualties could always be replaced. Rexner led his raiders toward the next room.

---

[The Rexner Raid Party has entered the seventh room.]

Before he knew it, the raiders had reached the seventh of Balak's ten rooms. They were steadily approaching the end.

"Kinjo, about how many seconds was the screen frozen?" Taehyun asked.

"It seemed to be frozen for nearly three seconds, sir," Kinjo reported.

"Good. In the next room, have them attack in waves of ten."

Taehyun had been sending his soldiers out in measured waves, probing the limits of Time Freeze. He hadn't found any weaknesses or clues to the real Rexner's identity, but he now had a rough estimate of the spell's duration. At Taehyun's command, Kinjo dispatched another unit. As soon as they engaged the raid party, Time Freeze activated again.

'Does that ability have no cooldown or limits?' Taehyun wondered. 'How many times has he used it already?'

It was the ninth time he'd seen the screen freeze. It returned to normal a few moments later, but by then, his soldiers had been completely annihilated. A fresh wave of bodies littered the floor.

"Send the next wave immediately," Taehyun ordered.

"Understood, sir." Kinjo sent another group charging in. Faced with yet another wave of soldiers, the raid party cast Time Freeze again.

[C-rank Holy Knight Raider Rexner is casting Time Freeze.]

Mana pulsed outwards once more. Taehyun quickly scanned the raiders on his monitor, but again, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. The Holy Knights were all charging in perfect unison, swords drawn.

[C-rank Holy Knight Raider Rexner has cast Time Freeze.]

Time stopped, and the screen froze again. Taehyun sighed, sinking into his chair.

"I can't find a single clue," he muttered. "At this rate, I'm actually going to lose."

"Master Taehyun, the soldiers have all been killed again, sir."

"I figured," Taehyun sighed. "If I had even the slightest suspicion, I'd use an item right away. But they must have used something to block sound, because I can't hear them talking, and their robes hide their faces completely."

He still had the Effect Reversal Card and the True Identity Card in reserve, but he couldn't find the right moment to play them. Just then, a chime announced a visitor to the Dungeon Master's room.

[Master Taehyun. Sir Grai's treatment is complete.]

It was Riel, arriving to report Grai's full recovery. Taehyun granted her entry, his eyes still glued to the screen.

'I'll make my stand in the ninth room.'

He planned to mobilize everyone: Grai, Mederia, and all his remaining core forces. He still hadn't found the real Rexner, but if he couldn't stop them here, it was over. Taehyun laid his two cards on the table and began moving his pieces into position.

---

"So, this is the ninth room," Rexner observed.

"It seems so," a raider confirmed. "There's only one corridor ahead. The next one must be the final room."

With no more branching paths, it was safe to assume the final chamber lay just ahead. Rexner halted the party.

"Then he'll throw everything he has at us in this room or the next," he predicted.

"Hasn't that always been the case?"

"Heh. Dungeon Masters are so predictable," Rexner sneered. "We'll wait."

He had been in this exact situation dozens of times. He decided to give the Dungeon Master a moment to gather his pathetic forces.

"Sir Rexner, it's trolls and wyverns," a raider called out. "It looks like the minotaurs and the rest of his soldiers are here as well."

Soon, the entirety of Balak's army appeared before them. The raid party adopted a combat stance and began casting their buffs. In that instant, their holy blessings curdled, twisting into a malevolent aura.

[The Dungeon Master has used an Effect Reversal Card.]

[The Rexner Raid Party's buffs are converted to debuffs.]

[The Rexner Raid Party's Health decreases.]

[The Rexner Raid Party's Endurance decreases.]

[The Rexner Raid Party's Strength decreases.]

It was the Effect Reversal Card, an item exclusive to Dungeon Masters. Though their buffs were instantly negated, Rexner didn't panic. He calmly gave a signal, and his raiders nodded, charging forward.

"AARGH," a troll roared.

"Over here! Moo!" a minotaur bellowed.

The trolls and minotaurs were buffed, but it hardly mattered. The raiders at the front were caught by the taunt, but with over twenty Holy Knights in their party, it was a minor inconvenience. Rexner immediately began casting Time Freeze as streams of magic spread out around his men.

Just then, magic bullets rained down from above. The raiders reacted instantly, erecting a defensive barrier. Dozens of shimmering layers materialized, easily deflecting the assault.

"Storm Splitter!" a melee Guardian roared.

The powerful warrior appeared and unleashed his skill, but it was useless against the multi-layered shield. A sharp crack echoed as the attack was repelled.

Finally, time froze. Rexner immediately went for the minotaurs, starting with the one at the very front.

'I won't be able to kill it in one blow.'

It was a shield-bearer, its armor clearly boasting high defense and Endurance. Rexner settled for severing the minotaur's arm before sheathing his greatsword. Just before Time Freeze ended, he slipped back into the ranks of his raiders.

"Moooooooo!"

The agonized scream of the maimed minotaur filled the chamber. A smirk touched Rexner's lips as he ordered another barrier.

'It'll take some time, but I just need to pick them off one by one.'

And so, Rexner continued to cast Time Freeze, confident in his inevitable victory.

---

"Damn it! Dozens of party-wide barriers!" Taehyun cursed.

Against such a defense, even wide-area skills like Mana Bullet and Storm Splitter were useless. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he watched the screen freeze again and again. Each time it unfroze, the screams of his minotaurs and trolls echoed in the chamber. Riel's buffs and healing were barely keeping them in the fight, but it wouldn't be enough.

'Damn it. Do the debuffs not matter at all?'

Even with two Guardians, he couldn't pierce their defense. Left with no other choice, Taehyun ordered another retreat.

'Everyone, fall back to the final room!'

'Escape, quickly!'

Grai and Mederia bought them precious time as the soldiers began to flee. Fortunately, the raid party didn't pursue, merely watching with an infuriatingly calm demeanor.

'Those bastards. They're completely underestimating me now. What do I do? How can I possibly stop them?'

He had managed to save his remaining forces, but only the final room was left. Taehyun began to bite his nails, a nervous habit he thought he'd broken.

"Wh-what do we do, Master Taehyun?" Kinjo stammered. "The raid party will pass through the corridor and reach the Crystal Sphere any second, sir!"

"For now, have the soldiers regroup in the final room," Taehyun commanded, his voice tight. "Riel, go and heal them as much as you can."

"Understood," she replied, vanishing from the room.

The raid party was slowly advancing down the corridor. He had to give his soldiers every possible chance to recover. After Riel left, Taehyun's gaze remained fixed on the screen. As the raiders drew closer, a cold sweat trickled down his back, and a forgotten terror began to creep into his heart.

"Come work under me," Mihye Han's voice echoed in his mind. "With Balak as it is now, you won't be able to stop the raider named Rexner, no matter how much you struggle."

"But if I help you out just a little, you might have a chance. Of course, in return, you'll have to spend your days licking my feet. Bwahahaha!"

"I'll give you time to think. Rexner is scheduled to arrive in a week, so decide by then. Well then, bye-bye."

The image of her arrogant face flashed in his mind. He had to survive this. He had to wipe that smirk off her face.

"Fucking bitch," he growled. "I'll definitely survive this and kill… huh?"

His eyes fell on the communication device sitting on the table—the one Lugo from the Gronz Company had left behind. Taehyun stared at it blankly for a moment, and then his eyes widened in sudden realization.

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