[Rexner]

[Rank: B (Lowest)]

[Level: 41]

[Class: Holy Knight]

[Title: The One Who Freezes Time]

[Affiliation: Ainkart Holy Kingdom]

[Stress: 150/100]

[Status: Despair]

[Relationship with Comrades: Futility, Lingering Attachment, Hurt]

Rexner, a B-rank raider from the Ainkart Holy Kingdom. A man who had achieved incredible success by building a raid party around his Time Freeze ability.

But now, he was just another prisoner in Balak's underground jail, staring at the floor with hollow eyes.

"Master Taehyun, why in the world did you let that bastard live?" Kinjo asked. "Even if he was abandoned by his comrades, it'll be difficult to win him over. Just look at him, sir. He's sitting there as if he's given up on life."

As Kinjo said, the man was mentally broken. Persuading him to join Balak would be nearly impossible. More importantly, Rexner was a Player. There was nothing to be gained by serving a Dungeon Master; his goals were fundamentally different. Recruiting a Player Raider was a tricky business.

"Time will take care of that," Taehyun said. "The problem is what to offer him. It's hard to get a Player raider to join a dungeon, even with torture or threats. Our goals are opposed, so only the raider loses out. And that bastard has Time Freeze. If I bring him in carelessly, he'll just look for an opportunity to betray me or escape."

There were too many problems. Still, Taehyun was determined to make use of Rexner somehow. He briefly considered using a contract, as he had with Junhyun, but the chances of Rexner accepting were close to zero.

'For now, I'll have to leave him be. I'll take my time and come up with an offer he can't refuse.'

Taehyun turned and observed the other raiders. They were all a mess, mentally and physically broken from the continuous torture.

"Any useful information?"

"Just what you'd already gathered, sir," Kinjo reported. "Nothing much of use. The only thing of note was that bastard Rexner's past."

"Give me a report on it later. Let's go."

"Yes, sir!"

Taehyun left the underground prison with Kinjo. Back in the Crystal Sphere chamber, the atmosphere was tense. The soldiers stationed there were all staring at him with undisguised hostility.

"You bastards!" Kinjo shrieked. "How dare you look at Master Taehyun with such distrust! Avert your gazes at once!"

"…Those must be the original Balak soldiers," Taehyun noted calmly. "It's because of the suicide bombs, isn't it?"

According to the System, their loyalty had only dropped by a few points, but in reality, their attitude had changed completely. They sometimes ignored his orders, their disappointment palpable. It was a side effect of sacrificing their comrades.

'Even Grai and Mederia weren't pleased about it, so this is understandable. If I don't resolve this now, I'll regret it later.'

Kinjo's glaring wasn't going to solve the problem. Normally, he would need to show devotion to earn back their trust. But Taehyun had no intention of doing that.

"Kinjo, don't do that," he said. "Do this instead. Separate the existing soldiers from the newly summoned ones."

"Eek? What good would that do, sir?" Kinjo asked, confused. "Won't that just create friction between them? The soldiers of Balak need to be united right now."

"It might seem that way for now, but in about a week, they'll change their minds. From now on, do exactly as I say."

Taehyun chose a method that would simultaneously provoke the new recruits and cultivate a sense of pride in his veterans. As Taehyun explained his plan, Kinjo nodded, a slow, wicked smile spreading across his face.

---

From that day forward, the treatment of Balak's soldiers was divided. The original soldiers began to receive high-quality food, while the newly summoned soldiers were given the cheapest rations. The veterans were issued the finest equipment, while the new recruits received the lowest-grade gear.

It didn't take long for the new soldiers to grow suspicious.

"At first, I thought this was just how it was, but this is strange," one hissed.

"Yeah, you're right," another agreed. "We're the only ones with shabby gear and tasteless food. But those guys have quality meals and top-of-the-line equipment."

"Kiee! Kieeeek!" a third shrieked in frustration.

Dissatisfaction festered due to the disparity in treatment. The new soldiers began to resent this hierarchy and grew defiant toward Taehyun.

The existing soldiers, on the other hand, slowly began to feel a sense of pride. At first, they had no intention of forgiving him just because their treatment had improved.

But the envious glares they received soon changed their minds.

"We are the soldiers who have protected Balak from the very beginning," one of the veterans hissed. "We've earned this treatment."

"The Dungeon Master knows what he's doing," another added. "We've bled for this place. It's only fair that we are not given the same treatment as the new recruits."

The pride born from this preferential treatment quickly blossomed into unwavering loyalty.

[The loyalty of Balak's veteran soldiers has increased by 1.]

[The loyalty of Balak's veteran soldiers has increased by 1.]

[The loyalty of Balak's veteran soldiers has increased by 1.]

This sentiment grew stronger by the day, and rather than harboring resentment, the new soldiers began to dedicate themselves to Balak with renewed vigor.

"We too must offer our lives for Balak," a recently summoned soldier declared. "Let us pledge our loyalty to Master Taehyun!"

"If we prove our worth and earn his recognition, we'll receive the same rewards," another chimed in, his voice filled with determination. "Let's work harder!"

From that day forward, the new recruits threw themselves into Grai's training with greater fervor, striving to prove their loyalty to Taehyun and eager to make a good impression. The two groups, veterans and newcomers, spurred each other on, united by a shared and growing pride in being soldiers of Balak.

---

"Simply astonishing, Master Taehyun!" Kinjo exclaimed. "By merely treating them differently, you've restored their loyalty and obedience in a matter of days."

"It's more than restored," Taehyun noted, observing the stream of messages with satisfaction. "It's still rising, and the same goes for the new recruits."

With that, the last embers of discontent over the suicide bombing strategy were extinguished. He had raised the new soldiers' levels in the Ice Palace, completing his preparations. All that remained was to execute his plan.

But first, he contacted Seunghoon.

"Looks like you managed to survive," Seunghoon's voice crackled through the device. "Honestly, I'm surprised. To think you'd take down not only Sebastian's raid party but Rexner's as well."

"What, did you write me off for dead?" Taehyun countered.

"I had," Seunghoon admitted frankly.

Seunghoon himself had just repelled the Holy Kingdom's preemptive strike. The fact that he'd fought off a party that included High Priests proved he was a force to be reckoned with. A small laugh escaped Taehyun's lips at his honesty as he got down to business.

"I imagine your faction is quite interested in me now," Taehyun began. "It makes sense. I did annihilate the Rexner raid party, after all. It was tough, but nothing a C-rank dungeon couldn't handle."

"I like that confidence," Seunghoon replied. "So, are you interested?"

"I'm thinking of joining for now," Taehyun said casually. "There's a certain faction that's been causing me quite a bit of trouble lately."

"…Another faction of Dungeon Masters?" Seunghoon's tone sharpened.

He had taken the bait. Seunghoon's goal was to conquer the Demon World and return home. Taehyun didn't know the details of his plan, but another powerful group getting in the way would undoubtedly be a nuisance. Mihye's faction, given their collusion, likely had similar ambitions. Taehyun's lips curled into a smirk as he dangled a bigger piece of bait.

"It seems so. And from the looks of it, they're the ones who leaked my dungeon's information to the Holy Kingdom."

"Are you certain?" Seunghoon pressed, still hesitating.

Taehyun delivered the final, decisive blow. "Of course. It also appears they've discovered your faction and sent a Grand Priest your way."

"…Damn it," Seunghoon swore. "Wait a moment. I'll contact you again."

"I'll be waiting," Taehyun said smoothly.

The connection cut off abruptly. Taehyun set the communication device down and waited, the very picture of calm.

'He definitely took it,' he mused. 'He's gone to inform his leader. It's painfully obvious. The idea to recruit me must have come from that bastard in the first place.'

He was already looking forward to the fallout. If Seunghoon's faction clashed with Mihye's, who would come out on top? It was a thrilling confrontation with an outcome he couldn't predict.

---

"During the Holy Kingdom invasion, our faction will make contact," Seunghoon's voice returned, less than an hour later. "We needed a pretext to show you our strength anyway. Besides, he wants to see you for himself."

At the mention of the leader, Taehyun, who had been lounging, sat up straight. "Who are you referring to? Don't tell me it's the Dungeon Master leading your faction?"

"That's the gist of it. It's all I can tell you for now, so please understand. You'll learn everything when you meet him in person."

"Of course, I understand," Taehyun replied. "But I have one request."

"I'll hear it and consider it."

His cautious response told Taehyun that Seunghoon was incredibly busy. But the favor he was about to ask was hardly difficult.

'In fact, it's so simple that it barely qualifies as a favor.'

A smile touched Taehyun's lips as he stated his terms. Seunghoon sounded slightly flustered as he asked for confirmation.

"Is that really all?"

"Yes. That's all I need."

"…Understood. I'll grant your request."

"Then I'll see you during the Holy Kingdom invasion."

With that, the communication ended. Taehyun rose and unfurled the world map. The recent influx of dungeons had stirred the raiders into a frenzy. From what Junhyun had told him, their numbers were in the hundreds. A new wave of Dungeon Masters must have been summoned as well.

'My original plan was to invade the surrounding villages and cities, but I need a new approach. Balak hasn't fully recovered, and the forces of the second Balak also need to be restored.'

He was vulnerable on multiple fronts and short on soldiers. With no spare Zen, a direct invasion was out of the question.

But new dungeons were a different matter entirely. These fledgling territories were perfect, easy prey.

'Duke Nikunbel must have some knowledge of the various factions,' Taehyun reasoned. 'Creating so many new dungeons implies he knew about Mihye's betrayal in advance. He's truly an inscrutable man. But for now, he's no concern of mine.'

All he had to do was quietly devour the feast Duke Nikunbel had laid out for him. He would start with the dungeons that had appeared nearby.

'They're too new to be worth conquering and integrating. It's already a struggle to manage both Balaks, so I'll just consume them for their resources.'

Though they were new, some were bound to be high-ranking. It would be far easier and more profitable than invading a village. Using the information from Junhyun, Taehyun marked their locations on the map. Among the naturally formed dungeons were several artificial ones created by other Dungeon Masters.

'Perhaps it's time for a little lesson.'

He would use the surrounding dungeons to fund his recovery. Then, he would proceed with his original plan: invade the villages, then the cities, and finally, consume the entire territory. The plan was simple in concept, but staggeringly complex in detail.

His first target was the 'Fatal Dungeon', which had appeared near the small city of Partren. Raider intel confirmed it was an artificial dungeon. In other words, a senior was about to pay a visit to a junior.

'Alright. Time to meet the new masters.'

Leaving a small garrison to defend Balak, he dispatched the rest of his forces toward Fatal. A dungeon devouring another might seem absurd, but he was certain the other masters had already begun their own gruesome feasts.

'Survival of the fittest. The weak are devoured by the strong. This world has operated on that single principle from the very beginning. Don't take it personally. The new players who survive this crucible will be the true Dungeon Masters.'

---

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