[You have destroyed the crystal sphere of the D-rank Dungeon Fatal.]

[You have acquired 150,000 Zen as a crystal sphere destruction bonus.]

As expected, the bonus for destroying a Crystal Sphere was substantial, regardless of rank. The Master of Fatal was already dead, beheaded by Junhyun's scythe. It was no exaggeration to say the dungeon had been annihilated in a single day.

"Thinking of this world as a game was his first and last mistake," Taehyun remarked to himself.

"That's right," Junhyun's voice echoed in his mind. "Here, when you die, you're dead for real."

"Alright," Taehyun said, his tone all business. "I handed over the Dungeon Master as promised. We're done here, so get lost."

The dungeon was already beginning to dissolve around them. With Fatal conquered, their temporary alliance was over.

"Hey, that's a bit harsh, isn't it?"

"Like I'd have anything nice to say to the man trying to kill me," Taehyun retorted. "Get lost, and let's hope we don't meet again. I'll be busy smashing the rest of these new dungeons."

"Fine, have it your way," Junhyun chuckled. "See you around. Hehe."

"I would rather we didn't."

With that, Junhyun tore a return scroll and vanished, teleporting to a nearby city. Taehyun directed his soldiers toward their next target, his thoughts lingering on his rival.

Junhyun was undeniably stronger than before. But Taehyun knew he had only shown a fraction of his true power. A man who nurtured vipers in his soul would never reveal his full strength.

'I let him live because I feared the Peyton Ducal Family, but maybe I should have eliminated the threat when I had the chance. He's going to spend this entire year preparing. The moment our contract expires, he'll come for my throat.'

A Reaper with a hidden class, a master of psychological warfare, and backed by a powerful noble family. The thought of torturing him for information had crossed Taehyun's mind, but he'd dismissed it. A man like Junhyun would never break, no matter the pain.

'Well, I made the contract so I would have a year to prepare, too.'

A one-year armistice, during which both would sharpen their blades for the inevitable final confrontation. In that, he and Junhyun were exactly the same. Taehyun's gaze fell upon the dungeons marked on his world map as he moved on to the next target.

---

Meanwhile, Mihye Han scowled as she read her supporter's report.

'Why would someone from the North come all the way to the West just to conquer a dungeon?'

Seunghoon's dungeon, Velvet, was located deep within the Moria Temple in the North, a region teeming with dungeons and active raid parties. Yet, he had sent forces all the way to the West to destroy a single C-rank dungeon. A new one, right near Balak. It was too specific to be a coincidence.

She recalled Seunghoon approaching her at the gathering.

'He was definitely after Taehyun, but he wouldn't go to this much trouble unless they were in the same faction. So, did our little Taehyun finally join his side?'

A C-rank dungeon was trivial for Seunghoon's forces; a small detachment was all it would take. By destroying a dungeon so close to Balak, Seunghoon had all but announced their alliance. There was no other reason to send troops so far from the North. If he were simply looking for a target, Taehyun's own rising dungeon would have been a far more profitable prize. This could only mean he and Taehyun had made a deal.

'So, he sold the fact that I'm a traitor to get a foothold in another faction. Fine. That's for the better. It's not like the other Dungeon Masters would believe me or help me anyway.'

Taehyun was using Seunghoon to send her a signal: a threat.

'He knows I have a faction, and he knows I'm watching Seunghoon's. Ahh!' A slow, dangerous smile spread across her face. 'He gets more interesting by the second. Fine. I won't touch you for now. I'll just watch. I'm dying to see how else you'll surprise me.'

He was fighting a faction with a faction. Taehyun had seen through everything. Her scowl melted away into a look of pleased satisfaction.

"You," she purred, beckoning to her supporter. "Come here."

"Yes, Lady Mihye."

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, she led him toward her bed.

---

[You have destroyed the crystal sphere of the D-rank Dungeon Rimen.]

[You have destroyed the crystal sphere of the D-rank Dungeon Grime.]

[You have destroyed the crystal sphere of the D-rank Dungeon Handel Crown.]

After Fatal, Balak's soldiers rampaged through the region, destroying one dungeon after another. They struggled occasionally against C-rank defenses, but within a week, they had obliterated seventeen strongholds, shattering fourteen Crystal Spheres and reaping the rewards.

'Duke Nikunbel created these new dungeons to fill the empty slots, but also to strengthen the existing masters,' Taehyun mused. 'His meticulous calculations prove he's worthy of his station. He's a true administrator of this competition.'

The fact that he remained silent despite knowing about Mihye's and Seunghoon's factions suggested the Demon World was not to be underestimated.

'Is he that confident he can handle all of us?'

As a high-ranking demon, he undoubtedly commanded a formidable army of his own. Having finished his sweep of the area, Taehyun checked his Zen.

[2,700,000 Zen]

Even with the inflated shop prices, he had nearly three million. It was enough to fully restore the forces of both Balaks and even summon higher-rank soldiers. He had also collected a substantial number of C-rank magic stones from the four C-rank dungeons he'd destroyed. He could strengthen his dungeon and aim for B-rank.

'I can reach B-rank before I even acquire the territory.'

It was entirely possible if he continued his conquest of the surrounding villages and cities. He first poured his C-rank magic stones into expanding his soldier capacity to a staggering 500. This also increased his Crystal Sphere's upgrade limit and raised his overall magic power.

"At this rate, a B-rank dungeon is no longer a dream!" Kinjo cackled.

"That's right," Riel agreed. "Just a few more Crystal Sphere upgrades, and we'll be there."

"Hey! I was speaking! Don't just butt in!"

"How absurd. I thought of it first."

Just as his bickering supporters said, B-rank was within reach. Leaving them to their squabble, Taehyun moved to the final chamber.

'With this much Zen, I could summon even higher-rank soldiers. But as a C-rank dungeon, I can only deploy five B-rank units. However, I also have the second Balak.'

Between the two dungeons, he could field a total of ten B-rank soldiers. Instead of random summoning, he decided to try the Blind Shop. It was a gamble, but he'd heard that even Named units could be acquired this way.

'Those bastards at the gathering confirmed it. Even masters who didn't know each other were nodding in agreement. The intel is solid.'

Trusting his gut, he purchased five fairy cards, their information concealed. Four of them were simple B-rank soldiers. But the fifth card shimmered with a faint, magical light.

[Named Fairy Summon Card]

[Rank: B]

[Restriction: C-rank Dungeon or higher]

[Description: A summon card that can summon a Named Fairy.]

It was exactly what he'd been hoping for.

'Perfect. That fills my B-rank slots.'

A summoning circle materialized near the Crystal Sphere, and five fairies appeared in a flash of light.

"A dungeon, a dungeon!"

"We've been summoned!"

"Haha! This is wonderful!"

"It's the Dungeon Master! We have to make a good impression."

Four fairies with brilliant blue wings flitted about cheerfully. The fifth, however, who had wings the color of flame, fixed Taehyun with an intense, hostile glare.

"Are you the Dungeon Master who summoned me?" she demanded.

"…What did you just say?" Taehyun asked, his voice dangerously low.

"I don't like you," the fairy declared. "I'll be watching you."

A summoned soldier was trying to evaluate him. Taehyun was so dumbfounded he couldn't even laugh. He had tolerated Grai's initial defiance because he was a Hero-rank Guardian, but a Named soldier was another matter entirely.

[Named Flame Fairy, Mandra]

[Rank: B]

[Level: 1]

[Class: None]

[Title: None]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 30]

[Favorability: 10]

[Obedience: 30]

[Skills: None]

[Special Abilities: None]

[Strength: 2] [Endurance: 2] [Agility: 5] [Stamina: 3]

[Mana: 4] [Divine Power: 1] [Affinity: 3] [Luck: 1]

[Status: Rebellious]

'Well, look at this. Loyalty and Obedience at a pathetic 30, and her status is 'Rebellious'?'

She might be a Named unit, but her personality was a disaster. Even now, Mandra was staring him down. The other fairies fluttered away from her in terror.

"Th-That's Mandra! The troublemaker of the fairy world!"

"She's the one who burned down half the realm! Be careful, or she'll burn us to a crisp!"

"I've never even spoken to her… what do we do?"

Apparently, Mandra was an outcast even among her own kind. Her solitary existence had likely soured her disposition. Taehyun's stern expression relaxed into a smirk. It was wiser to call in a specialist for this kind of problem. Since Mandra was a fairy, another fairy would be best suited to discipline her.

"You called for me?"

Mederia entered the chamber. At the sight of her, the newly summoned fairies' eyes went wide with awe.

"It's Lady Mederia!" They squealed.

"To see the Mana Bullet Marksman in person… I can't believe it!"

"This isn't a dream, is it?"

Mederia was clearly a celebrity in the fairy world. She was, after all, a fairy of a higher class.

"Ugh. Lady Mederia," Mandra groaned, her expression twisting in discomfort. She clearly had a history with her.

Taehyun quickly assessed the situation. "You know her, right?"

"Yes," Mederia confirmed. "She caused a great deal of trouble in the fairy world. I was constantly scolding her a few years ago, but I have no memory of what happened after that."

That made sense. Her time as Hyuntae's prisoner had been erased. The gap in her memory was real. Taehyun gestured toward Mandra with a scowl.

"This one, Mandra, told me she didn't like me the moment she was summoned. She's a Named soldier, so I can't discipline her myself. That's why I called you."

"Leave it to me," Mederia said, her voice firm. "I will be sure to correct her attitude."

"I feel bad leaving this to you, but I'm counting on you."

"It is my duty as a Guardian," Mederia stated, her eyes flashing. "Mandra. You will follow me."

Rebellion against the Dungeon Master was unforgivable. Mederia grabbed the smaller fairy and began to drag her away.

"Aah! Lady Mederia! Lady Mederia!" Mandra cried.

"Be quiet," Mederia commanded. "Your education begins now. You will learn your lesson."

"AAHH!"

As she was hauled away by the scruff of her neck, Mandra caught one last glimpse of Taehyun. He was wearing the triumphant smile of a victor, and his eyes seemed to say, 'I don't like you either.'

---

[Dungeon Name: Balak]

[Master: Taehyun Yoo]

[Rank: C (Stage 6)]

[Location: A cave deep within the Silent Valley, on the western frontier of the Astral Continent.]

[Supporters: Riel of Healing (B), Kinjo of Schemes (C)]

[Bosses: Elite High Troll (2), Elite High Wyvern (3)]

[Mercenaries: None]

[Guardians & Keepers: Orc Swordsman Grai, Mana Bullet Marksman Mederia]

[Soldiers: High Orc (70), High Lizardman (50), High Fenrir (40), High Goblin (120), High Imp (50), High Wild Dog (40), Highest Minotaur (20), Dallas Villagers (20), High Fairy (70), Intermediate Direct Fairy (4), Named Flame Fairy Mandra (1)]

[Monsters: High Orc (70), High Lizardman (50), High Fenrir (40), High Goblin (120), High Imp (50), High Wild Dog (40), Highest Minotaur (20), High Fairy (70), Intermediate Direct Fairy (4), Named Flame Fairy Mandra (1)]

[Servants & Maids: Dallas Villagers (20)]

[Traps: Sticky Trap, Hunting Trap × 2, Arrow Trap × 2, Deep Pit × 2, Mana Nullification Trap, Rolling Boulder, Wall Spikes, Binding Net]

[Installed Devices: Abyssal Flower Landrozel, Madria's Bookshelf, Ghastly Spider Egg, Glittering Sack, Thick Box, Low-grade Mana Turret]

[Modifications & Changes: Corridor Variation Between Rooms (Stage 2), Room Position Variation (Stage 2), Corridor Length Variation Between Rooms (Stage 2), Room Interior Size Expansion (Stage 2), Forest Environment (Stage 1), Corridor Remodeling Between Rooms (Stage 2)]

[Rooms: 11]

[Dungeon Status: Balak, set to a forest environment, is currently perfect for its soldiers. Continuous training is being conducted by the Orc Swordsman Grai. The soldiers' morale and loyalty are increasing daily. The dungeon's interior has become more complex due to the variation and remodeling of rooms and corridors. The level of traps and installed devices has increased, making it a C-rank dungeon that even raiders should fear.]

While the dungeon itself hadn't changed much, his army had grown exponentially. Taehyun sent the new soldiers to the Ice Palace to train. Under the guidance of his two Guardians, they quickly broke through level 30. He then equipped them with gear and assigned them classes, forging them into a complete fighting force. The process took considerable time and nearly all his Zen, but at last, he was ready.

"Muahaha!" Kinjo cackled. "Where will you strike first?!"

"We'll start with the nearby villages," Taehyun declared, his eyes fixed on the map, "and push on to the small city of Myol."

"Understood!"

And with that, Taehyun began his conquest of the surrounding lands in earnest.

---

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