[The last remaining Keeper of the Ice Palace, Ron Pelsidium, has died.]

[You have cleared the 10th floor of the Ice Palace.]

[The 'Advanced' difficulty for Yuslan's Ice Palace has been opened.]

[You have acquired 1,000,000 Zen as a reward.]

[The Wild Dogs' combat experience has greatly increased.]

[The Goblins' combat experience has greatly increased.]

[The imps' combat experience has greatly increased.]

[The minotaurs' combat experience has greatly increased.]

[The trolls' combat experience has greatly increased.]

[The orcs' combat experience has greatly increased.]

[The lizardmen's combat experience has greatly increased.]

[The fairies' combat experience has greatly increased.]

The knight in shattered black armor collapsed. Pelsidium, the Keeper who had claimed the lives of over a hundred of his soldiers, was finally dead.

"Fools," he rasped as his form began to dissolve. "When the Frost Queen resurrects, this world will freeze over."

His final, cryptic words were deeply unsettling. Taehyun immediately checked on his forces. Mederia was on the verge of collapsing from mana exhaustion, and Grai was completely out of action. He had lost nearly eighty melee soldiers and twenty shield soldiers to Pelsidium's hammer. Having started with three hundred troops, he had lost a third of his army. The Keeper's power had been truly chilling.

'The Frost Queen's resurrection… is that some kind of foreshadowing?' The Ice Palace was Yuslan's creation. If all its inhabitants, from the spirits to the Guardians and Keepers, were her subordinates, she must have been an entity of incredible power.

"Master Taehyun, my Heal skill isn't working on him," Riel reported, her voice strained.

"I am fine," Grai insisted stubbornly. "From now on, I can defeat my enemies with just one hand."

"What do you mean, you're fine?" Riel shot back, exasperated. "Master Taehyun gifted you two swords. How are you going to use them now?"

"...I will use them one at a time."

As the system message had warned, Grai's arm was beyond her ability to treat; holy magic had no effect. Riel launched into a lecture, finding his bravado absurd. Taehyun's brow furrowed as he examined Grai's condition himself.

[Orc Swordsman Grai]

[Rank: B (Hero)]

[Level: 43]

[Class: Swordsman]

[Title: Hero of the Tribe]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 70]

[Favorability: 57]

[Obedience: 71]

[Skills: Storm Slash, Equipment Break, Keen Eye, Flash Stab]

[Special Ability: Sword Mastery]

[Strength: 14] [Endurance: 6] [Agility: 8] [Stamina: 6]

[Mana: 2] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 2] [Luck: 3]

[Status: Right Arm Irrecoverable (Intermediate)]

It was just as he feared. The status indicated an intermediate-level injury, which meant Riel's Heal skill wasn't high enough to cure it. For Taehyun, Grai's injury was far more serious than the loss of his other soldiers. With the Holy Kingdom's invasion looming, having his main Guardian crippled was a disaster. Worse, he had no immediate way to treat it.

'The shop doesn't sell anything for this. Where am I supposed to find a cure for an intermediate injury?'

Leveling up Riel's skill instantly was impossible, and Lugo from the Gronz Merchant Group didn't deal in potions. Then, an idea struck him. Larkan. The alchemist in the prison. His skills included Potion Crafting. There was a chance he could create something to heal Grai.

'If I can just recruit him… no, I cleared the tenth floor like we agreed. Even if I can just get a potion out of him for now, that would be enough.'

Taehyun gathered the loot from the floor and sent the rest of his soldiers back with Riel.

"Where are we going?" Grai asked.

"To the fourth floor. To Larkan. He might know a way to heal you."

"I see. Understood."

Grai still seemed unconcerned by his injury, but Taehyun was gravely serious. 'If I can't get this treated, I'll be in serious danger during the Holy Kingdom invasion.'

It was a war all Dungeon Masters had to join. He had no idea what rules Duke Nikunbel had in store, and he could easily become a target. He would be facing not only Mihye but also entire factions. He was certain some Dungeon Masters would ignore the war itself and take the opportunity to eliminate their rivals.

"I thought the palace stopped shaking. It seems you've cleared the tenth floor after all," Larkan said dryly as they arrived.

He had to persuade him, no matter what. Standing before the prison, Taehyun held up Grai's mangled arm. "Do you see this?"

"Looks like he met Pelsidium's hammer. So what? I said I would talk to you, nothing more."

"It means I went through hell to earn that conversation," Taehyun shot back, his voice sharp with feigned anger. "My subordinate ended up like this, which means you bear some of the responsibility."

"Hah. How absurd," Larkan scoffed. "A demon is a demon, I suppose." He closed his book, his expression shifting from annoyance to utter disbelief.

Taehyun pressed on, his face a mask of righteous fury. "Because you gave me a chance, Sir Larkan, I took my soldiers to the tenth floor, knowing how reckless it was. We barely defeated Pelsidium, and now one of my most trusted subordinates has lost an arm! Have you no one precious to you?!"

It was a performance, a web of lies and half-truths. While talking to Larkan was a goal, his primary motivation had been farming Zen and growing stronger. But Larkan didn't know that. To him, Taehyun's desperate plea felt real.

"...Someone precious," Larkan murmured, his harsh glare softening into something distant and pained. The last sentence had struck a nerve, reminding him of someone.

'It's working. Even a prince can have people he cared for.' A hidden smile touched Taehyun's lips. He seized the opening and continued his act.

"I don't know why you're imprisoned here, but surely you had people you held dear, Sir Larkan! To me, Grai is a precious subordinate. Being a demon doesn't change that! We are no different from humans in that regard!"

"...Calm down, demon."

"How can I be calm?!" Taehyun exclaimed, his voice cracking with emotion. "Hah. I understand. I thought you, of all people, would understand my position, but you're just dismissing me because I'm a demon. Fine. I'll be on my way."

His expression was one of profound betrayal, his eyes pleading, the hand holding Grai's arm trembling convincingly. He commanded his body like a puppet. The moment Taehyun turned to leave, Larkan rose to his feet.

"Stop right there," he called out. "De… no. Taehyun."

His steps halted. The man who had only called him 'demon' and 'you bastard' had used his name. A slow, triumphant smile spread across Taehyun's face, hidden by his turned back. Beside him, Grai clicked his tongue, a look of grudging admiration on his face.

---

"First, I suppose I should start with my past," Larkan began.

As expected, he had a long story to tell. It was only natural for a cursed prince of a fallen kingdom. As Larkan recounted his tragic history, Taehyun listened with a carefully crafted expression of deep sympathy. When he finished, Larkan opened the prison door with his own hands and stepped into the corridor.

'This crazy bastard could have left at any time?' Taehyun thought, astonished. Larkan's past was indeed tragic, but to imprison oneself for centuries… the man wasn't entirely sane.

"I'm finally out," Larkan said, his voice heavy. "First, my apologies. I gave you that chance because I was certain you would fail. Since you succeeded, and your subordinate paid such a price, I do bear some responsibility."

"Not at all," Taehyun replied smoothly. "I was rash. I should be the one to apologize for pressing you without knowing your history."

"Enough of that. You said you were a Dungeon Master, correct? You still seem inexperienced, yet you cleared the tenth floor on Normal. Impressive." Larkan seemed to know the palace inside and out and was genuinely impressed.

"It's all thanks to my subordinates. I have no special talent of my own."

"No," Larkan countered. "You must possess the qualities of a master to command such followers. Which is why, this time, I have a request. Taehyun, the one who killed Pelsidium… I will bet my fate on your potential."

In one stroke, both the recruitment and Grai's treatment were about to be resolved. Taehyun tilted his head, looking at the hand Larkan had offered. "What do you mean?"

"You can drop the act," Larkan said, a wry smile touching his lips. "Your lies simply reminded me of my kingdom. Use me as you see fit. In return, I ask only one thing. When the Frost Queen eventually resurrects, I want you to kill her. That is all."

He had seen through the pretense. Taehyun let out a long breath, the tension draining from his body. "If you knew, you could have said so sooner. I went through all that trouble for nothing."

"Demons like you are predictable," Larkan admitted. "But you, Taehyun, you seem different. Your methods of deception are similar, but you have a true talent for it."

"Talent? I don't have any. I just use whatever I can to crush everything in my path."

"That, in itself, is a talent," Larkan insisted. "Now, are you going to shake my hand or not?" He gestured with his outstretched hand again.

Taehyun smirked and clasped it. "Since you asked to be used, I'll be sure to use you well."

"I don't mind. First, I'll craft a potion to heal your subordinate."

"Good. Then let's go to Balak."

And just like that, Taehyun had recruited Larkan.

---

[Larkan Yngwe]

[Rank: C (Named)]

[Level: 19]

[Class: Alchemist]

[Title: The Unfortunate Prince]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 10]

[Favorability: 10]

[Obedience: 10]

[Skills: Synthesis, Potion Crafting]

[Special Ability: Alchemy Array]

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

[Mana: 9] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 7] [Luck: 5]

[Status: Under Yuslan's curse, he will never age and maintain his youth forever. He is currently living imprisoned in Yuslan's Ice Palace.]

Despite being only level 19, his Mana and Affinity were high. However, likely because he had initiated the arrangement, his Loyalty, Favorability, and Obedience scores were pitifully low. As a former prince, he probably bristled at the idea of taking orders.

'But since he asked to be used, he'll do as he's told whether he likes it or not.'

As long as Taehyun held the clues to the Frost Queen, Larkan was as good as any other soldier of Balak. Taehyun looked at the crystalline spheres in his hand with deep satisfaction.

[Traces of Intense Frost]

[Rank: ?]

[Requirement: ?]

[Description: Traces left behind where the Frost Queen's army swept through. Collecting these traces can reveal the location where the Frost Queen is sealed.]

Before hearing Larkan's story, these had been useless trinkets. Now, they were a leash. If the prince ever decided not to cooperate, Taehyun would use these Traces to force his obedience.

'He might think he sees through my act, but he has no idea how I've survived this long.' Larkan believed he could walk out of Balak as freely as he had walked in. He was wrong. Taehyun was holding a bone he could never look away from. The prince was now Balak's minion.

Taehyun put the Traces away and was about to inspect the loot from Pelsidium when a new message appeared.

[A message has arrived from Duke Nikunbel.]

A shimmering, rainbow-colored notification materialized before him. It had to be about the Holy Kingdom invasion. Taehyun tapped the icon.

[This is Duke Nikunbel, administrator of the Demon King Candidate Competition. The Holy Kingdom invasion is now just days away. I will provide a brief explanation. Originally, all Dungeon Masters were scheduled to participate, but there has been a slight change. Some S-rank Dungeon Masters have used Veto Items and exclusive skills to withdraw. The same applies to the two SS-ranks.]

So, some of the top players were sitting this out. 'A-ranks are already terrifying, but there are S and SS-ranks, too?' It seemed there was always a bigger fish. He couldn't even begin to imagine what those dungeons were like.

[Second, while there are no special rules for this invasion, there are three regulations. One: any Dungeon Master who fails to accumulate 100,000 contribution points will have their dungeon disposed of and their qualification revoked. Two: once you have joined the war, retreat and desertion are impossible. Three: the use of Dungeon Master-exclusive items is forbidden. This will likely apply to raiders as well.]

Taehyun shook his head at the Duke's thoroughness. 'Of course. I don't know what 100,000 points entails, but he's not going to let anyone just sit back and watch.' By making retreat impossible, he was forcing their hands. And by banning items, he was ensuring that victory would be decided by strategy and tactics alone. He moved on to the final message.

[Third, regarding the contribution point system. Points are earned by defeating the Holy Kingdom's forces or by being deemed to have inflicted damage upon the Holy Kingdom itself. However, this is not the only method. I cannot tell you what the other methods are. You will have to figure that out for yourselves.]

The message ended. Taehyun stared at the last part, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face as he covered it with his hands.

"I absolutely love it. Duke Nikunbel, to orchestrate a war like this… I'll give you credit. You're the craziest bastard I've ever seen."

His eyes began to glow with a feverish, blood-red light.

---

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