On the day of the invasion, the sky above the Ainkart Holy Kingdom, the heart of the Astral Continent, bled into a crimson stain. A vast network of magic circles activated in an instant, spreading from the capital city of Partisan to every corner of the nation. The Holy King and Pope, Luminus, dispatched high priests to every city, preparing for the demonic onslaught. Neighboring kingdoms, their relations with the Holy Kingdom already soured, maintained a tense silence, praying the conflict wouldn't spill over their borders.

When it was confirmed that the magic circles were the work of demons, the kingdom erupted in a panic. Luminus summoned all available raiders to the capital, preparing for an all-out war against the Dungeon Masters. A suffocating tension descended upon Partisan.

---

[The Holy Kingdom Invasion will now begin.]

[Dungeon Masters will be transported to the various cities of the Holy Kingdom.]

Duke Nikunbel's magic enveloped the nation. A barrier shimmered into existence, blocking the use of items for all participants. The war had begun.

"A war? This is insane. Why do I have to be a part of this?" Sanghun Min, a C-rank Dungeon Master, grumbled. It was hard enough fending off raiders, and now he was being dragged into an invasion. His dungeon was protected for the duration, but he could still lose his soldiers here. "And they even limit the number of soldiers and Guardians we can bring? The high-rankers will get all the glory anyway. They should at least let us sit this out."

"Do not worry, sir," his Supporter offered. "Even though we've been assigned to the capital, can't we just watch from the back?"

"Are you an idiot?" Sanghun snapped. "There's a contribution system. If I don't get 100,000 points, I'm dead. Plus, there's a barrier. No retreat, no escape. We have to fight." He kicked a nearby stone in frustration. All around him, other Dungeon Masters were materializing.

'I skipped the meeting… I wonder if any of these guys are stronger than me.' He felt the urge to pick a fight. Among C-rank dungeons, his was fairly strong. A smirk touched his lips, and he started toward a woman standing nearby, but a young man brushed past, bumping his shoulder.

"What the hell?!" Sanghun spun around, his pride stung. The man had dyed-red hair and looked weak. But the moment he turned his head, a bone-deep chill seized Sanghun.

"What's up?" the young man asked, a smile on his face. But his eyes… they held an abyss of killing intent.

Sanghun's face went white. "N-no! It's nothing!" he stammered, shaking his head frantically.

"Alright then." The young man lost interest and walked away.

Sanghun collapsed, wiping cold sweat from his brow.

"Are you alright, sir?" his Supporter asked, rushing to his side.

"Wh-what was with that guy? How can someone's eyes be so terrifying? I thought my heart was going to stop." None of the Dungeon Masters had summoned their forces yet, but that man was a monster all on his own. Sanghun scrambled to his feet. 'Okay, note to self: don't go around picking fights.'

The summoning grounds were filling up. He could see many others who, like the red-haired man, radiated an extraordinary aura. Sanghun cautiously found a new spot and looked across the massive bridge. On the other side, tens of thousands of the Holy Kingdom's troops stood in perfect formation, their gazes fixed upon them.

'Can we actually win this?'

---

"A great bridge ahead, leading to a steep, hilly road up to Partisan," Lee Hyuk, an A-rank Dungeon Master, observed with a click of his tongue. "The terrain is a complete death trap for us."

The Holy Kingdom's army was positioned on a high, steep hill. Even if they managed to cross the Behel Great Bridge, they would be forced to fight an uphill battle. He turned away in disgust. Behind him, his colleague Seunghoon was scanning the crowd, clearly waiting for someone.

"Hey, who are you looking for? Let me in on it."

"The rookie who's joining our faction," Seunghoon replied without looking at him.

"What? I didn't know about this. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Shut up."

Lee Hyuk pouted as Seunghoon ignored him. The Resistance, a secret faction aiming to conquer the Demon World, only accepted the most talented Dungeon Masters. This newcomer must have received a special invitation. A sinister grin spread across Lee Hyuk's face.

'A rookie is basically a junior. I missed the meeting, so I haven't seen him yet. Maybe I'll have a little fun.'

No matter how he got in, a rookie was a rookie. He had to be a lower rank than A. Just then, he spotted a Dungeon Master approaching Seunghoon.

"Good, you're not late," Seunghoon said.

"My apologies," the newcomer replied. "I got lost trying to find the location you sent."

"It's fine. First, introductions. This is Lee—"

Before Seunghoon could finish, Lee Hyuk stepped forward, glaring at the new arrival. "Hey. You the new guy? What's your name? Spit it out."

"Lee Hyuk!" Seunghoon warned.

"Ahaha, it's fine," Lee Hyuk said, waving him off. "He's like a junior, right? Yeah. Right?" He shot the rookie a menacing grin and slung a heavy arm around his shoulders. It was a clear threat. Seunghoon watched with disapproval but didn't intervene, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. Seeing this, Lee Hyuk tightened his grip. "Why so quiet? C'mon, tell me."

"...Ahahaha," the rookie laughed nervously.

"Hey, hey. Don't just laugh. Your name. You know, self-introduction?" Lee Hyuk prodded him again, but the rookie just kept smiling awkwardly. Just then, another figure approached from a distance.

"Bullying the new guy again, Hyuk?" a cheerful voice called out. "Give it a rest. I've told you time and time again."

It was the master of their faction, Seonghwi Hyeon. Lee Hyuk quickly dropped his arm, but it was too late.

"Jeez, why'd you have to show up now? I was just educating my junior."

"Be careful," Seonghwi said with a wink. "That rookie might just surpass you soon."

"Nah, no way. He's a C-rank or B-rank at best."

"Well, think what you want," Seonghwi chirped. "So, is this our first time meeting, C-rank Dungeon Master Taehyun Yoo?"

Finally, the rookie's name was revealed. Taehyun smiled brightly and gave a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm here today not only to join the faction but also to provide more details on the report you received."

He wore his most pleasant, harmless expression.

---

His eyes darted around the small gathering. To his left was the 5th ranked A-rank Master. To his right, the 7th. And directly in front of him stood the leader of the Resistance, Seonghwi Hyeon. All of them commanded dungeons deemed unconquerable, but Taehyun's focus was fixed on Seonghwi.

'S-rank Dungeon Master Seonghwi Hyeon.'

Despite his bubbly personality, he was an S-rank. Seonghwi was still laughing, as if he'd just heard the world's greatest joke. "This is awesome! The one who leaked info to the Holy Kingdom was Mihye? That's hilarious!"

"Keep it down," Seunghoon chided. "We moved to a private spot, but you're still too loud."

"But it's funny! What can I do?" Seonghwi slapped his knee, his laughter genuine.

'This S-rank Master seems incredibly simple-minded,' Taehyun thought. 'Is his hair naturally red, or did he dye it?' His crimson hair bounced as he laughed. Taehyun watched him with a flicker of disbelief before surveying the others. All eight faction members assigned to Partisan were present—five men, including Seonghwi, and three women.

'Why is that girl staring at me?' One of them, a young girl, was watching him with shining eyes. He offered her a polite smile, but her gaze remained fixed on him.

Just then, Seonghwi's laughter subsided. "So," he said, his tone suddenly serious. "What do you want from us? You must want something in return for this information. My guess is, you're asking for a favor. Am I right?" He straightened up, his eyes sharp.

He was half right. Taehyun composed his expression and nodded. "You are. But it's not a difficult request. I simply want you to ensure that Mihye's faction—or at the very least, Mihye herself—can't interfere with me."

"What is this, a lovers' quarrel?" Seonghwi asked, tilting his head.

"You could call it unrequited love," Taehyun replied smoothly. "She keeps bothering me. Is that possible?" In a way, it was true. Mihye had been aggressively pursuing him since their first meeting.

"Hmm. That sounds serious. Guys, what do you think?" Seonghwi asked the group.

"We were planning to keep the other factions in check anyway," one man said. "This is a good opportunity. Let's crush that traitor's faction once and for all."

"I'm against it," a woman countered. "We only need to keep them in check. We don't need to go out of our way to protect him."

"...I'm for it," another member said quietly.

The opinions were split, but the majority was in favor. Seonghwi nodded and clapped his hands together. "Alright! Then we'll accept the new rookie and keep the other factions, especially that bitch Mihye, off his back. Done!"

The leader of a major faction had made a decision with the casual air of ordering lunch. Judging by the way Seunghoon was shaking his head, this was typical for him. In any case, his request had been granted. That was all that mattered.

Taehyun bowed his head deeply. "I am Taehyun Yoo, C-rank 1st place Dungeon Master. I look forward to working with you all."

"Ooh, welcome!"

"Starting an invasion like this sucks, but the rookie's cute, so it's fine."

For the moment, the Resistance members assigned to Partisan were all welcoming. Amidst the childish atmosphere, Taehyun wore a deeply satisfied smile.

---

"We don't have many rules in our faction," Seonghwi explained after the others had dispersed. "It's a comfortable place because of how free it is. That said, we're overflowing with talent, which means we have a few crazies. So be careful."

He held up a finger. "First rule: you can't talk about our faction."

'You have a rule against talking about it, yet Duke Nikunbel and Mihye's entire faction know you exist,' Taehyun thought wryly.

"Second rule: never fight with your comrades."

'Not like I'll be seeing them often anyway.'

"And the last rule: everyone has to have fun and enjoy themselves."

'This crazy bastard!'

Taehyun nearly staggered. The first two rules were understandable, but the last one was a complete joke. And that was it. There were no other rules. This faction was pure chaos.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Seonghwi asked, noticing his expression.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Well, I can see why you'd think it's ridiculous."

"It's a little absurd, isn't it? Talking about having fun in a world where we kill and get killed," Seonghwi mused, a playful glint in his eyes.

"...Ahaha." Taehyun forced a laugh. It was unsettling that someone who so clearly understood the grim reality of their situation could act this carefree. He pushed himself to his feet. "It seems the war is about to begin. We should all get going."

"Right," Seonghwi agreed, offering a small communication device. "I look forward to working with you." He extended his hand. It seemed that, at the very least, faction members could communicate with one another.

Taehyun accepted the device and clasped his hand. "I look forward to working with you as well."

"Let's meet again after the Holy Kingdom invasion is over," Seonghwi said. "I'll call all the faction members for a meeting then, so you have to be there."

"Of course."

And with that, the meeting with the Resistance concluded. Taehyun watched Seonghwi's retreating back, a cynical smile twisting his lips. 'Right. You all have as much fun as you want. I'll be happy to use you until the day I surpass every last one of you.'

"Huh?"

A sudden presence made him turn. Standing behind him was the girl who had been staring at him so intently earlier.

"Ah... what was your name again?" he asked, feigning forgetfulness.

"...Songyi."

"Ahaha. Right," he chuckled nervously. "By the way, what can I do for you?" His eyes darted around frantically. It would be a disaster if she had overheard his thoughts.

"My name is Songyi Han. Remember it," she stated, her tone flat.

"Pardon?"

"...See you next time." But Songyi simply stated her name and vanished as quickly as she had appeared. Taehyun, momentarily stunned, was left standing there, utterly bewildered.

---

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