He had successfully infiltrated the Resistance. This not only allowed him to keep Mihye Han's faction in check but also gave him a way to shake off the woman herself. Now, he could navigate the space between the two powers and devote himself solely to Balak.

'I'll just dip my toes into the Resistance and pull out if things get dangerous,' he plotted. 'Still, what the hell was that about with the girl at the end?' The image of Songyi, who had disappeared after giving him only her name, surfaced in his mind. Her slight build made her look like a child, but he couldn't get a read on her at all. Fortunately, it seemed she hadn't heard his private thoughts, but the way she had stared only at him was unsettling.

[The Holy Kingdom Invasion will now begin.]

[Dungeon troop summoning is now possible.]

[Leaving the barrier will result in automatic disqualification as a Dungeon Master.]

Finally, the messages signaling the start of the war appeared. The other Dungeon Masters began returning to their positions, but Taehyun did not. Instead, he turned and walked toward the barrier on the opposite side of the field.

---

At that moment, Chaerin, a member of the Resistance, watched in confusion as the newcomer she had just met headed for the barrier.

"Did that guy join the Resistance just to throw his life away?" she wondered aloud. "Why is he running toward the barrier?"

"Hey, you didn't know?" another member, Nuri, asked from beside her.

"Know what?" Chaerin, who had only skimmed Duke Nikunbel's message, tilted her head.

Nuri sighed and pointed toward the Dungeon Masters at the front lines. They were already locked in a tense standoff, each vying for even a single extra contribution point. "They're the stupid ones. Did you even read the message?"

"Isn't it just about smashing everything? I hate thinking," Chaerin grumbled.

"Haa. Right. Well, your dungeon is strong, so it probably doesn't matter to you." For an A-rank Master like Chaerin, ignorance of the hidden mechanics behind contribution points was a luxury she could afford.

And so, the Dungeon Masters began summoning their soldiers, preparing for war.

---

"We cut the number of those filthy demons in half during the last subjugation... but far from losing momentum, their ranks have been fully restored! How is this possible!" High Priest Kriobel slammed his fist on the table.

Silence descended upon the conference room. Only Wigan, leaning against the far wall, wore a faint smile.

"It seems the magic circle floating in the sky was cast with the power of a high-ranking demon," another priest reported gravely. "Dispelling it will be impossible unless all the High Priests are gathered."

"What exactly is the nature of that magic circle?"

"It appears to be prohibiting the use of items by both Raiders and Dungeon Masters. Due to this restriction, our own Raiders will be unable to fight at their full potential."

The room grew restless. A magic circle that restricted item use affected everyone. It was as if the demons themselves had been given a penalty, just like in a game.

High Priest Kriobel clenched his fists, struggling to contain his fury. With Pope Luminus present, he had to restrain himself.

"Hmm. With the High Priests dispatched to various locations, dispelling the magic circle will be difficult for now," Luminus declared, his voice calm but firm. "In the end, our Holy Kingdom must wage an all-out war against these demon bastards."

As Luminus said, with Dungeon Masters summoned from the cities all the way to the capital, a full-scale war was inevitable. The only silver lining was that the Holy Kingdom had ample war supplies and food, making a long, drawn-out conflict more than manageable.

Just then, Wigan raised his hand. "We should be defending from the Behel Bridge. For what reason have you stationed the troops on the hill?"

The distance from the Behel Bridge to the capital, Partisan, was considerable. Though the capital itself sat upon a high hill, defending from the narrow bridge would be far more efficient.

"Hmm. That matter was decided by High Priest Kriobel," Luminus replied. "Even for you, Commander of the Holy Knights, the command authority for this battle lies with him. You are to trust and follow him."

"Hmph. Understood." At the Pope's command, Wigan ceased his questioning and nodded.

"Are you implying you have a better idea, Wigan?" Kriobel pressed, refusing to let the challenge go. The two men often clashed, and they weren't hiding their animosity even in the war council.

Luminus was about to intervene, but Wigan spoke first. "It is certainly efficient to defend against the dungeon soldiers from the top of the hill. However, before the hill lies a wide-open plain. Furthermore, we cannot ignore their flying units. Considering their mobility and breakthrough power, it is far more efficient to block them at the bridge."

"...So you're saying there's a problem with my command?" Kriobel's voice was dangerously low.

"Not at all," Wigan replied smoothly, a faint smile touching his lips. "And was it not you, High Priest Kriobel, who asked if I had a better idea? I do not believe there is any problem with your command."

With that, Wigan concluded his explanation. Kriobel ground his teeth, glaring daggers at him, but the commander simply turned and exited the conference room.

---

"This is so boring!" Jieun, the A-rank 4th place Master, complained, frustrated by the Holy Kingdom's defensive posture. "Shouldn't we be fighting on the open plains?!" She had already summoned a horde of powerful undead, but they were useless if the enemy wouldn't engage.

"They must be going for a war of attrition," said Jeongtae, the B-rank 18th place Master beside her. "But it's strange. It would definitely be easier to intercept flying soldiers by defending at the bridge." He tilted his head in confusion.

"Ugh. I don't care about that stuff!" Jieun hissed, her eyes gleaming with manic energy. "My undead soldiers want blood. Hehehe. I want to crush those Holy Kingdom bastards and create a sea of blood right now!" Known as a psycho since the initial gathering, she trembled with delight at the thought of trampling the Holy Kingdom's soldiers.

Jeongtae nodded eagerly. "I feel the same. Anyway, it looks like that side is about to make a move."

"Hmph. Let them," Jieun scoffed. "They'll just end up bickering amongst themselves anyway."

Their gazes turned to the front. The two Dungeon Masters at the very head of the pack were growling at each other, their killing intent palpable.

"That damn face of yours is especially repulsive today," one of them snarled.

"And your shitty attitude seems even worse," the other shot back.

They were the S-rank Dungeon Masters, Kanghyuk and Chanjae. The two were locked in a war of nerves, surrounded by a host of rare and powerful monsters: Harpies, Drakes, Ogres, Hydras, Griffons, Gargoyles, and Golems.

"Damn it. If I'd known you were participating, I wouldn't have come," Kanghyuk spat.

"Look who's talking. You were annoying back then, and you're still annoying now," Chanjae retorted.

"You want to go at it?!"

"Bring it on!"

Their bitter rivalry had been festering since the first summoning, and every meeting was the same. Just as they were about to clash, a young man with red hair stepped between them.

"Now, now. Let's stop fighting," Seonghwi said with a cheerful grin. "This is a fun war, isn't it? How about we settle this with contribution points? The one with more points is the stronger one."

"...You again, Seonghwi," Chanjae muttered.

"Contribution points, huh," Kanghyuk mused.

It was Seonghwi, the leader of the Resistance. He smiled and made his proposal. Kanghyuk was the first to react.

"A fitting game," he declared. "What do you say? Don't tell me you're going to run away." For a man who burned with competitive spirit, a contest of points was the perfect outlet.

Chanjae didn't particularly like the idea, but Kanghyuk's taunt made his eyes blaze. "You're the one who'll be running! Fine! I'll show you the difference in our power this time!"

"Look who's talking!"

At last, their armies charged. The Holy Kingdom troops, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, belatedly cast a protective barrier.

"Ga-Gargoyles!" a soldier screamed.

"There are Golems too! Stack more barriers!"

"Aargh! A Harpy got me! Save—Gyaaaah!"

The S-rank monsters shattered the shimmering defenses and tore into the soldiers. Kanghyuk directed his Harpies to focus on the priests, methodically cutting off the enemy's support. Not to be outdone, Chanjae sent his Golems to smash through the layers of magical shields. The Holy Kingdom's line began to buckle under the assault from both sides.

Just then, thousands of priests appeared from the rear.

"High Heal!"

"Great Heal!"

"Blessing of the One for Glory!"

In an instant, the faltering soldiers were restored, their wounds closing as divine buffs washed over them, strengthening their firepower.

"Tch! If I had brought all my soldiers, I could have broken through them and then some," Kanghyuk grumbled. The invasion rules limited each Master to summoning 300 units. It was impossible to bring an entire dungeon's army, so he had only brought his main force. But even with his elite troops, breaking through such a massive, well-supported army with just 300 units was impossible.

Chanjae clicked his tongue, surveying the battlefield. As the two S-rank Masters attacked, other Dungeon Masters followed their lead. 'There are hundreds of us, but we won't be able to break through right away.' With the Holy Kingdom occupying the high ground, a swift victory was out of the question. Moreover, the enemy had yet to play their strongest cards—their Raiders, Holy Knights, and High Priests. Of course, the Dungeon Masters also had their Guardians and Keepers in reserve, but it was too early to deploy them.

'Breaking through the hill is better than fighting at the bridge, but they've only brought out their priests so far. I should pull back.' Facing an army of hundreds of thousands, this battle wouldn't be won in a day or two. He subtly glanced at Kanghyuk.

His rival, too, seemed to have realized it was time to retreat and met his gaze.

"Why don't you retreat first?" Kanghyuk challenged.

"Why don't you pull back first?" Chanjae shot back. "Sacrificing your soldiers like this can't be to your liking."

"You're ridiculous!"

Now they were even competing over who would give the retreat order first.

---

"Now, who's going to be the first to pull back?" Seonghwi watched Kanghyuk and Chanjae's troops with a satisfied smile. Just then, both armies began to disengage simultaneously. "So they pull back at the same time in the end. Those two really hate to lose, don't they?"

"Well, they're smart enough to have raised their dungeons to S-rank," a man named Lee Hyuk commented beside him. "Anyway, Seonghwi, when are you going to summon your soldiers?"

"You already know the answer," Seonghwi replied, his smile unwavering. "I have to deploy them when our fellow Dungeon Masters start to get tired." As he spoke, his perpetually narrow eyes opened slightly, revealing a sharp intelligence. He fiddled with a coin in his hand and turned away from the battle.

"That's true," Lee Hyuk chuckled, following him. "No matter how much they fight like that, they'll just lose it all in the end. I don't know why they're trying so hard."

Just then, Seonghwi's thoughts drifted to the newcomer, Taehyun. "By the way, where's our rookie?"

"Ah, him? I heard from Chaerin and Nuri that he pulled back to the barrier as soon as it started. Seems he's got a good head on his shoulders, too."

"Is that so?" Seonghwi stopped in his tracks. Retreating to the barrier the moment the invasion began meant Taehyun also knew about the hidden rule. As expected of someone who had taken down not only Sebastian but also Lexner. He must have grasped the game's true nature the instant he read the third message. As the situation grew more entertaining, Seonghwi's lips curled into a pleased smile.

"The C-rank 1st place Dungeon Master, Taehyun Yoo. The more I see of him, the more I like him."

"Right, right? Give him to me! I can put him to good use," Lee Hyuk pleaded.

"Lee Hyuk," Seonghwi said, his tone turning serious. "I told you."

"Told me what?"

Seonghwi's gaze shifted to the distant forest near the barrier. "That he might surpass you soon. Taehyun Yoo is definitely not the type to serve under anyone."

---

At that moment, Taehyun was waiting with bated breath in the forest near the barrier.

"It seems the other dungeon soldiers are slowly retreating, sir," Kinjo reported, his eyes fixed on the distant hill.

Taehyun was watching the situation unfold with his own eyes.

"What do you plan to do now?"

As soon as the invasion began, Taehyun had concealed himself in the forest. If he stayed hidden, he wouldn't gain any contribution points. Kinjo was worried they might not reach the 100,000-point threshold. But Taehyun wasn't anxious at all. Instead, a slow, predatory smile spread across his face.

"I'll have to pick them off one by one."

"One by one, sir? Who are you referring to?"

Taehyun's gaze drifted toward the other Dungeon Masters.

"Our 'allies'."

---

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