Using Yuslan's Ice Palace to shorten the journey, Taehyun arrived at the fortress within a day. The Dallas villagers inside were startled by the sudden appearance of their Dungeon Master.

"W-what brings you here?" one of them whispered nervously.

"Does he have business with us? We've been doing well so far."

"He's not going to dispose of us all, is he?"

They had been diligently carrying out their assigned tasks. Having finally adapted to their new lives, they had been working without complaint. The Dungeon Master's unexpected arrival reignited their old fears.

Taehyun, however, paid them no mind, striding directly to the center of the fortress. 'This should be a good spot.' He took the Labyrinth's Crystal Sphere from his inventory. Grai, standing beside him, watched with curiosity.

"So this place will become a dungeon now?"

"It says it will become a labyrinth… We'll have to see for ourselves."

"Hmm. I look forward to it."

He placed the crystal sphere on the ground. Instantly, Mana erupted from it, flooding the fortress.

"Whoa! What's happening?"

"The-the fortress is changing!"

"We're not going to die, are we?!"

The villagers panicked as the fortress began to transform around them. Taehyun, in contrast, watched the process with calm detachment.

[Balak Fortress is beginning to dungeonize.]

[The Labyrinth's Crystal Sphere is consuming the fortress.]

An enormous wave of magic swallowed the surrounding space. He felt a brief pang of concern as the traps and installations he had built around the fortress vanished, but a new system message quickly put his mind at ease.

[Consuming the fortress's existing installations and traps to create a more powerful labyrinth.]

[The fortress is disappearing. A labyrinth entrance is being created.]

The torrent of magic stabilized, and the fortress was gone. In its place was a dark, descending staircase leading underground.

"The fortress is gone, and a dungeon entrance appeared?!"

"Are we supposed to live here now?"

"I've got goosebumps. To think I'd see dungeonization with my own eyes."

Taehyun led the confused villagers and Grai down into the new dungeon.

---

[Dungeon Name: Balak (3)]

[Master: Taehyun Yoo]

[Rank: C]

[Location: Center of the Arid Plains, Western Astral Continent.]

[Supporter: None]

[Boss: None]

[Mercenary: None]

[Guardian and Keeper: None]

[Soldiers: Dallas Villagers (20)]

[Monsters: None]

[Servants and Maids: None]

[Traps: None]

[Installations: None]

[Modifications: Maze Path Expansion (Stage 1), Maze Width Expansion (Stage 1)]

[Rooms: 2]

[Dungeon Status: The fortress has been transformed into a labyrinth via the crystal sphere. Currently, without any soldiers, traps, or installations, its true potential as a labyrinth is not being realized. A supporter must be summoned immediately to begin operations.]

Upon entering, Taehyun and the villagers were transported directly to the final room. A crystal sphere floated in the air, confirming the transformation. The labyrinth's modification status must have been a result of absorbing the old fortress's traps and installations.

"With this, you now have three dungeons," Grai observed. "My Lord, can you truly operate them all simultaneously?"

"Probably not," Taehyun admitted. "I can leave the second Balak to Kinjo, but this place will need a new supporter. The goal here is to extract the maximum amount of Zen with minimal investment."

"What if it is conquered by mistake?"

"B-rank and higher raiders will almost certainly bypass it. Their target is Balak, so they'll stick to their schedule. Of course, there will be exceptions, so I'll need to prepare for that."

The primary customers for this new labyrinth would be D and C-rank raid parties. First, he needed a supporter.

[You have used a Random Supporter Summon Card.]

[A summon circle is being generated.]

[The summon circle materializes near the crystal sphere, stabilizing the Mana.]

A middle-aged man appeared on the summon circle.

[Great Success!]

[Rank C Hero Supporter 'Butler Edchan' has been summoned.]

He had a dignified air and wore a pristine butler's uniform. The white-haired man stood motionless as a doll, much like Riel and Kinjo had, before his eyes slowly opened.

"It seems I have been summoned," he said, his voice smooth and professional. "Are you the master I will be serving from now on?"

"I am."

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Edchan, a low-ranking demon butler. It is a great honor to serve you, Dungeon Master. I look forward to our work together." Edchan bowed deeply, a picture of perfect etiquette.

After a brief introduction, Taehyun got straight to business.

"Hmm. In your current situation, Master, operating this labyrinth will be a great burden," Edchan noted. "May I ask why you chose to use the Labyrinth Crystal Sphere?"

"To generate the maximum income with the minimum investment. That's the goal. What do you think? Is the labyrinth currently capable of preventing a conquest?"

"So that was your aim. To explain briefly, a labyrinth is different from a normal dungeon. It only has a final room and a hidden room; the rest is a maze." Edchan gestured to the monitor, which displayed a vast, complex maze. With its numerous dead ends, it was highly likely that raiders would get lost.

"In other words, it won't be easily conquered."

"That is correct. With a proper investment, it will be more than enough to stop C-rank raid parties."

"Good. We'll see how it handles raiders later. For now, I'll provide the investment. This labyrinth is your responsibility."

"To be placed in charge of a labyrinth so soon after being summoned is a great honor," Edchan said, a genuinely pleased expression on his face.

Taehyun's eyes fell on the maze's exit on the screen. "By the way, does the maze have to have an exit? Can we get rid of it?"

"That is impossible. Even though you are its master, an exit is mandatory."

"Hmm. And that exit leads directly to the final room."

"That is correct."

The maze itself would be difficult to navigate. With dead ends everywhere, plus traps and other installations, it would be a nightmare. But if a party found the exit, they would go straight to the final room. That could be a problem.

"You can change the exit's location, right?"

"It is possible, but… what are you planning?"

"The exit," Taehyun said with a faint smile. "Just put it right next to the entrance."

"B-but if you do that, it could be conquered immediately, Master!" Edchan objected, his professional composure cracking. An exit next to the entrance would render the entire maze meaningless. Raiders could walk in and walk right out, conquering the dungeon in seconds. His objection was entirely logical.

But Taehyun had no intention of backing down. "It won't be conquered. I guarantee it."

"You are making a judgment too hastily, Master! Please, reconsider!"

"You probably don't believe me now," Taehyun said calmly. "You'll understand when you see it with your own eyes."

He finished investing the Zen and left with Grai.

The villagers stood around blankly. Edchan, left alone in his new dungeon, let out a long sigh.

"Haa. Just when I thought I'd finally been summoned by a Dungeon Master, it turns out to be like this. I've just been put in charge of this labyrinth, and it's going to be conquered any day now. To think I have to serve someone so reckless."

His first impression of Taehyun was that of an ignorant fool. His confident boasts about the labyrinth seemed like nothing but empty bluster. Berating himself for getting his hopes up, Edchan turned away.

"What are you all doing?" he snapped at the villagers. "There is much to prepare. From now on, you will follow my instructions."

"Ah, yes! Yes!"

Using the Zen Taehyun had provided, Edchan began to reinforce the labyrinth.

---

[Butler Edchan]

[Rank: C (Hero)]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Butler]

[Title: Hero of Butlers]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Favorability: 5]

[Obedience: 40]

[Skill: Smooth Organization]

[Special Ability: Wise Management (Active)]

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

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

[Status: Distrust]

'It's understandable that he doesn't trust me,' Taehyun thought, reviewing the new supporter's status. 'I did just put the exit right next to the entrance. It would be a disaster if someone just walked straight through.'

The newly summoned Edchan's status was 'Distrust.' The drop in his Favorability and Obedience made it clear how unacceptable he found the situation. Of course, anyone would have objected to such a plan. Taehyun, however, was pleased. He looked over Edchan's stats, skills, and special abilities—all perfectly optimized for management.

Like Kinjo, Edchan was a Supporter who specialized in management and operations. This meant the second and third Balak dungeons could be immediately entrusted to him.

"That should secure the third Balak for now," Taehyun mused. "Let's head back, Grai."

"Understood."

Using a return scroll, Taehyun and Grai teleported back to the main dungeon.

"Riel, could you get Larkan for me?"

"Of course, Master."

Upon returning to the Dungeon Master's room, Taehyun immediately summoned the alchemist. Larkan arrived drenched in sweat, clearly in the midst of his work on a Transmutation Circle.

"What is it?" he asked curtly.

"How is the work on your special ability, the Transmutation Circle, coming along? Is it nearly finished?"

"Fortunately, the dungeon's recent evolution has made the ambient mana far more abundant. The Transmutation Circle should be complete before long."

Larkan's unique ability was still a work in progress, requiring a significant amount of mana and time for calibration. Taehyun nodded, satisfied with the report. Once the circle was complete, he could finally begin using transmutation in earnest—though that would require a steady supply of Zen for the necessary materials.

"That's a relief. For now, take a break and stand by. Your Synthesis skill is more urgent to me than the Transmutation Circle at the moment."

"Fine. I will do as you ask."

Larkan returned to his quarters. Left alone, Taehyun turned his attention to his forces.

[High Orc (70)]

[High Lizardman (50)]

[High Fenrir (40)]

[High Goblin (120)]

[High Imp (50)]

[High Wild Dog (40)]

[Highest Minotaur (20)]

[Dallas Villager (20)]

[High Fairy (70)]

[Mid-rank Direct Retainer Fairy (4)]

[Named Flame Fairy, Mandra (1)]

His entire army was displayed before him, and he now had to divide the forces among his three dungeons.

'The second Balak only needs fairies,' he strategized. 'With Kinjo managing operations, I just need to invest Zen, and he will summon his own fairy soldiers to grow the dungeon.'

Ever since the Lasten incident, the second Balak had been tailored to a fairy environment. As long as he funded Kinjo, the goblin would expand the territory on his own.

'The third Balak is a labyrinth by design, so it will rely more on traps and installations. I will send a small contingent of soldiers… and perhaps the villagers I just captured.'

While the raiders languishing in his prison were useless, the captured villagers could be put to use, even in a labyrinth. If raid parties continued to pour in, someone would be needed for cleanup and maintenance. Until he could find a permanent place for them, the dungeon was the best option.

'I can summon B-rank soldiers now, but filling the ranks with them from the outset would be a waste of Zen. Now that I understand the evolution system, I need to summon strategically and raise the lower-ranked troops.'

With his plan settled, Taehyun dispatched the soldiers to their respective dungeons.

"Master," Riel began, "the third Balak is also C-rank. Do you not intend to summon a Guardian or a Keeper for it?"

"I don't have the Zen to spare at the moment. I need to farm raid parties for a while first. By the way, Riel, if I put a Supporter in charge of a dungeon, can they still use items exclusive to the Dungeon Master?"

"Yes, they can. Once a Supporter is in charge, they effectively act as your proxy. They can likely even purchase items directly from the shop, provided they have the Zen."

"Good to know."

He had yet to see Edchan's true potential, but the ability to act as a proxy was reassuring.

'A Supporter cannot betray their master, so I can leave it in his hands. The basic framework is set. Now, all I have to do is watch.'

Taehyun rose from his seat and went to find Larkan, who was waiting as instructed.

---

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