Meanwhile, others watched the unfolding battle on the Desolate Plains, their eyes fixed on more than just Balak and its alliance of enemies.

"Well, well. Looks like the C-rank Dungeon Masters of the West have decided to go all in," a man observed from a clifftop perch, gesturing toward the enemy forces. "They've brought every soldier they have."

Nearly nine thousand soldiers were emerging from the Forest of Silence. With Guardians and Keepers interspersed among them, it was clearly their entire military might.

"At this rate, Balak is going to be steamrolled," he added.

"...A C-rank Balak has no chance of facing that," his companion agreed grimly.

Though Taehyun had been ranked first among C-rank masters since the beginning, his dungeon was, on paper, still C-rank. He was hopelessly outmatched in soldiers, Guardians, and Keepers. Even with the most sophisticated item-based psychological warfare, defeat seemed inevitable.

Just then, about four hundred of Balak's soldiers appeared from the labyrinth. They were all C-rank, but it was a pitifully small number. Their levels and equipment were decent, but they would be swallowed by the sheer tide of the enemy. The man on the cliff shook his head.

"It's over. They can't win with that. Looks like we'll have to step in after all."

"It seems so," the other replied. "Seonghwi gave the order. We should prepare to move."

The two observers were none other than Lee Hyuk and Seunghun of the Resistance. While monitoring Mihye's faction, they had stumbled upon her connection to the C-rank Dungeon Master alliance. Their target was clear: the C-rank Dungeon Balak—and by extension, Taehyun Yoo. They had immediately reported their findings to Seonghwi.

'Hmm. Well, he's a member of our Resistance, and I did promise to protect him from Mihye's faction. Assess the situation and help him out.'

Seonghwi had dispatched them to the Desolate Plains, which was how they came to be watching the battle unfold.

"Whoa, hold on," Lee Hyuk said suddenly. "Looks like the rookie is trying something."

At that moment, a cascade of buffs washed over the C-rank soldiers. Despite being so heavily outnumbered, he was actively strengthening his forces.

"What is he thinking? Is this some kind of continental suicide pact?" Lee Hyuk scoffed.

"To use buff items with only four hundred C-rank soldiers... He was far too hasty," Seunghun murmured.

The soldiers on the field must be Balak's entire army. To burn through buff items so early in the engagement was practically begging to be countered. As expected, the anti-Balak alliance responded instantly with an Effect Reversal Card. The buffs on Balak's soldiers flipped to debuffs, crippling them. Their already slim chances of victory had just vanished entirely.

"This is hopeless," Lee Hyuk spat, his voice laced with contempt. "What a disappointment. I expected more from the rookie who took down Sebastian, but he's just another idiot."

"Seonghwi is such a fool, trusting a single achievement as a sign of talent. Look at that! Now he's wasting a recall item."

A recall circle materialized around Balak's soldiers, only to be instantly nullified by the alliance's counter. Lee Hyuk clicked his tongue and turned away in disgust.

"That's it. He's not worth our time. Let's go. He can live or die on his own."

"Wait," Seunghun insisted. "Seonghwi gave us an order. We have to help him, one way or another."

"Help him with what?" Lee Hyuk shot back. "Just let him die! The Resistance has no need for trash like that."

The Resistance was a faction for the talented and the powerful. A Dungeon Master who made such amateur mistakes was useless to their goal of conquering the Demon World. Lee Hyuk was about to activate his own recall item when Balak's Ambush Unit burst from the Forest of Silence. Taehyun was launching a counterattack with a Position Transfer item.

Even so, Lee Hyuk sighed. "That rookie is a special kind of stupid. Saving a position and transferring troops is a decent trick, but what can he possibly do with a force that small?"

Using Position Transfer to spring an ambush was a clever way to catch an enemy off guard. But the alliance's army was composed of C-rank soldiers, bolstered by five B-rank soldiers from each of the eighteen dungeons. Even if he moved a Guardian with his ambush unit, it wouldn't be enough to turn the tide. As if to prove his point, the alliance's forces were already shifting into a battle-ready stance.

"Poor Songyi," Lee Hyuk mused. "She seemed interested in that rookie, and now he's about to get himself killed."

"...Hmm," Seunghun grunted, his eyes never leaving the battlefield.

"Hey, what are you waiting for, a miracle? It's over. This is Balak's limit."

Lee Hyuk was right. For a C-rank dungeon, this was the end of the line. Even if they intervened now, there was no guarantee a similar crisis wouldn't arise later. Yet Seunghun couldn't bring himself to look away. Taehyun had defeated not only Sebastian's raid party but also the formidable Rexner party. It felt wrong for someone who had demonstrated such profound talent to be crushed so easily.

'No, this isn't over,' Seunghun thought, his focus sharpening. 'Lee Hyuk doesn't know he also defeated the Rexner raid party. A man with the talent to take down enemies a full rank above him... I wasn't wrong about him.'

Taehyun was a predator aiming for the apex. A Dungeon Master who had clawed his way here by devouring those stronger than himself couldn't possibly meet his end like this. As Seunghun stood his ground, Lee Hyuk sighed in exasperation and walked back to his side.

"Sigh. I told you, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment..."

Just then, the tide of battle turned in an instant.

"Wh-what are those?!" Lee Hyuk stammered.

Balak's main army erupted from beneath the ground. Ihyuk's eyes went wide with shock, while a slow smirk spread across Seunghun's face.

"Just as I thought," Seunghun said, his voice low with admiration. "Taehyun Yoo... a true monster of a rookie. He's already raised his dungeon to B-rank."

A force of one thousand soldiers. Roughly two hundred of them appeared to be B-rank, with the rest being C-rank. It was an army far beyond the capacity of a C-rank dungeon, whose B-rank soldier limit was a mere five. This was a force that could only belong to a higher-ranked dungeon. Seunghun knew at once: Balak was now B-rank.

"He already made his dungeon B-rank? No way!" Lee Hyuk exclaimed. "And what in the world are those siege units? They don't look like any I've ever seen."

The siege weapons emerging with the army were vastly different from the standard models. Their cannons were larger, longer. It was as if their range and firepower had been massively upgraded. The modified Catapult Drakes began to fire. Despite the vast distance, their projectiles flew straight and true.

The air split with a deafening series of explosions.

The alliance's front lines were obliterated by the bombardment. Riding the wave of chaos, the ambush unit tore into their flank with renewed ferocity.

'He doesn't intend to let a single one escape alive,' Seunghun realized. He had used the Position Transfer to sow confusion with an ambush, creating an opening for his main army to swallow them whole. This was the strategy of a true predator. As Balak's main army crashed into the beleaguered alliance, the tide of battle turned decisively.

Seunghun chuckled and turned away. "You were right. There's no need for us to help. I'm heading back."

"H-hey! Did you know about this?!" Lee Hyuk demanded.

"No, I didn't," Seunghun replied. "And I'm certain Mihye's faction didn't either. I need to report this immediately."

"Hey! Hey, wait for me!"

With that, the two observers vanished, returning to their respective dungeons.

---

Screams of agony and the guttural cries of dying monsters filled the air.

The soldiers on the screen were being slaughtered. Cannonballs rained down from the sky while B-rank and C-rank soldiers surged across the ground. The anti-Balak alliance was being annihilated. With the ambush unit now controlling the forest, they were being devoured from two sides.

Gyeonghun stared at the screen, his face ashen, as he fumbled for an item. "I-I have to use the recall item! We have to retreat now!"

[Dungeon Master exclusive item 'Soldier Recall' has been activated.]

[The designated soldiers of the anti-Balak alliance will be recalled.]

A recall circle formed around his dwindling forces. Gyeonghun's tense expression finally began to ease, but his relief was short-lived as his eyes widened in horror.

[Balak has activated 'Item Nullification.']

[The magic of the recall circle has dissipated.]

[The recall of the anti-Balak alliance's soldiers has failed.]

"R-recall failed?!" he choked out. He belatedly recalled the items Taehyun had used—the buffs he'd lavished on his C-rank soldiers, followed immediately by the recall attempt. Taehyun still had an Item Nullification card in his hand.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Gyeonghun grabbed another item. "Damn it! Then at least the buffs!"

[The morale of the anti-Balak alliance has been boosted.]

[The stats of the anti-Balak alliance have been increased for a set time.]

[The skill critical hit rate of the anti-Balak alliance has been increased for a set time.]

Buffs poured over his soldiers. Gyeonghun allowed himself a sliver of hope, but a series of messages appeared before his eyes, shattering it completely.

[Balak has used an Effect Reversal Card.]

[The buffs on the anti-Balak alliance will be converted into debuffs.]

[The morale of the entire anti-Balak alliance's soldiers will decrease.]

[The stats of the anti-Balak alliance's soldiers will decrease for a set time.]

[The skill critical hit rate of the anti-Balak alliance's soldiers will decrease for a set time.]

It was the last item Taehyun had been holding back: his own Effect Reversal Card.

"Aaaah! N-no! This can't be happening!" Gyeonghun shrieked.

Now crippled by debuffs, the alliance's soldiers were cut down before they could even mount a proper defense. As the number of his soldiers plummeted, Gyeonghun's eyes trembled violently. He had gathered all the C-rank Dungeon Masters of the West, forged an alliance... and it was all crumbling in an instant. These were the last soldiers of dungeons already struggling because of the labyrinth.

Gyeonghun collapsed to his knees, staring blankly at the screen. Suddenly, he felt a gaze upon him.

"Oh my. They're all dying."

He turned his head to see her, seated calmly at a nearby table as if she'd been there all along. Gyeonghun scrambled forward, grabbing her ankle in desperation.

"I've done everything you asked! I even took on the role of alliance leader, which I never wanted, and I put up with all the nonsense from the other Dungeon Masters!" he pleaded. "Y-you promised a reward for success, but surely this is enough to be satisfactory, isn't it? Huh?"

"Hmm. You certainly did try hard," Mihye noted with an amused smile.

"R-right? I spent a whole week of suffering to build this alliance! Please, in light of my efforts, can't you give me some of the reward?" If he didn't get that Zen, his dungeon was finished. He had to get it from her, no matter what. Gyeonghun got on his knees, begging earnestly.

"Oh, you poor thing," she cooed. "In consideration of your sincerity, I'll make sure you get your reward. Don't you worry."

"Th-thank you! Thank you!"

"Of course," she added, her smile never faltering. "I'll give it to you after you're dead."

'Slice.'

Gyeonghun's head, bowed low in gratitude, was cleanly severed from his neck. Mihye watched it roll across the floor before a thought occurred to her.

"Oops. I suppose you can't collect a reward when you're dead," she mused. "My apologies."

She offered her apology to the corpse, but the dead tell no tales. Satisfied, Mihye turned her gaze back to the screen. Balak's soldiers were already roaring in victory.

'Chzzzz.'

The screen went dark, and the dungeon around her began to dissolve. Mihye pressed her hands to her face, an ecstatic expression spreading across it as a thrill shot through her.

"Taehyun Yoo... you truly drive me mad. I tried to be patient, but you just had to go and make me act, didn't you? What are your limits? Ah, I want you. I want you so badly, Taehyun Yoo!"

First the Rexner raid party, and now he had elevated Balak to B-rank. He was constantly shattering her expectations. A true predator, devouring everything in his path to fuel his growth. Mihye lost herself in fantasies of him for a long moment before shaking herself back to reality.

"Ah. I can't take it anymore. I have to get back."

Thinking of the Supporters awaiting her in her own dungeon, she quickly initiated her recall.

---

[You have won the battle against the anti-Balak alliance.]

He had defeated an alliance of eighteen C-rank Dungeon Masters. Every enemy soldier that had set foot on the Desolate Plains had been slain by Balak's forces, leaving behind mountains of corpses. Witnessing the carnage, the three Supporters seated before him were speechless.

"Such a one-sided slaughter... It's truly incredible, Master Taehyun."

"You anticipated all of this and used your items accordingly."

"You didn't let a single one escape. The other Dungeon Masters must be tearing their hair out right now."

Balak had now firmly established itself as a B-rank dungeon. Soon, news of its power would spread across the entire continent. The anti-Balak alliance had been nothing more than a stepping stone.

Taehyun rose from his seat and picked up a communication device. "Now that I've killed the minions, it's time to crush their masters."

The hunt was entering its final stage.

---

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