Balak's forces were severely lacking. Only seven goblins had been promoted to scouts, and the rest were poorly equipped. His army was capped at fifty units due to the rank of his dungeon and Crystal Sphere. In this situation, the most effective strategy was a war of attrition.

'I'm low on Zen because of the food for the soldiers and villagers. The minotaurs can't change class without a perfect match, and I can't afford to buy them equipment right now.'

The red dot on the world map crept steadily closer to his fortress.

'I have to stop this first raid if I want to have any chance of managing this dungeon properly.'

He watched his goblin scout approach the raid party, then turned his attention to the quest message.

[Helper Message]

[20. Stop the first D-rank raid party you encounter.]

[Warning: Failure to comply within one week will result in the destruction of the Crystal Sphere. The destruction of the Crystal Sphere leads to the Dungeon Master's death.]

'This is the last tutorial quest. The last Zen I can get from a quest. If I fail, it's all over.'

An image of Balak's Crystal Sphere shattering flashed through his mind. The thought alone sent a chill down his spine. With a grim expression, he began to issue his commands.

---

Meanwhile, the D-rank raid party entering the arid plains spotted the distant fortress.

"A fortress in a wasteland like this… suspicious," one of them, Breaum, muttered.

"Could just be a den for some intelligent monsters," the leader, Bolton, replied dismissively. "Our priority is the dungeon. Let's just pass it by."

Excessive curiosity was a quick way to get killed. Knowing this, Bolton shook his head.

"Tch. It's suspicious, but Bolton has experience. I'll follow his lead," Breaum conceded.

"We can check it out after we clear the dungeon. No need to worry about it now," Bolton added.

"True enough."

Though they were all D-rank, Bolton's judgment was rarely wrong. Breaum nodded and turned away, while the third member, Reden, watched them with wide, curious eyes.

"Are you sure it wasn't a mistake bringing that Reden kid along?" Breaum whispered to Bolton. "He has no experience. I'm worried he'll cause trouble."

"We didn't have much choice," Bolton sighed. "A new D-rank dungeon mostly attracts rookies like him. We were lucky to find an archer at all."

"I suppose, but…"

A new D-rank dungeon was the perfect proving ground for novices. As a result, most of the applicants in Partren were inexperienced, making it difficult for Bolton and Breaum to build a competent party. In the end, they had settled on Reden, the archer.

"It's just a new D-rank dungeon. This team is more than enough to clear it," Bolton said confidently. "I'll keep an eye on him, so don't worry."

They were well-prepared with food and supplies. And though they were only a party of three, they had a balanced composition: a shield bearer, a warrior, and an archer. Bolton had no doubt this raid would be a success.

"Hey! Goblins over there!" Reden suddenly called out, pointing to a hill on their left.

A group of goblins stood atop the hill, watching them but making no move to attack.

"They're just watching us," Breaum observed. "They don't seem to want a fight."

"They must be the ones occupying the fortress," Bolton deduced. "They're on guard, but they won't attack without provocation. We should just ignore them."

"Agreed."

Their sole objective was Balak. Bolton signaled for Reden to lower his bow.

"What is it, senior?" the young man asked.

"Drop the 'senior' bit," Bolton grumbled. "Anyway, those goblins are probably from the fortress. As long as we don't start anything, they'll leave us alone. We just need to walk on by."

"But couldn't they be part of the dungeon?" Reden questioned.

Bolton scoffed. "Look, Reden, Balak is a D-rank dungeon. A 'new' D-rank dungeon. Whether it has a Master or not, there's no way it could have taken over a fortress. I've never heard of such a thing."

"Oh, I see."

"We just need to stick to our path."

"Yes, senior!"

Bolton was silent.

And so, Bolton's party continued past the hill toward Balak, completely oblivious to the Blue Eye hovering silently in the sky above.

---

[D-rank Bolton's raid party is ignoring the scout goblins.]

[The scout goblins are feeling hurt.]

'Is your pride really the issue right now?' Taehyun thought, ignoring the steaming icons above his goblins' heads and focusing on the raiders. Just as he'd predicted, they were bypassing the fortress.

"Master Taehyun, did you anticipate this as well?" Riel inquired.

"Of course," he replied, propping his chin on his hand. "It's a party of only three. If they have any sense, they won't want to waste their stamina on the fortress. Besides, their supplies are limited. They can't afford to waste time on detours."

Riel was once again impressed by his strategic mind.

'He may be bound by human sentiment, but at times like this, he's a different person entirely.'

Taehyun was displaying incredible focus, putting himself in the raiders' shoes to predict their every move.

[B-rank Named Supporter Riel of Healing is impressed by the Master's concentration.]

[Loyalty increases by 1.]

[Affection increases by 1.]

The notifications went unheard.

'Now, I'll start chipping away at them,' he thought, his eyes gleaming. He dispatched the fortress's wild dogs and scouts, ordering them to shadow the party.

---

Day 1 of the Raid

Bolton's party had left the arid plains behind and was now entering the outskirts of the Silent Forest. Just as the dense trees came into view, the sun began to set, forcing them to make camp for the night.

"Reden, is this your first time camping?" Bolton asked.

"It is! Wow, so this is what the camping kits from the city look like," Reden replied, his eyes wide with excitement.

The camping kit was an essential item for any raider, containing blankets and firewood for a campfire. Raid parties used them to rest and activate certain buffs. However, since their raid on Balak was expected to be short, they hadn't bothered with any specific preparations.

"We brought enough blankets for everyone, so grab one," Bolton instructed. "We'll take turns on watch."

"Yes, sir," Reden replied.

The party had two camping kits. After setting one up, Reden and Breaum quickly fell asleep. Bolton, taking the first watch alone, pulled a book from his coat and began to read by the flickering firelight.

As darkness fell over the forest, Reden relieved Bolton of his watch. He let out a deep yawn, slumping against a tree. "Not a single monster in sight," he grumbled, his eyelids growing heavy. "Why can't we just get some real sleep?" Just as he began to doze off, a flicker of movement in the bushes across the clearing caught his eye.

From the shadows, the wild dogs of Balak emerged growling. In addition to his Minotaurs, Goblins, and Imps, Taehyun was now unleashing his wild dogs. They crept forward in silence, and just as they closed in, Bolton shot to his feet.

"I knew it!" he roared.

"Everyone, wake up! We're under attack!"

Braeam and Reden jolted awake at Bolton's shout just as the wild dogs charged. The party scrambled to counter, but in that instant, time seemed to freeze.

[A Surprise Phenomenon has occurred.]

[The movements of the D-rank Bolton Raid Party are temporarily restricted.]

It was a Surprise Phenomenon, a bizarre quirk of this world's rules that only affected raiders. It had a random chance of triggering whenever one side spotted the other first. In this case, the raiders had been caught completely off guard.

Emboldened by their targets' paralysis, the wild dogs lunged, sinking their teeth into Bolton's arms and legs. The situation devolved into chaos. The moment the effect wore off, Braeam scrambled to Bolton's side.

"Ugh!"

"Damn it!" Braeam cursed, kicking at one of the beasts. "Of all the times to get hit with a Surprise Phenomenon! Get off him, you damn dogs!"

After prying the snarling animals off Bolton, Braeam drew his sword, his face grim.

"Bolton, fall back! Reden, get over here and support him!"

"Right! Yes, sir!" Reden, who had been frozen in a daze, belatedly raised his bow, taking up a position beside the injured shield bearer.

The dogs bared their teeth, a low growl rumbling in their chests. Braeam held his ground, creating a tense standoff. Then, strangely, the wild dogs began to back away.

"Wh-what are they doing?!" Reden stammered.

"Don't take your eyes off them," Braeam warned, his voice tight. "Let your guard down for a second, and who knows what will happen."

"Right!"

Tension coiled in the air, thick and suffocating. A cold sweat slicked their skin. With trembling hands, Reden kept his bow trained on the retreating shapes until they vanished completely into the undergrowth. The moment they were gone, he collapsed, gasping for breath.

It was the first real combat he had ever faced. Though they hadn't truly fought, the intensity of the standoff felt like it had stolen ten years from his life.

"Whew… What the hell was that?" Braeam wiped beads of sweat from his brow and helped Bolton up. "They had us dead to rights, but they just left. How are your injuries?"

"Ugh. The bites are still bleeding," Bolton grunted, inspecting his wounds. "Luckily, it doesn't look like they were venomous."

"Alright. Use this for now." Braeam produced a roll of bandages and expertly wrapped Bolton's arm and leg. It was a crude fix, but it staunched the bleeding. "Looks like this forest is infested with wild dogs. I couldn't get a perfect count, but I saw at least six or seven."

"There could be more, so don't get complacent. And you…" Bolton's glare cut through the gloom, pinning Reden in place. "I told you before we left. Never, ever let your guard down on watch."

"I-I'm sorry."

Bolton sighed, rubbing his temples. "Injured before we even reach the dungeon. This is a nightmare. I expected to run into monsters, but not like this." The injury was a serious blow. As the shield bearer, Bolton's job was to protect the party from the front, a role he could no longer perform effectively.

"Take it easy on him," Braeam interjected. "It's his first raid. Besides, if that Surprise Phenomenon hadn't triggered, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"…Well, I guess you're right." Bolton sighed, nodding. Braeam had a point; the phenomenon was completely unpredictable. After tending to their wounds, the party reorganized, doubling the watch for the remainder of the perilous night.

---

Watching the scene unfold through the Blue Eye, Taehyun finally allowed himself a quiet sigh of relief.

"Is the first day finally over?"

"Master," Riel inquired, "why did you send only the wild dogs? It seemed you had a perfect opportunity to eliminate them."

"The intel I gathered already showed that the one named Reden is a novice," Taehyun explained, his gaze shifting between the raiders' status icons and the goblin scouts waiting on his map. "But Bolton and Braeam are veterans. They would have anticipated a simple night raid. It was the Surprise Phenomenon that caught them off guard."

"By the way, what is a Surprise Phenomenon? I've never seen anything like it."

"That's to be expected," Riel replied calmly. "It is a random event that only affects raiders. It has a chance of occurring when one party discovers the other first. As you just witnessed, the side that is caught unaware has its movements temporarily restricted."

The Surprise Phenomenon. Its activation rate was low, but its potential to turn the tide of battle was so immense that it was feared by Dungeon Masters and raiders alike.

"You should have told me about something that dangerous sooner. Our dogs could have been hurt."

"It is impossible to prepare for a Surprise Phenomenon, Master. One never knows when or where it will occur. Besides, some things are best understood through direct experience."

"…Well, I guess it doesn't matter," Taehyun conceded. "They were the ones who got hit by it, luckily. For now, I'll just keep chipping away at them."

They were human, just like him, but any lingering hesitation had vanished. Taehyun studied the intel on Bolton's party and began positioning his soldiers for the next engagement.

---

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