[C-rank Warrior Raider Dulf has touched the Jar of Greed.]

[The Curse of Greed is activated.]

[5 C-rank monsters, Ghouls of Desire, emerge from the Jar of Greed.]

Ghouls erupted from a cursed jar, likely triggered by another careless raider. Shape let out a long, weary sigh, not even bothering to reach for his longbow. It was the third day. The radar showed they were nearing the final room. With twenty-four C-rank raiders remaining, clearing the dungeon was still feasible, but the stress was becoming unbearable.

"St-Stop them!"

"Aaaargh! The ghouls bit me!"

"Heal! I need a heal!"

Just looking at them being overwhelmed was pathetic. Shape shook his head and yawned. At that moment, a swarm of fairies descended from the opposite side of the room, no doubt taking advantage of the chaos. It was a pattern that had repeated itself dozens of times. He fixed his gaze on the green-haired fairy leading the charge.

'Her again,' Shape thought with a flash of irritation. As if his incompetent party wasn't annoying enough, this fairy guardian was a persistent gnat.

"Aren't you going to save your comrades?" she called out, her voice ringing with false concern.

"None of your business," he shot back. "Stop bothering me and get lost."

"I'm afraid I can't do that!"

Mana bullets rained down from the air. 'These things are a real pain,' he thought, planting his hands on the ground and rolling clear. The bullets peppered the area, freezing the stone floor where they landed. Other raiders were caught in the crossfire, but they were strangers to him. He'd been annoyed from the start about being saddled with a team that wasn't his own.

'Of all the damn times, I had to fall asleep when I met that Gelix guy. I didn't even hear the important details about the raid party's composition.' His plan had been to blend in with the other B-rank raiders and watch from the sidelines. Instead, he'd somehow been made the leader. For someone with neither the aptitude nor the interest for leadership, being at Balak for a third time was an utter drag.

"Damn it all!" one of the raiders screamed over the din. "Is he really a top-tier B-rank? He hasn't lifted a finger!"

"Help us, you bastard!" another cried out. "We can't handle these numbers alone!"

"Damn it. I never should have followed him," one of the C-rank raiders spat. "Coming all this way, trusting some kid… How could I have been so stupid?" The others were quick to join in, openly cursing Shape.

"Annoying little bastards," Shape muttered, the anger he'd been barely containing finally erupting. He gripped his longbow, gathering the swirling energy of a storm.

A fierce power coalesced on the arrow nocked to his string. High above, the Guardian must have sensed the imminent danger, for it tried to order its soldiers to retreat. But it was too late. Shape's arrow flew.

"Aaahh!" a fairy shrieked.

"D-dodge! An arrow!"

"Argh!"

A tempest tore through the ranks of fairies engaging the raiders, sweeping away everything in its path. In a single, blinding flash, over forty fairies were annihilated. The Guardian could only stare in utter disbelief.

"Is he insane?!" one raider gasped. "Is this the true power of Shape, the Storm Archer?!"

"Ugh, what was I just saying?" another stammered.

"He wouldn't turn on us, would he?" a third whispered, his voice trembling with belated fear.

Shape didn't spare them a glance. He slung the longbow over his shoulder, pulled an Instant Return Scroll from his robes, and tore it in two. Light enveloped him, and in an instant, he was gone, returned to Partren, leaving the remaining raiders to stare at the empty space he'd occupied.

"Wh-what the hell!"

"Did he just abandon us? What are we supposed to do now?!"

"There are still monsters here! Come back!"

Confusion and bitter regret washed over them. Just then, the fairies who had survived the storm arrow renewed their assault. The raiders fought back, but their morale was shattered. To make matters worse, a volley of magic bullets began to rain down from the sky.

With the final room almost within their grasp, they were systematically annihilated.

---

At that same moment, a fierce battle was raging within the Labyrinth of Balak.

A gauntleted fist slammed into an abdomen with a sickening crunch, an attack powerful enough to shatter the very walls of the C-rank maze.

'A direct hit!' Alex thought, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he saw his weapon buried deep in his opponent's gut. He had never managed to land a solid blow on her before. This time, he was certain he'd done real damage.

But his opponent—Angelina—merely blushed, a look of sublime pleasure on her face.

"Even more intense than yesterday," she purred. "Good. Keep hitting me just like this. Harder. No, be more… radical. No, that's not it. Be like a beast!"

"Damn it! Just how tough is that armor? There isn't even a scratch!" Alex roared in frustration.

"Ehehehe," she giggled. "I told you, the Dungeon Master himself gave me this armor as a promise. You'll have to hit me with a much stronger skill."

Alex gritted his teeth and retreated. The armor Angelina wore was no ordinary plate. They had been fighting for three straight days, and it didn't have so much as a crack. There was no way he had hurt her.

Behind him, the last of his fellow raiders collapsed with a thud. The raid parties, who had done nothing but fight for three grueling days, were now completely wiped out. The Dullahan and its Skeleton Warriors turned and began to slowly advance on the lone survivor.

"So, I'm the only one left," Alex muttered. "My luck is just the worst. Running into a Keeper like this…"

"Oh, my," Angelina cooed. "The little boy who was rampaging in a berserker frenzy just yesterday is acting so weak now. Come now, entertain me some more. I'm not nearly satisfied yet."

"Tch! A crazy bitch to the bitter end," Alex spat. "Fine. If you want it that badly, I'll show you again."

He drew upon the rage simmering deep within him. The unique berserk state of the Gariot tribe, the one he had unleashed on previous days, began to activate.

"Arrgh!"

Instantly, the muscles across his body writhed and bulged, his eyes glowing a furious red. It was a state of fury that temporarily stripped him of his reason, but with no allies left to worry about, it didn't matter. Alex surrendered to his rage and charged.

"Graaaaaah!"

"My, my. It's a pleasure to see you every time," Angelina said, her voice filled with genuine delight as she met his attack head-on. Dozens of punches rained down on her in a blur of motion, but she didn't budge an inch. On the contrary, she looked utterly content, even as a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth.

"Aah! This is it!" she moaned. "More! Drive me even crazier!"

"Ugh… Still spouting nonsense!"

"There. A little more to the left. Every time you hit my ribs, my whole body just tingles!"

With a ferocious roar, stone fragments exploded in all directions. The dungeon's soldiers could only watch from a distance, unable to approach the maelstrom of their battle. No, it was hardly a battle at all.

The dungeon walls cracked and boomed under the force of the blows.

"Aah. More, more… Haaaaah!"

It was a bizarre spectacle: one man attacking with frenzied desperation, the other woman absorbing every blow with rapturous delight.

The onslaught continued, but it was Alex, the one throwing dozens upon dozens of punches, who gave out first.

'Pant… pant… pant…' he heaved. "What… what kind of Keeper are you? I'm using B-rank Mana Gauntlets, and you're not even in pain."

"Oh, dear. Is it over already?" Angelina pouted. "I was just starting to have fun."

"Damn it all. Fine. I give up."

Even his berserk skill was useless. Alex scowled, pulled out an Instant Return Scroll, and held it high.

"See if I ever set foot in this place again!"

He tore the scroll, and his body vanished in a flash of light. The Dullahan and Skeleton Warriors hastily scanned the area, but he was already gone.

Left alone, Angelina let out a deep, mournful sigh and slumped to the ground.

"Aah, it's been so long since I met such a beastly man, and he just leaves like this. What a terrible shame." The pleasure she'd felt fighting for three consecutive days was gone, and she couldn't get it back. She hung her head, steeped in disappointment.

Just then, a figure appeared beside her.

"Please do not worry," a calm voice said. "If you continue to wear the armor for one month, Master Taehyun will surely come to you himself."

It was Edchan, the supporter butler in charge of the labyrinth. At his words, Angelina's eyes lit up, her spirits instantly restored.

"R-really?" she gasped. "The Dungeon Master will really come and trample all over me?!"

"Ahem. H-He made a promise," Edchan said, clearing his throat. "So he will most certainly keep it."

"Aah! I'm already so excited! It's a bit stuffy, but I'll do my best to keep wearing it!"

Completely unaware that it was just a lie to placate her, Angelina made a firm resolution. Edchan, feeling a prick of conscience, coughed and surveyed their surroundings. After three days of relentless pressure, every single raider was dead. Even Alex, a top-tier B-rank, had been forced to retreat. There were no enemies left.

"For now, we've managed to stop the B-rank raid party," he mused aloud. "I am relieved that we did not disappoint Master Taehyun."

"Mm. They were certainly strong," Angelina agreed, a wistful look in her eyes. "The tingling in my body was completely different from the raiders who came before. It's a shame, but I suppose it can't be helped. Besides, I still have the Dungeon Master to look forward to!"

"…Ahem!"

And so, following the second Balak, the third Balak also succeeded in fending off a B-rank raid party.

---

[The second Balak has thwarted the B-rank raid party's raid.]

[The third Balak has thwarted the B-rank raid party's raid.]

As soon as Draxler's party was annihilated, a cascade of good news followed. Taehyun watched the notifications on the screen for a moment before turning his head.

"Wh-why did the raiders suddenly attack Sir Draxler?!" Loquin demanded, clutching the contract in her hand, her face a mask of confusion. She was right; it was bizarre that the raiders had turned on their own leader. But Taehyun had a pretty good idea why.

"Hey," he said, his voice low. "Did that guy have any dirt on Gelix?"

"No, nothing like that. Ah! Wait, could it be…?"

"What is it? Spit it out before I have you killed."

Grai stood beside him, his hand resting on the hilt of his Fire Dragon Sword. The silent threat was enough. Loquin nodded frantically and began recounting everything that had happened in Partren. Her first meeting with Gelix, the formation of the raid party, Draxler's probing questions—the entire story came tumbling out.

"Phew. That's everything," she finished, breathless. "There's nothing more."

Terrified for her life, she had confessed every last detail of the situation. Taehyun nodded slowly, a smirk playing on his lips.

'So that's what happened. He certainly can't afford to lose the Peyton Duchy's support right now.'

Draxler hadn't known that Junhyun was feeding information to Balak as part of their contract. Gelix must have seen Draxler's suspicions about the information leak as a liability. The Peyton family's support came exclusively through Junhyun; if anyone else discovered the contract, that support would be cut off immediately. He'd had no choice but to eliminate Draxler.

'Even for a top-tier B-rank raider, they can just announce he died in a dungeon. Eliminating a future problem like this is the most logical solution. That old fox. He's as meticulous as ever.'

Gelix was certainly not a man who would end his career as a mere branch manager. He must have latched onto some other powerful figure to bring in those top-tier B-rank raiders.

Taehyun chuckled and turned his gaze back to Loquin.

"What are you waiting for? Sign the contract."

"B-but signing a contract like this is…!"

"Haven't you heard that death doesn't wait its turn?" Taehyun's voice was cold. "If you're that eager to die, I'll be happy to oblige. Grai."

"W-w-wait a moment! I'll do it! I'll sign it!"

After a long moment of hesitation, Loquin finally broke under Grai's murderous glare and hastily signed the document.

[The contract procedure has been completed.]

[The contract has been activated.]

[Morpina, the God of Contracts, observes Player Taehyun Yoo and Raider Loquin.]

The deal was done. Taehyun picked up the contract from the floor and reviewed its contents one last time.

[Contract]

Contracting Parties: Player Taehyun Yoo, Raider Loquin.

1. Loquin shall always disclose all information and facts to Taehyun Yoo.

2. Loquin cannot disobey Taehyun Yoo's orders.

3. Loquin swears lifelong loyalty as a member of Balak.

4. Loquin is forbidden from causing harm to Taehyun Yoo and the beings of Balak.

5. Loquin must do whatever Taehyun Yoo commands.

6. Loquin cannot betray Balak.

7. Loquin cannot flee or reveal the existence of this contract to others.

8. Loquin cannot command, commission, or induce any third party to attempt a raid on Balak or harm Taehyun Yoo.

9. Loquin cannot disclose any facts regarding Taehyun Yoo and Balak to any being not affiliated with Balak.

There were nine articles in total. Some were a bit redundant, but it was better to be thorough.

"I-is it done now?" Loquin asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes," Taehyun replied with a grin, looking down at her. "Welcome to the team, Loquin of Balak."

She fidgeted with the hem of her dress, then hesitantly met his gaze.

"…Should I take off my clothes first?"

Taehyun was left speechless.

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