Each breath was a ragged tear in his throat. The coppery tang of exhaustion coated his tongue. His entire body, drenched in sweat, screamed in protest.

[Stamina gauge has dropped below 15%.]

[Endurance is compromised.]

[Fatigue has accumulated to over 85%.]

[Activity will be impaired.]

His stamina was gone. He had tried to manage it, but the second wave of Death’s Breath had left him a wreck.

He knew.

It all began with that first cast of Death’s Breath. Taehyun must have seen everything, even back then. The limited camping items, Ryurik’s two uses of Warm Embrace, the timing of the radar, the party’s slow pace, the presence of the Bounty Hunter, even the fragile alliances held together only by the promise of Zen.

He had foreseen it all. He must have. Otherwise, it never would have come to this. Perhaps the moment he’d hesitated to use the Effect Reversal Card… perhaps the battle had been decided right then.

He knew.

Was it because he couldn’t save Kino? No. Because his radar was sealed? No. Was it because he’d rushed things? Absolutely not. The outcome had been set from the moment he’d entered the dungeon with this hastily assembled party.

He knew it.

He knew himself—a man who refused to compromise, who offered no trust. It was always going to end like this. And yet, he hadn’t hesitated.

He’d come to Balak for one reason and one reason only: to surpass Taehyun. To defeat the Dungeon Master who had handed him his first true loss, he had shouldered every disadvantage and charged forward.

But he’d had a real chance.

A full year. For an entire year since signing that contract, he had prepared for this raid. He had gathered nine of the best B-rank raiders and inflicted devastating losses in the Silent Forest. Victory had been within his grasp.

But look at him now. His exclusive items were gone. His one-time skills were spent. He had even revealed his Reaper’s special ability, handing Taehyun crucial intelligence. The party was on the brink of annihilation.

“Ugh… got hit by a centaur’s arrow. I would’ve dodged that easily before. Damn it.”

“Ryurik, heal me! What do you mean you’re out of mana? What have you been doing?!”

“I can’t go on. This raid is a failure. It’s hopeless.”

The elite raiders were broken. They were now taking injuries from soldiers they would have once dispatched without a thought.

[Stress Index]

[Deriman/89]

[Shape/80]

[Chieftain/88]

[Ruah/84]

[Dix/Deserted]

[Nowell/91]

[Kino/Deceased]

[Lebex/85]

[Ryurik/92]

One dead, one deserted. The rest had stress levels well over 80.

‘Not yet,’ Junhyun thought, his vision blurring. ‘I haven’t lost. Taehyun’s lost most of his soldiers, too. There’s still a chance.’

He fumbled for another camping item. They were so close to the final room; he just needed to recover. Just then, more soldiers appeared from the opposite corridor, another ambush to deny them a moment’s rest. With a groan, Junhyun forced himself to his feet, gripping his scythe and activating his special ability once more.

[Reaper’s Dance has been activated.]

[For a certain period, the scythe’s destructive power increases threefold.]

Every muscle in his body shrieked, but he didn’t care. With the others at their limit, he had to fight alone. If they lost anyone else, they would be wiped out.

“Aaargh!”

A gargoyle lunged, its spear a silver blur aimed at his chest. Junhyun took a deep, shuddering breath and swung his scythe in a wide, horizontal arc.

The blade sliced cleanly through the gargoyle’s body, spraying blood over the creatures behind it. They charged through the crimson mist, undeterred.

“Hehehehe! Come on, you bastards! Bring it on!” the Reaper cackled, his laugh bordering on a sob as he met their charge.

—

[Top-tier B-rank raider Sebastian has activated the special ability ‘Reaper’s Dance’.]

[For a certain period, Sebastian’s scythe’s destructive power increases threefold.]

The Reaper was laughing, but it sounded more like a howl of despair. On the screen, Junhyun’s body was a flickering candle flame, ready to be extinguished by the slightest breeze. And yet, he fought on. There could only be one reason.

‘You’re still not admitting defeat?’

He must have prepared for this raid for a full year. His party was on the brink of annihilation, but a man like Junhyun would never accept it. Taehyun calmly positioned his Guardians and Keepers in the next room. He had only three hundred soldiers left, but against this broken raid party, it was more than enough. With Junhyun being the only one left with a one-time skill, finishing them would be simple.

“To overcome such a disadvantage! I, Kinjo, am moved to my very core!”

“Now we just need to clean up. Given their condition, it should be easy,” Edchan added.

They were both ecstatic, and rightfully so. They had turned a desperate situation into a decisive victory. But Taehyun’s gaze remained fixed on Junhyun. Having dispatched the gargoyles, he was now staring at the ceiling, gasping for air. It was nothing but sheer obsession keeping him on his feet.

‘What is it that drives you this far, Junhyun?’

—

“He’s insane. Absolutely insane. How is he still fighting in that condition?”

“We’re out of camping items. It’s either win and live, or fail and die.”

“Only Sebastian has a one-time skill left. It all comes down to how many troops Balak has remaining.”

The twenty-second room was just ahead. The party trudged through the corridor, having had no real rest. They stared at Junhyun’s back, their faces a mixture of awe and exhaustion. He was out of items, out of skills, and his body was broken, yet he refused to give up. He had just faced down a horde of gargoyles alone, and his condition was visibly worse than anyone else’s.

They finally entered the twenty-second room. Junhyun looked at the army waiting for them and a slow, satisfied smile spread across his face.

“There you are, Taehyun,” he rasped, his body swaying like a drunkard. “It’s not over yet. Hehehe.”

He lifted his head, dragging his scythe across the stone floor. Judging by the numbers, this was Balak’s entire remaining force. The presence of Guardians and Keepers confirmed it. A ferocious aura pulsed from him as he prepared to charge.

Just then, the communication device in his pocket buzzed.

“This is the end of our long story, Junhyun,” Taehyun’s voice echoed. “Today, I will use you as a stepping stone and rise higher.”

Junhyun let out a wild cackle and smashed the device on the floor.

“I’m not finished!” he roared. “The final victor will be me!”

The Reaper’s special ability flared to life one last time.

[Reaper’s Dance has been activated.]

[For a certain period, the scythe’s destructive power increases threefold.]

The physical toll was immense, but he had long since gone numb to the pain. With Death’s Breath gone, all he could do was burn every last ounce of his remaining strength. He surged toward the orc at the head of the enemy lines.

“To still be standing in your condition is remarkable,” Grai said, his voice laced with grudging respect. “I acknowledge your tenacity.”

“Cut the crap,” Junhyun spat. “I’m perfectly fine. Hehehehe.”

“You’ll have to get through me to reach my lord.”

“Gladly!”

The battle erupted as Junhyun and Grai clashed. The remaining raiders engaged the other dungeon soldiers, and the room exploded into a maelstrom of violence.

“We meet again,” a clear voice rang out.

“That fairy bitch. Still getting in my way.”

“I am a Guardian of Balak. I can’t let you leave today!”

A magic bullet laced with frost exploded near the raiders. Shape and Nowell turned to face the fairy Guardian and her entourage. Nearby, Deriman faced off against one of Balak’s Keepers.

“Ugh! Because of you, my Dungeon Master can’t trample me! He’s way past the promised time!” the Keeper whined.

“A shame,” Deriman replied wearily. “I don’t know how well I’ll do in this state, but I’ll give you a fight.”

“Ehehehe. What kind of fight?”

The unhinged Keeper and her shield bearers closed in on Deriman, who, with support from Chieftain and Lebex, held the line against the melee troops.

—

[Top-tier B-rank raider Sebastian has cast Reaper’s Judgment.]

[A fatal blow is dealt to Grai.]

[Reaper’s Judgment usage limit 1/1]

The last one-time skill of the raid party was unleashed. A terrifying wave of killing intent surged through the scythe and slammed into Grai.

[The Fire Dragon Sword of B-rank Hero Guardian Orc Swordsman Grai is broken.]

The blade of the legendary sword shattered. Grai had barely managed to block the attack. It was Junhyun’s ultimate strike, but with his stats at rock bottom, its power had been severely diminished.

“Not… yet… I’m not…”

Junhyun’s body swayed, and then he collapsed. After using his special ability so many times in a row, his body had finally given out.

A strangled cry.

A piercing shriek.

“This is the end… It can’t be helped…”

With their leader down, the remaining raiders fell one by one.

[Top-tier B-rank raider Lebex has died.]

[Top-tier B-rank raider Ryurik has died.]

[Top-tier B-rank raider Nowell has died.]

Lebex, Ryurik, and Nowell were the first to fall.

[Top-tier B-rank raider Deriman has died.]

[Top-tier B-rank raider Chieftain has died.]

[Top-tier B-rank raider Shape has died.]

Deriman, Chieftain, and Shape followed soon after, signaling the complete annihilation of the raid party. Taehyun watched the fallen Junhyun for a long moment before turning and leaving the Master Room.

—

‘He drafts a document, his fingers tracing the paper as it emerges from the machine. It’s the same office, always buried in paperwork. An ordinary salaryman, taking on endless tasks. Late nights, scoldings from superiors, navigating the tense atmosphere of meetings. It was no exaggeration to say that every day had been the same exhausting grind. He had been just an ordinary man, fighting the daily war of his morning commute, a man in his late twenties sick of his parents pushing him into blind dates. And yet…’

‘And yet, how had he ended up here, a raider bleeding out on a stone floor? An unwanted journey to another world, the inescapable fate of a raider, a life on the strange Astral Continent, and now this, a battle on the very edge of life and death. He was living a life utterly alien to the one he’d known.’

“What are you doing?”

A familiar voice cut through his haze. The voice of the Dungeon Master who had brought a new, thrilling purpose to his aimless existence.

“Hehe. About time you showed up.”

It was Taehyun Yoo, the Master of Dungeon Balak. Junhyun blinked, a faint laugh escaping his lips. The journey he had prepared for a year was finally over. No, it was the end of his life.

“What, you going to shove another contract in my face? Use me as an informant again?”

“No. Like I said, our story ends here. I’m going to use you as a stepping stone to climb higher.”

“Hehe. Spare me the melodrama. Just kill me already, you son of a bitch.”

“That was the plan.”

With a victor’s smile, Taehyun raised a blue-bladed sword. Junhyun slowly closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh.

“That’s twice now I’ve lost to you. Sigh. I should just die of embarrassment.”

“It’s childish, I know, but do you have any last words?”

“Hehe. Are you enjoying this, you sick bastard? Hmm… Nothing much to say, but watch your back. You know who’ll start moving once I’m gone, right?”

“I appreciate the warning. Farewell. And thank you. In a way, I’ve survived this long because of you.”

“Cut the crap, you bastard…”

The blue blade sank into his heart. Junhyun coughed up blood, a weak chuckle bubbling from his lips.

“You… you son of a… bitch… Should’ve at least let me finish… Hehehe.”

“Just go already.”

“…Yeah. I should.”

His consciousness began to fade. There was no death rattle, no life flashing before his eyes. Only a quiet, encroaching darkness. As a strange peace settled over him, Junhyun turned his head. Taehyun and his soldiers were gone.

Then, through the haze, a hand reached out to him.

‘Are you all right? Can you stand?’

A rough, calloused hand. A scene from a distant memory. Junhyun smirked and closed his eyes for the last time.

“Yeah. I think I can stand. Probably.”

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep