Episode 144

[Valona]

[Rank: B (High-Tier)]

[Level: 50]

[Class: Archer]

[Title: Archeress of Sapadin]

[Affiliation: Sapadin]

[Stress: 4]

[Status: Confident]

[Relationship with Comrades: Does not consider them comrades; looks down on everyone but herself.]

[Description: A high-tier B-rank raider from the Sapadin Guild. She primarily uses mana-infused arrows and has come to conquer Balak after hiring other raid parties.]

‘Sapadin… wasn’t that Katarina’s guild? The one I killed as a test? And they’re brazenly broadcasting their information. Are they asking to die?’ Taehyun thought.

After Katarina came Valona. Fifty-two raiders across four parties, led by the high-tier B-rank Valona herself—it was a formidable force on paper. But now that Balak was A-rank, they were nothing more than sacrificial lambs. They were fated to be his second set of test subjects. A sneer touched Taehyun’s lips at Valona’s arrogance as he began positioning his soldiers.

[Valona’s raid party has entered the Revived Plains.]

[B-rank familiar, Red Tibet, has been slain.]

[The residents tilling the fields greet Valona’s raid party.]

The raiders headed straight for the dungeon, ignoring the residents entirely.

‘As expected, no pointless slaughter. From their perspective, they probably feel a bit of pity. To them, these are just poor souls trapped in a dungeon,’ Taehyun mused.

Though a few watchtowers had been destroyed, his vision over the territory remained largely intact.

“Sir, we will conquer Balak and rescue you, I promise,” one of the raiders called out to a farmer.

“No need, son! We’re much more comfortable here!” the old man yelled back.

“Oh, my. Did that demon order you to say that? You must have suffered so much.” The raider sniffled.

“Hey, you brats! Get lost, now!”

Faced with the raiders’ pity, the residents grew angry and began shooing them away.

“Most people have that reaction when they see the dungeon residents,” Riel observed. “They all want to conquer Balak and ‘save’ them.”

“It plays on their sympathy,” Taehyun replied. “Now then, shall we get back to the business of stopping a raid?”

He had left the dungeon in Riel’s hands for some time. But now that it was A-rank, he needed to entrust the territory to her and focus his full attention on the dungeon itself. Taehyun straightened his posture, laying out a series of items. They would be the final sacrifice before he faced a true A-rank party, so they deserved a proper reception. Since they had so graciously revealed their skills, he would return the favor with absolute despair.

‘That confidence of yours,’ he thought, a cold smile spreading across his face. ‘Let’s see how long it lasts.’

—

On Day 2, The raid parties, having camped in the Revived Plains, now stood before the Forest of Silence.

“Lady Valona, wouldn’t it be wise to activate the detection radar here?” Paris suggested.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re actually saying something intelligent for once.”

“Ehehe. Even a dull mind can shine on occasion.” Paris quickly produced the detection radar and handed it to her.

[A detection radar has been activated.]

[The detection net will operate for a set period.]

[Any beings entering the detection net’s range will be automatically discovered.]

A shimmering net of energy spread out around the party.

“I hate to admit it, but you’re right,” Valona conceded. “There will be soldiers in the forest. This is the best way to prevent an ambush.”

They already knew High Elves inhabited the Forest of Silence. With no more familiars or watchtowers in sight, the radar was their most efficient defense.

“What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and follow! Are you going to waste the duration of the vision expansion scroll?” Valona snapped.

“Uh, let’s go.”

“Yeah!”

The four raid parties entered the Forest of Silence. The raiders kept their guard up, whispering amongst themselves.

“She has a terrible personality, but I guess this is what it means to be a high-tier B-rank raider.”

“I was nervous when she used that limited-use skill, but this makes me feel a bit better.”

“Tsk. She’s got a pretty face, but she looks at us like we’re her servants. Still, I suppose we should at least pretend to obey.”

Using the radar was a smart move. Seeing this, the raiders began to reassess their leader, following her more cautiously. Suddenly, Valona held up a hand, halting the group.

“Stop, unless you want to die,” she commanded. “Footprints. Vetes, go check them out.”

“Understood!” Vetes’s eyes glowed with mana as he activated his Hunter’s Eye skill.

“They appear to be a woman’s footprints,” he reported.

“An elf, then,” Valona deduced. “Shield bearers, to the front.”

At her command, the heavily armored raiders formed a wall at the head of the column, advancing slowly to brace for a frontal assault.

“Lady Valona, if we do this, won’t our flanks be exposed?” Paris asked nervously.

“Is your head that thick?” she sneered. “As long as the radar is active, there are no openings. They’ll be spotted the moment they enter the net.”

“In that case?”

“Obviously, we’re luring them into an attack.” She gestured for the ranged attackers to position themselves at the very rear. With the shield wall in front, the High Elves would be forced to strike from the sides or back. The shield bearers were just bait; her real aim was to draw the enemy into a kill zone.

[A being has been detected entering the detection net.]

Someone was approaching. Without hesitation, Valona ordered an attack to their left. Just then, a man emerged from between the trees, his hands raised high in a gesture of surrender.

“Lady Valona, he looks like another raider.”

“Don’t be so sure. He could be one of Balak’s. State your identity,” she demanded.

“I-I’m just a hunter! I came to the Forest of Silence to gather herbs! I have nothing to do with the dungeon!” the man stammered, trembling with fear.

Valona ordered her guild members to search him.

“We’re just going to check you for a moment. It’s an order from our leader, so please cooperate.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“Ah, just stay still. Do you have any weap—’Gack!'”

As the guild member reached for the man’s leg, something pierced his throat.

“That’s a spot only my wife is allowed to touch,” the hunter said, his voice suddenly cold.

“What are you all doing? Attack him! He’s one of the dungeon’s dogs!” Valona shrieked.

“That’s a rather unpleasant thing to say,” the man retorted, drawing a scimitar. “Young lady, you need to be taught some manners!”

The melee raiders charged him, but at that exact moment, a volley of arrows rained down from all directions.

“H-How did they get past the detection net?!”

“‘Gah!'”

“It’s an ambush! Stay sharp—’Ugh!'”

Their attention fixed on the hunter, the raiders were cut down one by one. Panicked, Valona screamed for the shield bearers, but it took precious seconds for them to disengage from the front and turn back.

[B-rank raider Klek has cast Sacred Barrier.]

[B-rank raider Venard has cast Earthen Barrier.]

[B-rank raider Rostain has cast Celestial Barrier.]

The party’s priests scrambled to erect defensive barriers, finally blocking the onslaught of arrows.

“My role here is done,” the hunter declared with a smirk. “I’ll be on my way.”

As the man who had deceived them vanished into the trees, the arrows ceased. Valona bit her lip, surveying the carnage. Half of the ranged attackers she had positioned as bait were dead.

“L-Lady Valona, it’s alright,” Paris stammered. “We only lost about ten people.”

“Shut up,” she seethed. “Just stay quiet and out of my way.”

A single ambush had cost her ten raiders. Including the wounded, the losses were staggering. She had tried to set a trap, only to be outmaneuvered and used.

‘How dare they play me for a fool?!’ she raged, her fists trembling.

—

[B-rank raider Klek has cast Sacred Barrier.]

[B-rank raider Venard has cast Earthen Barrier.]

[B-rank raider Rostain has cast Celestial Barrier.]

Defensive barriers shimmered around the surviving raiders. The shield bearers finally lumbered back into position, but the battle was already over.

“Are you sure it’s okay to let them go?” Kadum’s voice came through the communication link. “If they conquer the dungeon, my family will be…”

“Don’t worry. Go get some rest. You played your part as bait perfectly,” Taehyun assured him.

“Hmph. If you say so.”

‘Click.’

The connection ended. Taehyun watched the monitor, a satisfied expression on his face. While his High Elves and Kadum rested, the battered raid party was retreating from the forest.

“You’re not going to finish them off?” Riel asked.

“I still have two more experiments to run. It can’t end here,” Taehyun replied. “Besides, they came here so full of confidence. They deserve to be thoroughly punished.”

It had been a simple strategy: use a detection radar, send shield bearers forward to lure an attack, and position ranged units in the rear for a quick counter. It was a sound plan for catching the High Elves off guard, but that was its limit.

”You want us to leave footprints in advance?” one of the elves had asked.

”Yes. Their party includes a B-rank hunter. They’ll be using a radar and will definitely spot them,” Taehyun had explained.

”So you intend to deliberately reveal our presence. As expected of a wicked demon!”

The footprints had been planted there intentionally. With a B-rank hunter on their team, they were guaranteed to be found. A commander like Valona would naturally see it as an opportunity to turn the tables.

‘With her radar active, she must have felt it was the perfect chance,’ Taehyun mused. ‘But there are three things that bitch didn’t account for.’

First, the High Elves’ attack range far exceeded that of her detection net. Second, he had an A-rank hunter, Kadum, acting as bait. And third, the Dungeon Master of Balak was him.

‘I saw through such a shallow trick ages ago. You have no choice but to dance on the stage I’ve built for you.’

The shield bearers being too slow to respond, Kadum luring them into a position where he could target their ranged attackers—it was all thanks to Valona, who had arranged her forces exactly as he had predicted. Taehyun watched her tremble with impotent rage, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.

—

It was Day 3.

[Valona’s raid party has entered Balak.]

After camping just outside the Forest of Silence, the raid party finally stepped into the dungeon proper.

[B-rank raider Maxon has used a torch.]

[B-rank raider Lusha has used a torch.]

[B-rank raider Pancar has used a torch.]

[B-rank raider Delmier has used a torch.]

The four groups advanced down the corridor, their way lit by flickering torchlight. Riel, watching the screen beside him, suddenly asked, “Come to think of it, the raid party hasn’t used many items yet, have they?”

“Not many,” Taehyun agreed. “They almost certainly placed a location transfer marker on their way in.”

“How do you know that? You didn’t have vision on them.”

“It’s the only logical move. Entering a dungeon relying solely on a return item is too risky. They would have left a marker as an insurance policy, just in case.”

Katarina’s fate was a cautionary tale, and they had already lost ten raiders in the forest. No matter how proud Valona was, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to proceed without a backup plan.

“Now, they’ve likely planned their schedule assuming a maximum of twenty-five rooms. Torches, camping supplies, food… it’s all going to run out. Balak currently has thirty-five rooms. Since they don’t know it’s become an A-rank dungeon, they probably think they have more than enough time and resources.”

“You intend to push them to their absolute limit,” Riel stated.

“Push a person to their limit, and their true nature always bleeds through,” Taehyun said. “The raiders, aside from her guild members, are all hired hands. It’s obvious what will happen.”

Humans were slaves to their basic needs. They may have packed generously for the raid, but their supplies would be exhausted long before they reached the core. If he blocked their escape routes at that critical moment, a truly satisfying performance would unfold. Taehyun reviewed the new skill exclusive to Dungeon Masters, a pleased look on his face.

“It’s useless against the strong, but against the weak, it’s a different story.”

“You’re referring to the new dungeon skill, Master. It certainly seems perfect for your plan.”

“Exactly. You can look forward to seeing just how a cornered raider behaves.”

Cold, hunger, thirst, confusion, and desire—all of it was about to descend upon the raid party. Taehyun leaned back in his chair, watching the screen with cold amusement.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep