Episode 147

[Basilisk (Elite Soldier)]

[Rank: A]

[Level: 28]

[Class: Shield Soldier]

[Title: None]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 58]

[Favorability: 27]

[Obedience: 53]

[Skills: Fear, Ground Crush, Strike]

[Special Ability: None]

[Strength: 15] [Endurance: 22] [Agility: 3] [Stamina: 10]

[Mana: 1] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 2] [Luck: 4]

The Basilisk, an A-rank large monster. Though its level was low, its immense Endurance and strength were more than enough to overwhelm B-rank raiders. It had yet to acquire its petrification ability, but it was the most efficient tool to terrorize Valona’s raid party.

‘They rushed here thinking it was the final room. There’s no way they would have noticed the mark I left,’ Taehyun thought.

The moment they saw the twenty-fifth room, they would have realized their mistake. Valona would naturally think of Grai and try to use her location transfer item. But as long as his nullification item was active, escaping Balak was impossible.

[The A-rank Dungeon Master’s unique skill ‘Return Impossible’ has been activated.]

[All return effects for raiders currently inside Balak have been sealed.]

Furthermore, with ‘Return Impossible’ active, their return items were now useless trinkets. They would finally understand that Balak was an A-rank dungeon, but it no longer mattered. He had already marked the twenty-fifth room for this very purpose.

“Without access to teleportation or return scrolls, they’ll have no choice but to retrace their steps,” Taehyun mused aloud.

“And with most of their skills nullified by the restriction penalty, they stand no chance against the basilisks,” Riel added.

“Exactly. They’re nearly out of specialized items, not to mention camping gear, supplies, and food. Now that they know this is an A-rank dungeon, their only option is to run.”

Chaos, dread, and terror washed over the raid party. Without a thought of fighting back, they fled blindly from the basilisks into the next chamber.

At this point, they had three camping kits left at most. With their food gone and their path taking them ever deeper into hostile territory, the outcome was grimly predictable. Taehyun watched with satisfaction as the raiders moved exactly as he had planned.

[Stress Index]

[Valona: 71]

[Paris: 79]

[Raid Party Stress Index]

[Sapadin Raid Party Average: 71/100]

[Hired Raid Party Average: 89/100]

The party’s collective stress had climbed past seventy. Division and discord were now inevitable.

“What is your next move, Master?” Riel inquired.

“I’ll continue to hound them with my soldiers, push them to their absolute limit. Then, just as they’re about to snap, I’ll present them with the perfect gift.”

A smirk touched Taehyun’s lips as he checked the Crystal Sphere’s magic reserves.

[Balak’s Crystal Sphere]

[Rank: A]

[Level: 1]

[Magic Level: 150/850]

[Upgrade Value: None]

It had consumed five hundred magic points in an instant—the cost of the A-rank unique skill, Return Impossible. All magic-powered traps and installations were now offline. But with his main forces virtually unscathed, all he had to do was sit back and enjoy the show.

‘I’ll send them their final gift along with my A-rank soldiers. It’ll also be the perfect opportunity to test the mercenary Raimond’s abilities.’

Watching Valona flee without a single backward glance, Taehyun began redeploying his troops. It was then that an anomaly appeared in the relationship status of Paris, her ever-present attendant.

[Information on B-rank Raider Paris has been updated.]

[The Stress Index of B-rank Raider Paris is steadily rising.]

[A change is occurring in the psychological state of B-rank Raider Paris.]

‘That’s the sycophant who was always fawning over that bitch.’

It was a change brought on by his stress index exceeding seventy. Taehyun pulled up Paris’s information.

[Paris]

[Rank: B (Low)]

[Level: 39]

[Class: Rogue]

[Title: Grudge-Bearing Rogue]

[Affiliation: Sapadin]

[Stress: 79]

[Status: Anger, Resentment, Killing Intent]

[Relationship with Comrades: Resentment toward Valona; fury over the misery she inflicted; the murderous rage he’d long suppressed is finally breaking free.]

[Description: A B-rank Rogue raider from the Sapadin Guild, currently assisting Valona under the orders of Baron Anslake.]

‘Well now. It seems he’s been bottling up quite a lot. Is the thread of his sanity finally about to snap? The look in his eyes earlier was certainly unusual. This is shaping up to be far more interesting than I anticipated.’

He must have endured it all—being treated as a lowly commoner, scorned as a slave, and subjected to every kind of abuse. With Valona’s tyranny escalating within Balak’s walls and his own stress reaching a boiling point, his rage was surely about to overflow.

Taehyun watched with a grim smile as Paris fled alongside Valona. The man was now glaring at her back, his eyes burning with murderous intent.

—

On Day 7, having escaped the basilisks, the raid party stumbled into the twenty-sixth chamber, their faces etched with exhaustion as they gasped for air.

“Hah… hah… Balak… an A-rank dungeon. I never would have imagined.”

“Damn it all! I never should have followed a woman like that in the first place!”

“The daughter of the Anslake barony? What a fucking joke. We’re all going to die because of her!”

The fury they had suppressed for so long finally erupted. The hired raiders shot venomous glares at the Sapadin guild members, and the party was once again on the brink of turning on itself.

Valona, clinging to the flimsy authority of their contract, shot back, “What do you think you’re doing? You took Zen from the Anslake family, and now you dare turn on us? Stop this at once!”

“We’re not taking your orders anymore, you bitch!” one of the mercenaries snarled. “It’s your fault we’re in this mess! How are you going to fix this? Take some damn responsibility!”

“Hmph! What are you all standing around for?” Valona shrieked at her guildmates. “Subdue them!”

If her orders failed, force was her only recourse. Yet even the Sapadin members hesitated.

“We’re trapped in Balak,” one muttered. “We’re going to die anyway. Why should we keep listening to her?”

“I never liked the way she strutted around, acting like she owned the place just because of Baron Anslake,” another ground out. “She made me crawl on the floor once!”

“She always looked down on us, calling us commoners,” a third added, a dangerous glint in his eye. “Let’s see just how special the daughter of a noble house really is.”

A current of rebellion was spreading, even among her own guild. Soon, the entire raid party was glaring at her. Flustered, Valona drew her bow.

“D-don’t come any closer! Are you lowly commoners really daring to disobey my command?!”

“You goddamn bitch,” a hired raider spat. “Still playing the noble to the bitter end, are you? Fine. This is perfect. Before I die, I’ll at least enjoy myself with you.”

Lust now mingled with the thick brew of resentment, anger, and bloodlust. The raiders advanced, their eyes filled with a predatory hunger.

Just then, Paris grabbed Valona’s hand. “We have to run, Lady Valona!”

“R-right! Yes, we have to!”

“Damn you, Paris!” a raider roared after them. “Are you still trying to protect that bitch? We’re already dead! What more could you possibly gain?!”

But it was too late. The pair had already vanished into the next chamber.

The raiders started to give chase, but the situation took a strange turn. With their common enemy gone, their animosity turned inward. They began snarling, their glares locking onto one another.

“You worked us to the bone all this time.”

“Come to think of it, you didn’t give a damn when our guildmate was trapped in the Coffin of Sacrifice. You worthless pieces of trash. You think you can buy us with a little Zen?!”

“Listen to you run your mouth! Kill him!”

“Cowardly bastards! Kill them all!”

And so, with Valona forgotten for the moment, the raid party tore itself apart.

—

On Day 9, they were out of camping supplies. Now, even finding food was a struggle. The forest environment provided water, but nothing else.

“Hah… Paris. I’m thirsty.”

“Here. But I think we need to start rationing our water.”

“What? Why?!”

“Most of the water is contaminated or stagnant. I managed to find a clean source, but it has since run dry.”

The forest inside Balak was a primordial wilderness, teeming with monsters. A clean source of drinking water was a luxury they could no longer afford.

Valona clutched her growling stomach and sighed. The gnawing hunger was now as bad as her thirst.

“What use are you if you can’t even find something so simple? Pathetic.”

“…My apologies.”

“Hah. I don’t know why I bother.”

Even now, facing the man who had saved her, she could not let go of her haughty demeanor.

Paris bowed his head slightly, his eyes scanning the dense foliage. Balak’s soldiers were still out there, lurking. They were well hidden for now, but it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

‘Is the raid party not pursuing us? They must be in the same predicament.’

Fortunately, the other raiders were nowhere to be seen. Paris stole a glance at Valona. She was gulping from her canteen, trying to fill the emptiness in her stomach with water, his earlier warning completely forgotten. He fiddled with his pack, a slow, cruel smile spreading across his lips.

—

On Day 10, her body was completely drained. It was the cumulative effect of hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. The constant threat of soldiers had robbed her of proper sleep, and the fear of death was a cold weight in her gut.

“…Paris. Find me some food. Now. I can’t take this anymore.”

“Here you are.”

“Wh-what is this? Where did you get all of this?!”

“A few of the raiders were hiding their rations. I took them.”

He emptied a sack onto the ground. It was only simple jerky and dried fruit, but this was no time to be picky. Forgetting her noble station, Valona fell upon the food, devouring it with a desperate, animalistic hunger.

Paris simply watched, handing her a canteen when she was done.

Once she had eaten her fill, Valona looked up, a satisfied expression on her face. “Not bad, Paris. I’ll be counting on you to do this every day.”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied. In that case, it’s time for you to grant my wish.”

“Wh-what are you talking about? How dare someone like you ask a favor of me?!”

“You ate the food I provided,” Paris stated, his voice flat. “It’s only natural to expect something in return.”

He glared at her, his expression hard as stone. She trembled at the look in his eyes—so different from before—and scrambled backward.

“You… what are you trying to do?!”

“It’s simple. I’m going to make you pay.”

“You lowly commoner! Have you forgotten the Anslake family?!”

“What good will that name do you now?!”

He seized her wrist just as she reached for her bow. Shoving her to the ground, he loomed over her, a vicious smile twisting his features.

“I don’t give a damn. Every time I remember the humiliation you put me through, I want to rip you to shreds. Do you understand?!”

“L-let go of me! Let go!”

“The Anslake family means nothing anymore. We’re trapped here. Status, titles… none of it matters, does it?!”

He crumpled the useless return scroll and forced it into her mouth. She thrashed beneath him, but as an archer, her strength was no match for a rogue’s.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

“That’s right. Cry. The more you whimper, the more I enjoy this.”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

“I can’t let those other bastards have you. Your body will repay my grudge until you’re on the brink of death. And at the very end, I’ll be the one to kill you. It’s better than being defiled by monsters, isn’t it? Isn’t it?!”

One by one, he tore away the tattered remains of her clothing. Paris savaged her, repaying every moment of humiliation he had ever suffered at her hands.

—

From that day forward, Paris violated Valona daily. When she wanted food, he gave it to her. When she wanted water, he brought it. He constantly moved them from place to place, avoiding the soldiers and slowly breaking her spirit.

Having hidden a portion of the food from the start, Paris could toy with her at his leisure. Their roles had been completely reversed.

He now inflicted the same cruelties she once had. He kicked her in the stomach and commanded, “Crawl.”

“…Yes, Master.”

“Faster!”

With vacant eyes, Valona crawled across the forest floor. A thrill unlike anything he had ever known coursed through Paris, filling him with satisfaction.

‘I don’t know how, but the Dungeon Master still hasn’t found us. Or maybe… he’s watching. Pfft. That demon bastard couldn’t have liked this bitch either. I can play with her until she’s on the brink of death!’

And so, he unleashed all his pent-up resentment. His hidden food supply was dwindling, but it didn’t matter. He had already resolved to drown her in despair until the very end. He took his pleasure, treating her like a doll, a vessel for his vengeance.

“You fucking bitch. Hurry up and spread your legs… ‘Gack’!”

Then one day, in the middle of his assault, Paris suddenly collapsed.

“Pfft. Well now, what an artistic sight,” a dry, rasping voice echoed through the clearing. “To be enslaved by the very raider you treated as a servant. I was truly fortunate to be hired by Master Taehyun.”

“Enough with the flattery. You’ll be signing a contract later. For now, finish it. It’s not dead yet.”

The black-haired young man watching from the side gestured to the forest floor. Paris was twitching, a spear of jagged bone embedded in his abdomen. The old man in the black robe reached out, and a sickly green light began to flow from Paris’s body into his hand.

“Guaaaack!”

As Paris’s body withered into a desiccated husk, the young man approached the prone form of Valona.

“Well? Do you finally understand your place? It always ends like this, whether I intervene or not.”

“Um…”

“Ah, your mind is already broken. I see. Now then, Valona Anslake. I heard from the other raiders that your father is a baron sworn to Count Dinen. My original plan was to inflict an even greater despair upon you before killing you, but things have changed. For you, I’ve decided to assign a special value.”

A vicious smile spread across the young man’s lips. Lying broken on the ground, she couldn’t answer. She could only weep.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep