Episode 151

‘She intentionally showed me a shorter range?’ Tamkren’s mind raced. The Keeper had fired only in response to Farnir’s clones, and her range had seemed to be half the room at most. But hitting the peacock proved she could shoot much farther. She had been deceiving them. Gritting his teeth, Tamkren barked an order at Cyan. “They’re coming!”

“Got it—”

An arrow struck home before Cyan could even react, piercing the Bounty Hunter’s forehead. The shot was too fast to follow with the naked eye—undoubtedly the work of the archer on the watchtower.

‘A shot that powerful can’t be blocked, not even by a shield bearer.’

A chill snaked down his spine. The Keeper’s specialized archery was potent enough to threaten even A-rank Raiders. His shield bearers were currently locked in formation, protecting the Bounty Hunters, and couldn’t move without letting the surrounding soldiers break through. Tamkren hesitated, debating whether to use his party-wide barrier skill. Just then, his detection net lit up with new contacts.

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

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

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

From between the overgrown reeds, large petals began to emerge. They were B-rank soldiers, Ketisiers—plant-type monsters that carried a dangerous poison, but they were not nearly as threatening as A-rank soldiers.

“Hsssss!”

“Hssss!”

“Hsss. Hss!”

The Ketisiers slowly swarmed in. With the Keeper on the watchtower ahead and dozens of B-rank soldiers closing in from all sides, they were cornered. But as long as they weren’t facing A-rank soldiers, there was still hope. Tamkren calmly ordered his priests to cast resistance buffs, increasing the shield bearers’ tolerance for poison. He then sent Cyan, Farnir, and Eludo charging in different directions to confuse the Keeper’s line of sight.

“Good. The Keeper now has three targets,” he commanded. “Everyone, advance and take out the soldiers. Bounty Hunters, eliminate the Bendromins. Shield bearers, protect the Bounty Hunters’ flanks and hold back the Ketisiers!”

The raid party moved with swift precision.

[B-rank Raider Lantrot has dispelled a Bendicium.]

[B-rank Raider Blast has resisted the Ketisier’s poison infection.]

[The Blessing of the Earth protecting A-rank Raider Cyan has blocked an arrow.]

Slowly, a path began to open. As the Bounty Hunters steadily dispelled the Bendiciums, the risk of being crippled by a status effect dwindled. The shield bearers held their ground against the Ketisiers while the raiders in the rear picked off the soldiers one by one. Satisfied, Tamkren glanced toward the watchtower. Her long-range archery was a threat even to A-rank Raiders; she was definitely an A-rank Keeper, if not higher.

‘I have to kill her here. If I let her live, she’ll cause even greater damage later.’

An A-rank dungeon likely had three main powerhouses. Eliminating one of them now would make the rest of the raid significantly easier. While his three comrades kept her distracted, Tamkren prepared a single-use skill.

[Judgment of the Holy Archangel has been activated.]

[The Holy Archangel’s strike will be cast upon the designated target.]

Judgment of the Holy Archangel—a single-use skill that temporarily summoned a Holy Archangel to strike a designated target. He needed to conserve his skills, but using one on an A-rank Keeper was a worthy trade. Tamkren designated the woman on the watchtower as his target and summoned the archangel.

“Is that woman the target?” its voice echoed.

“That’s right!”

“Got it.”

The Holy Archangel swung its sword. Startled by the immense Divinity, the Keeper tried to flee, but with three A-rank Raiders positioned below, her options were limited. Worse, the archangel’s judgment was closing in faster than she could move. There was no escape.

Tamkren smirked, watching what he thought were her final moments. But then, the Keeper’s form vanished.

[The Dungeon Master of Katarniak has used Position Transfer.]

[A-rank Keeper Andulia’s position will be changed to the previously saved location.]

A Position Transfer item. The archangel’s judgment shattered the watchtower in a burst of Divinity, but the Keeper was already gone.

“Tch. A trade, then. My single-use skill for her Position Transfer.”

“Ta-Tamkren, look behind you!”

“What?!”

As he was lamenting his failure, the bodies of the Ketisiers behind them began to split open.

[The Ketisier’s host, Neplancia, has appeared.]

[The Ketisier’s host, Mandragora, has appeared.]

[The Ketisier’s host, Lime Blain, has appeared.]

A-rank soldiers burst forth from within the Ketisiers. Tamkren scrambled to issue orders, but he was too late. A piercing shriek from the Mandragora tore through the air.

“Aaargh! My head is splitting open!”

“H-help me! I can’t move!”

“Argh!”

Raiders collapsed, clutching their heads in agony. The Mandragora’s scream induced shock and confusion, leaving the party unable to even stand as the A-rank soldiers fell upon them.

“They bypassed the detection net like this?!”

“Tamkren, we’ll be wiped out! Use the Effect Conversion Card now!”

“…Understood.”

He had wanted to save the card, but they were on the verge of annihilation. Tamkren pulled the Effect Conversion Card from his pocket and activated it.

[Effect Conversion Card has been used.]

[The Tamkren Raid Party’s status effects have been converted.]

[The confusion has been converted into heightened mental focus.]

One by one, the raiders staggered back to their senses. Tamkren let out a sigh of relief and began reorganizing their formation.

“Tamkren!”

“Dammit. So they were using the Ketisiers as hosts.”

“There’s no time for this! We have to help the others!”

The three A-rank Raiders rejoined the fray, and the battle resumed. They were slowly clearing the 21st floor, but the damage was already immense. Shield bearers had melted under Neplancia’s acid, Bounty Hunters were writhing from Lime Blain’s bacterial infection, and melee fighters had been driven mad by the Mandragora’s psychic assault. The A-rank soldiers had inflicted devastating losses.

“Ughhh… K-kill me. Please!”

“Something is squirming inside my stomach! P-priest! Prieeest!”

“Ahhh… I’m not worthy of living. No, I can live. But how?!”

As screams of agony echoed around them, everyone looked to their leader for a command. The Effect Conversion Card had already been used; there was no way to save those who had been afflicted afterward.

Tamkren lowered his head, his voice heavy. “…Put everyone to rest, except for those with mental schism.”

“Dammit. Paolton, I’ll free you from your pain.”

“I won’t forget you. You fought well.”

Raiders killing raiders. Or rather, granting a merciful end to comrades beyond saving. It was a scene they had witnessed countless times but could never get used to. His comrades patted Tamkren’s shoulder before turning to treat the injured. Left alone, he looked up at the ceiling and sighed. It was always the raid leader’s burden to carry the heaviest weight, to bear the guilt.

“…Dammit.”

—

In the Master Room, Narae calculated the raid party’s losses and monitored their status effects. ‘Two Bounty Hunters left, but that shouldn’t matter. They’ve already been hit with the Bendromin poison.’

On the screen, the two remaining Bounty Hunters were dispelling the last of the traps, preventing further poisoning. However, several raiders were already afflicted. They didn’t know it yet, but the poison was slowly spreading through their bodies.

“It seems they were afflicted after they used the Effect Conversion Card.”

“Probably. The Bendromin’s poison takes hold slowly. Now we just wait for the symptoms to appear.”

“Considering the damage they took in this last battle, we should be able to stop their advance without much trouble.”

The death toll stood at fifty-four raiders. They had also burned through three exclusive items and Tamkren’s single-use skill. It was a staggering loss. In contrast, Katarniak had lost only a Position Transfer item and about sixty A-rank soldiers. Having saved the Keeper on the watchtower, their own losses were practically nonexistent.

“By the way, who are those two?” Narae mused. “They’re clearly B-rank, but the others are protecting them.”

The two unharmed raiders had caught her eye. They hadn’t taken a single scratch and were constantly shielded by their comrades. Narae rechecked the party’s numbers and turned to Ellaim.

“Ellaim, what was the total headcount when they first entered?”

“Five A-rank Raiders and 157 B-rank Raiders. A total of 162.”

“Hmm. Then who are the raiders surrounding them?”

She ran the numbers again—the initial count, the casualties—but it didn’t add up. There were now ten more raiders than there should have been. Narae fiddled with her True Identity item, deep in thought.

“No, I should watch a little longer. They don’t seem like an immediate threat.”

The raid party hadn’t even reached the dungeon’s halfway point. And with Andulia back by her side, there was no need to be hasty. Narae glanced at Ellaim’s deployment chart and summoned a Guardian.

“You called.”

“The Bendromin symptoms will likely appear around the 30th floor. Ambush them with the soldiers then.”

“The 30th floor, where the Root Bind Traps are located. Understood.”

The Guardian and its soldiers began moving toward the 30th floor.

—

On the fifth day, the raid party finally cleared the 29th floor. They were more than halfway through Katarniak, but no one could rejoice. The memory of their fallen comrades still hung heavy in the air. Sensing the somber mood, Tamkren simply ordered them to make camp.

“The 21st floor was dangerous. If not for your dolls, we would have been done for.”

“Heh. Finally recognizing the greatness of my dolls? I had them prepared in my pocket, so even the Dungeon Master didn’t notice.”

“Tsk. You sure talk big for someone who just modified C-rank dolls to look like B-rank ones.”

“Hmph. Just remember it’s all thanks to me. Anyway, the mood here has really tanked. What do you think?” Roquin’s gaze swept over the other raiders. All of them were dejected. Some trembled, their hands shaking from the memory of taking a comrade’s life.

“B-rank Raiders are still human. No one gets used to killing their own. The party has been unstable ever since we passed the 21st floor.”

With some raiders on the verge of despair, their situation was dire. They had lost three exclusive items and Tamkren’s single-use skill. With the 30th floor looming, any hope of a stable raid was gone.

Drofin frowned, watching a man yelling at someone across the camp.

“Dammit. That raid leader… taking responsibility by bringing along the ones with mental schism. We might have to use an Instant Return Scroll soon.”

“A foolish decision, certainly. He’s skilled, but he’s still shackled by guilt. Hyaaa… By the way, why do I suddenly feel so good?”

“Hm?”

Drofin noticed Roquin’s eyes had gone unfocused. Her face was flushed, and she was swaying back and forth as if drunk. Sensing something was wrong, he looked around. The camp was already breaking up as the party prepared to head to the next floor. Among them, he spotted others showing similar symptoms. The A-rank Raiders, however, seemed oblivious as they proceeded upward.

“Hyaaa… I can see Taehyun.”

“…I should get out of here.”

“Heeey, Drofin?”

“Dammit, snap out of it! Get out the Instant Return Scroll!” Drofin shook Roquin urgently, but her eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

—

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