The Minotaur’s ragged breathing, its glowing red eyes, the swarm of Balak’s soldiers closing in—there was no escape. Compelled by the taunt, her real body began to walk forward as the High Elves drew their bowstrings. Staring blankly at the screen, Inhye collapsed.

Her body was stepping out of the barrier. The slightest shock would have been enough to cancel the Mind Field, but now they were aiming to kill her.

‘No.’ She couldn’t die here. Not when her mercenaries and main forces were still fighting. Not when Taehyun had stationed A-rank soldiers in the final room. If the Mind Field was canceled now, he would use the remaining rooms to wipe out her party.

‘Absolutely not.’

An image of Hendy lying in a mountain cabin flashed through her mind. A frail girl, crippled by an S-rank curse. Once a top-tier A-rank mage, now just a Raider slowly wasting away. If she failed to conquer Balak… if she died here… if Sihan died, too…

‘There’ll be no one to look after Hendy. I finally had a chance to break the curse. We were so close. I can’t die here!’

Duke Peyton’s request meant nothing anymore. Her life was all that mattered. Inhye frantically tried to use a return item. Her only option was to escape to the city with her entire party.

But Taehyun wasn’t about to let that happen.

[A-rank Dungeon Master Taehyun Yoo has activated ‘Item Nullification’.]

[The magic of the return circle dissipates.]

[The Eleonora raiding party’s return has failed.]

He nullified the item instantly, causing the portal to vanish.

“N-no! Wait, please! Just listen to me!”

Taehyun said nothing.

“I’m begging you! I can’t die here! You heard about Hendy, you have to understand! I-I’ll join Balak! I’ll do anything you ask, just please!”

Inhye scrambled forward, her composure shattered, and clung to Taehyun’s leg.

“If you want my body, it’s yours! I can give you my heart, too! Just… let me take care of that poor child. Please?” she sobbed. “I’m a top-tier A-rank Raider! Sihan is a high-rank Raider, too! We’ll be a huge help! If you want information, I’ll tell you everything I know!”

“Y-yes, a contract! We can make a contract! I’ll be your plaything, your slave, whatever you want! Please, I can’t die like this!”

Her eyes were wild with desperation, tears streamed down her cheeks, and her hands trembled as they gripped his leg. She was pouring out every ounce of fear and despair she had.

Taehyun watched the screen in silence.

One step. Then another. Her body was about to leave the barrier’s protection.

“Stop! No! Don’t goooooo!”

With Inhye’s final, agonized shriek, her real body stepped out of the barrier.

A bitter smile touched Taehyun’s lips as he looked down at her. “That Sihan fellow would certainly be useful. But even with you as a hostage, he’d still try to conquer Balak to rescue you. He’s not the type to obey me. And then there’s your Mind Field. You activate it by sacrificing your life force, don’t you? You retired for years after using it. Do you really have enough left to use it again? You’re already in this state after just six days. Even if only a portion is lost permanently, you can’t have much left, can you?”

She had likely resolved to use the Mind Field one last time for Hendy, squeezing out the last dregs of her life force. She must have gambled that the restored energy from a successful raid would be enough to keep her alive. But now, her body was exposed, and he was the one holding all the cards. Even if he took her in, she would likely never be able to use her ability again.

“N-no! I can use it again! The ability only disappears when my life force reaches its absolute limit! I’m still okay!”

“Really?” Taehyun said, his voice devoid of warmth. “Then let’s test it. If this Mind Field is canceled, and you can cast it on me again, I’ll consider your offer.”

“Ah…”

“Now. Begin.”

On the screen, a Minotaur prodded her body with its shield.

[A-rank Raider Eleonora’s special ability ‘Mind Field’ has been canceled.]

[The minds of A-rank Raider Eleonora and Balak’s Dungeon Master Taehyun Yoo return to their original bodies.]

The Mind Field shattered, and their consciousnesses snapped back to their own bodies.

—

His senses returned one by one, confirming the Mind Field had been broken.

‘Hmm. Something’s heavy.’

Taehyun’s eyes fluttered open to a surprising warmth in his arms.

Raviz was silent.

“Ah.”

It was Raviz, the mage in the white robe. Her eyes met his, and she froze, still nestled against his chest.

“What are you doing?”

“…This is a ritual to awaken the Master.”

“Sigh. Cut the crap and get off me. The raiding party is about to reach the final room. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Taehyun pushed her away and scanned the room. The other main guardians were gone, likely sent to intercept the raiders. Only Raviz and Riel remained.

“Riel. You’ve worked hard.”

“O-oh! Master, you’re back!” she exclaimed, her face lighting up with relief. “I’m so, so glad you’re safe.”

“Go get some rest.”

She had been so focused on the screen that she hadn’t noticed his return. The dark circles under her eyes spoke volumes of the ordeal she had endured. He sent her away and turned his attention to the monitor.

“Ugh, damn, that hurts! This isn’t fun at all!” Angelina yelled.

“Calm yourself, Lady Angelina!” Sieghart urged. “The two of us must stop him!”

“Get out of my way, you goddamn bastards! I’m in a hurry!” Sihan roared back.

Sihan clearly knew the Mind Field was down and was growing desperate. Sieghart and Angelina were holding him back, but they were slowly losing ground.

“Raviz, summon all of our main forces.”

“Understood.”

Raviz began casting a series of summoning spells. As the guardians returned to the Master Room, Taehyun began deploying soldiers to the thirty-fourth room.

Meanwhile, Inhye, back in her own body, was frantically trying to reactivate her ability.

“N-now, just wait a moment! I’m sure it will work! There’s no way it can fail!” she could be heard shouting at her soldiers.

“Kadum,” Taehyun said into his communication device. “Knock her out and bring her to me.”

“You’re not going to kill her?” Kadum asked. “A Raider like this will be incredibly difficult to bring to heel.”

“Ah, normally I would have threatened to kill her, no questions asked. But she’s a top-tier A-rank Raider, and I intend to make use of her. She said with her own mouth that she’d do anything, so it won’t be a problem. Make it look like you’re going to kill her, then knock her out. Drive her to the brink of insanity with fear.”

“He’s as vicious as any other demon,” Kadum replied. “Understood.”

He immediately relayed the orders, and the soldiers and high elves began to advance. Balak’s forces slowly closed in, encircling Inhye. She trembled, her eyes wild with despair.

“N-No, you can’t! For Hendy’s sake, I can’t die here! I can still be a huge help even without Mind Field, so please. I’m begging you.”

Her devotion to Hendy was so profound that she pleaded for her life until the very end.

‘I know that, you stupid bitch. Even without Mind Field, you’re a top-tier A-rank Priest. Why would I kill a Raider like that when she just fell into my lap? This is just a threat, plain and simple.’

He had already gleaned all the information he needed about Hendy from the Mind Field. From her perspective, she’d been pouring her heart out to a Dungeon Master on the verge of annihilation, but that was no longer the case. Now, he could use Hendy as a hostage to force both Inhye and Sihwan to sign a contract. Taehyun wasn’t one to let such a golden opportunity slip by. For now, this was merely about instilling a certain awareness in the woman who had mocked him—to show her exactly who she had to obey, and just how terrifying he could be.

‘Fucking idiot. She must have been so confident in her raid, but without her Mind Field, I can handle someone of Sihwan’s level. I’ll make you regret spilling your sob story in my domain for the rest of your life.’

Taehyun contacted Dropin and made a request concerning Hendy.

“First Katarniak, and now this,” Dropin grumbled. “Fine, I’ll do it. But you’d better make sure the pay is generous.”

He had already promised a certain amount in their contract, but for a top-tier A-rank Raider, it was a price well worth paying.

[Summoning A-rank Named Mercenary, the Warlock Raimond.]

A moment later, Raimond materialized inside the Master Room. He let out a sinister laugh as his eyes fell upon Sihwan’s location on the map.

“Bwahaha. This one is a Raider on par with me. I foresee a most satisfying battle.”

“If you understand, then get going,” Taehyun ordered. “The other Guardians and Keepers will be fighting alongside you, so don’t go attacking our allies.”

“Of course. As a mercenary of Balak, they are all my comrades. Kilk-kil.”

With Raimond finally joining them, the main forces moved to the thirty-fourth room. The raid party was already rushing down the corridor. Taehyun calmly sat down and began checking his items. He’d used most of them while dealing with Inhye and the raid party simultaneously, but the same was true for the Eleonora Raid Party. They had already used their Position Shift, and the skill restriction penalty rendered their Rescue Colleague Coin useless.

‘I’ll have to make do with the A-rank trap in the thirty-fourth room. First, I’ll eliminate the Bounty Hunters.’

With Roquin also out of the picture, the only skill left that could suppress the raid party was Rabiz’s.

[The Eleonora Raid Party has entered the thirty-fourth room.]

And so, the raid party entered the thirty-fourth room.

—

“Sihwan Ryu, get up! The sun’s been up for ages. Did you forget we have to plan today’s schedule?”

He could never forget.

“Hendy, look at this. Chedor got caught in a sticky trap. This is just cruel, isn’t it?”

He could never forget the year they had spent together.

“If I can go back to the modern world, I guess I won’t be able to see Hendy anymore. I’ve been hiding the fact that I’m a Player Raider all this time… it makes me a little sad.”

Memories of her still lingered in a corner of his heart. The way she always worked so hard for her comrades, the joyful moments he shared with her, the view as they returned from a successful raid—they were all unforgettable pieces of his life.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!”

He had already received the system message confirming Inhye’s capture. He had to escape, if for no other reason than for Hendy’s sake. But Sihwan had no intention of running. Instead, he was pushing forward, entering the thirty-fourth room to press the attack.

[You have entered Balak’s 34th room.]

A vast forest came into view—the same forest environment he had seen dozens of times before. He no longer had the aid of the Mind Field, but he had a general grasp of the enemy’s main forces.

“Shield bearers, split to the flanks and protect the Bounty Hunters!” Sihwan commanded. “Bounty Hunters, stay behind me and detect any traps or installations!”

“Understood!”

The Raiders quickly moved into position. The Bounty Hunters were about to cast their detection skills when the gravity in the area suddenly intensified, pressing down on them. Sihwan urgently glanced toward Rabiz on his left.

‘That Guardian, Rabiz. It’s her Spatial Restraint. I have to take her out first and break the bind!’

He couldn’t move from his spot, but he could still use a skill to eliminate her from a distance.

[Casting Wave of Lightning.]

[A lightning-infused wave is fired at the designated location.]

Sihwan instantly shot a bolt of lightning from his shortsword, but two Keepers materialized to block the attack. Moments later, A-rank soldiers emerged from the woods on both sides, signaling the start of an all-out battle.

“Right. So this is your full strength,” Sihwan sneered. “Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got—”

“Bwhaha. Blindness.”

A gloomy voice echoed from thin air. Sihwan gritted his teeth as his vision went dark.

“Damn it. I hadn’t accounted for a mercenary.”

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep