This was the current map of Balak’s territory: Heimdall in Oneth; Twoth and Threeth; an unopened dungeon in Fourth; and the small city of Myol in Fifth. All were connected by two passages. There was the second Balak near Fifth, Balak’s Labyrinth on the Revived Plains, and the original Balak in the Valley of Silence, bringing the total number of dungeons to seven. D- and C-rank raiders frequented Heimdall and the Labyrinth, while B-rank raiders challenged the second Balak. The original Balak was being attempted in turns by A-rank raid parties, per the Raider’s Association rules.

His strategy against them was simple: let them appear on the Revived Plains, bombard them with siege units, ambush them in the Forest of Silence, and finish them off inside the dungeon. It was a formula that had always worked. But now, a problem had emerged.

“A soldier cannot be revived once they’ve died,” Riel had reminded him. “It’s unfortunate, but we’ll have to fend off raiders without Deshkar from now on.”

The problem was Deshkar’s death. The golem had been their MVP, contributing the most by hurling massive boulders, but he had fallen against the Tarantula raid party. Deshkar had been perfect for shattering barriers and conducting long-range sieges. Now they needed a replacement. He had summoned another A-rank Hero, but the result was disappointing.

“Father, the raiders are coming!”

“Wipe them all out!”

Grizzle and Granzle, the recently summoned father and son, had been sent to the Revived Plains in Deshkar’s place, but the combination was ineffective. One was a Death Knight, the other a siege unit; they fought separately and couldn’t inflict significant damage on a coordinated raid party.

‘Their mounted combat gives them superior mobility, but their firepower is a pale imitation of Deshkar’s. Besides, if I assign them soldiers, they just charge in, and it immediately devolves into a vision battle.’

He used to secure vision with the Harpies for Deshkar, but that was useless now. The moment Grizzle and Granzle charged, their vision would inevitably clash with the enemy’s. Even if they broke through the barrier to force a melee, a raid party with shieldbearers and close-combat specialists would have no trouble stopping them.

‘This makes Inhye and Raviz useless too. Should I just focus on strengthening Grizzle and Granzle’s personal troops?’

It was a hasty thought. Taehyun sighed and shook his head. The Gargoyle Lancers he’d already assigned them possessed formidable charging power on their own.

“Um, Lady Raviz, I think the Master is very uncomfortable?” a supporter whispered.

“There is no problem with the Master,” Raviz stated flatly.

“How would you know? He’s even sighing.”

“The Master is currently deep in thought. Do not disturb him.”

A silent war of nerves was brewing between his Guardian and his supporter, likely because Raviz had been clinging to his arm ever since the last raid. The distraction shattered Taehyun’s concentration.

“Ugh. First, I need to check the shop.”

“Master?” Raviz asked.

“Ah, Master?” the supporter called out.

He ignored them both. Taehyun left the Master Room and headed straight for the final chamber.

‘Financially, I’m secure. I’ve started distributing crystal stones recently, so Zen isn’t an issue.’

He recalled Seonghwi Hyun’s words.

“Whenever I’m in a bind with the dungeon, I just use the shop. If you splurge, the answer usually presents itself. Ahahaha.”

It wasn’t the most credible advice, but he was out of other options. In the Blind Shop, Taehyun bought every card that caught his eye, including the sword-shaped soldier he’d noticed before. It cost a staggering forty million Zen, but he didn’t hesitate. Looking at the pile of cards on the floor, he broke into a cold sweat.

“This is what you’d call ‘making it rain.’ Alright. Let’s do this.”

—

A low rumble shook Balak’s territory. More accurately, the vibrations originated from the original Balak dungeon. It was the fourth time this had happened, and the raiders passing through the connecting passage were growing curious.

“What in the world is he doing in there to cause all this shaking?”

“How should I know? Probably another one of his brilliant ideas to develop the territory.”

“True. Just look at that castle wall. It’s incredible.”

The raiders gazed toward the entrance. The new wall was already in its initial phase of construction, a testament to the skill of the Dwarf supervisor and the alchemist. Dozens of dwarves and townspeople were still working under their direction. The raiders just shook their heads, a mixture of awe and exasperation on their faces.

—

Meanwhile, the main forces gathered inside the dungeon were baffled.

“Could there be a problem?” Grai wondered aloud. “The entire dungeon keeps shaking.”

“Brother, the Lord could be in danger!” Sighart exclaimed.

“Y-you’re right. We must protect our Lord.”

Grai and Sighart, who had hit it off from the start, were the first to react. They often met in the original Balak and were now preparing to rush to Taehyun’s aid. Their attempt was cut short by Riel’s timely arrival.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” she assured them. “I believe he’s using the summon cards he purchased from the shop.”

“It is about time to bolster our forces,” Grai conceded.

“Yes. Especially with Deshkar gone. We can handle A-rank raid parties, but top-tier A-rank raiders are a bit overwhelming.”

If another party like Tarantula attacked now, they would be in grave danger. Grai and Sighart relented and sat back down. They couldn’t disturb the Master while he was summoning. Riel then caught Raviz trying to sneak away and guided her to the opposite seat.

[Dungeon Rest Area]

This was a new rest area Taehyun had opened for the leisure of his soldiers and main forces.

“Lady Riel, Lady Raviz, welcome. What can I get for you?” a dungeon resident asked.

“A glass of Hemil juice, please,” Riel replied.

“The same will be fine,” said Raviz.

The resident quickly brought them two glasses of juice. Riel sipped hers leisurely, enjoying the moment. Just then, she spotted Hyena Yu heading toward the last room.

‘That raider…’

The slave raider Taehyun had been personally looking after. Riel quickly intercepted her and guided her to their table.

“…Is there something you need?” Hyena asked.

“The Master is busy summoning soldiers right now. Why don’t you wait here with us?”

“But I’m not supposed to be in a place like this…”

“It’s fine. Anna, another glass of Hemil juice, please.”

A third glass was placed on the table. Hyena stared at it for a moment before taking a small sip.

A faint blush colored her cheeks. It seemed she liked it. Riel watched her with calm, calculating eyes.

‘This raider has been bothering me. Why does the Master insist on taking care of her? If he’s getting bogged down by human sentiment, it could become a problem.’

Taehyun had built an A-rank dungeon and established himself as a power in the West. He couldn’t afford a setback because of one person. And so, Riel kept Hyena at the table, watching her closely.

—

[A-rank Named Soldier Doom Knight Grengton]

[A-rank Soldier Abyssal Swordsman]

[A-rank Named Soldier Doom Hunter Conpeth]

[A-rank Soldier Golden Mimic]

[A-rank Soldier Ancient Skeleton Soldier]

[A-rank Named Soldier Doom Iron Fall]

[A-rank Named Soldier Doom Mage Haguru]

Bones, bones, and more bones. To be precise, they were skeleton soldiers.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Is this an undead convention?”

The skeletons clattered.

“Groooan. We greet our master.”

“Clatter. M-Master!”

The illustrations on the cards had all been humanoid. But upon summoning, he was faced with a disastrous army of the undead. Taehyun looked at the Golden Mimic, which resembled a treasure chest, and took what little comfort he could.

Only two cards remained. One was sword-shaped, the other humanoid.

‘If this one is undead too, I swear I’m jumping off a cliff.’

Not that there was a cliff to jump from, but he was that desperate. He used the humanoid card first.

[You have used the Random Hero Summon Card.]

[A summon circle is being generated.]

[The summon circle is generated near the crystal core, stabilizing the magic power.]

The magic circle flared to life. When Taehyun saw the skeleton that materialized above it, he slumped to the floor in defeat.

“Damn skeletons! Every last one of them is a damn skeleton!”

He couldn’t escape the undead. He sighed and checked the system message.

[Super Success!]

[Forced Teleport!]

[Forced Contract!]

[Rank A Hero soldier, Lich Bigdream, has been summoned.]

A Lich, of all things. With the Death Knights and skeletons, he had now collected all the essential components of an undead army.

[Lich Bigdream]

[Rank: A (Hero)]

[Level: 1]

[Race: Undead]

[Class: Necromancer]

[Title: Regent of the Kingdom]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Favorability: 30]

[Obedience: 30]

[Skill: Undead Command]

[Special Ability: Black Mist]

[Strength: 2] [Endurance: 4] [Agility: 3] [Stamina: 1]

[Mana: 18] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 16] [Luck: 1]

[Status: Sorrowful]

Lich Bigdream. He had an unfamiliar class, Necromancer, and an impressive magic stat.

“…I greet you, Dungeon Master,” the Lich intoned.

Like Grizzle and Granzle, he seemed to have a tragic backstory. Taehyun listened to Bigdream’s dejected voice and pushed himself to his feet.

“Right. I am Taehyun Yoo, the Dungeon Master of Balak. Let’s start by reviewing your skills and special ability.”

The Lich sighed. “Understood.”

“Hey. You got a problem with my orders? Why the sigh? If anyone should be sighing, it’s me, you bastard.”

“M-my apologies if I offended you. I was suddenly reminded of those I once served.”

His skeletal face trembled. Bigdream looked around at the other soldiers and began his tale. “They weren’t undead like these, but our kingdom once had loyal soldiers. I was the regent who served His Majesty Bryant, a faithful servant dedicated to the prosperity of our kingdom. How did it all come to this?” he lamented.

“Did something happen?”

“His Highness Bryant staged a rebellion. He assassinated His Majesty and seized the throne. I had no choice but to accept the coup, but that was my mistake. The kingdom ultimately fell, and necromancers turned all our soldiers into undead. My sorrow is endless. To be turned into a Lich…”

“Wait. Stop.”

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the hall. Taehyun turned with a grave expression.

“Bigdreeeeeeeam!”

“Regent Bigdream!”

“Y-Your Majesty! Your Highness!”

Grizzle and Granzle came running in. A flustered Bigdream immediately dropped to one knee, but the two Death Knights quickly pulled him up, greeting him warmly.

“You’ve come here as well! Time waits for no one, it seems. Your bones have grown quite old!”

“Haha, the same could be said for Your Majesty and Your Highness. What has happened? I never imagined I would see you both here together.”

“It’s a long story. Come, I’ll explain everything. Let’s use this chance to catch up.”

The king, the crown prince, and the regent. All from the same fallen kingdom. With that, Grizzle and Granzle led Bigdream away, leaving Taehyun standing alone in the room. He stared blankly for a moment before snapping out of it.

“Hey! You damn skeletons! Get back here right now!”

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep