[You have entered the Revived Plains.]

Beyond Hylon Forest, a vast field stretched out before them. Not long ago, it had been a barren wasteland, but now it was fertile enough for farming. For Kunal, who led the party, the sight was surreal. It felt like only yesterday he was grinding for achievements in Balak’s Labyrinth; now he was an A-rank raider challenging the main dungeon itself.

“This was all dead land back then. Now it’s a field.”

“Brings back memories. I can see the labyrinth we used to run.”

“Alright, listen up! The other raid parties failed, but we will succeed.”

Even the Elenora party had failed, but he saw an opportunity. Rumors of the unauthorized raid on Balak were spreading like wildfire through the association. Though they were annihilated, it was known they had inflicted significant damage on the Revived Plains. Kunal wouldn’t let this chance slip by. He used his expanded vision to scout the Forest of Silence.

“Just as I thought. They’re gone. The siege units should be there, but I don’t see them. Their losses must have been heavy.”

“So we can advance to the Forest of Silence without any trouble?”

“Exactly! Alright, let’s move out.”

With no siege units, there was no risk of taking damage from afar. The Kunal raid party advanced swiftly, their shieldbearers taking the lead. Suddenly, a black mist began to form ahead of them.

The sound of rattling bones echoed from within. From the silhouettes in the mist, they were clearly skeleton soldiers.

“The main dungeon has undead now? All units, open fire!”

“Mages, slow them with frost magic!”

“I see Doom Skeletons! Focus fire on them!”

At Kunal’s command, a volley of ranged attacks flew into the mist. Frost magic and arrows rained down on the undead. The raiders were confident they had dealt a heavy blow. But when the soldiers finally emerged from the fog, they were completely unscathed.

“What the? We poured magic and arrows into them! Why haven’t they taken any damage?”

“Kunal, calm down. We need to react first.”

“Right. Shieldbearers and melee, get into switching formation! Priests, cast your barriers to prepare for ranged attacks!”

The real battle was about to begin. The shieldbearers braced against the charging Doom Skeletons, looking for an opening to switch. At that moment, a Lich hidden within the fog began to conduct the assault. The charging soldiers twisted their path, splitting to flank the party from both sides. They moved with tactical precision, surrounding the raiders like a trained army.

Kunal frantically ordered his shieldbearers to spread out, but his attempt was instantly crushed.

“You wretched humans! Face my vengeance!”

“How dare you trespass here! On the honor of the Haondric royal family, I will not forgive you!”

Two Death Knights had appeared from behind them. Mounted on skeletal steeds, they led a host of undead soldiers in a devastating charge.

[The Lord’s Aura has been activated.]

[The Lord’s Aura has been activated.]

The morale of the undead army was already at its absolute peak.

The Death Knights leveraged the mobility of their mounts to carve through the enemy’s flanks.

“Gah! No chance to switch!” a raider cried out.

“The left flank is breached! What are the ranged attackers doing?”

“Dammit, the barrier’s down! Ack—magic is flying out of the fog!”

The Death Knights had shattered their formation, and now a barrage of spells erupted from the mist, sowing utter pandemonium. Kunal tried to rally the faltering raiders, urging them to reform their lines.

“Hyena! Use your one-time skill! We need to break through, now!”

“I’m preparing it—Aack!”

Just as she began to cast her area-of-effect spell, a Doom Knight’s blade swept in. The Skeleton Soldiers, their eyes glowing with an eerie light, were already moving to intercept any single-use skills. They fought with a coordination that belied their supposed lack of intelligence.

Kunal ground his teeth, his glare fixed on the Lich hidden within the fog. Only that creature could be commanding the undead with such precision.

‘What the hell is that fog? Not a single ranged skill can get through. At this rate, I might as well go for the Lich myself!’

He drew two daggers. As an assassin, he knew that if he could just get close, dealing with a Lich would be simple.

Kunal kicked off the ground, leaping forward in a single bound. In that same instant, a Death Knight materialized in his path.

“You dare target the regent of our kingdom? Audacious fool.”

“What?!”

Kunal scrambled to retreat, but the knight’s skill was faster.

[Nightmare Knight Grizzle’s Pandemonium has been cast.]

[You are now afflicted with Fear for a set duration.]

[Skill usage has been disabled.]

His expression froze as a cold sweat drenched his body. His daggers had long since clattered to the ground. Seized by terror, Kunal turned to flee.

“R-run… Gak!”

But turning his back on a Death Knight was a fatal mistake. He collapsed, his consciousness fading into black.

—

[The Kunal Raid Party has been annihilated.]

Starting with their leader, every last raider had been wiped out. This was an outcome that would have been unimaginable during the Deshkar raid. Back then, they had inflicted considerable damage and forced the enemy to use their one-time skills, but they had never been so utterly annihilated.

“Bigdream’s command is incredible,” Riel remarked. “He didn’t even miss the moment they tried to use a one-time skill and had the Doom Knights intercept. That’s the prowess of an A-rank Hero, without a doubt.”

“It’s not just his command,” Taehyun added. “That special ability, Black Fog, is absolute poison to ranged raiders.”

Bigdream’s Black Fog granted ranged immunity to all allies within it. Unless melee fighters charged directly into the mist, inflicting damage was impossible. Taehyun had sighed in disappointment when he’d first summoned the Lich, but trusting him and assigning the undead soldiers had clearly paid off.

Pleased, Taehyun observed Grizzle and Granzle. They had performed just as spectacularly as Bigdream, especially with their mounted charges that had thrown the raiders’ flanks into chaos. It was likely a tactic they had honed in their previous world.

[Pandemonium Usage Limit: 1/1]

Then there was the one-time skill, Pandemonium. Though it could only be used once, the ability to completely restrict an opponent’s skills was incredibly powerful. The proof was that even a veteran like Kunal had turned and fled in terror. Against raiders with low resistance, it was a devastatingly effective tool.

[Rakodic Broadsword]

[Rank: A]

[Restriction: Level 40+, Knight and Paladin Classes]

[Description: A rare-grade broadsword forged with Rakodic by the dwarves of the Rough Rock Tribe. When equipped, the Rakodic amplifies the effects of magic skills.]

He had already equipped his undead forces with gear forged from Rakodic. He’d spent a considerable amount of Zen to fill the void left by Deshkar, but their performance was exceeding all expectations. Taehyun couldn’t have been more satisfied.

‘They were just summoned, but this is a resounding success. Annihilating a party on the Revived Plains says it all.’

Bigdream commanded the undead, with Doom Knights leading the skeletons, while Grizzle and Granzle struck from the shadows alongside the Abyss Knights. Having known each other in their former kingdom, they displayed incredible synergy.

Taehyun set down the sword he was holding and began to walk.

“I’ll have to get them some decent equipment at the next Demon Realm Auction. They’ll definitely be a core part of my forces going forward.”

“Oh. Master, where are you going?” Riel asked.

“I’ve bolstered my forces enough for now. It’s time to work on the dungeon’s interior. I have too much Zen piled up to let it sit there. I’m going to take a quick look at the layout and be right back.”

“Of course. I’ll hold the fort. By the way, Master, what in the world is that sword…?” She trailed off as he disappeared. “He’s already gone.”

Left alone in the Master Room, Riel examined the sword. It looked no different from any other, yet it sent a chill down her spine. She tilted her head, stroking the hilt.

Suddenly, a sinister energy pulsed from the blade, and a voice echoed in her mind.

—”Ah… I sense divine power. A priestess, are you? Your holy magic is useless before me.”

It was the sword’s ego. Startled, Riel backed away, but the voice remained, lodged in her thoughts.

“W-who are you?”

—”If you must know, I am Esulanche, the magic sword once wielded by the great Demon King Kraktio.”

“The Demon King? Is that true?”

—”Of course. I may be sealed now, but in my prime, I cut down tens of thousands of angels. Now, let’s see… Is that brat on the screen the one who rules this dungeon?”

A wisp of demonic energy pointed at Taehyun on the monitor. Riel’s expression immediately hardened.

“He is not a ‘brat.’ He is Master Taehyun. Address him with respect.”

—”Is that a threat? Ha! To be threatened by a mere supporter. The indignity of it all. Listen here, girl. Let me tell you something interesting. That master you follow, Taehyun? He’s not a demon.”

“I’m already aware of that. He was transported from another dimension. But that doesn’t change the fact that he is a candidate for Demon King.”

—”Hmph. So you already knew. What a faithful little servant. Hmm. In that case…”

The blade of Esulanche trembled as its demonic energy shifted, now pointing at Hyena on the screen. Riel’s eyes wavered slightly. Esulanche seized the opportunity.

—”Ooh. Are you jealous of that girl? Or is it simple animosity? Well, either is a rather ugly emotion. Haha…”

Riel remained silent.

—”What, leaving so soon? Don’t tell me you’re going to tattle to that Taehyun fellow. Don’t bother. He can’t hear my voice. Only you can.”

The magic sword sneered—or rather, the ego named Esulanche did. Riel let out a sigh and stopped in her tracks.

“What do you want from me? Even if you are a magic sword, I will never obey an order from anyone but Master Taehyun.”

—”An order? Do I look like I’m going to devour you? It’s simple. Make a contract with me. I will grant your desire. And what I want in return is hardly a burden. You’ll change your mind once you hear my offer. Haha…”

Slowly, its demonic influence reached for her. With unfocused eyes, Riel stared blankly at Hyena on the screen.

—

Meanwhile, while inspecting the dungeon’s interior, Taehyun turned his head, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him.

‘What was that? I feel uneasy. Did something happen?’

His intuition had grown incredibly sharp lately, and he was getting used to these sudden chills.

‘It’s probably nothing.’

Taehyun scratched his head and turned back to his task. For now, he had to focus on the dungeon’s layout and decide on new traps and installations.

‘I have 41 rooms now, but only two A-rank traps and installations. I’ve been wiping out raid parties with my main forces, but it’s time to start preparing for top-tier raiders.’

If a group of elite A-rank raiders like the Tarantula party showed up, it would be a massive headache. He personally walked through the rooms, comparing their defensive structures. Once he had a solid understanding, he returned to the Master Room.

“I’m back. Hope nothing happened while I was…”

“Aargh! So bright! Please, stop! Stop it!”

“…gone.”

The magic sword was writhing on the floor while Riel aimed an artifact at it, bathing it in light. The Master Room was in utter chaos.

“Pant, pant… M-Master, that sword… it was a magic sword! I barely managed to subdue it with this artifact. One wrong move and it would have devoured me.”

“Hmm. I knew it was a magic sword. By the way, isn’t that the accessory I bought at the Demon Realm Auction?”

“It is! I thought it was useless at first, but it has this flash skill.”

“I just bought it without checking the info. Strange that it has a skill like that. Anyway, Riel, I think you can stop now.”

The light finally subsided. Taehyun looked down at the magic sword squirming on the floor and smirked.

“Well, well. This bastard is an Ego Sword.”

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep