[Magic Sword Esulanche]

[Rank: SS]

[Level: 1]

[Race: Magic Sword]

[Class: None]

[Title: Angel Slayer]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 0]

[Favorability: 0]

[Obedience: 0]

[Skill: Demonic Energy Emission]

[Special Ability: Equip]

[Strength: 0] [Endurance: 0] [Agility: 0] [Stamina: 0]

[Mana: 100] [Divinity: 0] [Affinity: 0] [Luck: 0]

[Status: Sealed]

The Magic Sword Esulanche—a sword-type soldier he had purchased for a staggering forty million Zen. Thanks to Balak’s amplified magic, it had unexpectedly manifested as an SS-rank, but instead of joy, Taehyun felt a wave of frustration. What good was an equippable magic sword if it was sealed and unusable? He hadn’t even been able to check its abilities before bringing it to the Master Room. But now, thanks to Riel, the situation had changed.

“Gah! I was so close to succeeding!” the sword shrieked.

The sealed magic sword was an Ego Sword. Taehyun pinned it to the floor with his foot and sneered.

“If you had an ego, you should have said so. I would have given you the special treatment you deserve.”

“How dare you put your foot on me, you damned otherworlder! Get off! I am a magic sword! A magic sword!”

“Don’t make me laugh,” Taehyun said coldly. “How about I melt you down into slag?”

He had already heard the whole story from Riel. Normally, he wouldn’t have been able to hear Esulanche’s voice, but a few good stomps had solved that problem easily enough.

“Riel, give me that accessory.”

“Of course.”

“Aaaargh! So bright! Get it away from me! Get it away!”

A simple flash skill that only blinded its target for a few seconds was devastatingly effective against the ancient weapon. Taehyun enjoyed its screams as he continued his interrogation.

“Spill everything you know. You were the Demon King’s magic sword, weren’t you? That means you know all about the war with the angels.”

“You think I’ll talk? A magic sword has its pride—Aaaargh!”

“Are you going to talk or not? Answer me.”

“I-I’ll talk! I’ll talk, you damn bastard!”

The magic sword finally surrendered. Holding the accessory, Taehyun delivered a final warning.

“Try any of the tricks you pulled on Riel, and I’ll hit you with the flash again. Got it?”

“Damn you! You’re the most despicable bastard I’ve ever met!”

“And I’ve never met a magic sword quite like you. Now, start talking.”

Its blade trembling, Esulanche began to confess its past.

—

He learned of the millennia-long war between demons and angels, of the Demon King Kraktio who led the charge, of the ancient raiders summoned by the heavens, and of the Demon King’s final moments as his soul was sealed away by the archangels. It was information no ordinary Dungeon Master could ever hope to hear.

‘So Nikunbel was just a Count back then. Unimaginable now. A Demon King whose soul was sealed… could that be connected to the summoning of Players?’

The contest for Demon King, governed by a game-like system, was already beyond comprehension. The Astral Continent was likely another dimension entirely. Nikunbel’s conquest of the Demon Realm and his ability to summon people from modern Earth had to be connected to this.

Taehyun looked down at the sword. “Alright. So when will your seal be broken?”

“Kuk-kuk. You dare presume to wield me? Not a chance. I choose my own master, and there is no one in a pathetic dungeon like this worthy of me.”

“Is that so? Then I have no choice. Enjoy rotting in prison.”

“W-what? What are you saying—?”

Taehyun picked up the magic sword and headed for the underground prison. An SS-rank soldier was useless if he couldn’t command it.

“Hey! Don’t you need my power?”

“You said I can’t use you. Get lost.”

“W-wait! Let me explain—Gak!”

The magic sword that once slaughtered angels was unceremoniously tossed into a cell. Taehyun regarded it with an indifferent gaze.

“Stay in there and reflect on your actions. I’ll call for you when I need you.”

“Hey, I’m a magic sword! I am Esulanche, wielded by the Demon King himself, you damn bastard!”

“Yeah, sure.”

He could tell that much just from its status window. Taehyun gave a single nod before turning and heading back to the Master Room.

“Here’s your accessory.”

“Thank you. By the way, what happened to the magic sword?”

“It’s sealed, so I just threw it in the prison. Its skills and abilities are unusable, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Sigh. That’s a relief,” Riel said. “For a moment, I almost fell for its tricks. I feel like I barely escaped.”

Without the accessory, she would have been mesmerized by its demonic energy. Taehyun patted her shoulder reassuringly and sat down. With the sword dealt with, it was time to get serious about reinforcing the dungeon.

[Balak’s Crystal Orb]

[Rank: A]

[Level: 3]

[Magic Value: 1150/1150]

[Upgrade Value: Stage 3]

‘The magic value has gotten quite high. Raising the stage is getting harder, but if I can get more A-rank magic stones, reaching S-rank won’t be impossible.’

Yuslan’s Ice Palace came to mind. He had been using the ancient ruin to farm magic stones and level up his soldiers. He still hadn’t cleared the next stage, so he was certain to find A-rank magic stones there.

‘I also have my contract with Larkan, and I need to find more clues about the Frost Queen. First, let’s check the dungeon information.’

For the first time in a while, Taehyun pulled up Balak’s status.

[Dungeon Name: Balak]

[Master: Taehyun Yoo]

[Rank: A (Stage 3)]

[Location: A cave deep within the Silent Valley, western frontier of the Astral Continent.]

[Supporter: Riel of Healing (B)]

[Boss: Nightmare Knight Grizzle, Death Knight Granzle, Lich Bigdream]

[Mercenary: None]

[Guardian & Keeper: Knight Grai, Ruler of Space Rabiz]

[Soldiers: Basilisk, Small Golem, Nightmare, Hellhound, Grengton, Pol, Conpas, Haguru, Golden Mimic, Ancient Skeleton Soldier, Abyss Knight, Lizardman, Fenrir, Evil Goblin, Resident, Personal Fairy, Wyvern, Minotaur, Gargoyle, Werewolf, Harpy, Catapult Drake (Modified), Centaur, Troll, Larkan, Roquin, Cadum, High Elf, Dwarf, Dropin, Hendy, Eleonora, Chedor, Hera]

[Monsters: Basilisk, Small Golem, Nightmare, Hellhound, Grengton, Pol, Conpas, Haguru, Golden Mimic, Ancient Skeleton Soldier, Abyss Knight, Lizardman, Fenrir, Evil Goblin, Minotaur, Personal Fairy, Wyvern, Gargoyle, Werewolf, Harpy, Catapult Drake (Modified), Centaur, Troll]

[Servants & Maids: Dungeon Residents]

[Traps: Sticky Trap, Hunting Trap, Arrow Trap, Deep Pit, Magic Blocking Trap, Rolling Boulder, Wall Spike, Binding Net, Illusion Formation, Flame Trap, Coffin of Sacrifice, Skill Blocking Trap, Radar Sealing Trap, Skill Restriction Prison, Helpless Struggle, Cruel Wheel]

[Installations: Abyss Flower Landrozel, Madria’s Bookshelf, Hideous Spider Egg, Glittering Sack, Thick Box, Low-grade Magic Turret, Mid-grade Magic Turret, Mysterious Magic Powder, Merchant’s Corpse, Lost Cat, Soldier’s Corpse, High-grade Magic Turret]

[Modifications & Changes: Corridor Variation between Rooms (Stage 7), Room Position Change (Stage 5), Corridor Length Variation between Rooms (Stage 8), Room Interior Size Expansion (Stage 11), Forest Environment (Stage 8), Corridor Modification between Rooms (Stage 8), Corridor Size Expansion between Rooms (Stage 9), Overall Dungeon Scale Expansion (Stage 8)]

[Rooms: 41]

[Dungeon Status: Balak has surpassed the level of a typical A-rank dungeon. The efficiency of its installations has increased due to its immense magic capacity. Its military strength has also significantly increased with the addition of the undead forces. The only drawback is the lack of traps and installations befitting its rank.]

‘Look at the size of this message window. It’s so long it’s hard to even read. And the Small Golems are still around? I’ve been avoiding summoning them since their roles overlap with other units.’

The dungeon’s information had changed drastically. After a quick review, Taehyun began by repositioning his traps.

[The Cruel Wheel has been placed in the 30th room.]

[Helpless Struggle has been placed in the 13th room.]

[The Skill Blocking Trap has been placed in the 19th room.]

[The Illusion Formation has been placed in the 25th room.]

He arranged them to avoid overlap, and where they did, to create synergistic chain effects. After repositioning the traps and installations, the first phase was complete.

“Is it time to buy A-rank traps and installations now?” Riel asked.

“Hmm. I’ll have to pick some out.”

A list of traps and installations appeared before him. To deal with top-tier A-rank raiders, he needed the most useful effects he could find. He carefully examined each one, searching for those best suited for Balak.

[Shadow Bind]

[Appearance: A large stone monument. Activated by a raider’s touch. When activated, it binds the shadow of the raider, allowing damage to be inflicted through that shadow.]

‘They even have something like this? It binds the shadow so you can attack it instead of the body. Doesn’t seem very useful.’

No raider would be foolish enough to touch a random stone monument. He lost interest and was about to move on when a thought struck him.

‘Wait. Would it be possible to take the bound shadow with me?’

He had Hyena. She should be able to control the shadows of dozens of people. After a moment of consideration, he made his decision.

“Wait, Master! Shadow Bind is known to be useless; even other A-rank dungeons don’t use it. Why would you buy it so rashly?”

“There’s something I want to test,” Taehyun said with a grin. “I’ll buy the rest and show you. Just wait.”

He then proceeded to purchase the remaining traps and installations.

—

That day, three raiders gathered in the first room: the Puppeteer Roquin, the Wave Swordsman Chedor, and Dropin, who had been summoned out of the blue. All had been selected as test subjects.

“W-why were we suddenly called here?” Roquin stammered.

“Don’t ask me. I’m annoyed enough just being here,” Chedor grumbled.

“…Why me? I was in the north!” Dropin wailed.

On the monitor, none of the three had any idea why they’d been summoned. Taehyun smiled faintly and activated the communication device.

“Your affiliations have been temporarily manipulated. The contract prevents you from attacking, but the system can treat you as enemies. Now, look ahead. Do you see a large stone monument?”

“Oh! I see it,” said Roquin.

“Now he’s treating us like his minions,” Chedor muttered. “Tsk. Yeah, I see it.”

“Why me?! I was in the north!”

They soon spotted the Shadow Bind installation.

“All three of you, touch the monument.”

It was a simple, clear instruction. Unable to refuse, they simultaneously placed their hands on the stone.

[Shadow Bind has been activated.]

[Binding the shadows of three raiders.]

[The effect will be released if the large stone monument is attacked.]

As expected, it had a weakness. Taehyun signaled Hyena, who was on standby.

[A-rank Raider Hera has cast the special ability ‘Trap Control’.]

[Shadow Bind will be moved to the 41st room.]

[Trap Control Usage Limit: 1/2]

The large stone monument vanished and reappeared in the 41st room. Taehyun watched with satisfaction as the three bound shadows moved along with it.

“T-the shadows moved with it?” Riel asked, amazed.

“It was just a rough guess, but I can’t believe it worked. Now all that’s left is to see if they take damage through their shadows.”

Taehyun ordered the soldiers he had waiting. Evil Goblins holding wooden clubs carefully controlled their strength as they struck the shadows.

“Aack! I-I think someone just hit me! What’s going on?” Roquin cried out.

“…Is this one of the traps? How unusual,” Chedor mused.

“Why me?! I was in the north, why!” Dropin shrieked.

All three reacted instantly, proving they had taken damage. Though less effective than a direct hit, the result was satisfactory. Taehyun returned the trap to its original location and sent the three raiders back.

“And with that, the experiment is over. Other Dungeon Masters might not use it, but for Balak, it can be utilized in creative ways like this.”

“So if someone gets caught, we can inflict continuous damage on them,” Riel concluded.

“Exactly. Now that the dungeon is reinforced, shall we move on to the next task?”

“Um, Master, Dropin is protesting,” Riel said, pointing to the indignant raider on the screen.

Taehyun ignored him and turned away completely. Just then, his communication device rang.

“This is Momonte. Have you heard the news?”

It was Baron Momonte. He must have acquired new information.

“What news?”

“I heard that Duke Centrix and Viscount Crowley have returned to the Aneis Kingdom. You know of the Ain Kart Holy Kingdom’s oracle, I presume. The transcendents who held the Dios Dungeon in check for ten years. Two of them have returned at King Leopard’s final command.”

“So?”

“That’s not all. Yuda, the top-tier A-rank raider, has also returned to the capital under the name Ador van Noah. The tragic prince, long forgotten by the kingdom!”

The Yuda Raid Party had relentlessly targeted Seunghun’s dungeon. If Momonte was right, then Yuda was a raider who was also a prince of illegitimate birth.

‘I was worried he might come to raid Balak, but it seems that’s not his priority. A forgotten prince… he hid that identity and lived as a raider all this time?’

The return of two transcendents, along with a top-tier A-rank raider and his comrades, was a significant development. While they weren’t targeting Balak directly, they were a threat to be monitored.

“The Aneis Kingdom is about to be turned upside down,” Taehyun said. “The existing factions, and possibly even Count Dinen’s influence, will be diminished.”

“That’s right, except for the few who supported the royal family. But that’s not what’s most important right now.”

“Then what is?”

“You are going to be invited to the upcoming coronation. By Crown Prince Leon himself!”

“What?!”

The news made his expression harden instantly.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep