Chapter 216: Episode 216

The location marker Taehyun had installed was near Route C. The reason was simple: Route C, being in a straight line with the black mist, was the most straightforward path for a breakthrough. His entire deployment had been designed to prevent Team C and Team A from joining Team B, but now his plan was in ruins.

[Team A and Team C have merged with Team B.]

He had been baited by the peacock and the Vision Priority scroll into using his neutralization item, leaving him powerless to stop the Location Shift. On top of that, his soldiers had been launched into the air by Venshi’s Tree of the Firmament, canceling both the black mist and the Grand Explosion enchantment.

“Damn it! Raviz, summon them now!”

—”It is impossible, Master.”

“What?!”

In this touch-and-go situation, even his summoning skill was unusable. Taehyun stared at the message that appeared before him.

[Movement skills cannot be applied to a forcibly launched target.]

[Items cannot be applied to a forcibly launched target.]

The Giant Tree of the Firmament had sealed away his summoning skills and exclusive items. Meanwhile, the raid party was using a radar detection network to attempt a frontal assault.

[The Yuda Raid Party has cast Radar Detection Network.]

[The detection network will be active for a set period.]

[Any beings that enter the network’s range will be automatically detected.]

Their intention was to wipe out all of his main forces. Taehyun checked which soldiers had managed to evade the tree’s effect.

’‘Randus, Roquin, Kadum, two Doom Skeletons, and about seven hundred ambush troops. Is that it?’’

There was no time to hesitate. He contacted Randus to ask if he had any other skills.

“Randus, any skills other than Conflagration?”

“I have one, but it will engulf our allies as well. Are you sure?”

“I don’t care. Just buy me time!”

“Very well. Will you send me there?”

Randus indicated a marked location. Taehyun glanced at the marker on Team C’s route and activated Position Transfer.

[Position Transfer has been used.]

[Randus’s location will be changed to the saved transfer point.]

Moments later, Randus was transported into the forest to the right.

—

’Thud.’

The A-rank artifact, the Demonic Spear of the Abyss, slammed into the ground. He was several hundred paces from the raid party. Randus rolled his shoulders, his preparations complete.

“I wanted to avoid using this skill if at all possible, but I have no choice.”

It was a skill that damaged even allies within its designated range. He had refrained from using it in Katarniak for that very reason, but now his hand was forced.

’‘Show them that Katarniak will not be outdone. I must give Taehyun the greatest possible support.’’

Narae had given him a stern warning, so he had to handle this properly. Randus pulled out the longbow hidden beneath his cloak.

[Equipped A-rank artifact: Apollo’s Longbow.]

[The efficiency of a single fire-attribute skill is tripled.]

[Due to the effect of Conflagration, the efficiency of fire-attribute skills is quadrupled.]

The flames that had been blazing around his body transferred to the longbow. Randus took a long, steady breath and drew the bowstring. Mana began to surge as all the flames compressed into the arrow. His eyes already blazed with power. Randus spotted the raid party to his right and released the string.

[A-rank Hero Guardian Randus has cast Blazing Fury.]

[Burns everything within the designated area.]

[Due to the effect of Conflagration, the critical rate of fire-attribute skills has increased.]

[Blazing Fury usage limit: 1/1]

The arrow flew true, erupting into a torrent of fire. The raiders and ambush troops in the area were engulfed by the Blazing Fury before they could escape.

’‘Thankfully, it seems the other main forces retreated in time.’’

The Hunter and the Puppeteer were nowhere to be seen. Only the Doom Skeletons remained, holding their ground to the very end. The raiders hastily cast fire resistance buffs, stacking layer upon layer of protective barriers. However, some had already been consumed by the flames. Just as Taehyun had ordered, he had successfully bought them time. Randus checked the remaining support time and calmly slipped out of the forest.

—

The flames subsided. The arrow that had flown out of nowhere had scorched the area within its range, destroying a portion of the forest. As a result, all of Balak’s soldiers who had been blocking the path had died. The raid party barely managed to endure thanks to the Priests’ skills, but the damage was severe. The main forces that had been forcibly teleported used their movement skills to retreat once more.

Fury boiled within Yuda. “Taehyun Yoo, that son of a bitch has been pissing me off since the Revived Plains! Hiding like a coward and giving orders, and he dares to mock me like this?!”

“Sigh. I told you we should have fought seriously from the start. There’s no point in throwing a fit now.”

“Shut up! Since it’s come to this, I’m going to completely crush Balak.”

“We came here to crush it from the beginning. Stop freaking out and get ready to make camp, you idiot.”

Hiklu gestured to her comrades, who were already preparing to set up camp. After the fight in the Forest of Silence, they needed to recover their stamina. Meanwhile, Bency, who had temporarily taken over as raid leader, was assessing the results.

’‘Fourteen comrades died in the Forest of Silence. Another twenty were forcibly removed from the raid party by the Puppeteer’s skill. We have about twenty single-use skills left, I suppose.’’

They had tried to exploit an opening with their second single-use skill, the Giant Tree of the Firmament, but had unfortunately missed most of the main forces. Still, it wasn’t something to be too disappointed about. Balak had also suffered considerable losses in this battle.

’‘The Dungeon Master lost his most important Position Transfer item and a neutralization item. All that’s left is probably the Effect Conversion Card.’’

Balak and the Yuda Raid Party had essentially traded blows, burning through their items. Their raider-exclusive items had also dwindled, but it didn’t matter. In fact, Taehyun, who was on the defensive, had suffered the greater loss. He would likely try to inflict damage from within Balak using his unique Dungeon Master skills. Bency recalled her comrades’ skills and let out a smirk.

’‘If it’s debuffs, we’d more than welcome them.’’

—

Day five. The clash in the Forest of Silence had reduced the Yuda Raid Party to about sixty members. Since they had also dealt with the raiders sent away by Far, Far Away, it was safe to say they had inflicted significant damage.

However, Taehyun’s expression was grim. “The raid party used Peacock, Position Transfer, Radar Detection Network, and Vision Priority, I think.”

“We also used Position Transfer, Radar Detection Network, and Vision Priority. The problem is the neutralization item,” Riel said.

She was right. Of all things, he had been forced to use the neutralization item because the Peacock had appeared out of nowhere. A regretful sigh escaped him. To make matters worse, two Doom Skeletons had died from Randus’s one-time skill. The loss, including the ambush troops in the forest, was so staggering it made him nauseous.

[The Yuda Raid Party has entered Balak.]

Meanwhile, the raid party had endured the bombardment from the valley and had entered Balak with little resistance. Taehyun straightened his back and refocused.

’‘Still, I made them use up a lot of their single-use skills. I still have a chance to win.’’

All the rooms inside Balak were forest environments. He had already stationed Raviz in the second room and could continue using the Black Mist strategy as before.

“But first, we’ll start with that. Hyena, drop it as soon as I give the signal.”

“Leave it to me, Master.”

“Kumakuma, it’s your turn. If you don’t want to go back to the Ice Palace, you’d better do your best.”

“I will carry out this duty as if my life depends on it. Kuma!”

The preparations were more or less complete. Balak had changed significantly after the recent interior reinforcements, and he would be able to showcase that from the very first room.

[The Yuda Raid Party has entered the first room.]

Finally, the raiders he had been waiting for appeared. Taehyun watched the screen and began to give orders.

“Get out there. Now.”

“Kumakuma!”

A giant teddy bear—an S-rank Named Keeper—revealed itself.

—

[S-rank Named Keeper, Tyrant Kumakuma, has appeared.]

A giant teddy bear waddled toward them. It was an unexpected S-rank. Yuda broke out in a cold sweat and turned to Bency.

“Bency, what kind of trick is this? An S-rank Keeper is surprising enough, but sending it out in the first room? This is weird.”

“I don’t know either. If you have time to chatter, go fight it. All shield bearers to the front! Asiant, binding skill!”

“Already on it!”

Asiant’s binding skill was cast. However, Kumakuma snorted and activated his special ability.

[S-rank Named Keeper Tyrant Kumakuma has activated the special ability ‘Tyrant’s Advent’.]

[Becomes immune to all status effects for a set period.]

[Tyrant’s Advent usage limit: 1/1]

“That won’t work on me. Kuma!” Kumakuma shoved the shield bearers aside. At the same time, a sinister energy spread from within the dungeon.

[B-rank Dungeon Master unique skill ‘Breath of Death’ has been cast.]

[Drains the raiders’ health for a set period.]

[Accumulates fatigue in the raiders for a set period.]

The Breath of Death was cast first. Bency ground her teeth as A-rank soldiers appeared from the left and right. Black Mist was already being recast from within the forest. The raiders began to struggle, blocking arrows and magic.

[Binding Trap has been activated.]

[Illusion Trap has been activated.]

As traps triggered one after another, their formation teetered on the verge of collapse. The Basilisks and Hellhounds had already been enchanted with Explosion.

“Kumakuma!”

“Gah!”

Including the S-rank Named Keeper at the front, he had played a strong hand right from the first room.

[A-rank Top-Tier Raider Tamulan has cast Immunity Rejection.]

[Removes the effects of Breath of Death.]

[Immunity Rejection usage limit: 1/1]

For now, Tamulan had removed the Breath of Death debuff. Yuda and Asiant were buying time by fighting Kumakuma. Bency quickly gave orders to her comrades. At that moment, large stone monuments fell from the air.

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

[Shadow Prison is moved to the 1st room.]

[Trap Control usage limit: 1/2]

“Wh-what are these monuments?!”

“Wait. Don’t touch them. They might be traps!”

“Dammit! It says I made contact before I even touched it!”

The targets were the Priest raiders positioned in the rear. Bency belatedly ordered them not to approach, but it was already too late.

[Shadow Prison has been activated.]

[Binds the shadows of fourteen raiders.]

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

Soon, the raiders’ shadows appeared. Nearby comrades urgently tried to attack the large monuments, but it was no use.

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

[Shadow Prison is moved to the 45th room.]

[Trap Control usage limit: 2/2]

The large monuments had long since vanished along with the shadows. The Priests were startled, but when they felt no abnormalities, they let out sighs of relief.

“I don’t think anything’s wrong. What was that?”

“Don’t let your guard down. For now, let’s recast buffs and hea—Gah!”

“H-hey! What’s wrong!”

Just as they were about to support the shield bearers again, they began to collapse one by one. The Priests who hadn’t been caught in the trap urgently cast Heal, but the pain continued. Bency ground her teeth as she watched her comrades.

’‘That was definitely a trap I’ve never seen before. What the hell did you pull, Taehyun Yoo?’’

The Priests were incapacitated, and as a result, the shield bearers’ health was no longer being managed.

“Got you. Kuma!”

“Ugh! Let go of me! Let go!”

“Just get crushed. Kuma!”

“Gyaaaaaaah!”

Meanwhile, Kumakuma was killing the shield bearers while withstanding attacks from Yuda and Asiant. Hiklu, in the rear, urgently fired an arrow to save her comrade. However, Kumakuma easily blocked it and turned his head.

“…Kuma?!”

“Wh-what? Why are you looking at me like that!”

“I quite like you. From now on, you are my concubine. Kuma!”

“Hieeeek!”

Spotting Hiklu, Kumakuma’s eyes filled with a lecherous glint.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep