Chapter 229: Episode 229_Secret

[5th Faction War Resistance Performance Ranking]

[1. Taehyun Yoo]

[2. Seonghwi Hyun]

[3. Seungpil Seo]

[4. Hyunjun Jo]

[5. Hwantae Baek]

[6. Semyung Lee]

[7. Eunji Ryu]

[8. Jungmi Han]

[9. Narae Min]

The performance rankings for the Flag Zone Capture mission were announced. As it was the final Faction War, the rewards had been delayed.

’Oho. Seungpil Seo is ranked higher than Hyunjun Jo. I guess running around like a madman paid off.’ He was more interested in Seungpil’s rank than Narae’s, who had been swapped out midway. Seungpil himself was probably quite surprised.

[You have achieved 1st place in performance in the 5th Faction War.]

[You will be given an S-rank Random Reward Box as a reward.]

[You will be given a Mysterious Necklace as a reward.]

[You will be given a Wide-Range Ruin Exploration Radar as a reward.]

He had placed first again, this time with three rewards. He’d received a Random Reward Box and a Ruin Exploration Radar before, but these were of a higher rank. Taehyun checked the Mysterious Necklace first.

[Mysterious Necklace]

[Rank: ?]

[Restriction: None]

[Description: A Mysterious Necklace belonging to the Legendary item class. This necklace, which holds a secret, amplifies the efficiency of buffs when worn.]

It was a delicate necklace of fine pearls woven into a white pattern. Like his magic sword, it seemed to be sealed, as its rank wasn’t properly displayed. Moreover, the item itself was Legendary-class. Given its effect, there was no question who should wear it.

Taehyun handed the necklace to Eclat.

“Here. This is yours. Try it on.”

“Y-you’re giving this to me?”

“Yeah. It says it amplifies buff efficiency, so it’ll be good for you to wear.”

“Thank you. I’ve never received anything like this before… B-but how do I put it on?”

She was an angel who couldn’t even put on her own necklace. Taehyun sighed and walked behind her. “Give it to me.”

“O-okay.”

“Don’t move. And stop flapping your wings.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” A pair of wings gently brushed against his cheek. They were beautiful, but they had a mind of their own. Taehyun personally fastened the necklace around Eclat’s neck.

[A-rank Named Mercenary, Crybaby Eclat, is feeling shy.]

[Favorability increases by 3.]

[Eclat’s Favorability has surpassed 60.]

Her favorability rose, likely thanks to the new equipment. Eclat kept her blushing face lowered, waiting quietly. Having spent her entire life in the Celestial Realm, this was surely a new experience for her. After neatly fastening the clasp, Taehyun lightly touched one of her wings.

“All done…”

“Eek!”

“What’s wrong?”

“M-my wings are a bit sensitive.” Eclat’s body trembled, and she grew flustered. For an angel, wings were a part of their body, and since mana flowed through them, they were far more sensitive than any other part. Unaware of this, Taehyun found it fascinating and continued to fiddle with the feathers.

“Oooh. Y-you can’t do that.”

“Ah, sorry. The texture is surprisingly nice. Can I just touch them a little longer?”

“N-no way!”

“Hmm. A shame.”

—

[A hostile relationship has been established with the Resistance Faction.]

[A hostile relationship has been established with the Secret Faction.]

The Secret Faction officially declared war. Across the continent, Dungeon Masters began to move in unison, as if by prior agreement.

“The North will become the most intense battlefield,” Sohee Jeong announced to her forces. “The ones to watch out for among the Resistance are S-rank Dungeon Master Seonghwi Hyun; A-rank Dungeon Masters Chaerin Han, Nuri Kwon, Hyuk Lee, Seunghoon Han, Narae Min, and Songyi Han; and Taehyun Yoo of the West.”

As the leader, Sohee personally deployed her faction members to counter the enemy’s main forces. The A-rank Dungeon Masters naturally converged on the North, while Sohee led a contingent toward the West.

The first clash was between Velvet Dungeon and Gator Dungeon, both run by masters in the upper echelons of their respective factions.

“The Yuda Raid Party was wiped out at Balak, and I’ve been feeling stiff ever since. This is perfect,” said Seunghoon Han of the Resistance. “How does it feel to finally crawl out of the shadows, Kyungmin Min?”

“Not great,” replied Kyungmin Min of Secret. “I’m part of this faction, too, you know. I was ordered to deal with you.”

The confrontation between the two executives quickly turned the Moria Temple area in the North into a warzone, devastating the surrounding cities.

“A war between the demons has broken out!” declared Anderno, the President of the Raider’s Association. “Quickly summon the top-ranking raiders and defend the cities in the area!”

He began dispatching raiders to each conflict zone to minimize collateral damage. Some branch managers argued they should seize the opportunity to raid the dungeons, but it was impossible. This was a conflict between demons. If raiders got involved carelessly, it could spell disaster, and the timing was terrible. With Count Dinen already mobilizing raiders, they couldn’t possibly assemble a proper force.

“Even demons have factions,” one manager argued. “Do you really think we can intervene when tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dungeon soldiers are clashing? It’s hard enough just to minimize the damage. If we move rashly, our raiders will be surrounded by both sides.”

In the end, the Association focused on protecting nearby cities, hoping the war between the factions would end quickly.

—

[A-rank Top-tier Raider Delana]

[A-rank Hero Guardian Golgotes]

[A-rank Named Keeper Peopeongkin]

[A-rank High-tier Raider Minerva]

[A-rank Hero Soldier Colossus Koronosa]

Seokwoo surveyed his strongest forces. They were the slave raiders and soldiers he had painstakingly gathered since reaching A-rank. Though their favorability was lacking, forced contracts ensured they followed his orders faithfully.

“With this army, even he will have no choice but to tremble,” Seokwoo sneered. “He might have grown like a monster, but my Haias is in a different league from Balak.”

His dungeon, Haias, located in the South, was the fastest to reach A-rank after Taehyun’s. He was supposed to be fighting the Resistance in the South, but Seokwoo had insisted on attacking Balak. The reason was simple: he wanted to show Taehyun the difference in their power.

Now that he was on the same level as Balak, the humiliation from the Demon Realm Auction had faded, but he hadn’t forgotten it.

“The real monster is me. I’ll prove it this time, Taehyun Yoo.”

“Are you all ready?” Sohee Jeong asked, approaching him.

“Ah, perfectly. All that’s left is to smash Balak to pieces.”

“That’s a relief. Now, let’s get going, Seokwoo.”

Sohee, the Secret Faction’s leader and a top-tier Dungeon Master with her eyes set on S-rank, had also joined the expedition. Seokwoo hurriedly shouted at his troops.

“What are you all doing? The Faction Leader has given the order to depart! Move out!”

A slave raider shrieked as he kicked her.

“Move it, now!”

The hesitating raiders scrambled to obey. Such scenes were common among Dungeon Masters. Sohee waited patiently, her hands clasped demurely.

“S-sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go.”

“Alright. I’m looking forward to your performance this time, too.”

“Of course! Just trust me. A place like Balak is no match for me.”

“How dependable. You seem to be getting more and more manly, my dear Seokwoo.” Sohee, who had always treated him like a younger brother, leaned against his shoulder. Seokwoo’s face flushed as he clenched his fists.

’F-finally, Sohee is starting to see me as a man. My performance in the Faction War must have made a big impression. If I take down Balak, then…!’

His gaze drifted downward to the cleavage revealed by her thin robe, a sight that stirred his lust. With a goofy grin, Seokwoo headed for Balak with Sohee.

—

“They’ve started to move. It’s Sohee Jeong, Seokwoo Yoo, Miri Hyun, Hyuntae Kwon, and Sangjun Han of the Secret Faction. That’s easily over thirty thousand soldiers,” Hyunjun’s report came through, identifying the Secret Faction members who had entered the West. The region was already in chaos due to the Aneis Kingdom’s internal conflict, meaning other kingdoms wouldn’t be able to move rashly. First, Taehyun needed to figure out their route to Balak. He spread out the world map and listened.

“I’m tracking them with Ragna’s skill. From the looks of it, they plan to cross the Collard Mountains and descend toward the city of Magritte.”

Crossing from the South to the West would inevitably attract unwanted attention from other nations. The Secret Faction had taken that into account, choosing a path through the mountains. It made sense, as Balak’s own explorations had extended beyond the Bunteno Hills, north of Magritte. Taehyun began to mark the route on the map with a quill.

’Over the Collard Mountains to the Kant Gorge. From Kant Gorge to the Bunteno Hills. And from the Bunteno Hills, directly into Balak’s territory.’

The expected route was taking shape. All that was left was to inflict as much damage as possible before they reached his land. There were five of them, all A-rank Dungeon Masters. With their leader, Sohee, being a high-tier master, their combined force was considerable.

’In comparison, not many of our allies have made it to the West. Hyunjun and Narae are here, but numerically, it’s five against three.’

Narae and Hyunjun were also high-tier A-rank masters, but Songyi’s absence was a significant blow.

’He remembered Songyi crying,’ “No! I’m going to help Taehyun!”

’Chaerin had snapped back,’ “Ah, this little brat is really getting on my nerves! The South and North are busy right now! Seonghwi already gave the orders, so hurry up and follow me!”

“No!!! Taehyun!!!”

’He recalled the image of Songyi being dragged away by Chaerin. She was likely joining other faction members, shuttling between the South and the North.’

[Katarniak Dungeon soldiers have joined Balak’s territory.]

[Katarniak Dungeon Master Narae Min has entered the Master Room.]

Right on cue, Narae arrived, following Hyunjun. Her dungeon, Katarniak, was aiming for S-rank, much like Hyunjun’s Antelos. Including Randus, who had come as support against the Yuda Raid Party, and her sniper-type keeper, her forces were as formidable as Sohee’s.

’Mostly plant-type soldiers. I see an S-rank soldier, too. Looks like she brought everyone.’

Faction members joining battles in other regions had to leave their dungeons empty. The Secret Faction faced the same risk, but the danger was real. As a result, members who remained behind were now fighting while also defending their comrades’ dungeons.

“What were you looking at?” Narae asked.

“Just checking the route on the world map. Hyunjun, you can come back now.”

-I shall.

Hyunjun, who possessed a teleport skill similar to Songyi’s, returned to the Master Room in an instant. Taehyun had them both sit down and assessed their troop numbers.

[Unix Soldier Status: 5,725]

[Katarniak Soldier Status: 5,941]

[Balak Soldier Status: 8,861]

Combined, the three dungeons had nearly twenty thousand soldiers. Narae, sitting beside him, was aghast at Balak’s numbers.

“Wh-what the hell? Balak alone has over eight thousand soldiers! What happened?!”

“…Even I’m surprised,” said the usually calm Hyunjun. “I was under the impression that the soldier limit for an A-rank dungeon was around six thousand.”

Balak’s current population limit was ten thousand, a number unheard of for a typical A-rank dungeon. Taehyun just smiled.

“Of course. Because Balak is now an S-rank dungeon.”

“I-is that true?!”

“You’re saying you’ve already reached S-rank? How is that even possible…?”

The two of them stared in disbelief. It had only been about half a year since Balak had become A-rank. Who would believe it was already S-rank? Taehyun looked at them for a moment, then picked up his communication device.

—”Ughhh.’ What is it? I was sleeping.”

“Your house is about to get robbed. Wake up.”

—”Wh-what did you say?!”

It was news that jolted Geonsun, the Dungeon Master of Rivixion and ruler of the Collard Mountains, wide awake.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep