Chapter 233: Episode 233

He had known all along that Seokwoo would place a Position Shift marker. The reason he neutralized Vision Priority instead was simple.

’They have no Vision Expansion Scroll, and their scout numbers have been halved. I couldn’t just let them keep their Vision Priority.’

The Secret Faction’s vision was critically impaired. By stripping them of their priority as well, Taehyun had seized complete visual dominance over the Benteno Hills.

[A-rank Hero Soldier, Lich Big Dream’s special ability ‘Black Mist’ has been activated.]

[A-rank High-tier Raider, Great Mage of Explosions Hendy’s special ability ‘Great Explosion’ has been activated.]

[A-rank High-tier Raider Eleonora’s Divine Teaching has been cast.]

With his main forces’ skills and special abilities now active, the blind soldiers of the Secret Faction stood no chance of mounting an effective defense.

’Seokwoo,’ Taehyun thought coolly. ’You were certainly a force in the Faction War, but against S-rank soldiers, strategy is meaningless.’

The Hydras’ corrosive acid began to eat through the enemy’s shields. Their mages desperately cast spells, only to have them intercepted by swooping Gryphons.

“Death! Death! Death!” the Pargal warriors chanted.

“Kukuk’… I will paint this field in blood. All will kneel before me!” Krodin cackled.

“So many women,” Kumakuma grunted. “Kuma!”

The Pargal Tribe and Krodin specifically targeted the enemy’s core units, systematically dismantling their power structure, while the tyrant Kumakuma single-handedly nullified their single-use skills. Even in a direct clash of main forces, Balak’s S-rank power was simply overwhelming.

Sensing the decisive moment, Taehyun ordered Raviz to summon.

“Who will you summon, Master?” Raviz asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Taehyun replied. “The ones I can only bring out for a fight between Dungeon Masters.”

“Understood.”

Though he couldn’t use them against raiders, the current conditions were perfect. Raviz activated Mass Summon, pulling two figures from the north.

[A-rank Hero Guardian, Pioneer of Space Raviz, has cast Mass Summon.]

[Rexner and Roquin have been summoned from the north to the Benteno Hills.]

It was the time-freezing Drophin-Rexner and the puppeteer Roquin. They had apparently been asleep at an inn, as they materialized lying on the ground.

“Hey, you two. Get up,” Taehyun said. “Time to fight.”

“Wh-what’s happening?!” Rexner sputtered, scrambling to his feet.

“Deployment orders,” Taehyun said simply.

“Huh…?” Drophin just stared up at him, his expression utterly dazed.

—

Meanwhile, Sihan, having teleported to the center of the enemy formation, felt his face flush with embarrassment.

“You will wear this helm at all times,” Taehyun had ordered. “That’s an order. I can’t predict what will happen the moment you take it off.”

Cecilon’s Cold-Blooded Helm. It boosted his cold wave power, but it looked ridiculous. He wore it only because Taehyun had commanded it, but he desperately wanted to rip it off.

“Hahaha! Oh, Chedor, you look so scary!” Inhye giggled.

“You seem even more bloodthirsty now,” Hendy added with a smirk. “It kind of suits you.”

The helm, which resembled something a Death Knight would wear, made him an easy target for mockery. Sihan shot them a glare before sighing.

“Stop laughing, you two. Anyway, Eleonora, you’ve been getting awfully close to Taehyun Yoo lately. What’s on your mind?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Inhye chimed in. “You’ve been visiting that demon a lot. You could get into serious trouble! You know how sinister he is!”

All eyes turned to Eleonora, who tilted her head with a look of innocent confusion.

“Have I? I don’t really remember.”

“Just be careful,” Sihan warned. “He’s still just a Dungeon Master. I’m heading out.”

The enemy’s rear guard was beginning to appear. Leaving the two women shrouded in the mist, Sihan charged. His first targets were those with limited-use skills still available. With slave raiders scattered throughout their ranks, he had to shut down their abilities first.

“Haaah!”

A female swordsman lunged at him, closing the distance in a flash and swinging her short sword.

’An A-rank intermediate raider, I’d guess.’

Her form was decent, but she was no match for a veteran like him. Sihan easily parried her strikes, their blades clashing in a brief exchange. Just then, another raider attacked from behind.

[A-rank High-tier Raider Amela has cast Vicious Ambush.]

[Amela’s critical hit from the rear is doubled.]

[Vicious Ambush Use Limit 1/1]

An ambush from a rogue raider. But Sihan hadn’t been idle during his time in Balak.

[A-rank High-tier Raider Chedor has cast Wave Emission.]

[A wave of cold energy erupts outwards.]

“Aaaack!”

The feet of both raiders were instantly encased in ice. Sihan seized the opening, unleashing another skill in rapid succession.

[A-rank High-tier Raider Chedor has cast Electric Wave.]

[Arni and Amela, already suffering from cold damage, receive additional electric damage.]

Spasming from the electric shock, Arni and Amela collapsed. The ice on their ankles had likely amplified the damage. Sihan raised his short sword to deliver the final blow.

“Don’t take it personally,” he muttered. “I’m a prisoner to a bastard myself.”

“No! Arni, Amela!”

“Arni!”

Just as he was about to strike, a group of slave raiders swarmed toward him, desperately casting skills to protect their fallen comrades. It was an awkward situation, made more so by the fact that they were all women.

’Why are there so many women? Don’t tell me the Secret Faction’s masters are…’

A dark memory from his time as a raider in the north surfaced. He remembered the slave raiders in those dungeons, especially one who had been so broken she could no longer fight, reduced to nothing more than her master’s plaything. Sihan scowled, pushing the unwanted memory away.

“Get away from us, raider of Balak!” one of them cried. “You of all people should understand! You’ve been tortured by demons, too! We’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Please, just leave us be,” another pleaded. “Arni and Amela are good people!”

They saw him as one of them, a fellow victim, and were appealing to his sympathy. He saw the bruises covering their bodies and sighed. His orders had been to eliminate the slave raiders along with the rest, but he hesitated. The contract, however, was absolute. He had to obey. As Drophin joined him, he prepared to cast a skill.

At that moment, Taehyun’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Don’t kill the slave raiders. I’ve already sent shackles to Drophin. Neutralize them, then chain them up.”

The orders had changed. The thought of enslaving these women again filled him with disgust, but he had no choice.

’Still,’ he reasoned, ’that Taehyun Yoo… he wouldn’t touch them.’

And so, Sihan and Drophin began the grim task of capturing the slave raiders.

—

[A-rank High-tier Raider Manela has been captured.]

[A-rank Intermediate Raider Arni has been captured.]

[A-rank Hero Guardian, Knight of the Gale Demesier, has died.]

Their last hope, their main forces, were being slaughtered. The slave raiders they had worked so hard to forcibly contract were being shackled and taken captive.

“Praise Balak! Praise and worship him!”

“Aaaah!”

The S-rank soldiers finally tore through their shields and crashed into their rear lines. Their key mages and priests were already being picked off by hunter raiders and high elves. With a raider named Drophin freezing time itself, the battle had been lost long ago.

[A-rank Dungeon Master Kwon Hyuntae has cast Deadly Slash.]

[A-rank Dungeon Master Hyun Miri has cast Dig.]

[A-rank Dungeon Master Han Sangjoon has cast Homing Arrow.]

Some of the melee-class Dungeon Masters joined the fray themselves, desperately trying to turn the tide, but it was futile.

“Dammit, what is this black mist? My attacks do nothing! And I can’t see a thing; my range is useless!”

“Balak’s soldiers are enchanted with some kind of explosion ability! Watch out!”

“This is insane! There are traps attached to the arrows! What kind of trapper can do that?!”

Balak’s army was far stronger than they had ever imagined. Even the proud main forces of Haias were being cut down, unable to withstand the onslaught. The other factions had no answers. Seokwoo stared at the carnage, his expression vacant.

’Defeat. It’s over. I’ve used buff items, effect conversion cards… nothing worked. The only thing left is the return item.’

He’d even burned a neutralization item to counter Balak’s own conversion card. His only option was to retreat before they were completely wiped out. But his pride held him back. A bitter wave of humiliation washed over him as he reached into his pocket.

“Wh-what? Where’s my return item?!”

It was gone. He frantically searched his pockets, then looked around in a panic. In the distance, he saw Sohee, a return item clutched in her hand.

“S-Sohee! What are you doing?!” he yelled.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she called back, her voice dripping with scorn. “I’m leaving. I have no more use for you. I’ll regroup with the other factions and plan our next move.”

“What are you talking about? Are you abandoning us?!”

“Of course I am. I never expected Balak to be S-rank, but this just proves your pathetic limits. You absolute fool. Did you really think I cared? I let you hold me a few times and you were grinning like an idiot. Thanks for all your hard work. You were useful during the Faction War, I’ll give you that. You naive, pathetic moron.”

“…Sohee?”

This wasn’t the gentle, quiet woman he knew. Her true colors were showing now, her face twisted into a vicious smile.

[Ganeisha Dungeon Master Sohee Jeong has used a Return Item.]

[Ganeisha soldiers are returning to the dungeon.]

A shimmering portal opened. It was a portal for Ganeisha’s forces alone; the other four faction members were not included. As Sohee vanished, Seokwoo collapsed to his knees.

“…Then what was it all for?”

The image of the woman he loved shattered into a million pieces. Everything he had strived for, all for her, had just been reduced to nothing.

[Siege soldier Catapult Drake has died.]

[Siege soldier Giant Crossbow Drake has died.]

[A-rank Hero Guardian Golgotes has died.]

And so, abandoned and betrayed, the four faction members met their end.

—

Safely back in her dungeon, Sohee immediately began summoning her other faction members.

“All southern forces, cease combat and converge on Ganeisha.”

“Th-that’s not possible,” a voice crackled back. “The Resistance forces are too strong! If we pull back, they’ll march right on our dungeons!”

“That’s not the problem right now—!”

She was about to scream at him when a message appeared before her.

[Balak’s dungeon soldiers have entered Ganeisha.]

They were Balak’s soldiers. They were supposed to be in the west. She stared at her monitor in disbelief.

“Sohee,” a familiar voice drawled through the connection. “Can you hear me? It’s been a while. This war is getting tedious. Don’t you think it’s time we ended it, newbie?”

“Once we take out the leader, the rest should fall into line,” another voice, colder and more clinical, added. “I wonder if you can see this.”

The two Dungeon Masters spoke calmly. One of them was idly tossing a coin in his hand. It was a high-grade item exclusive to S-rank Dungeon Masters: the Companion Summon Coin.

Sohee’s face went pale. She whirled on her supporter. “Hamurir! Where are the soldiers?! Where are they?!”

“Th-they went to engage the intruders, but…”

“But what?!”

“…They’ve all been annihilated,” Hamurir whispered, his head bowed in shame. The forces on her screen had already been wiped out.

Sohee shook her head, refusing to accept it. “No. This can’t be happening. I survived the Faction War. I worked so hard to build this faction… I can’t die like this!”

Ever since she was summoned to this continent, she had lived in the shadows of others, wearing a mask of innocence, using foolish men, allowing herself to be held and used just to claw her way to power. After all that, she couldn’t let it end here. She fled toward the final room.

[S-rank Dungeon Master Taehyun Yoo has entered the final room.]

[S-rank Dungeon Master Seonghwi Hyun has entered the final room.]

Just as she arrived, the two Dungeon Masters entered, their soldiers flanking them. Faced with the overwhelming power of their S-rank armies, Sohee began to plead.

“I-I was wrong. I should never have challenged the Resistance. It was a mistake. I admit defeat. Please, just spare my life.”

“Admitting defeat is a good start, but your tone is a little off, don’t you think?” Seonghwi remarked casually.

“Oh! Oh, my. Is it? I’ve made another mistake. But I can give you whatever you desire. Just name it. Do you want Zen? Rare equipment?”

“Hmm,” Taehyun grunted, unimpressed.

“Ah, of course, you have no need for such things. Then how about an alliance? We can help you when you move against the Tarantula Faction. Or, if you prefer, we will gladly join the Resistance.”

“Hmm,” Seonghwi hummed, still looking bored.

Trembling, Sohee let her robe fall to the floor. “Th-then, you can have my body. My body and soul, I will give you everything. How about it?”

Her flawless, jade-like skin was revealed. Her figure was one that would captivate any man. Among the Dungeon Masters, her beauty was considered top-tier. It wouldn’t have been surprising if they had both lunged for her.

But Taehyun and Seonghwi just sighed, their expressions unchanged.

“Wh-what is it? Is something not to your liking?”

“No, you’re lovely,” Taehyun said, his voice flat. “But I have an aversion to women who are different on the inside from how they are on the outside, no matter how beautiful. And you could have lied about the return item, claimed your members gave it to you to buy them time. But a conversation… that’s a different matter. That little chat you had with Yoo Seokwoo at the end. Did you really think I wouldn’t hear it?”

“Ah… ah…”

“You put on quite a show. It must have been exhausting. And you look cold, standing there with all your clothes off. I suppose I should let you get some rest.”

“P-please! Spare me! I’ll do anything you ask… please!”

“Goodbye.”

“No! Noooooo!”

That day, beginning with the fall of the southern dungeon Ganeisha, the Secret Faction crumbled into dust.

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