Chapter 234: Episode 234

Chapter 62: Time of Evolution

[The Secret Faction has been dismantled.]

[Some faction members have begun to desert.]

[You have won the Faction Competition.]

[Reward: S-rank Random Equipment Box.]

[Reward: S-rank Random Artifact Box.]

With their leader, Sohee, eliminated, the remaining faction members were swiftly crushed. A few managed to desert and go into hiding, but it made no difference. The objective had always been the complete annihilation of the Secret Faction. As a result, the nations that had been their punching bags found a measure of stability, though many cities had suffered catastrophic damage. It was the inevitable consequence of a war between A-rank Dungeon Masters. Some kingdoms, consumed by rage, called for subjugation campaigns, but the faction competition was already long over.

Elsewhere, the Gogul Kingdom formally declared war on the demon race, though no immediate conflict seemed imminent. And so, amid the tense standoff between the Holy Kingdom and the Peshant Empire, the internal strife of the western Eneis Kingdom continued to fester.

—

“Were there any witnesses in the area?” Taehyun asked over the communication channel.

“I doubt anyone is brave enough to wander onto a battlefield where dungeon armies are tearing each other apart,” Seonghwi replied. “Both our side and theirs made sure to eliminate any witnesses from the start. No one knows about Balak’s S-rank soldiers.”

“That’s a relief. For now, I’d prefer to keep Balak’s S-rank status a secret. I’ve already spoken with Narae and Junhyun, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Of course,” Seonghwi said, his voice cheerful. “It would be a disaster if a Dungeon Master of my own rank decided to leave the faction. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they keep their mouths shut.”

Fortunately, the chaos of war had provided perfect cover. With Narae and Junhyun already sworn to secrecy, Seonghwi would handle the rest.

’A newbie to the very end. I like the sound of that.’

Before, the title would have grated on him. Not anymore. Now that they were both S-rank Dungeon Masters, Seonghwi would grant almost any request to keep him in the faction. Taehyun ended the call and turned his attention to the S-rank exclusive items he had acquired.

[Companion Summon Coin]

[Soldier Summon Coin]

[Double Reduction]

[Effect Confusion Card]

[Skill Steal]

[Radar Jamming Wave]

[Forced Position Change]

These were the tools a Dungeon Master used to counter S-rank raiders. He had already witnessed the game-changing power of such items during the last S-rank invasion. To prepare for the powerful enemies that were sure to come, mastering these items was crucial. He began to examine their effects one by one.

[Companion Summon Coin: Summons companions marked with a companion seal to your current location.]

[Soldier Summon Coin: Summons soldiers marked with a soldier seal to your current location.]

[Double Reduction: Halves the effect of any buff, skill, special ability, or status effect.]

[Effect Confusion Card: Transforms the effect of any buff, skill, special ability, or status effect into a different, random effect.]

[Skill Steal: Steals one skill from a raider and grants it to a soldier.]

[Radar Jamming Wave: Designates a specific area and nullifies all radar effects within it.]

[Forced Relocation: Move to another area with a designated target. Movement is only possible to previously visited locations; forcing only the target to move is also possible.]

’Every single one of these looks useful,’ he mused. ’As expected of S-rank. They’re on a completely different level from my old exclusive items.’ With a properly fortified dungeon and a well-equipped army, he could confidently take on even S-rank raid parties.

Taehyun finished his inspection and opened his inventory. It was time to unbox the rewards he’d accumulated, including those from the recent Faction War.

“You look quite pleased, Taehyun,” Riel noted with a gentle smile.

“I’m always happy when I’m checking rewards,” he admitted. “The only time I get pissed off is when the results are disappointing.”

“Somehow, I don’t think you’ll be pissed off by the results this time.”

“We’ll see about that.”

After a brief exchange with Riel, Taehyun began opening the reward boxes one by one.

[You have opened the S-Rank Random Reward Box.]

[You have obtained an Unidentified Seed from the S-Rank Random Reward Box.]

From the box he’d received for his ranking, a plump seed emerged.

[Unidentified Seed]

[Rank: ?]

[Restriction: ?]

[Description: An unidentified seed. It seems something good will happen if you plant it in a forest.]

’What is this? What a useless description.’ It seemed to have no immediate value. Taehyun stored the seed away and moved on to the next box.

[You have opened the S-Rank Random Equipment Box.]

[You have obtained a Hetallion from the S-Rank Random Equipment Box.]

A box guaranteed to contain S-rank equipment. This time, a rather useful-looking dagger appeared.

[Hetallion]

[Rank: S]

[Restriction: Level 60 or higher, Thief or Scout-type classes]

[Description: The Hetallion Dagger, a Unique-grade item. When equipped, it doubles the effectiveness of stealth.]

’I know exactly who to give this to.’ He had the perfect soldier for it. Taehyun immediately summoned Crodin to the Master Room.

“What is it? I am an exceptionally busy man. If this isn’t an urgent matter—huh? This weapon?!”

“Oh? You recognize it?”

“Ugh! I can feel an immense, evil aura radiating from this dagger! Could this be a weapon once wielded by the Demon King? To bestow such a powerful weapon upon me… Dungeon Master, you might be a better man than I thought!”

“Great. Now get lost.”

Crodin, who was putting on a theatrical display as his favorability soared, was unceremoniously dismissed. Taehyun turned to the remaining reward boxes.

[You have opened the S-Rank Random Artifact Box.]

[You have obtained the Seal of Explosion from the S-Rank Random Artifact Box.]

This time, a ring resembling a signet stamp appeared. The name alone suggested it was an artifact for a mage.

[Seal of Explosion]

[Rank: S]

[Restriction: Level 60 or higher, all classes]

[Description: The Seal of Explosion, a Unique-grade item. When equipped, it amplifies all critical hits related to explosion skills.]

’It’s for all classes, but this one has an owner, too.’ He had the perfect mage, one with a natural talent for explosions. Taehyun summoned Hendi from Heimdall.

“Heeey. I heard you caaalled for meee?” she sang, sauntering in.

“Cut the act and come get this.”

“Hmph! Did you really think a little gift like this would make me happy?”

“Fine, don’t take it.”

“Aah! Wait a minute! You have to at least let me see it!” Hendi snatched the ring just as Taehyun was about to return it to his inventory. She slipped it onto her finger, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. “We-well… I suppose it’s useful enough. I’ll take it. But don’t get the wrong idea!”

“I didn’t say a word. You can go now.”

“I was leaving anyway!” Hendi spun on her heel and stormed out of the Master Room.

With that, he had finished checking all the rewards. “Riel, where are the slave raiders we captured?”

“I’ve placed them in shackles and moved them to the underground prison. I didn’t think they’d agree to a contract right away.”

“Good work. Have Inhae try to persuade them later.”

“Yes, I understand.”

These were the slave raiders who had belonged to the Secret Faction. He had originally planned to execute them all on the Benteuno Hills, but the extensive signs of torture had made him reconsider. ’Their forced contracts were broken when their dungeons were destroyed. With the right persuasion, we might be able to bring them over to Balak’s side.’ He would have to wait and see.

Having made his decision, Taehyun moved to the final room. With the Secret Faction annihilated, all that remained was to strengthen his forces using his special abilities.

“Alright. First, it’s time for Evolution.”

—

“It has been a long time. Mo.”

“We were quite disappointed that you did not summon us. Mo!”

At Taehyun’s call, two Minotaurs had arrived in the crystal chamber. They were the C-rank Minotaurs who had advanced to the Berserk Shield Bearer class—the very same duo who had played a crucial role against Eleonora’s raid party.

’Most of the other low-rank soldiers died and were replaced, but these two survived to the very end.’

C-rank, B-rank, and even A-rank soldiers could be evolved. The problem was that they tended to die while fending off raiders or fighting in large-scale conflicts like the Faction War. Many soldiers with high evolution experience had perished before they could reach their potential. He couldn’t afford to keep replacing his troops indefinitely. Now that he possessed the Evolution and Remake abilities, he had to use them to their fullest.

’I’ve already gathered a mountain of materials fighting the Secret Faction. First, I’ll improve the Berserk Shield Bearers.’

Taehyun reviewed the C-rank materials and initiated the evolution.

[Elite Minotaur has been targeted.]

[Attempting evolution using materials.]

[Evolution Successful!]

[The Elite Minotaur has evolved.]

The two Minotaurs successfully evolved. Since their sub-grade was already Hero, they instantly jumped to B-rank. Taehyun examined the now larger creatures.

“How does it feel?”

“Mooooooooooooo!”

“We have become so much stronger! Mo!” they roared, their presence more ferocious than ever. They already looked incredibly dependable, but Taehyun wasn’t satisfied yet.

[Fear Minotaur has been targeted.]

[Attempting evolution using materials.]

[Evolution Successful!]

[The Fear Minotaur has evolved.]

He began the next stage immediately. With a mountain of materials at his disposal, he didn’t hesitate to push them further.

[Evolution Successful!]

[Evolution Successful!]

[Evolution Successful!]

From regular to Named. From Named to Hero. And from Hero to A-rank.

[A-Rank Soldier: Iron-Blooded Minotaur]

[A-Rank Soldier: Iron-Blooded Minotaur]

The final result stood before him. Taehyun stared, blinking, at the impossibly rugged, human-shaped Minotaurs.

“Hmph. We’ve become too strong. Mo.”

“I feel as though I could annihilate those raiders in an instant. Mo.”

Their demeanor had become far more taciturn. The sight of these muscular, humanoid figures was unsettling. ’Did these crazy bull-heads start hitting the gym?’

Upon closer inspection, their appearance had changed dramatically. Though their heads were still bovine, their bodies had clearly undergone a significant evolution. Displeased, Taehyun tried again.

[Evolution Successful!]

“This place is too shabby. Let us move elsewhere. Mo.”

“My, my. To think the Master was this sort of person. How pathetic. Mo.”

[Evolution Successful!]

“We move by the power of the vast universe, born from an omnipotent dimension. Mo.”

“This dimension has long been twisted. What are its administrators doing? Mo.”

At last, A-rank Hero Minotaurs appeared. This time, the two of them—now with slender, almost willowy bodies—had produced books from thin air and began clicking their tongues as they read.

[A-Rank Hero Soldier: Pax, Member of the Dimension]

[A-Rank Hero Soldier: Quans, Member of the Dimension]

’Something has gone horribly wrong. These aren’t the soldiers I wanted.’ A cold sweat trickled down his back. He had wanted powerful warriors, but instead, he got what looked like missionaries from some bizarre cosmic cult. With a trembling hand, Taehyun attempted one last evolution.

[A-Rank Hero Soldier, Member of the Dimension, has been targeted.]

[Attempting evolution using materials.]

[Evolution Successful!]

[The A-Rank Hero Soldier, Member of the Dimension, has evolved.]

Finally, the two Minotaurs evolved to S-rank. They returned to a more conventional, muscular form.

“Hah… I guess I’ll have to settle for this.”

“Thank you for strengthening us. Mo.”

“We pledge our undying loyalty. Mo.”

Having evolved not just in rank but also in intelligence, the Minotaurs knelt on one knee in a show of respect.

[Maurat]

[Rank: S]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Boxer]

[Title: Successor of the Raging Dragon King]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 98]

[Favorability: 87]

[Obedience: 94]

[Skill: Spirit Force Explosion]

[Special Abilities: Taunt, Overwhelm]

[Strength: 50] [Endurance: 45] [Agility: 41] [Stamina: 31]

[Mana: 1] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 10] [Luck: 15]

[Gotman]

[Rank: S]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Boxer]

[Title: Successor of the Blood Dragon King]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 98]

[Favorability: 88]

[Obedience: 93]

[Skill: Blood Explosion Palm]

[Special Abilities: Taunt, Psychological Insight]

[Strength: 41] [Endurance: 41] [Agility: 51] [Stamina: 32]

[Mana: 1] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 9] [Luck: 15]

A common soldier, not even a Named one, had now gained a name of his own. Furthermore, he had a new class, title, and special abilities right from level one. Taehyun scowled at Maurat and Gotman.

“Where did my shield-bearing bull-heads go?”

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