Chapter 238: Episode 238

With the Secret faction disbanded, only two remained: the Resistance and Tarantula. A head-on collision between the two long-standing rivals was inevitable. But now, Mihye and her core members had vanished. For Taehyun, who had a foot firmly planted in the Resistance, this should have been a golden opportunity. The problem, however, was Leon.

’‘What was your world like? It must have been safer, more peaceful, and happier than mine, right?’’

He was a royal NPC who spoke like a Player summoned from modern Earth. Now, he was playing the part of a tyrant, flanked by two superhumans. Worse, he was the same man who had tried to instigate a war using Balak during his coronation. The very thought of him left a bitter taste in Taehyun’s mouth.

“What is the exact number of missing personnel?” he asked flatly.

“Th-that is…”

“You came to me for help, did you not?” Taehyun cut him off, his voice turning cold. “And yet you are asking for a favor without providing the most basic information. You have a terrible attitude.”

They might be another faction, but they were the ones begging. Besides, he had never had a favorable impression of Mihye to begin with; he had no reason to help. Losing interest, Taehyun stood to leave.

“Wait! I understand!” the man scrambled. “I will tell you everything. Just… please, sit down and hear us out.”

“Hmph. If you are going to ask for a favor, then explain everything from the beginning. Do not leave a single detail out,” Taehyun said, slowly retaking his seat. “It does not mean I will agree, but I might consider it.”

“Ugh’. Understood.”

Their desperation was so palpable they fell for his simple test. Taehyun listened intently as they laid it all out: the number of faction members who had entered the royal court, their key figures, their ranks, and their intentions.

’Five S-rank Raiders and six S-rank Dungeon Masters? That’s enough to completely overwhelm the Resistance. With that kind of firepower, they should have been able to inflict serious damage on the two superhumans, yet they were captured just like that?’

The reality of the situation was staggering. While S-rank Dungeon Masters were slowly emerging within the Resistance, Tarantula’s power was on another level. The idea that such a force had been neutralized by Leon was astounding. Taehyun recalled the strange skill used on him during the coronation and felt a chill run down his spine.

’That man definitely has a unique skill. An NPC who knows details about the modern world… He is more dangerous than Duke Peyton. How in the world did he capture them?’

If Leon had not just captured them but had ’absorbed’ them, Count Dinen’s faction would crumble overnight. The entire West would become a warzone. He might even declare war on the neighboring nations. Balak would be caught in the middle, torn apart by the ensuing conflict.

Taehyun stroked his chin, about to speak, when his communication device buzzed.

“Master Taehyun, are you alright?” Riel’s voice came through, strained with worry. “We have a serious problem here in Balak.”

He let out a quiet sigh and handed a spare communication device to the faction member.

“I will contact you later. Wait for my call.”

“We will wait as long as it takes,” the man said, his eyes pleading. “Please, consider it.”

“Do not get your hopes up,” Taehyun warned. “If things look bad for me, I am pulling out.”

He could mobilize the Resistance once, but facing Leon and the remnants of Tarantula simultaneously was suicide. Simply hearing them out was a greater courtesy than they deserved. With that, Taehyun turned his thoughts back to his own domain and began his return to Balak.

—

[You have returned to Balak.]

He had returned the moment he got Riel’s message, but the Master Room was deserted. Taehyun pulled up the monitor, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene. Slave raiders, free from their prison. The S-rank Keeper, Lia-Shu, standing with them. And Balak’s main forces, locked in a tense standoff. A complete disaster had unfolded while he was at the Demon Realm Auction.

“My head is killing me,” he muttered.

He knew her man-hating was extreme, but he never dreamed she would go so far as to unshackle and rescue the raiders. It was as if she had forgotten she was a Keeper of Balak entirely. His gaze settled on In-hye, who had taken charge at the front, and he decided to watch how things played out.

“I am sure the treatment of slave raiders is similar in most dungeons,” In-hye was saying, her voice calm and steady. “The male demons, in particular, likely used them as playthings to satisfy their lust.”

“See?” Lia-Shu cried out. “Even you admit it! And yet you are still willing to follow the Dungeon Master of Balak?”

“I was not finished,” In-hye said, her tone sharpening. “Instead of drowning in your own complaints, how about you let someone else finish a sentence?”

“Ugh.”

The tension between the two women was escalating beautifully. In-hye had already seized the upper hand.

’Where is the popcorn?’ Taehyun wondered, scanning the Master Room before settling into his chair.

“Ms. Lia-Shu, do you have any idea how Master Taehyun has treated the slave raiders?” In-hye continued. “I heard you were only summoned recently.”

“I do not need to see it to know,” Lia-Shu shot back. “I could not find any proof before, but today, I finally did.”

“Are you seriously using the torture marks on their bodies as evidence?” In-hye asked, a disbelieving laugh escaping her lips. “That is so absurd it is almost funny.”

“What is so funny about it? This is clearly—!”

“Those marks are from the demons in their ’previous’ dungeons, not from Master Taehyun. Did you think bruises vanish overnight? Let me ask you all something.” She turned to the freed slaves. “Have any of you been tortured since you were brought here?”

In-hye’s follow-up question hung in the air. The raiders behind Lia-Shu hesitated, shifting uncomfortably, unable to answer. A flicker of panic crossed Lia-Shu’s face as she realized the ground was crumbling beneath her.

But In-hye was not done.

“It is no surprise you cannot answer. Master Taehyun has never laid a single hand on any of you. And none of us who live in Balak have ever been tortured, either. You can ask anyone here, and they will tell you the same. There is one exception, but he is a man, and there were… special circumstances. So, how about it? Are you starting to see reality yet?”

The final words were like a volley of arrows. Lia-Shu paled, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead as confusion overwhelmed her. Nearby, Karon was scowling, but In-hye ignored him and pressed her advantage.

“Still no answer, I see. It is time to wake up from your delusion. No matter what fantasies you have been spinning in your head, this is the real world.”

Lia-Shu said nothing.

Defeated, Lia-Shu’s legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground. Tears welled in her eyes—a mixture of frustration and the bitter realization that she had no rebuttal. The victor was In-hye; the loser, Lia-Shu.

Taehyun found himself applauding softly. “Bravo.” The stress from the Tarantula situation melted away in an instant.

“This is the most satisfying thing I have seen in two years,” he mused. “That should be enough to snap her out of it. Time to clean this up.”

In-hye had masterfully defused the crisis. Now, it was the Dungeon Master’s turn to handle the fallout.

“Raviz. Summon me.”

“As you wish, Master.”

—

’Thump.’

The Keeper who had sided with the raiders collapsed. Lia-Shu bit her lip, refusing to accept her swift and total defeat. In-hye looked down on her, her expression a mask of pity and contempt.

“Please, try not to cause any more misunderstandings with your rash judgments. I cannot imagine what terrible things you have experienced, Ms. Lia-Shu, but this place is different. Now that you have been summoned to Balak, is pledging your loyalty not the bare minimum?”

“…(sob).”

“Oh, are you crying now? After causing so much trouble for everyone, surely you are not trying to wash it all away with tears?”

“But… but they were! All men were the same ravenous beasts!”

A torrent of pent-up resentment burst forth. Unlike most summoned beings, her memories of her original world were painfully vivid. It had fueled a deep-seated misandry, and she had assumed all demons would be cut from the same cloth. Now, that delusion had been shattered. While most demons were just as she had imagined, Taehyun was the glaring exception. Her entire case, built upon the torture marks of the slave raiders, had been nothing but a tragic misunderstanding.

“I have spoken with Hyena, the High Elves, and the other dungeon residents,” In-hye said, her voice softening slightly. “It seems you were digging into Master Taehyun’s past. Were you not just looking for a reason to believe all men are the same, Ms. Lia-Shu? You are like a child, insisting something cannot be true just because you do not want it to be. How long are you going to stay trapped in a world of your own making?”

“No! It cannot be! I am right… I have to be!”

“And now you are denying reality itself,” In-hye sighed, shaking her head. “What. A. Pathetic. Spectacle.”

“Hmph… Ahhhh!” Lia-Shu finally broke down completely, her cries echoing through the cavern.

The situation was effectively over. All that remained was to return the slave raiders to their cells. In-hye casually dusted off her hands and stepped back.

“Riel, it is all yours to wrap up.”

“Ah… right. Yes.” Riel, who had been watching the exchange with a dazed look, snapped back to attention. She quickly ordered her soldiers to surround the raiders and prepare to bind them.

Just then, Taehyun appeared in a flash of light from Raviz’s Grand Summon.

“Master Taehyun?” Riel gasped.

“That is enough,” he said calmly. “Everyone, stand down.”

“But the slave raiders’ shackles…”

“It does not matter. Send everyone back to their posts. This is not a warzone. Why is the entire army gathered here?”

Taehyun had no idea what had transpired during his time at the Demon Realm Auction. Riel nodded and dismissed the main forces, leaving only Balak’s original core members. Unarmed, Taehyun walked toward the sobbing Lia-Shu.

“You. Stop blubbering and go back.”

“Huh? But… there is no punishment? After everything I have done?” she stammered.

“Your punishment is ten flicks on the forehead later. Riel, take her to the Master Room.”

He could not very well throw an S-rank Keeper in prison. In-hye had cleared up the misunderstanding; now it was just a matter of persuasion. With a final, confused glance, Lia-Shu allowed Riel to lead her away.

Taehyun turned to the remaining slave raiders. “Do you want freedom?”

“Y-yes!” one of them shouted. “We will never go near another dungeon again!”

“That is impossible,” Taehyun said flatly. “Once you are branded a slave raider, you will just be captured again by hunters or other demons. Surely you know that? Any raider sold at a slave auction is marked with a unique seal. If you stay outside a dungeon for too long, your location is instantly revealed.”

“What? I have never heard anything like that! You are lying, demon!”

“Of course you have not. You have been locked inside dungeons your whole lives. You have never seen what happens to those who run.”

Bound by their forced contracts, the slave raiders had never known a moment of freedom. They had no way of knowing the grim fate that awaited escapees. They exchanged uneasy glances, a wave of dread washing over them. If he was telling the truth, leaving Balak meant either recapture or death.

“I am not going to force anything on you,” Taehyun continued, his tone reasonable. “I will not torture you, and I will not treat you like objects. I know it is hard to believe me right now, so I will let you live with the other Balak raiders for a while. You are in no condition to fight anyway, are you?”

“W-well, no…”

“The contract terms are simple, with nothing that puts you at a disadvantage. See for yourselves. Here.” He handed a contract to the woman at the front. Her eyes widened in shock as she read it.

“Y-you are really offering this?”

“What is the point of escaping only to die?” Taehyun said with a shrug. “I do not force my raiders into suicide missions, and I do not give them impossible tasks. Things might change in an emergency, but for now, the contract stands as written. If you are interested, head back to the prison. I will bring a contract for each of you once I have finished here.”

He produced a thick stack of documents from his coat, handing one to each raider with a faint smile. They stared at the papers, hesitating for a long moment before slowly turning back toward the dungeon, where soldiers waited to escort them to their cells.

With the situation finally under control, Taehyun glanced at Hyena, who had been watching him intently.

“What are you staring at?”

“Master,” she asked quietly, “is it true? About the unique mark?”

“Of course not,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips. “Something like that does not exist. Mark or no mark, the moment they sign a contract with a Dungeon Master, they are bound to the dungeon. That is all the lock they need.”

In reality, slave raiders were simply auctioned off in shackles. There was no other binding magic. Taehyun affectionately ruffled Hyena’s hair and started back toward the Master Room.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep