Chapter 268: Episode 268

“Hmm. This is my first time commanding dungeon soldiers,” Ashuanin mused, surveying his new troops. “Or should I include the other races and dungeon residents as well?”

This was different from leading the Black Moon Alliance. The battlefield was a vast, open plain, and the enemy already had full visual reconnaissance. He would have to win this through sheer tactical superiority in a head-on fight.

“You will be commanding all troops in this battle,” Taehyun’s voice echoed in his mind. “Are you confident?”

“There’s no need to answer. I will show you with my skill,” Ashuanin replied. “That exclusive item you mentioned. I want you to use it when I give the signal.”

“It’s ready. Don’t worry, just show me what you’ve got.”

All responsibility now rested on his shoulders. It was time to prove his worth as a true lord. First, he assessed his new soldiers.

“They’re crude, but there’s a good mix of classes. This will be enough.”

Though they were dungeon soldiers, each had unique traits. If he could leverage them correctly, they could stand against the raid party.

[The Hyacinth Raid Party has appeared.]

There were roughly a hundred raiders. His own forces numbered over five thousand. While he had a massive numerical advantage, the enemy possessed powerful, limited-use skills.

“Benitas Gargoyles, to the front,” Ashuanin commanded.

’Clank. Clank. Clank!’

“You will support them from behind.”

“Y-you mean us?!” one of the Dungeon Residents stammered.

The B-rank residents were flustered. Of all the shield bearers available, he had chosen them. The Hydras and Basilisks were far superior in health and durability; the deployment made no sense. But Ashuanin drew his sword and shield, his voice unwavering.

“I will not accept objections. You will support the gargoyles. I will be with you, so do not be afraid.”

“B-but we’re—!”

“No more questions.”

A true lord could command any soldier, and the Dungeon Residents were no exception. In fact, they had advantages over the lumbering dungeon monsters. Ashuanin glared at the distant raid party and raised his sword high.

[S-rank Mercenary Black Lord Ashuanin has used Lord’s Dignity.]

[All soldiers’ morale is greatly increased.]

“Cast your buffs!” he roared. “We march to battle! Those who fall behind will be abandoned, so keep that in mind!”

“AAAAAAH!”

“GRAAAAAAAAH!”

Humans and monsters roared as one. It was the sally of a true lord. The main forces, however, watched from the rear, utterly dumbfounded.

“So we’re just supposed to wait here? Why is he only taking Sir Kadum?”

“What is he doing? Just striking a pose by himself. I think he’s lost his mind.”

“Krrgh. It’s so hot here. I feel like I’m going to die of frustration.”

—

“Gargoyles are approaching from the front,” a raider reported. “Aside from the troops on standby in the rear, there are no other reinforcements.”

“The position shift marker?” Hyacinth asked.

“Can’t see it. It seems they plan to use these troops to inflict damage for now.”

“In that case, I should get ready,” Perun said.

With no reinforcements, there was no threat to the rear. He began preparations for his limited-use skill.

Meanwhile, McPain spotted the Dungeon Residents behind the gargoyles, a cruel smirk spreading across his face.

“Well, well. They’re even deploying the residents. I can create a sea of blood.”

“I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t activate Berserk Lord here,” Hyacinth warned.

“That’s my limit, too. I can’t even activate it right now, so don’t worry,” he said, waving a hand dismissively.

But she couldn’t shake her unease. The Fellow-Slayer’s nature was most often triggered by his fellow humans.

“Begin the bombardment!” Ashuanin ordered.

The gargoyles, now in range, unleashed a torrent of fire, concentrating their attack on a single point. Surprised by the unexpected range, Hyacinth immediately called for a barrier.

[Hyacinth Raid Party Overall Barrier Damage: 8%]

Even their A-rank stacked barrier had taken significant damage.

’Their power is impressive,’ she thought. ’I assumed they were just cosmetically different, but they must have been modified.’

She couldn’t just wait out the bombardment. Hyacinth pushed her shield bearers forward to prepare for the clash. At that moment, a black aura erupted from Ashuanin.

[S-rank Mercenary Black Lord Ashuanin’s special ability ’Calamity of the Black Moon’ has been activated.]

[All Balak soldiers’ skill power is tripled.]

[Calamity of the Black Moon Usage Limit 1/1]

It was a true catastrophe. With the gargoyles already charging, this effect was devastating.

“Sir Rasheed!” Hyacinth yelled.

“Understood!”

Rasheed, a top-tier A-rank shield bearer, was the only one who could mitigate the enemy’s power.

[A-rank Top Raider Rasheed has cast Triple Iron Wall.]

[Three iron walls have been generated in front.]

[Triple Iron Wall Usage Limit 1/1]

Three massive iron walls erupted from the ground, an impregnable fortress. Though it was a one-time skill, it was perfect for blunting the force of a charge. Hyacinth prepared her counterattack. But then, the unexpected happened.

“What the—? They’re splitting left and right!”

“That makes their charge skill useless. They’re just bypassing our barrier.”

“Damn it, who cares? This is our chance! Kill the gargoyles!”

The gargoyles slowed, parting around the barrier. The raiders, though confused, seized the opportunity, cutting down the exposed monsters.

’What is going on?’ Hyacinth wondered. ’Not just the gargoyles, the residents are circling around too. Did I miss a position shift marker? No, I checked five times with Clairvoyance. There are no markers on this plain.’

The gargoyles and residents were flanking them, leaving only the Basilisks and Hydras to assault the iron walls. She had to counterattack. Hyacinth sent her melee fighters forward while repositioning some shield bearers to guard the rear.

“Kaaaaaak!”

“Acid poison! High-resistance shield bearers, to the front!”

“Kwoooooo!”

“Basilisk petrification! Avert your eyes!”

Her raiders were veterans. Even against a unit that included S-rank soldiers, they held their ground.

[S-rank Raider Perun’s special ability ’Sniper Bolt’ has been activated.]

[20 bolts with range exceeding the limit have been loaded.]

[Sniper Bolts will be replenished at regular intervals.]

[Sniper Bolt will be automatically canceled if the user takes damage.]

Just in time, Perun’s ultimate skill activated. From the safety of the rear, he fired his first shot. His target: Ashuanin. But the lord, a true shield knight, expertly blocked the bolt, nullifying the damage.

“This paltry—!”

Before he could finish his roar, a deafening explosion ripped through the air.

It was the true power of the Sniper Bolt. McPain, who was busy pulverizing a Hydra, whistled in admiration. With that kind of destructive force, his title of Giant Slayer was no lie. The deep crater left by the single shot was a testament to its power.

“He called himself the Black Lord. Did he die in one hit?” McPain wondered aloud.

“I doubt it,” Perun’s voice echoed in his mind. “He’s an S-rank mercenary and a shield knight. His durability must be exceptional.”

“True enough.”

The lord emerged from the thick smoke. As predicted, aside from a dented shield, he was unharmed. His eyes blazing with fury, Ashuanin gave an order to the Black Tiger Tribe.

“Strike the ground! Lift the fragments!”

A hundred members of the Black Tiger Tribe glowed with golden mana. They slammed their fists into the earth, heaving massive chunks of rock into the air with sheer strength.

[B-rank Soldier Black Tiger Tribe has cast Lift Fragment.]

[A shattered fragment is lifted by immense strength.]

The tribe’s specialty was enhancing their strength with mana, but mere rock fragments couldn’t stop a Sniper Bolt. Perun scoffed and reloaded.

“How crude. And that thing is a lord… What?!”

“Throw the rocks!” Ashuanin commanded.

Dozens of massive fragments blotted out the sky, casting a deep shadow over the raid party.

—

’Thud! Thump! Thud!’

The fragments crashed down around the raiders. They failed to breach the stacked barrier, but the objective had been achieved.

“Trying to box us in with a few pathetic rocks? Ridiculous!” McPain sneered, not yet grasping the danger.

Reducing their movement range was indeed pointless. The true threat lay with the soldiers who had flanked them.

[S-rank Mercenary Black Lord Ashuanin has cast Blade of Advancement.]

[The Shield Advance skill is granted to the Dungeon Residents.]

[The deployment efficiency of the Dungeon Residents is doubled.]

The lord’s gift had arrived. The Dungeon Residents formed a charge formation they had never used before, moving in perfect sync with the gargoyles. They became a living blade, a spearhead aimed at the raiders’ vulnerable rear. The shield bearers braced for impact, but they couldn’t see the gargoyles—only the tips of spears emerging from between their own ranks.

“Pierce through them!” Ashuanin roared.

“WAAAAAAAARGH!”

“KRAAAAAAA!”

A brutal collision followed.

[Hyacinth Raid Party Overall Barrier Damage: 89%]

The barrier, which had withstood a constant siege bombardment, shuddered violently. Hyacinth stared in shock at the cracks spreading across its surface. At that moment, the power of their buffs began to wane.

[The Dungeon Master of Balak has used Double Reduction.]

[The effect of the buffs on the raiders is halved.]

[All buffs have been converted to debuffs.]

It was Taehyun’s exclusive item. Recalling the Effect Conversion Card she had used earlier, Hyacinth bit her lip. A debuff, at a time like this. She had no Double Amplification or Effect Immunity Card. All that remained was Item Block.

’If the barrier breaks, the ranged fighters and Perun will be exposed. And this item will cripple our firepower. I have to use it!’

A moment’s hesitation could mean annihilation. Drawing on her vast experience, Hyacinth made her decision.

[Item Block has been cast.]

[Reduction Impossible!]

[The effect of Double Reduction is blocked.]

Their buffs returned to full strength. Perun resumed firing his Sniper Bolt. If they could just eliminate the forces in their rear, they could create an opening. Hyacinth quickly gave an order to Ppine beside her. Just then, a movement magic circle materialized around the raid party.

’He used the Forced Relocation item! In that case…’

He was trying to scatter them or drive them into a trap. But she was prepared for this.

“Miranium!” she shouted. “Movement Protection Skill, now!”

“That’s not the problem! Look over there!”

“What are you talking about? Right now—?!”

Hyacinth followed his gaze, and her eyes widened in disbelief. The main forces and soldiers from Balak’s rear had instantly appeared all around them.

[The Dungeon Master of Balak has used Position Transfer.]

[The main forces and soldiers from the rear have been moved to a saved location.]

Two Death Knights, undead soldiers, Guardians, Keepers—all of his melee forces had been summoned at once.

“I-Impossible!” Hyacinth gasped. “I swear I used Clairvoyance! There were no markers!”

Position Transfer was impossible without a marker. Yet somehow, Taehyun had done it.

At the front of the enemy line, Ashuanin looked at the horrified Hyacinth and sneered.

“I thought you could see for a thousand leagues. But I guess you couldn’t see this one coming.”

“The name’s Kadum, not ‘this one,’” a voice growled from among the beastmen. “Address me properly.”

“Hmm. You all look the same to me,” Ashuanin replied dismissively.

“You son of a bitch!”

A Hunter raider belatedly emerged from the crowd of beastmen.

He was one of the key combatants she’d identified with her Thousand-Mile Eye—and one she’d dismissed for his lack of movement. “What in the world…” she breathed, her mind racing.

“Look there,” Ashuanin commanded, his voice steady. He pointed toward the surface of a large chunk of rock that had landed near her raid party.

A wave of dread washed over her. “Don’t tell me…”

“You finally understand,” he sneered. “In that case, you can die now.”

“My God.” A single, damning mark had been carved into one of the fragments the beastmen had thrown.

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