Chapter 282: Episode 282

’Day 12 of the Plan.’

The number of supply units had increased, their routes randomized to sow confusion. The carriage of the unit designated ’A’ was, as expected, a decoy. The escort had been deliberately undermanned; the real cargo was being transported with another unit.

[A-rank Named Soldier Mage Kopun has cast Mana Detection.]

[Scanning for presences in the Jebelin Mountains.]

Mana radiated across the mountain range. On the slope of the opposite mountain, dozens of silhouettes came into view. Just as he’d predicted, a supply unit was moving along a route not marked on any map. Gelix, a fresh cigarette between his lips, activated his communication device.

“They’re heading your way. Get ready.”

—’How did you know about this route? Not even our own soldiers were aware of this path.’

“It’s obvious to me,” Gelix replied coolly. “In terrain like this, there are no proper roads. Only a limited number of man-made or artificially cleared paths. No matter how clever Karen Deike is, his options for routes are finite.”

—’…Incredible. I cannot fathom how a man like you ended up serving a dungeon.’

The cigarette in his mouth had gone out. Gelix lit it again, a bitter laugh escaping him.

“Because I answer to a man who’s even more clever. Now, begin the attack.”

—’Understood.’

He had already positioned the Dark Knights with Papun. The Imperial soldiers were likely communicating, trying to make sense of the situation, but it was too late. Supply unit B could not escape its fate.

’BOOM!’

An explosion echoed from the opposite mountain, signaling the start of the ambush. The twenty-second successful raid. Deike had tried to use a decoy, concentrating his supplies in one unit, but the tactic had backfired, effectively doubling his losses.

’You joined this war for glory, Commander,’ Gelix thought with a cruel smile. ’But when your supply lines are severed, the blame will fall squarely on you. You must be getting desperate.’

The advance from Jebelin Fortress to the Naksen Plains had stalled. With their supplies in jeopardy, it was only natural. If the attacks continued, they would have no choice but to abandon their assault on the capital and retreat. Gelix savored the thought of Karen Deike being forced to act. His pleasant reverie was interrupted by the sight of Chanhee, hiding behind a tree and stuffing his face with a Hemil Pie. When their eyes met, Chanhee froze.

“Are you the only one with a mouth, you little brat? Where’s mine?!”

“Oof-ooph!” Chanhee mumbled through a full mouth.

“That does it, you little bastard!”

—

“The supply units were attacked twice more today! What is your strategy for dealing with these dungeon soldiers, Count Deike?” one of the noble lords demanded.

“At this rate, we can’t even advance onto the Naksen Plains! Are we to simply rot in this fortress waiting for supplies?” another chimed in.

“I said it was suspicious from the first bear attack,” a third lord sneered. “If it were me, I would have scoured these mountains and crushed them immediately. A pity.”

The family heads who had joined the war were closing in on him. They were all nobles who had brought their private armies to help crush the Holy Kingdom. Such blatant disrespect to a commanding officer would normally be unthinkable, but the situation was dire. Seated at the head of the table, Karen Deike massaged his temples as he reviewed the latest damage reports.

’How irritating,’ he thought. ’We finally break through the Holy Kingdom’s barriers, only to be harassed by dungeon soldiers. And these vultures… they’ve always been jealous of me. They’re just looking for an excuse to tarnish my reputation.’

He had risen quickly after inheriting his family’s title, but many of the older nobles refused to acknowledge him due to his youth. His excellence in everything from swordsmanship to politics had naturally bred envy. But he needed a decisive victory in this campaign. He had committed his own family’s knights and taken the title of commander for that very reason. A blemish on his record now would be disastrous.

“We will temporarily halt the advance onto the Naksen Plains,” Karen announced, his voice steady. “With our supply lines under constant threat, our priority must be to eliminate these dungeon soldiers.”

“We are all aware of that!” one of the lords snapped. “The question is ’how’ you intend to deal with them!”

“Of course,” Karen said smoothly. “Gentlemen, please look at this map. The enemy has been able to pinpoint our routes, even the new ones. They know our schedules, and they know which carriages contain the actual supplies.”

“Hmph. So what is your proposal?”

“This time, we will strike at them from behind,” Karen declared. “If they can predict the routes and schedules of our real supply units, it makes it that much easier to lure out their main force.”

He placed chess pieces on the map—a bishop and a knight—indicating a pincer movement designed to annihilate the enemy in a single stroke. The nobles in the room feigned indifference, but inwardly, they were stunned.

’I hate to admit it, but the boy is brilliant. This could actually work.’

’Using two supply units as bait to predict the timing of their mana detection… Chilling.’

’Our own mages can’t locate them with mana detection. Yet he thought to cast it simultaneously from multiple points to trace the flow of mana… Astonishing.’

Their complaints died in their throats. The plan was far more sophisticated than they had expected. Clearing their throats, they gave grudging nods of assent.

“Very well. This meeting is adjourned,” Karen said, rising. “I will contact you when preparations are complete.”

A satisfied smile touched his lips as he strode out of the command tent.

—

“B-Brother! Why are you doing this to me?!” Hyena cried.

“Because you were in the wrong,” Taehyun stated flatly. “You may be my sister, but if you harm this dungeon, you are an obstacle. You have your memories back; you should be acting like a core member of my forces. Instead, you’ve been throwing my name around and acting like a spoiled child.”

A sister’s failure was her brother’s responsibility. He had let the situation spiral out of control, and he would not let it slide. He watched Hyena sob and produced a contract.

“If you insist on this behavior, I have no choice but to enforce this contract and banish you. Hmm. Let’s see. How about five years of wandering the continent without a single zen to your name?”

“Brother, no! I was wrong! I’ll go apologize right now, just please, forgive me this once!”

“You were defiant until the last second. This isn’t about a single apology. I want you to change, permanently. To do that, we must resolve this issue for good.”

“Sniffle…’ I was a slave for so long,” she choked out. “I had no family, and then I finally found you. This is too cruel!”

“I lost my memories and have been running this dungeon for years,” Taehyun countered, his voice like steel. “I know I’ve wronged you, but if you are truly my sister, you need to show me some consideration. So, are you going to do it, or not?”

The reunion was over. Whether Hyena was his family or not, Balak came first. He fluttered the contract, giving her one final choice.

“…(Sniffle). I’ll go,” she whispered. “I’ll go, alright?”

“I’ll be watching. Apologize to everyone, then come back.”

“Fine.”

Hyena left the Master Room. Her face was swollen from crying and her shoulders slumped in defeat. It was a pitiful sight, but he couldn’t let it sway him. Taehyun watched her on the monitor and began preparing the rewards for those she had wronged.

An unnatural quiet had settled over the Naksen Plains. The imperial army, it seemed, had no intention of emerging from their mountain fortress, and there had been no word from them. Thanks to the relentless raids on their supply lines, their attention had shifted entirely to the mountain range. Gelix observed the supply units appearing along various routes and reassessed the situation.

’They’re revealing their paths far too openly,’ he mused. ’And the number of wagons is different for each convoy. The standard approach would be to strike them one by one until we find the real one, but that would only expose our position.’

The escorts were sparse, their vigilance lax. Karen Daike, a commander who understood the critical importance of provisions, would never leave a supply unit so vulnerable.

“I will cast Mana Detection,” a mage offered.

“No,” Gelix countered, his gaze unwavering. “That won’t be necessary. I already know which convoy holds the supplies.”

“Then…?”

“It’s time for the assassination.”

Gelix gave a subtle nod to Chan-hwi, who stood beside him. Chan-hwi produced two artifacts from his pocket—one for enhancing vision and another for detection—and began summoning their soldiers. Just then, Krodin, who had been concealed in the shadows, materialized, signaling that all preparations were complete.

“The wait was killing me,” Krodin rasped. “Are we finally going to see some blood?”

“Patience,” Gelix cautioned. “We have to send in the bait first.”

“Kilk-kil. Meticulous. You’re a very meticulous one,” Krodin chuckled, his voice a dry rattle. “Now I see why Taehyun Yoo brought you into this.”

“Hmm. That hardly sounds like a compliment,” Gelix retorted. “Regardless, you have something to look forward to.”

The Death Knights began their slow, inexorable advance toward Supply Unit C. Gelix scanned the distant mountain range, a cold sneer playing on his lips.

—

’The schedule is slightly behind,’ Karen Daike considered, ’but once the supply lines are running smoothly again, we can push into the Naksen Plains.’

He had gathered his forces under the cover of darkness, determined to root out the dungeon soldiers. More than two thousand knights and five thousand infantry were already in position. With him leading the charge, all that remained was for the enemy to take the bait.

“It’s the Death Knights!” a scout cried out.

As predicted, the undead knights charged toward Supply Unit C. Mages, already on standby, immediately cast Mana Detection, tracing the surge of magic back to its origin.

“It appears to be a side path at the bottom of a valley, east of here!” one of them reported.

“Good,” Karen Daike commanded. “Everyone, with me!”

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers roared in unison.

They had finally pinpointed the enemy’s main force. Karen Daike led his soldiers in a hurried march toward the narrow path at the valley’s floor.

“There! A dungeon mage!” a soldier shouted, pointing ahead.

The mage let out a startled squeak.

“Don’t let him escape!”

A lone, robed figure was visible up ahead. The soldiers surged forward, giving chase down the winding path.

’Strange,’ Karen Daike pondered. ’Their main force is a single mage casting detection spells? And this terrain is actually…’

Before he could finish his thought, a storm of arrows erupted from the cliffs on both sides.

Cries of pain tore through the air.

“Aargh! Dungeon soldiers!”

“Watch your flanks!”

In an instant, they were ambushed. The Death Knights had been a mere fraction of the enemy’s strength; hundreds of Dark Knights now swarmed down, surrounding them completely. Karen Daike gritted his teeth and drew his sword.

“Do not fear!” he bellowed. “Follow me! We will break through!”

“Waaaaaah!”

The commander himself charged into the fray. With martial prowess that bordered on superhuman, Karen Daike carved a path through the Dark Knights. Just as the tide seemed to turn, two elite soldiers materialized before him.

The monsters, clad in the grotesque guise of men, shrieked as they lunged with razor-sharp claws. But Karen Daike was a newly ascended superhuman, not some commander to be felled by mere beasts. He deftly parried their strikes, his blade flashing toward their hearts.

“You think that’s enou—”

His taunt was cut short by a choked gasp.

“Heh. Did you really think you could look away in my presence?” a voice hissed beside him.

“Y-you… since when were you…”

A dagger was buried in his heart, wielded by an assassin mounted on a spectral steed. As his consciousness began to fade, Karen Daike struggled to comprehend the impossible situation.

And so, the great war commander and head of the Daike family met a cold, silent end, his body tumbling to the valley floor with a dull thud.

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