Chapter 284: Episode 284

Chapter 75: Preparations Complete

It was the neutralization artifact from the ancient temple of the underground race, a unique anti-personnel weapon belonging to the Rough Rock Tribe. It had been utterly destroyed, along with the temple itself, during an unexpected rockslide caused by Deshu Kar.

[Ancient Artifact creation has been completed.]

[Please assign a name.]

Now, that very artifact had been reborn within Balak. It was the culmination of a long and arduous process, its new core integrated directly with Balak’s own Crystal. The credit for this monumental achievement belonged entirely to Tuperus and Larkan.

“I-it is done!” Tuperus roared, his voice thick with emotion. “This is the true power of the Rough Rock Tribe!”

“WOOOOWW!” the other dwarves cheered.

“Tuperus! Tuperus! Tuperus!”

The final room echoed with their jubilant cries. The dwarves wept with joy, while Larkan simply stared up at the artifact, his own eyes glistening.

“We actually finished it,” he whispered, his voice trembling with exhaustion. “It took so long, but now… now I can finally rest. I won’t have to look at another transmutation circle for a long, long time. Yes, that must be right.”

“It’s incredible,” Taehyun admitted, stepping forward. “To perfectly recreate the temple’s artifact right here in the dungeon. This is all thanks to you and Tuperus.”

“Gasp! Y-Yoo Taehyun!” Larkan yelped, startled.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Larkan’s face was ashen, a clear testament to his suffering. It was no wonder, after spending weeks doing nothing but casting complex transmutation circles. Taehyun clapped him on the shoulder and gestured for him to leave.

“You’ve done well. Go get some rest. I won’t be calling on you for a while, I promise.”

“Hm…”

“I mean it. Go on, before I change my mind.”

Though Larkan’s suspicious gaze never fully wavered, a hint of satisfaction crossed his face as he departed. In his place, Tuperus strode forward, his chest puffed out with pride.

“Behold, demon! This is the pride of the Rough Rock Tribe! Look upon it!”

“It’s even more impressive than I imagined,” Taehyun said, genuinely impressed. “This goes far beyond the level of an ordinary artifact.”

“Of course it does! Now, you shall be the one to name it!”

“An honor I will gladly accept.”

This ancient artifact would now reside in the final room, a twin to the Crystal Core itself. The fusion of dwarven craftsmanship, Larkan’s alchemical genius, and the raw mana of Balak’s Crystal had amplified its power exponentially. Given that its range could encompass his entire territory, it was destined to become his ultimate trump card.

’I already have the perfect name,’ Taehyun thought, stepping before the completed device.

“Its name is Balak No. 1.”

[Impossible.]

“What? Fine. Then make it Balkan No. 1.”

[Impossible.]

The artifact rejected his names twice. He’d put a lot of thought into them, but it clearly wasn’t impressed. Taehyun tilted his head in confusion and turned to Tuperus.

“Hey, did the original artifact in the temple have an ego?”

“What foolishness is this? An artifact with a will of its own is called an Ego Artifact. Not even the Rough Rock Tribe can forge such a thing.”

“Then what is this?”

He had distinctly heard a noble, feminine voice. If it wasn’t an Ego Artifact, there was no other explanation. Taehyun tapped one of the artifact’s components, puzzled.

[Filthy.]

“…Who are you?”

[I am an ego, born from the Crystal Core of Balak.]

“So, you ’are’ Balak’s Crystal Core?”

[That is correct. This ancient artifact has granted me a means to convey my will.]

In two years of managing this dungeon, he’d never heard of such a thing. If every Crystal Core possessed an ego, then other dungeons must have them too. But as if reading his mind, the ego quickly clarified.

[Only the Balak dungeon possesses an ego. I am great. Therefore, I exist.]

It certainly had a high opinion of itself. Taehyun scratched his head, pondering this new development. Just then, Hyena entered the room and wrapped her arms around him.

“Brother, what are you doing?”

Having reformed her ways after the recent incident, Hyena was now as docile as a lamb. Taehyun gestured at the artifact in frustration.

“This thing keeps rejecting the names I came up with.”

“Rejected them? What do you mean? And what were the names?”

“Balak No. 1 and Balkan No. 1. I guess it didn’t like them.”

“…Brother,” Hyena sighed, shaking her head. “You have the worst naming sense, just like back home. Do you remember that online game? You tried to make your nickname your actual name. I was so embarrassed for you.”

“I did? What’s wrong with ’Taehyun Yoo’? It’s a great name.”

Taehyun’s naming sense was enough to make everyone within earshot cringe.

—

[Name designation has been completed.]

[Commencing operation of Walpurgis.]

After a lengthy debate, the ancient artifact was christened Walpurgis.

“What do you think, Brother?” Hyena asked proudly. “I took it from Walpurgis Night. It’s good, right?”

“I’m not a fan,” Taehyun grumbled, “but since ’it’ seems to like it, I suppose it doesn’t matter.”

“It’s a thousand times better than your names.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

A low hum filled the room as Walpurgis began to emit a steady stream of mana. The entire dungeon trembled, as if it were fully integrating with the new device. Taehyun stared, bewildered, at the artifact’s now-open interior.

[Recognition of Dungeon Master Taehyun Yoo complete.]

[Walpurgis Synchronization Rate: 98%]

An image flickered to life, showing a complete view of his territory. Walpurgis was, at its heart, a weapon designed to neutralize enemy personnel. The markers appearing on the map must indicate its effective range.

“Can the range be set outside the territory?” Taehyun asked the large screen before him.

[Impossible.]

“What about targets within the range? Are they all affected?”

[There is no numerical limit. All enemies within the designated area will be neutralized for precisely five minutes.]

“Regardless of their rank?”

[Based on Balak’s current mana output, the effect will be absolute for all combatants up to top-tier A-rank Raiders. S-rank entities and above possess a high probability of resisting.]

“I see.”

So, its range was limited to his territory, but it could incapacitate an unlimited number of enemies below a certain power threshold. It was an artifact with clear strengths and weaknesses.

’Still, this was well worth the time it took to build,’ he thought, satisfied. ’Now I can handle anything from a mid-sized raid party to a full-scale army.’

Even a war between nations was now within his capabilities. He was about to reward the dwarves for their hard work when a thought struck him.

’If it has an ego, it should be recognized as a living creature, right?’

An artifact made of mere parts was one thing, but a device integrated with the will of Balak itself was another story entirely. A sinister grin spread across Taehyun’s face as he looked at Walpurgis.

[F-filthy.]

“Don’t worry,” he purred. “I’m not going to do anything bad. In fact, you’re going to feel much, much better.”

[Filthy. Filthy. Filthy!]

“Struggle all you want. You can’t escape my grasp.”

His eyes began to glow with a brilliant white light. As Walpurgis thrashed, emitting pulses of defiant mana, Taehyun slowly began to cast Evolution.

—

[Walpurgis (Balak Integrated)]

[Rank: S]

[Sub-rank: Named]

The once A-rank ancient artifact had evolved. Walpurgis was now reborn as an S-rank Named entity.

[…]

“Phew. That took a lot more mana stones than I expected,” Taehyun said, wiping his brow. “Still, you should be far more useful now. How does it feel to be reborn?”

[It is a sensation I have no desire to experience again. Please refrain from doing so in the future.]

“Oh? You sound much more human now. So, what are the new specs? How much did the range and effect increase?”

After four stages of evolution, its power must have grown significantly. Walpurgis displayed the updated information on its screen.

[Range: Halung Plains]

[Area of Effect: 50 Square]

[Neutralization Effect: S-rank Raiders unable to resist]

It was a definite improvement. If the previous 30-square range covered a third of the Revived Plains, 50 squares could neutralize a much larger portion. Satisfied, Taehyun patted one of its components.

“This will be incredibly helpful. I’ll be sure to make good use of you.”

[’Hieeeek!’]

“Now then, the dwarves worked hard to create you. It’s time they were rewarded.”

The Rough Rock Tribe had toiled for a long time on this project. For one day, at least, they deserved to get completely hammered. Taehyun ordered a massive quantity of dark beer from the Balak Merchant Guild and had it delivered to them.

[The dwarves of the Rough Rock Tribe are in a festive mood.]

[The guild street in the city of Myol has become lively.]

[For one week, dwarven equipment production will increase by 2%.]

[For one week, dwarven crafting efficiency will increase by 2%.]

The entire city of Myol was abuzz with celebration. After being cooped up crafting for so long, the break must have felt as sweet as honey.

[Katarniak’s Dungeon Master, Min Narae, has visited.]

The first beneficiary of his new faction leader status had arrived. He had promised Evolution as a perk of joining his alliance, and since they had signed a contract, it was time to start strengthening their forces.

“Sir Taehyun, Ms. Narae is waiting in the Master Room. What are your orders?” Riel’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Hmm. It looks like she brought Randus. Tell her to wait; I’ll head over.”

“You guessed correctly. Understood.”

Even though Katarniak was now an S-rank dungeon, Randus was still more powerful than any of her newly summoned units. Having naturally evolved from an A-rank Hero to S-rank, she would now be aiming for a Named sub-rank.

’Evolving an S-rank Guardian will consume a lot of S-rank mana stones,’ Taehyun mused. ’Enough that I could charge her for it.’

He had acquired a wealth of high-grade materials after thwarting Dinen Fradio’s plans, but they would be difficult to replace. Pondering what form of payment he could extract, he made his way to the Master Room.

—

“What took you so long? I’ve been waiting forever,” Min Narae complained the moment he entered.

“It hasn’t even been five minutes.”

“W-well, it felt like forever! Anyway, I brought my main unit, just like you said. You can really raise its rank, like the contract says, right?”

“I can,” Taehyun confirmed, holding up a gleaming S-rank mana stone for emphasis. “But Randus is an S-rank Guardian. Using the ability on him will require significantly more materials than usual.”

Narae blinked, then her eyes narrowed in understanding.

“You want something else, don’t you?”

“Even allies have to pay their dues. I’m not running a charity. The contract guarantees a rank-up, but for S-rank and above, I’ll require separate compensation.”

“…And what kind of compensation did you have in mind?” she asked, crossing her arms and giving him a suspicious look. “You’re not thinking of anything perverted, are you?”

Taehyun wasn’t the least bit interested.

“I have a different task for you.”

“Huh? What’s this?”

His true objective was the Tablet of Control. He handed Narae a fragment of the stone tablet and pulled up the world map.

“We believe this was found in the far south of the Northern region. With the Frost Queen’s army mostly focused on the Derk Empire, I need you to investigate the area. According to Larkan, there should be several more tablets like this one buried there.”

“If that’s all, then fine. I’ll do it.”

“Excellent. Then shall we begin the evolution?”

“W-wait a second! Is there a chance it could fail?”

Evolution always had a success rate. He’d never failed yet, but her concern was understandable. Taehyun clapped Randus on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” he said with a grin. “He won’t die. Well, he might end up in a state ’worse’ than death, but he won’t die.”

“…Master,” Randus said gravely, “it may be a bit premature, but I believe I should leave you with my last will and testament.”

“Wait. Wait. Waaaaait!” Narae shrieked.

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