Chapter 297: Episode 297

Chapter 77: Seonghwi Hyun

The undead soldiers of the Enais Kingdom relentlessly plunged the West into chaos. The immortal legion, which had already struck terror into its enemies during the first battle on the Nihallas Plains, was now dispatched across the continent under a necromancer’s command. Consequently, the Golpein Territory was left nearly empty, but its security was re-established with the appearance of Sword Saint Refilder.

Meanwhile, the Hereis Kingdom in the far north found itself in dire straits as four of its cities were annihilated in a matter of days. It was a war without reason or warning. King Faust felt utterly wronged, but no one could easily halt the tyrant’s momentum. The only exception, it seemed, was Balak’s territory.

While other locations were targeted, an army of twenty thousand undead soldiers had simultaneously launched an invasion aimed at Balak. Taehyun, however, managed to fend them off using only his existing forces, bringing the far west into a temporary lull.

This incident once again proved Balak’s military might to the continent, but it did nothing to stop the immortal legion’s advance. Leon relentlessly created more undead, setting his sights on the Burton Empire after the Hereis Kingdom. Thus, across the West, a full-scale war had begun, with regions simultaneously facing the onslaught of the undying army.

—

“Taehyun Yoo, was it? Anyway, tell him this: Mihye is trapped in the basement right now, getting tossed around.”

“M-Mihye? You mean the Tarantula faction leader?!”

“Yeah, that’s right. She threatened my master’s life, so I’m letting her get tortured for now. But frankly, taking orders from someone else is a real pain in the ass. So tell him if he wants to help, he should come to the Golpein Territory. Of course, without that tyrant noticing.”

The SS-rank mercenary defending the Golpein Territory was none other than Mihye’s personal soldier. Watching the scene through Garuda’s shared vision, Taehyun began to see Refilder in a new light.

’So he isn’t under mental domination,’ Taehyun deduced. ’Which means he’s only following orders because his master has been captured.’

Sword Saint Refilder was, quite literally, a one-man army. The question of his mercenary duration remained, but he was likely handling that with his own abilities. If he could provide aid at the right moment, subduing the two superhumans would become significantly easier. The most urgent task was to arrange a meeting with Refilder without alerting Leon.

“So, what have you decided?”

“I’ll have to meet him. It could be a trap, so I’ll go fully prepared.”

“Hmph. To be honest, I don’t think approaching him is a good idea. The moment our eyes met, I felt it. He’s a true monster. Befitting an SS-rank, he’s on a completely different level from our main forces.”

“I thought so, too. However, if it’s true he isn’t under Leon’s mental control, there’s a very high chance we can win him over.”

The more allies, the better. Even if they weren’t bound by trust and faith, he was willing to accept anyone who would help bring down Leon. Hyunjun trembled, recalling the moment he faced the Evil Eye, then rose from his seat.

“Alright. I’ll head back to Unix for now. If you need anything else, call me immediately.”

“Ah, there is one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“Would you be interested in a formal alliance? We fought off the Secret faction together last time. Frankly, Hyunjun, I need you.”

They had formed a temporary alliance during the war with the Secret faction, but the relationship with Unix had since dissolved. If he could draw Hyunjun in completely this time, even the opposition within the Resistance would surely fall in line behind Balak.

’I may be the faction leader, but there are still those who are dissatisfied,’ Taehyun thought. ’The elites are one thing, but I can win over the opposition through Hyunjun.’

Orders given by the faction leader could be rejected by a majority vote. Of course, he had the compulsory command authority from their contract, but that was a one-time use. Hyunjun pondered for a moment before nodding.

“I’ll admit, I’ve taken a liking to you since the first Faction War, Taehyun Yoo. You do some strange things, but joining hands with Balak would benefit me as well. Alright. I’ll form an alliance.”

“Thank you. I look forward to working with you.”

“As do I. I trust you will lead the Resistance well.”

“Of course. I’m sure Seonghwi will be very pleased.”

A sneer slowly crept onto his face, but he couldn’t let it show. Taehyun forced his expression to remain neutral as they shook hands.

—

[The Demdric Raid Party has entered Talos.]

An underground den in the far northeast. Despite the local Raider’s Association having already deemed it unconquerable, another party had come to challenge Talos. As always, they were destined to die by its curse and S-rank soldiers. This time, however, would be different.

“Seonghwi, are you going to go yourself again today?”

“Um…”

“You’ve been in such a dark mood lately. I thought you’d finally come over to the continent, but this is no fun. Hm? Isn’t it?”

A woman with a seductive charm wrapped her arms around him from behind. An alluring scent filled the air, but his gaze remained fixed on the monitor. The vixen, having grown bored of trying to seduce her master, eventually pulled away.

“Aah’, no fun. Seonghwi wasn’t this kind of man before. Maybe I just shouldn’t renew our contract?”

“It’s no loss to me. Do as you please.”

“Come on, it was a joke! How can you take it so seriously!”

“…I’ll be back. Wait here.”

S-rank Hero Mercenary, Hinyas of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan. She was one of the main forces protecting Talos, but recently, her help had become unnecessary. Seonghwi left the Master Room and descended to the second basement floor.

“Th-That’s the Dungeon Master!”

“The system message popped up! It’s him! If we kill him, we clear the dungeon! Surround him, quick!”

“Get your limited-use skills ready!”

The raid party, which had been wandering lost, quickly moved to encircle him. As confirmed beforehand, they were all top-tier A-rank experts. Including their S-rank leader, they were one of the few high-level raid parties left in the North. Seonghwi lifted his head, radiating pure killing intent.

[Casting ’Murderous Impulse.’]

[For a certain period, significantly lowers the morale of all enemies.]

[A certain chance to inflict ’Fear’ on some enemies.]

The class he had obtained upon reaching level 10 was Assassin. A class said to hold dominion over death and destiny, it granted him the skills and abilities to face enemies entirely alone. Even now, several raiders were cowering, stepping back in fear. Seonghwi gripped daggers in both hands, his eyes gleaming.

“D-Dammit! Kill him!”

“Shield bearer, use your limited skill!”

“Aaaaargh’!”

The entire corridor vibrated. The party unleashed powerful skills to exterminate the demon, but the result was not what they expected.

’Thud. Thud. Thud!’

Raiders screamed as they were instantly stabbed through the neck. Soon, the corridor was littered with their corpses. In the middle of it all, the Assassin calmly surveyed the bodies, sheathed his daggers, and took a deep breath.

He had already taken his anger out on dozens of raid parties, but the murderous intent buried deep in his heart showed no signs of diminishing. Perhaps it would only be resolved by facing the target of that intent directly. Seonghwi wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve and returned to the Master Room.

“So cool. That’s my Seonghwi. I don’t think I’ll ever come to the continent without you. I felt it from the beginning. This face… the spitting image of my younger sister. I really liked it, you know?”

“…Come to think of it, you did say you had a sister.”

“Of course. I’m a beastman, how could I not? Ah, I wonder if she’s doing well. My sister was considered a prodigy among the fox clan, just like me.”

“You look like you miss her. I’m missing someone, too. I think I need to go and settle things.”

Hinyas, who was caressing his cheek, widened her eyes. ’Settle things’ could only mean his relationship with Taehyun, the man who had taken his position as faction leader. He had always planned for Taehyun to be his strongest asset for the Demon Realm conquest, but this sounded like he was about to discard that asset himself.

“Are you really going to kill him?”

“I certainly feel murderous intent, but I won’t kill him. No, I ’can’t’ kill him. The rookie has a compulsory command authority. Besides, if I kill the new faction leader, the Resistance will collapse in an instant.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll grant him one wish and persuade him to sign a contract for the Demon Realm conquest. You’re coming with me. Let’s visit Balak and meet this rookie.”

Losing the faction leadership didn’t matter. The goal, from the very beginning, was to conquer the Demon Realm. If Taehyun just opened the gate, he was willing to concede even more. Seonghwi checked the faction community window, then turned his head. Hinyas was watching him with a strange, knowing gaze.

“Hmm, has the time come already?”

“Isn’t that why I asked you to call me? Now, hurry and… ’Hmph’.”

The fox’s lips devoured his roughly. With an ecstatic expression, she began to remove his clothes, and a passionate heat surged within the Master Room.

—

At that moment, in Balak’s Master Room, opinions were divided over an unidentified box.

“Who do you think sent it?”

“Umm… I’ll guess Baron Momonte—no, Viscount Momonte.”

Riel was the first to venture a guess.

“And you?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I strengthened their forces through evolution, so they must have sent it as a thank you. I’m sure it’s from the faction members.”

Next, Hyena suggested the Resistance members.

“I see. Alright, what about you?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. I don’t really have any—”

“Don’t be like that. Just give me any name.”

“…In that case, I will guess the Gronz Merchant Guild, which operates in the Demon Realm.”

After a moment of hesitation, Pinyas finally offered her guess. Taehyun compiled the three opinions and jotted down the candidates.

“I’ll give a gift to whoever gets it right. Think of something you want.”

“I’m sorry, Hyena, but I think I’m going to be right.”

“What are you talking about? Of course it’s the faction members! Brother, brother! I want to browse the accessories at the Demon Realm Auction myself!”

“…I don’t really need anything.”

The West was in chaos due to the immortal army, but Balak alone was peaceful. Riel and Hyena engaged in a tense war of nerves, their eyes fixed on the box. Just then, Taehyun’s communication device rang.

’It’s here!’

’It’s here!’

’Haaah, why am I even here?’

All three of them snapped their attention to the device. The caller was likely the one who sent the box. Riel and Hyena watched with bated breath as Taehyun answered.

—”I apologize for not being in touch recently. This is Lugo of the Gronz Merchant Guild. Master Taehyun, ’kuk-kuk-kuk’.”

“So, you sent this box?”

—”Ah, some mysterious magical plants were recently discovered in the Demon Realm. They’re rumored to have a rather pleasant scent, so I sent them as a gift. I had them made into a spray, so please use it as you wish.”

“Well, thanks anyway.”

The Gronz Merchant Guild, once one of the lowest-ranking guilds in the Demon Realm, had now established a decent foothold. They had been sending gifts occasionally for the past year, so this was likely Lugo’s way of showing his goodwill toward Balak. Taehyun ended the call and looked at the three women.

“It’s from the Gronz Merchant Guild.”

“In that case?”

“Pinyas got it right.”

“Ugh’!”

Both Riel and Hyena were wrong. Looking thoroughly disappointed, the two of them left the Master Room. Taehyun turned to the remaining Pinyas.

“So, is there anything you need?”

“I-I don’t need anything. So…”

“Ah, hold on. I’m going to check the item first. You can think about it over there.”

Slowly, the ribbon tied around the box came undone. Pinyas waited quietly, watching the Dungeon Master open it. Taehyun took out the bottle inside and tilted his head.

“What is this… Whoa?!”

As he was examining it, the pink bottle slipped from his grasp and fell onto the table.

’Crash!’

The glass bottle shattered into pieces like a broken plate. Taehyun stared at the red liquid splattered on his clothes, feeling troubled. Just then, a message appeared before his eyes.

[The effect of Plamirouge has been applied.]

[The arousal level of the Fox Clan Chief, Pinyas, who was in the room, rises to its peak.]

“…Huh?”

It was the effect of the fragrance.

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