All Dungeon Masters must participate in the Holy Kingdom invasion. The rules are simple: a barrier is erected around each city, trapping the Masters inside. Leaving the barrier means automatic disqualification. Retreat is not an option. To avoid this fate, they must earn over 100,000 contribution points by aiding the invasion.

The system was designed to force participation. Don’t fight, and you’re disqualified. Flee, and you’re disqualified. The only path forward is to attack the city before them. But that’s only how it appears on the surface.

In reality, there’s no rule that says they must ‘succeed’.

‘Nowhere in the explanation does it say the invasion ends when the city falls,’ Taehyun analyzed. ‘It just states that rewards are based on contribution points and imposes an item restriction and a 100,000-point minimum. It says nothing about an end condition.’

Duke Nikunbel clearly didn’t care whether they succeeded or failed. He might even prefer failure. The barrier, though vast, was cramped for hundreds of Dungeon Masters. What was he hoping to achieve in this confined space? The answer was simple.

‘The invasion will end after a set amount of time, regardless of the outcome. Then, rewards will be distributed, and those who failed to reach 100,000 points will be culled. This event is a battle royale, disguised under the plausible goal of invading the Holy Kingdom. The true objective is to make us fight each other.’

The third message was the proof.

[The third point concerns the contribution system. Contribution points are gained by defeating the Holy Kingdom’s forces or inflicting damage upon the Kingdom itself. However, this is not the only way. Of course, I cannot tell you what that other method is. You must figure it out for yourselves.]

It was a standard rule, but Nikunbel had dangled a hint about a hidden mechanic. What could it be? The answer was obvious.

‘You can steal other people’s contribution points.’

The point totals were already floating above every Master’s head. There was no other reason to display them so publicly. A confining barrier, a 300-soldier limit, no items, and a fortified enemy. The Masters were forced into a siege against a defensive army. This meant the plains would become their unwilling home for the duration of the event.

The invasion wouldn’t end in a day or two; soldiers would need rest. Camps would be made, positions established.

‘The ones who hit 100,000 points will fall back. Only the high-ranking Masters aiming for the top rewards will continue the assault. That will be my chance.’

His reason for retreating to the forest was twofold: to hide his forces and to prepare an ambush for the perfect moment. Half a day had passed, and no one had even managed to accumulate 10,000 points. The army of hundreds of thousands on the hill wouldn’t be broken in a single charge. It would take at least a week, maybe two. Until then, he couldn’t afford to waste his strength.

‘Duke Nikunbel knows the strong prey on the weak. But in this arena, the weak can also prey on each other. A few high-ranking Masters might not care about the rewards, but there are plenty of others who do. This backfield is about to become a feeding ground where the desperate tear each other apart.’

He had already secured the forest at the rear of the bridge. Now, all he had to do was wait.

‘I can’t be impatient. An opportunity will present itself.’

Taehyun watched the battlefield with the cold, calculating eyes of a hunter.

—

Black tea filled a delicate porcelain cup. Warm steam rose, carrying a gentle aroma through the opulent room. Duke Nikunbel leisurely sipped his tea, his gaze sweeping across dozens of magical screens, each displaying a different city under siege.

“It seems that in this Holy Kingdom invasion, only the strong will survive,” remarked Remigal, a mid-rank demon standing beside him, sneering at the screens showing lower-ranking Dungeon Masters struggling futilely. They were overexerting themselves on the first day of an event that would last for weeks, sacrificing their soldiers without even breaking 10,000 points. They would be eliminated long before reaching the 100,000 threshold.

Nikunbel nodded in agreement, then slowly shook his head.

“Am I wrong, my lord?”

“No, your assessment is correct,” Nikunbel replied smoothly. “But there are exceptions.”

“Exceptions? Are you referring to the hidden rule?”

The hidden rule—the secret stage Nikunbel had set to pit the Masters against one another. By displaying their points, he encouraged a dog-eat-dog frenzy of theft and betrayal. One could simply steal points without ever engaging the Holy Kingdom. But that was a rule for the strong. The weak could never hope to prey on others.

“Precisely,” Nikunbel confirmed. “It is a rule made under the pretext that the strong devour the weak. However, it is also possible for the weak to survive.” His gaze shifted to a screen showing a lone Dungeon Master hiding in a forest. He smiled with deep satisfaction and savored his tea.

Remigal, standing beside him, simply tilted his head, utterly perplexed.

—

On Day 1 of the Holy Kingdom Invasion, the S-rank Dungeon Masters initiated the first assault. Others soon followed, flocking to the front lines in a desperate bid for contribution points. The Holy Kingdom’s forces held the hill, repelling wave after wave of monsters. When their priests finally joined the fray, the first day ended in a successful defense. The Dungeon Masters had no choice but to withdraw, licking their wounds and planning for the next day. A few attempted night raids, but the Holy Kingdom rotated its troops and held its ground without issue. The plains became a sprawling campsite as the Masters regrouped.

—

On Day 2 of the Holy Kingdom Invasion, a massive swarm of Wyverns blotted out the sky, supported by other flying units from the flanks as they converged on the hill. The Holy Kingdom’s archers, their arrows imbued with holy water, picked them out of the air. Just like the first day, a sturdy defensive barrier protected the army, and the dungeon soldiers were unable to break through. Frustrated, the S-rank Master Kanghyuk deployed a large number of Hydras that finally breached the overlapping shields, but the priests’ faith—and their healing—proved stronger. The second day ended in another stalemate.

—

On Day 5 of the Holy Kingdom Invasion, alliances began to form among the Dungeon Masters. Faced with the seemingly impenetrable army on the hill, they decided to join forces. Kanghyuk and Chanjae, of course, refused to formally cooperate, but their competitive assaults were so synchronized they were essentially fighting together. Some suggested summoning Guardians and Keepers to force a breakthrough, but the idea was immediately shot down. The Holy Kingdom had not yet revealed all its cards. It was better to save their aces for an unforeseen crisis.

“We’re inflicting damage, but at this rate, we’re just sacrificing our soldiers for nothing.”

“I haven’t even reached 100,000 points yet! We need something that can give us a huge boost all at once.”

“Do we really need to take the hill? Can’t we just fly over and damage Partisan directly?”

A few proposed a direct strike on the capital. It was a valid point; the hill wasn’t their only target. However, the walls of Partisan were lined with powerful turrets. Sending flying units without a solid plan would be a suicide mission.

Just then, Taeseong Han, the B-rank 2nd place Master, made a strong recommendation. “It’s time to bring out the siege units! Catapult Drakes, Giant Ballistas, everything!”

“But we were saving those for the main assault on Partisan, weren’t we?”

“If this continues, we won’t even take the hill, let alone the capital! We need to make the first move.”

Taeseong’s proposal was met with hesitation, but the mood gradually shifted in his favor. He was right. They couldn’t even conquer the hill, let alone the capital’s fortress. Since they still had their Guardians and Keepers in reserve, deploying their siege units seemed like an acceptable risk. The Dungeon Masters reached a consensus and began preparing for the next day’s attack.

—

On Day 6 of the Holy Kingdom Invasion, at last, siege engines appeared on the plain. Seeing the colossal war machines, the Holy Kingdom’s army renewed its protective barriers. The dungeon soldiers charged the hill while a barrage of siege fire rained down from the sky. The Holy Kingdom’s forces began to buckle. Under the relentless assault, their Divinity was depleted in an instant. The priests, unable to sustain their magic, retreated to Partisan. Soon after, the main army pulled back, ceding the entrance to the hill.

The Dungeon Masters surged forward, but Kanghyuk and Chanjae stopped them.

“From the midpoint of the hill onward, there’s a defensive barrier cast by a High Priest that covers the entire capital,” Kanghyuk warned. “If you charge recklessly, you’ll lose every last soldier.”

“Th-that’s…” a Master stammered.

“Those of you who hit 100,000 points today, get lost behind the bridge,” Kanghyuk commanded. “The rest of you who want rewards, come to me.” Even he found it difficult to proceed alone with the 300-soldier limit and was now gathering allies.

“It would be better to stick with me than that idiot,” Chanjae interjected. “He’s a meathead who only knows how to charge blindly.”

“What did you say, you balding bastard?!”

“You son of a bitch! How dare you bring up the past?!”

And so, the two S-rank Dungeon Masters formed their own rival coalitions, their tense war of nerves continuing unabated.

—

On Day 7 of the Holy Kingdom Invasion, thanks to the previous day’s offensive, a large number of Dungeon Masters had finally reached 100,000 points. Seemingly uninterested in further rewards, they fell back behind the bridge without a second thought. There, they encountered the other Masters who had retreated earlier.

“Who are you lot? You haven’t even earned any points. Pathetic. Tsk tsk,” one of the newcomers sneered.

“Don’t worry,” a waiting hunter replied with a grin. “We’re about to have our meal.”

“Yeah, good luck with that… What the—! Why are you attacking my soldiers?!”

“I told you we’re having a meal. Everyone, attack!”

The hunters who had been lying in wait sprang their trap, descending on their prey to steal their hard-earned points. The ambushed Masters, who didn’t know the hidden rule, fought back in a panic. The area behind the bridge erupted into a second battlefield. Amid the chaos, a few managed to evade the hunters and fled toward the forest near the barrier.

—

“Hah… hah… I should be safe here, right?”

Heavy panting echoed through the trees. It was the C-rank Dungeon Master, Seokjin. He was one of the many who had reached 100,000 points during the chaos of the day six offensive. Having barely escaped the ambush near the bridge, he had fled all the way to this forest.

“What the hell do they mean, stealing points?” he gasped, trying to catch his breath. “There was no such rule in the message that bastard Nikunbel sent.” He finally calmed himself and slumped against a tree.

[Contribution Points: 100,456]

The number still floated above his head. His life had been threatened, but at least he had avoided disqualification. Seokjin smiled with weary satisfaction. Just then, he heard the rustle of footsteps in the undergrowth.

“Wh-what? Who’s there!”

He heard no response.

“Damn it!”

His soldiers were gone. If he died here, all his effort would be for nothing. Sensing danger, Seokjin scrambled to escape, but at that moment, goblins emerged from the shadows, surrounding him.

“Wh-why are there goblins here? I’m sure I was the first one to arrive!” he cried, seeing them aiming arrows at him from the trees above and below. He raised his hands in surrender. With no soldiers left, any resistance was suicide.

“S-save me! I don’t know who you are, but you must be a Dungeon Master too! This is all nonsense, this business with stealing points! If I make it back to the continent, I’ll definitely repay this favor, so please—Argh!”

An arrow sprouted from his neck.

“If it were nonsense, those men wouldn’t be hunting right now, would they?”

The Dungeon Master, who had been hiding behind the goblins, walked out calmly and looked down at Seokjin’s corpse.

[You have extorted 20,000 contribution points from C-rank Dungeon Master Seokjin Lee.]

“Tch. Of course. Only twenty thousand,” the Master muttered. “There’s no way that bastard Nikunbel would let me take all one hundred thousand at once.” The Dungeon Master—Taehyun—turned his gaze toward the bridge. He estimated there were about two hundred Masters who had reached the threshold. There were plenty of other hunters, but he only needed to kill four more.

“The hunt starts now,” Taehyun declared. “Kinjo, I’m going to need your help.”

“Of course, sir!” Kinjo appeared from behind a tree, rubbing his hands together with glee. “I am a goblin who specializes in this kind of hunting, after all. Muahaha.” Today, for some reason, Kinjo’s long nose was twitching with unusual excitement.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep