"Are you really agreeing to these terms?" Lexner had asked a few days prior, his voice laced with disbelief from the confines of his underground cell. Even after reading the contract himself, he couldn't seem to accept its contents. As his captor, Taehyun held all the leverage, yet the contract he'd been offered was anything but one-sided. It was a perfectly balanced agreement, beneficial to both parties.

[Contract]

[Contracting Parties: Player Taehyun Yoo, Player Seongjun Han.]

[1. Seongjun Han will be affiliated with Balak but shall retain his freedom.]

[2. Seongjun Han may refuse any order other than engaging in combat with a Dungeon Master.]

[3. Seongjun Han is forbidden from causing harm to Taehyun Yoo and the denizens of Balak.]

[4. Seongjun Han cannot betray Balak.]

[5. Seongjun Han may resume his life as a Raider but cannot disclose this fact to others.]

[6. Seongjun Han cannot order, commission, or otherwise induce anyone to raid Balak or harm Taehyun Yoo.]

[7. Seongjun Han cannot disclose any information regarding Taehyun Yoo or Balak to any entity not affiliated with Balak.]

[8. Taehyun Yoo will provide compensation each time he receives assistance from Seongjun Han.]

[9. Taehyun Yoo will grant Seongjun Han the opportunity to take a Dungeon Master's life.]

[10. Taehyun Yoo will grant Seongjun Han the opportunity to destroy a dungeon's Crystal Sphere.]

The non-betrayal clause was expected, but items 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, and 10 were conditions no sane Dungeon Master would ever offer. He could regain his freedom, live as a Raider, and even refuse orders. More than that, he would be compensated for fighting other Dungeon Masters and even be given a chance at their lives and their Crystal Spheres. He would be bound by the contract, but the terms were a far cry from servitude.

"…I'll do it," Lexner had finally said.

"Good choice. From now on, you'll be working with Roquin."

"Don't tell me you mean Roquin, the top-tier B-rank Puppeteer?"

"The very same."

From that day on, Lexner began coordinating not with Raiders, but with Roquin's puppets. Though their numbers had dwindled from fifty to twenty, their skills in disguise and deception remained flawless, amplified by Roquin's impeccable puppetry. The stage was set once again, this time by Balak.

---

[C-rank Paladin Raider Lexner is casting Time Freeze.]

Lexner took his position alongside the puppets, their appearances and information perfectly synchronized.

A sharp crack filled the air as the surrounding mana began to crystallize, freezing time itself. Sensing the imminent danger, Kyunghee dove for cover among her soldiers. Killing the Dungeon Master was now impossible, but the Guardian before her was another story. Solomon, the A-rank Named Guardian wrapped head to toe in bandages. He was powerful, certainly, but his class was mage. There was precious little a ranged Guardian could do while time was stopped.

'Forget the Dungeon Master for now! Target the mage, Solomon!'

Taehyun's order echoed Lexner's own thoughts.

[C-rank Paladin Raider Lexner has cast Time Freeze.]

Time stopped, and the world was bathed in an ethereal blue light. Lexner's eyes gleamed as he drove his greatsword toward Solomon.

[A-rank Named Guardian Solomon has sustained critical damage.]

[A-rank Named Guardian Solomon's injury status has reached a severe level.]

A single blow had left him grievously wounded. Lexner swiftly sheathed his greatsword and drew a weapon identical to those wielded by the puppets.

"Aaaargh!"

Three seconds later, as time resumed its flow, Solomon's scream tore through the air.

"W-what was that? What just happened?!" Kyunghee cried out.

"Grrrruuuuuh…" Solomon groaned.

"D-damn it! Dyke!" she shrieked, calling for her Guardian on the front line.

Dyke abandoned his fight with the three other Guardians and rushed toward the rear. But Roquin had already made her move.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Roquin has used To a Faraway Place.]

[A-rank Named Guardian Dyke is forcibly teleported to the opposite side of the dungeon.]

Dyke, who had been rushing to answer Kyunghee's call, was launched into the sky like a shooting star. Judging by his trajectory, he had been sent far beyond even the Valley of Silence.

"No way… You recruited Raiders like these into your dungeon?!"

Roquin's identity was now revealed, but the remaining puppets were still active. Panicked, Kyunghee fumbled for a Position Transfer Item.

[Position Transfer has been used.]

[The positions of Leviathan's forces will be changed to their previously saved location.]

At that moment, Taehyun's Item Nullification activated.

[B-rank Dungeon Master Taehyun Yoo has activated 'Item Nullification'.]

[Position Transfer is canceled.]

[The position transfer of Leviathan's forces has failed.]

Her escape was thwarted in the exact same way Taehyun's had been. Kyunghee bit her lip, preparing to use a Return Item. Just then, a massive boulder hurtled through the air and crashed down upon her siege units. It was a skill from a large mud golem that had appeared in the rear, crushing Leviathan's forces beneath its weight.

'Don't tell me he was waiting for Solomon's barrier to fall?!'

The fact that the golem had remained hidden until now meant he had anticipated even this.

—"It's not over yet."

[B-rank Dungeon Master Taehyun Yoo has used the Effect Reversal Card.]

[The debuffs on Balak's forces are converted into buffs.]

[The overall morale of Balak's forces is boosted.]

[The stats of Balak's forces are increased for a set time.]

[The skill critical rate of Balak's forces is increased for a set time.]

The debuffs crippling Balak's soldiers flipped into powerful buffs. His army immediately surged forward, pushing back Leviathan's forces and completely reversing the tide of battle. With Dyke gone, the three Guardians were unleashed, methodically slaughtering the ranged soldiers.

'I-I have to use the Return Item now!'

Boulders rained from the sky, a buffed army advanced on the ground, and an unidentifiable special ability was being cast nearby. Kyunghee glanced down at the fallen Solomon, then squeezed her eyes shut and activated the Return Item.

[Dungeon Master exclusive item 'Soldier Return' has been activated.]

[The designated soldiers of Leviathan will be returned.]

A shimmering blue portal materialized among Leviathan's forces. Kyunghee let out a sigh of relief and started to back away, but her body was frozen in place.

[A-rank Named Guardian Raviz has cast Spatial Shackles.]

[The very space occupied by B-rank Dungeon Master Kyunghee Min is temporarily bound.]

It was Raviz's second skill, Spatial Shackles.

"Grrrrugh… S-Solomon! Cast your final skill! Hurry!"

"Y-yes, I understand."

On the brink of death, Solomon struggled to rise and cast one last spell. But Lexner's Time Freeze activated first.

[C-rank Paladin Raider Lexner has cast Time Freeze.]

Lexner, who was already channeling his ability, swung his greatsword at Kyunghee the instant time stopped.

With a sickening slice, her head was severed in a clean arc, a fountain of blood erupting from her neck. As Leviathan's forces finally succeeded in returning, their Dungeon Master was already dead.

[B-rank Dungeon Master Kyunghee Min has died.]

[B-rank Dungeon Leviathan is beginning to vanish.]

[Leviathan's forces have successfully returned.]

[The affiliation of Leviathan's forces has disappeared.]

And so, on that day, the name Leviathan was wiped from the face of the world map.

---

News of the battle between Balak and Leviathan on the Halung Plains spread like wildfire across the West. The result was a decisive victory for Balak. Its prestige soared, but in a bizarre turn of events, the Raiders were ecstatic.

"So that's why they kicked us out! It was for a battle with another dungeon."

"Does this mean we can use the dungeons again?"

"Balak is the only dungeon left in the West now. I hope they reopen soon."

They had been in a tight spot, unable to enter Balak's dungeons. At first, they thought Balak was finally showing its true colors, but it turned out the gates had only been closed to deal with Leviathan. Finally understanding, the Raiders eagerly awaited the reopening.

Meanwhile, the B-rank Dungeon Masters of the West were stunned by Leviathan's demise. A dungeon considered one of the region's strongest had been utterly destroyed by Balak.

"W-well, now… I'd better watch how things unfold a little longer."

"The time isn't right."

"They destroyed Leviathan… What kind of monster are they?"

The Dungeon Masters who had been sharpening their blades hastily changed their tune and retreated back into the shadows.

---

"…Wasn't Taehyun Yoo in the Resistance, same as Kyunghee Min? Why would members of the same faction fight?"

According to all reports, Taehyun had joined the Resistance. As Dungeon Masters from the same region, they should have been allies, not enemies. Yet he had not only won but had completely annihilated both Kyunghee and her dungeon. Considering the Resistance forbade infighting, the situation was utterly baffling.

"Didn't you hear? Lady Mihye said it herself. He's a monster that devours everything in his path. He probably only joined the Resistance to keep our faction off his back."

"Hmm. Still, to devour a comrade… It's hard to believe. We should start preparing."

"Well, even Balak can't possibly hold out against the two of us…"

Just then, a red message flashed before their eyes.

[Balak's forces have entered Dungeon Panares.]

[Balak's forces have entered Dungeon Codorom.]

A surprise attack from Balak.

"W-what? How did they find us?!"

"We have to go back, now! At this rate, we'll be picked off one by one!"

Their dungeons would be destroyed before they could even team up. The two hurriedly returned to their respective strongholds, only to find Balak's forces had already reached the halfway point, carving a path through their soldiers.

"S-stop them! Send in the Guardians and Keepers!"

"Send the Guardians and Keepers!"

They burned through buff items, deploying their elite units, but they were already on the back foot. By allowing the enemy to penetrate so deeply, they had missed the window to use their most effective items. Their only hope was that Balak's army was split in two. They tried to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

But then, three Guardians and Keepers appeared in one dungeon, while a troop of identically dressed Raiders materialized in the other.

"W-what? Why did the screen go dark?! What's happening?!"

"He should have split his forces! How are three of his main units here?!"

The situation devolved into chaos. Both dungeons fell, their final rooms breached. Panares's Crystal Sphere was shattered by the greatsword of the time-stopping Raider. Codorom, unable to stop the three Guardians, surrendered its own.

[The Crystal Sphere of B-rank Dungeon Panares has been destroyed.]

[B-rank Dungeon Panares is beginning to vanish.]

[The Crystal Sphere of B-rank Dungeon Codorom has been destroyed.]

[B-rank Dungeon Codorom is beginning to vanish.]

"N-no! To end so pathetically! It can't be… This can't be happening!"

"Taehyun Yoo, you son of a biiiiitch!"

The two Dungeon Masters vanished along with their domains.

---

[You have destroyed B-rank Dungeon Panares.]

[You have destroyed B-rank Dungeon Codorom.]

"If there are two of them, you just crush them before they can team up," Taehyun mused. "Alright, that takes care of the two the Resistance wanted dealt with."

He had eliminated the two rival faction members as ordered. He'd also taken care of Kyunghee from his own faction, but she had been the one to initiate hostilities. As far as Taehyun was concerned, he had simply defended himself.

"Shall we continue conquering the West?" he murmured, a satisfied smile on his face as he watched the names disappear from the world map.

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