[The duration of the ?-rank raid party's Radar Detection Net has ended.]

[The detection net around the raid party disappears.]

As Taehyun predicted, their radar expired as they entered the sixth room. They still had Vision Priority, but every raider was afflicted with the Breath of Death debuff. Even with Warm Embrace halving its potency, managing their health and fatigue was becoming a constant struggle.

[40 Top Elite High-rank Evil Goblins draw their bowstrings.]

[Accuracy 64%]

From the shadows of the sixth room's forest, his goblins launched their ambush. Forty arrows sliced through the air.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Sebastian casts Whirling Windmill.]

[Some of the arrows are deflected by the spinning scythe.]

The raiders responded instinctively, their identities being revealed one by one as they fought back. They were skilled, dispatching his soldiers with practiced ease.

[An Evil Goblin has died to Top-tier B-rank Raider Ruach's spear thrust.]

[A hound has been instantly killed by Top-tier B-rank Raider Shape's homing arrow.]

[A direct-line fairy is stunned by Top-tier B-rank Raider Deriman's strike.]

His forces dwindled as the raiders pressed on, camping frequently. Breath of Death was taking its toll, forcing them to rest after every battle as their fatigue mounted.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Sebastian has used Alarm Mana.]

[Any approach during camping will be automatically detected.]

Junhyun had anticipated an attack during their rest and preemptively used an alarm item.

'They're approaching the eighth room. Breath of Death has slowed them down considerably. If this keeps up, they'll have to use their second charge of Warm Embrace soon.'

Their camping supplies were running low, and the alarm item was now spent. He could finally begin a relentless series of ambushes.

"M-Master Taehyun!" Edchan interjected, his voice laced with concern. "Are you not sending the soldiers in too hastily? We are only accumulating losses. What is your objective?"

"I have to force them to use their one-shot skills," Taehyun explained calmly. "Even with the debuff halved, they're still clearing rooms at a steady pace. I have to wear down their health and stamina, even if it means sacrificing my soldiers."

"But they are taking no damage! As long as they continue to manage their resources, we are simply wasting our forces."

Edchan was right. Junhyun was playing it safe, using Deriman to fight efficiently while conserving his party's skills and resting constantly. It would be difficult to inflict any real damage this way.

"It's fine," Taehyun said, a cold smile touching his lips. "Because I'm about to kill one of them."

He deployed Mandra and Mederia into the ninth room. Edchan was still confused, but it didn't matter. He would understand soon enough.

Taehyun's eyes locked onto the Bounty Hunter on the screen, his smile widening.

---

"Kieeeek!"

Another goblin, this one with strangely colored skin, charged at them. It was the tenth ambush in a row. They were running low on camping items; this war of attrition was not in their favor.

"Dicks, use your one-shot skill," Junhyun ordered.

"Got it."

The raider on the right, Dicks, began to gather mana. The air crackled with power as the top-tier B-rank mage prepared his 4th-circle spell. He focused the energy, unleashing a torrent of lightning.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Dicks casts Lightning Nova.]

[Nearby enemies are electrocuted.]

Arcs of electricity shot out from the ground, spreading through the area. The goblins that had been approaching under stealth were instantly caught in the blast, their bodies convulsing.

"Now! Finish them!"

"On it!"

"Let's go!"

The raiders seized the opening and cut down the stunned goblins. As the last one fell, they all gasped for breath. Despite the frequent rests, the constant fighting was wearing them down. Now that Dicks had been forced to use a one-shot skill, the situation was becoming dire.

"Let's rest," one of them panted. "I'm too winded to move."

"Hey, there's a Skill Block Trap up ahead," another pointed out. "Go disarm it."

"A Skill Block Trap… That should give a nice performance boost."

As the others collapsed to the ground, Kino once again moved forward to deal with the trap.

"Hey, don't get too far from the group," Junhyun warned.

"I told you before, Sebastian, you worry too much," Kino shot back. "Just sit back and watch me rack up points."

"Tsk. Damn it."

Kino ignored him and disabled the trap.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Kino has disarmed the Skill Block Trap.]

[Kino's stress level decreases by 2.]

[Kino's performance points increase by 150.]

A huge 150-point gain. Satisfied, Kino turned to rejoin the group, but a wall of fire erupted around him, cutting him off.

"Wh-what is this?!"

"Damn it, more of them! Get ready to fight!"

"Hah… are you serious? More?"

Fairies emerged from the trees ahead. The raiders scrambled to their feet, but a volley of magic bullets from above pinned them down, preventing them from forming up.

"H-hey! Help me! What are you all doing?!" Kino screamed, trapped inside the ring of fire. As a Bounty Hunter with poor physical stats, he had no way of escaping on his own.

Junhyun bit his lip, cursing himself. He'd been saving Vision Priority, and now a hidden squad had caught them. The goblins from before had been nothing but bait. The main force must have been hiding in the forest the entire time, watching their comrades die.

'I have to save the Bounty Hunter. I have no choice… I have to use another one-shot skill.'

He signaled to the spirit master, Nowell, who nodded and cast a spell at the wall of fire.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Nowell casts Water Boom.]

[A Water Boom flies toward the wall of fire.]

A massive bubble of water shot from Nowell's hands and slammed into the flames. The fire hissed and died, creating an escape path for Kino. But at that same moment, the entire forest burst into flames.

"What the hell? I thought this environment was fireproof!"

"That crazy son of a bitch! He's sacrificing the entire room! What is he thinking?"

"We have to get out of here until the fire dies down! Everyone, fall back!"

Thick smoke was already filling the air. With Nowell's Water Boom expended, their only option was to retreat. The raiders fled back into the connecting hallway, but Junhyun hesitated, unable to turn away.

As trees collapsed, the fire spread across the floor. Kino, having just escaped the wall of fire, was now trapped again by the spreading blaze.

Gritting his teeth, Junhyun used the Save a Comrade Coin.

[You have used the Save a Comrade Coin.]

[The location of Top-tier B-rank Raider Kino will be moved to this raid party's position.]

The coin flew into the air, glowing with a blue light. Then, just as suddenly, the light died, and the coin fell uselessly to the ground.

[Dungeon Master exclusive item 'Item Nullification' has been activated.]

[The effect of the Save a Comrade Coin disappears.]

[The movement of Top-tier B-rank Raider Kino has failed.]

It was a sickening echo of the past, the same cold, systemic denial he had once used in the Silent Forest. A wave of déjà vu washed over Junhyun as he ground his teeth.

'Taehyun Yoo, you son of a bitch! You were aiming for the Bounty Hunter from the very beginning!'

With Kino, they could bypass traps with ease. But if he died here, the rest of them would have to face every obstacle head-on. With Breath of Death draining their stamina, the time it would take to clear each room would skyrocket.

"Aaaaaargh! Help me! Help… Argh!"

Amidst the roaring flames, Kino's body went limp, an arrow from a fairy above protruding from his throat.

As the inferno closed in, Junhyun finally turned his back. The coin was nullified; saving Kino was impossible. The only logical choice was to cut his losses.

And so, the ninth room of the dungeon burned.

---

[B-rank Named Soldier Mandra, the Flame Fairy, casts Wall of Fire.]

[The Bounty Hunter raider is trapped in the Wall of Fire.]

Mandra, placed in advance, had executed her orders perfectly. As predicted, Junhyun tried to save his man, forcing another raider to use a one-shot skill.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Nowell casts Water Boom.]

[A Water Boom flies toward the wall of fire.]

First the mage Dicks, now the spirit master Nowell. Both identities were exposed. The Water Boom had extinguished the wall, but the trade was already a massive win for Taehyun.

"So that was your plan," Kinjo chirped. "But it's a shame none of the raiders died. The Bounty Hunter will probably escape now."

"What are you talking about? He's not getting away," Taehyun said coldly. "Mandra, burn the forest."

Flames engulfed the entire ninth room. A high-grade forest environment was normally fire-resistant, but not against the flames of a Named fairy. Taehyun was willing to sacrifice the entire room to eliminate the Bounty Hunter.

Just as he'd planned, a desperate Junhyun used his Save a Comrade Coin.

[Top-tier B-rank Raider Sebastian has used the Save a Comrade Coin.]

[The location of Top-tier B-rank Raider Kino will be moved to this raid party's position.]

'I don't think so.'

Taehyun smirked and activated his own item.

[You have used the Dungeon Master exclusive item 'Item Nullification'.]

[The effect of the Save a Comrade Coin disappears.]

[The movement of Top-tier B-rank Raider Kino has failed.]

The coin clattered to the floor, and Kino was left to the flames. It was a perfect mirror of how Junhyun had tried to save Rudin during his first raid. Taehyun watched the rage contort Junhyun's face on the screen, immensely satisfied.

'How does it feel, Junhyun, to have your own strategy turned against you? It must be infuriating.'

With that, he had seized the psychological advantage. Taehyun gave the order to kill Kino, right in front of Junhyun's eyes. He knew they weren't true comrades, but it was a perfect way to spike Junhyun's stress level.

With a sickening thwack, Mederia's arrow found its mark in the nape of Kino's neck, ending it. Junhyun turned and fled the room. He would be stuck in the hallway until the fire in the ninth room burned itself out.

'I've stalled them again. Now, they'll have to use their last charge of Warm Embrace…'

As if on cue, a message appeared.

[The B-rank, top-tier Raider, Ryurik, has cast Warm Embrace.]

[The effects of all debuffs on the raid party are reduced by half.]

[Warm Embrace usage limit 2/2]

It was exactly what he had been waiting for.

"Good, that's it. I've drawn out both charges of Warm Embrace."

"Isn't that bad for us?" Kinjo asked. "By the time Warm Embrace ends, the duration of your Breath of Death will also be nearly over."

"Normally, yes. But not now," Taehyun said, watching the raiders prepare to camp again. "This is perfect."

He didn't know how many camping items they had left, but the number was finite. They would run out. As their food and buff items dwindled, managing their health and fatigue would become nearly impossible. And now, without their Bounty Hunter, they would have to contend with rising stress as well.

'I'll make your torment last,' Taehyun mused. 'Not just when you camp, but in every room you enter. I'll grind you down until you collapse.' Without a Bounty Hunter, they stood no chance of bypassing his traps and installations. And if he could take out their radar, his plan would be perfect. 'The moment Death's Breath ends, you'll feel a surge of relief. But that hope will curdle into despair. Rest well until then.'

---

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