Episode 133

The door opened with a slow creak.

Nothing. The room was bare.

Another door creaked open.

Still nothing. Not a single soldier, not even the smallest trap.

He checked the final room, but it was identical to the others. Every single one was empty. There were no dangers, no puzzles, nothing.

[Fluttering curtains]

[Sand on the floor]

[Traces of mana]

[A girl holding hands tightly]

His Hunter's Eye revealed nothing but faint traces of mana. The left corridor was a dead end. All that remained was the right. Taehyun's gaze lingered on the curtains in the last room, then shifted to the sand on the floor. The wind from the east was blowing it in drifts against the far wall.

'The wind is from the east.'

He thought of the statue in the main hall, but the answer to the puzzle still eluded him. He followed the others back out and across to the right corridor. As he passed through the central hall, his eyes were drawn to the statue.

The shield was gone. In its place, a sword was now gripped in the statue's left hand.

[A sandstorm is blowing from the west.]

The wind had shifted. His companions brushed sand from their clothes as it now blew in from the opposite direction. They began checking the rooms.

"This one's empty, too."

"Same here."

"What is going on? Where is the way to the next floor?"

The right corridor was just as barren as the left. Every room was empty, and the path forward remained hidden. With no soldiers and no traps, the party was effectively imprisoned on the first floor.

Taehyun left them to their search and returned to the statue.

'It changed again. Back to the shield in the right hand, and the sword is gone.'

The statue altered its state each time they finished exploring one of the corridors.

"This is definitely strange, isn't it?" Seonghwi said, joining him.

"The wind is shifting again," Taehyun observed.

"The wind?" Seonghwi asked, confused.

The system message had said the wind was from the west, and indeed, sand was blowing in from the left corridor. But as they watched, the currents began to slow, the gusts now pushing back from the opposite direction. Seonghwi's expression hardened as he looked up at the statue.

At that moment, Desert Tribe Warriors materialized from the sand at both ends of the hall.

[A-rank Desert Tribe Warriors have been summoned.]

[A-rank Desert Tribe Warriors have been summoned.]

[A sandstorm is blowing from the east.]

Soldiers advanced on them from both sides. The wind was once again blowing from the east. Taehyun's eyes shot back to the statue. It was now holding both the sword and the shield.

"What do we do now?" someone asked, panicked.

"I've found the way out," Taehyun announced calmly. "But we can't get to it just yet. We'll eliminate the soldiers in the left corridor first. Geonwoo, you will hold the right corridor alone. Do not attack. Just defend."

"Hoh. Because of the sword in its left hand, I presume?" Seonghwi remarked with a flash of insight. He grinned as Geonwoo raised his shield.

[A-rank Raider Geonwoo Lee has activated Faith's Shield.]

[A mana barrier is generated around the shield.]

A shimmering barrier erupted, sealing off the right corridor. The rest of the party seized the opportunity and charged the soldiers on the left. Seonghwi became a blur of motion at the front, while the air filled with the whistle of arrows and the boom of spells from the rear.

Seonghwi, adapting quickly to his role as a raider, carved through the enemy ranks.

"Grr. Are you done yet?" Geonwoo yelled from behind them. "This barrier is about to break!"

Cracks were already spiderwebbing across the mana shield; it would not last much longer. Taehyun slung his bow over his shoulder and drew his scimitar. While Seonghwi was a competent swordsman, Narae was struggling. With Geonwoo occupied, someone had to fill the gap in their melee line.

"Songyi, keep up the support fire from here," he ordered.

"...Okay."

"Hoo."

He took a short breath, widened his stance, and then exploded forward. His first target was a warrior flanking Narae. Without hesitation, Taehyun's blade sliced through its neck.

Blood sprayed across his clothes, but he ignored it, sticking close to Narae and methodically dispatching the surrounding soldiers.

"Y-You're a Hunter!" she stammered. "Can you even fight in close combat like this?"

"Didn't you see earlier?" he replied without looking at her. "With an opening, it's possible."

"R-Right. You did." Her face flushed as she recalled how he had finished off Jangchan.

With Taehyun reinforcing the frontline, the party tore through the remaining soldiers with ease.

---

[You have been victorious in battle.]

[Your Health has dropped below 50%.]

[Your Stamina is beginning to be impaired.]

[Your Fatigue has accumulated to over 50%.]

[Your movements are beginning to be hindered.]

They had cleared the left corridor, but the fight had taken its toll. Their health and stamina were dangerously low. Another battle like that could push their stress levels over the edge. They would have to make their first camp inside the dungeon.

Taehyun steadied his breathing and looked toward the right corridor. The warriors had finally shattered the mana barrier and were now overwhelming Geonwoo.

"He's going to die! Shouldn't we help him?"

"Injong, focus all your healing and buff skills on Geonwoo."

"What? Are you really just going to leave him to fend for himself?"

"We have to wait."

Injong's spells enveloped Geonwoo, who was desperately holding the line with every skill he had, saving only his single-use abilities.

Taehyun turned his gaze back to the statue, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

At that moment, the shield in the statue's right hand dissolved and reformed into a sword.

The change he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

"I suppose it's safe to help now?" Seonghwi ventured.

"Yes," Taehyun commanded, his voice sharp. "Everyone, support Geonwoo and force a breakthrough. Our target is the hidden path in the right corridor. We have to find it before the wind changes direction!"

"So the wind was a factor after all," Seonghwi mused. "Our rookie is a sharp one."

The raid party finally launched their assault. Seonghwi and Geonwoo immediately carved a path forward, the Desert Tribe Warriors fanning out to their flanks. Taehyun vaulted into the air, using the soldiers' heads as stepping stones to cross the fray.

[Hunter's Eye has been cast.]

[Desert Tribe Warrior]

[Desert Tribe Warrior]

[Flow of Mana]

[Flow of Mana]

Dozens of soldiers were instantly highlighted in crimson. Amidst the chaos, Taehyun tracked the flow of mana. To his surprise, it emanated from three distinct locations, but that just meant he had to check each one.

''Where is it? Where!'' he thought, a sense of urgency creeping in.

The wind was already beginning to shift westward. If he couldn't find the passage to the second floor, they would be forced to repeat the entire grueling process. His eyes darted around the room, scanning every corner. Just then, Songyi, who had somehow managed to climb onto his back, pointed toward a room on the far left.

"Taehyun, there's a light coming from over there," she said.

"There? Wait a minute, when did you get on my back, Songyi?"

"...Hurry up, Taehyun."

She was right. This was no time for questions. Cradling Songyi in his arms, Taehyun launched himself into the room.

[You have arrived in the Room of Truth.]

[The aura of mana is slowly fading.]

As enemy soldiers swarmed in behind them, a brightly glowing statue came into view. It was smaller than the one in the central chamber but otherwise identical. Taehyun watched it slowly fade and reached for an arrow.

''Damn it!''

The soldiers who had just entered the room lunged at him. Taehyun drew his scimitar, desperately fending them off. "Songyi, hit that statue!"

"Okay!"

With soldiers pouring in, someone had to hold them back. He had asked out of necessity, but as a dedicated archer, her accuracy far surpassed that of a Hunter. While Taehyun held the line, Songyi drew her bow.

[The Statue of Truth has been destroyed.]

[The entrance to the 2nd floor has opened.]

[The Room of Truth will now become a Safety Zone.]

[The Dungeon Master's vision sharing has been disconnected.]

With the destruction of the statue, a new entrance materialized. The soldiers on the first floor were instantly annihilated, dissolving into particles of light. The Resistance raid party stumbled into the Safety Zone, finally able to catch their breath.

"Whew. Well done," Taehyun sighed in relief, stroking Songyi's head.

"Mhm."

If they had missed their chance with the statue, they would have been forced to repeat the entire pattern.

"So the first floor is cleared?" Geonwoo asked, panting. "This is a lot tougher than I expected."

"It's an A-rank dungeon, so this is to be expected," Taehyun replied. "And with a structure like this, the Dungeon Master can't intervene directly."

"I suppose you're right," Seonghwi chimed in. "But there's no guarantee the next floor will be the same. In any case, you did well, Taehyun."

As Seonghwi pointed out, it was foolish to assume the next floor would follow the same pattern. Being an A-rank dungeon, it was highly probable that each level had a unique design. Taehyun nodded, activating a camping item. With the Dungeon Master's vision severed, his first priority was to restore the party's health and relieve their stress within the sanctuary of the Safety Zone.

''Wait a second,'' he pondered. ''If the vision sharing is cut off, does that mean they can't see me use items, either?''

He recalled his own experiences blocking raiders. While he could normally monitor their every move, a disconnected feed was a different story. In a Safety Zone like this, the master's screen would go dark, rendering them blind to any items used. A slow, cunning smile spread across Taehyun's face as he retrieved an item from his inventory.

"Taehyun," Seonghwi said, his eyes twinkling. "It looks like you're plotting something fun again."

"You'll see soon enough," Taehyun replied cryptically.

"Then I'll look forward to it."

Under Seonghwi's expectant gaze, an item activated silently within the room.

---

Day three of the mission. While the stadium screens were likely showing an accelerated timeline, the one before Naeul was not.

[The Resistance raid party has cleared the 1st floor.]

[The Resistance raid party has cleared the 2nd floor.]

[The Resistance raid party has cleared the 3rd floor.]

The raiders were already advancing to the fourth floor. Despite each level being a complex puzzle, they had systematically cleared them under their leader's command.

"Naeul," a voice crackled through her communication device. "Taewan on the third floor was defeated. We made them burn another single-use skill, but now only the Guardian and Keeper are left."

"The fourth and fifth floors remain," Naeul replied coolly. "If we neutralize the 'Save a Colleague Coin' at the right moment, victory is ours."

"Understood. I'll wait in the third room of the fourth floor."

"I'm counting on you."

The Gwadomalla Dungeon consisted of five floors, each lined with rooms. The raiders were past the halfway point, but the fourth and fifth floors were still ahead. Naeul stared at her waiting Guardian and Keeper, biting her nails.

"I have to eliminate the Bounty Hunter, somehow."

While Taehyun was the most troublesome member of the party, his Hunter class made him difficult to eliminate. Her priority now was to at least get rid of the Bounty Hunter. This raid party had navigated every trap and obstacle she had thrown at them so far. She couldn't let them continue unchecked.

"The fourth floor houses the Advanced Mana Turret. I'll have to settle this with that."

Naeul picked up a pre-selected item, her eyes fixed on Narae's image on the screen.

---

[The Advanced Mana Turret recognizes the raid party.]

[A-rank Lamia Soldiers are summoned.]

[A-rank Desert Tribe Greatwarriors are summoned.]

An Advanced Mana Turret materialized before them, flanked by A-rank soldiers. The moment they stepped into the room, the turret locked onto them. A mana blast was imminent.

"Even I don't think I can block a blast from an Advanced Mana Turret," Geonwoo grunted.

"Use a single-use skill," Taehyun ordered. "You have to block that blast, no matter what."

"On it." Geonwoo charged forward and slammed his shield into the ground.

[A-rank Raider Geonwoo Lee has cast Mana Interruption Barrier.]

[All mana-related skills and attacks will be blocked by the barrier.]

[Mana Interruption Barrier uses remaining: 1/1]

A massive barrier erupted from the shield, effectively neutralizing the turret's primary weapon. With the immediate threat contained, Taehyun signaled the attack, targeting the Lamias first.

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