Episode 141

A year and a half had passed since he was summoned to this continent. He had grown by fending off all sorts of raid parties, starting from a pathetic D-rank dungeon, and now he was a Dungeon Master with his own territory. Most of the enemies he had thwarted were raiders who had far surpassed his expectations. He had come this far by stopping them, one after another.

Now, it was time to ascend beyond B-rank. It was time to become an A-rank dungeon. Yet, instead of excitement, Taehyun felt a heavy sigh escape him.

'Now I have to deal with A-rank raid parties, too? Count Dinen is using Balak for the time being, but A-rank raiders might ignore the Association's warnings and attack anyway. It'll be even more likely if my sub-rank is high.'

All dungeons had a party size limit penalty, a system designed to prevent hundreds or thousands of raiders from attacking at once. There were additional penalties depending on the rank, affecting everything from rewards and party size to restrictions on skills, abilities, and items. It was only natural that A-rank raiders avoided low-rank dungeons.

But that protection was now gone. As Balak rose to A-rank, he had to prepare for a new level of threat.

"Finally, an A-rank dungeon," he muttered.

"Our Balak will now become even more renowned throughout the continent," Riel said, her voice filled with pride.

"Which means even more people will rush to raid it," Taehyun countered grimly. "Just imagining it gives me the creeps. For now, the other factions can't touch us because of the Faction War, so I just need to worry about the raiders."

Of course, Mihye's faction, Tarantula, had its share of raiders, but under the protection of the Resistance, he should be able to keep them in check for a while.

'Speaking of which, is it because we went through one mission together? They're all suddenly acting so friendly. Not long ago, they were glaring at me like they wanted to kill me, and now they're treating me like a hero?'

Since the faction system's introduction, a community feature for members had been activated.

—If you get picked for every Faction War, we'll probably always win. That's Taehyun Yoo for you.

—…When are you coming?

—I watched from the sidelines. My sacrifice was worth it. I'll keep watching you, Taehyun.

—Hey, thanks for your help during the Faction War. C-can I visit Balak sometime?

Just opening the messenger revealed a flood of messages from Seonghwi, Narae, Hyunjun, Geonwoo, Seunghoon, Lee Hyuk, Songyi, and countless others. They messaged him relentlessly, as if they never got tired of it. For now, he was ignoring them with the excuse of being busy, but he knew that wouldn't last forever.

Taehyun sighed and took out the magic stones. The crystal sphere reacted instantly, its surface shimmering as it absorbed the B-rank stones.

A low rumble shook the dungeon.

Just like before, the entire dungeon of Balak vibrated. Having already experienced one evolution, Taehyun was no longer surprised.

[The rank of the B-rank Dungeon Balak has risen.]

[A significant increase in magic!]

[All of Balak is shaking.]

[Great Success!]

[The A-rank Dungeon Balak has undergone a significant evolution.]

As expected, Balak had evolved once again. Unlike the last time, the increase in magic wasn't as dramatic, but he was satisfied nonetheless.

[Dungeon Name: Balak]

[Master: Taehyun Yoo]

[Rank: A]

[Location: A cave deep within the Silent Valley, on the western frontier of the Astral Continent.]

[Supporter: Riel of Healing (B)]

[Boss: Deshkar the Rock-Throwing Golem]

[Mercenary: None]

[Guardians and Keepers: Knight Grai, Raviz the Ruler of Space]

[Soldiers: Orc, Lizardman, Fenrir, Evil Goblin, Goblin, Black Imp, Imp, Warhound, Wild Dog, Minotaur, Resident, Fairy, Direct-Subordinate Fairy, Wyvern, Gargoyle, Werewolf, Harpy, Catapult Drake (Modified), Centaur, Troll, Salamander, Roquin, Kadum, High Elf, Dwarf, Drophin, Larkan]

[Monsters: Orc, Lizardman, Fenrir, Evil Goblin, Goblin, Black Imp, Imp, Warhound, Wild Dog, Minotaur, Fairy, Direct-Subordinate Fairy, Wyvern, Gargoyle, Werewolf, Harpy, Catapult Drake (Modified), Centaur, Troll, Salamander]

[Servants and Maids: Dungeon Residents]

[Traps: Sticky Trap, Hunting Trap, Arrow Trap, Deep Pit, Magic Blocking Trap, Rolling Boulder, Wall Spikes, Binding Net, Illusion Formation, Flame Trap, Coffin of Sacrifice, Skill Blocking Trap, Radar Sealing Trap, Skill Restriction Prison]

[Installed Measures: Landrozel the Flower of the Abyss, Madria's Bookshelf, Hideous Spider Egg, Glittering Pouch, Thick Box, Low-Grade Magic Turret, Mid-Grade Magic Turret, Mysterious Magic Powder, Merchant's Corpse, Lost Cat, Soldier's Corpse]

[Modifications and Changes: Corridor Change Between Rooms (Stage 7), Room Position Change (Stage 4), Corridor Length Change Between Rooms (Stage 7), Room Interior Size Expansion (Stage 10), Forest Environment (Stage 6), Corridor Remodeling Between Rooms (Stage 7), Corridor Size Expansion Between Rooms (Stage 8), Entire Dungeon Scale Expansion (Stage 7)]

[Rooms: 35]

[Dungeon Status: The A-rank Balak, having undergone its second evolution, is a dungeon brimming with a large amount of magic. Its combat power has increased thanks to Grai, Raviz, and Deshkar. Traps and installed measures still show some deficiencies. The modification and change status has been upgraded once again. The territory itself is developing thanks to the High Elves and Dwarves, and it is possible to create anomalies through Balak's affiliated Raiders. Larkan's transmutation circle is currently sharing magic with Balak. A-rank soldiers and mercenaries must be summoned quickly to increase military strength.]

'The main changes are the detailed soldier list, the modification status, the number of rooms, and the dungeon status,' Taehyun noted. 'Still, thanks to Grai's evolution, our combat power has increased.'

He thought of the swordsman Grai, who had once been an orc. Now that he knew Guardians and Keepers could evolve, his other main forces might have the same potential.

Taehyun glanced at Mederia, who was standing beside him.

'If she evolves, will she change from a fairy to another race? No, she might evolve into a higher-tier fairy.'

She was considered an elite in the fairy world. For now, she was standing there shyly in her new maid outfit, but if she evolved, she would become even stronger.

"M-Master Taehyun, if you keep staring at me like that, I'll get embarrassed," she mumbled.

"You're the one who wanted to wear it, so what's the problem now?" he retorted. "Never mind. You can go back. Kinjo might be looking for you."

"Hah… that gloomy goblin bastard is probably having fun toying with the raiders all by himself." Her true feelings slipped out, a testament to how much Kinjo had been tormenting her. "Oh! What did I just say? Well then, I'll be going now."

"Hurry up and go."

As Mederia returned to the second Balak, Taehyun sighed and took out a Random Mercenary Summon Card.

"That expression just now was incredibly fierce," Riel commented. "You saw it too, right, Master Taehyun?"

"Let it be. For now, I need to summon a mercenary."

"Come to think of it, this is your first mercenary, isn't it? I'm quite looking forward to it."

"We'll see when I summon it."

He had already witnessed the power of a mercenary through Seonghwi. Although that one had been S-rank, an A-rank mercenary would still be a considerable asset. With a flicker of anticipation, Taehyun used the card.

---

The Celestial Realm, Pletas. A sacred space at the very edge of the heavens, a land solely for angels and a holy place of worship.

Two thousand years had passed since the war with the Demon World began. The conflict had not yet ended, but for now, an uneasy truce held.

"I heard Michael was promoted to Archangel. They say she has four pairs of wings now."

"When will we ever become such splendid angels?"

"We'll probably have to work incredibly hard, don't you think?"

The Celestial Realm was so peaceful that three young angels could chat idly, praising the archangels they admired.

Suddenly, a magic circle flared into existence right where they were standing.

"L-look at that! It's a magic circle!"

"A magic circle in the Celestial Realm? No way! Everyone, run!"

"Aaaaah!"

A sinister magic pulsed, threatening to suck everything in. They fled without looking back. Two of them managed to escape its influence, but the third was being swallowed whole.

"G-guys! Wait! Don't leave me behind! Please!"

In the end, the angel with a single pair of wings vanished from Pletas.

---

[You have used the Random Mercenary Summon Card.]

[A summon circle is being generated.]

[The summon circle is generated near the crystal sphere, stabilizing the magic.]

A gray magic circle materialized near the crystal sphere. Watching the being slowly take form, Taehyun considered what he knew about mercenaries.

'A mercenary is the strongest unit a dungeon can have, limited to one at a time. I heard it's possible to switch them out, but once you hire one, you're stuck with them for the duration of the contract.'

Unlike Guardians and Keepers, mercenaries were summoned for a set period. He could hire more later, but for the duration of one contract, only that specific mercenary could be called upon. Furthermore, they could only be summoned once a day and for a limited time. It was crucial to draw a strong card from the very first summon.

[Success!]

[Rank A Named Mercenary 'Crybaby Eclat' has been summoned.]

'Tch! A-rank? Still, if her skills are good…'

Just as he was feeling disappointed, his eyes widened in shock. The being that emerged from the summon circle emitted a holy light before collapsing to the floor. A slender body, flowing silver hair, two piercing blue eyes, a white gown imbued with Divinity, and a pair of white wings spread wide from her back. The figure sobbing on the floor was none other than an angel.

"M-Master Taehyun, step back!" Riel cried, shielding him. "She's an angel, hostile to Dungeon Masters and demons alike!"

"So… I just summoned an angel?" Taehyun asked, dumbfounded.

"Mercenary or not, we must retreat—!"

Before Riel could finish, Eclat let out a heart-wrenching wail.

"HUUUH! Where in the world is this?! I want to go back!"

He was too shocked to respond.

"Ugh! Claire! Nariel! Where are you?! Don't run away and leave me behind! Sob, sob!"

Her cries echoed throughout Balak. Taehyun stared at her blankly for a moment before checking her information.

[Crybaby Eclat]

[Rank: A (Named)]

[Level: 61]

[Race: Angel]

[Class: Priest]

[Title: Celestial Harmony]

[Affiliation: Celestial Realm Pletas (Temporary Contract)]

[Loyalty: 0]

[Favorability: 0]

[Obedience: 0]

[Skill: Melody of Blessing]

[Special Ability: Harmony's Tune]

[Strength: 1] [Endurance: 1] [Agility: 1] [Stamina: 1]

[Mana: 1] [Divinity: 45] [Affinity: 32] [Luck: 20]

Indeed, the newly created race slot read 'Angel.' Her class was Priest, but the affiliation was what mattered most right now.

'A temporary contract!'

Not only had he summoned an angel—the sworn enemy of demons—but it seemed he was stuck with her as a mercenary for a while.

[Crybaby Eclat has been temporarily hired as a mercenary.]

[For 60 days, Crybaby Eclat is fixed as your direct mercenary.]

[When the employment period ends, it is possible to fix her as a direct mercenary again based on your intent to re-hire.]

[The 'Summon Mercenary' skill has been created.]

Taehyun scowled at the message that appeared. He had no choice but to use Eclat for the next sixty days.

"Hey."

"Huh?"

"Stop your blubbering and show me your skills and special ability. You're my direct mercenary, aren't you?"

"A-a demon! I don't wanna!"

Recognizing him as a Dungeon Master at once, she finally broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

---

[Summon Mercenary]

[Skill Level: 1]

[Description: You can summon your direct mercenary for 30 minutes. However, it can only be used once a day.]

"Master Taehyun, what are you going to do?" Riel asked, her voice laced with worry.

"I don't know," Taehyun sighed. "I've sent her back for now, so it'll work out somehow. Hah. My eardrums were about to burst."

It was a wail louder than anything he had ever heard. He looked at the spot where Eclat had disappeared. He had displayed incredible luck with his summons until now; it seemed that luck had finally run out.

An A-rank Named mercenary. She was certainly a useful being. The problem was her race. Moreover, the Priest role was already filled by Riel. Without knowing the effects of her skills, her value as a combat asset was ambiguous at best.

"Let's set the mercenary aside for now and summon some soldiers."

"That seems for the best."

Taehyun cleared his thoughts of Eclat and opened the shop. Just then, a blue message flashed before his eyes.

[Crybaby Eclat has been exiled from the Celestial Realm Pletas.]

[Crybaby Eclat's affiliation is changed to Balak.]

[Correcting an error in the mercenary system.]

[Crybaby Eclat's position is changed to Permanent Mercenary.]

[The direct mercenary slot is now empty.]

[The 'Summon Mercenary' skill does not apply to Crybaby Eclat.]

[From now on, Crybaby Eclat will be treated as a soldier of Balak.]

It was the news of Eclat's exile. Taehyun just blinked as she reappeared before him.

---

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.