"The first target is that one over there, sir." Kinjo's gaze shifted to a group of soldiers on a nearby slope. The Dungeon Master camped there commanded Dullahans, B-rank soldiers specializing in mobility.
'Why them?' Taehyun thought. 'There must be plenty of other C-rank Masters around.'
"Muahaha. That one must be an idiot. For soone with B-rank Dullahans to camp on a slope is a suicidal act in itself, sir."
'Explain.'
"I will explain with results, sir. First, launch a preemptive attack with the archers."
At Kinjo's command, the goblin archers at the bottom of the slope drew their bowstrings. The special ability from the Ice Palace activated, and for a mont, the goblins' breathing ceased. Their range instantly increased. The Evil Goblins released their arrows in unison.
A volley of arrows arced through the air. However, fired from the bottom of the slope, most missed their mark, embedding themselves harmlessly in the ground. The enemy Dungeon Master, startled at first, sent his own soldiers to investigate.
"Hah! You tried to target with a pathetic group of goblin archers? You've got so nerve. Kill them all!"
With his mobile Dullahans, overtaking the goblins at the bottom of the slope would be easy. The Dungeon Master led his Dullahans and Skeleton Horsen in a charge. As expected on the downhill terrain, they closed the distance rapidly, the Dullahans' speed a terrifying blur.
'Now what?' Taehyun wondered.
"Indeed, with the mobility of the Dullahans and Skeleton Horsen, they will close the distance even faster on a downhill slope like this," Kinjo cackled. "However..."
The skeletal Nightmares, rushing at full speed, let out a piercing shriek as a solid wall of shield-bearing monsters materialized at the bottom of the slope.
"Wh-what? Stop! I said stop!" the Dungeon Master yelled frantically, trying to halt his charging cavalry. But on the steep decline, their montum was uncontrollable.
"Their speed is so great that stopping at once is simply impossible. Muahaha."
The dium-sized shield soldiers braced themselves, raising their massive shields. The Dullahans and Skeleton Horsen crashed into the unmoving wall and were sent flying. lee soldiers, who had been hiding in ambush, sward the fallen riders, and the enemy Master's face went pale with horror.
"D-damn it! Retreat! Everyone, run!"
Though his cavalry was in disarray, he still had his other undead soldiers. He hastily gave the retreat order and tried to scramble back up the slope. Just then, thief soldiers materialized from the shadows.
"Hide. Stab. This is the truth of life!" one of them hissed with a chittering sound.
"Kiek. It was tough coming down from behind, sir."
"Hah. Die!"
The thieves sward the undead soldiers in a devastating surprise attack. The Dungeon Master trembled, looking back up the slope in disbelief. He had checked his rear while charging down. But these thieves had appeared out of nowhere and were slaughtering his forces. It was incomprehensible. He scread and fled.
"That idiot will die without ever knowing why," Kinjo gloated. "The duration of the thieves' Stealth ability is ten seconds. That's just enough ti for them to appear from behind with the shield soldiers and catch him completely off guard. Muahaha."
Panting, the fleeing Dungeon Master wandered aimlessly. With his soldiers gone, he couldn't fight anyone. He had to find a place to hide.
'Th-that forest over there! I'm sure no one will co this far!'
He saw the forest bordering the barrier, and his face lit up with hope. He plunged into the trees, and after catching his breath for a long mont, a wave of humiliation washed over him.
"Damn it! To think I was defeated by re C-rank soldiers! It's a disgrace! Nothing short of a disgrace!" They were B-rank soldiers, an elite force of Dullahans and Skeleton Horsen, yet he had been defeated so absurdly. He still couldn't believe his powerful units had fallen to re C-rank trash. "I'll find out who did this and get my revenge! They won with tricks this ti, but next ti, my soldiers will crush them!"
If he could just get back to the continent, he could rebuild his army. Then, he would use his contacts to find the one responsible for this humiliation.
"Whew. It's humiliating, but I have to survive. Those bastards... they won't co this far, right?" Near the bridge, the other Masters were still tearing each other apart, likely enjoying the chaos under the absurd pretext of stealing points. He sighed and leaned against a tree to rest.
At that mont, a figure erged from the bushes. It was the C-rank Dungeon Master, Taehyun Yoo.
"I thought there was sothing more to it, but I guess not," Taehyun said, sounding disappointed. "I waited for nothing."
"Hmph. It's only the Dungeon Master left anyway, sir," Kinjo grumbled as he and the long-nosed goblin appeared, no longer hiding.
The enemy Master stared at them, flustered. "Wh-who are you? Where did you co from!"
"Where did we co from? From right here," Taehyun replied coolly. "By the way, how does it feel to have lost all your soldiers?"
"Ugh! It was you!" His eyes bloodshot with rage, the Dungeon Master charged forward recklessly.
In that instant, a blade shot up from the ground, impaling him through the abdon.
"Argh!"
"To lose your reason so easily after losing your soldiers," a deep voice rumbled, "you are not qualified to be a Dungeon Master." Grai, who had appeared beside him, lifted his sword and flung the dying man to the ground.
"K-heuk... Y-you bastards!"
The Dungeon Master, the Supporter, and the Guardian were all gathered in one place. They had summoned their army in the forest from the very beginning. He realized it all too late as his vision blurred and his breath faded.
[You have extorted 20,000 contribution points from B-rank Dungeon Master Park Dohyun.]
Another successful hunt, another 20,000 points. That brought his total to 40,000. Taehyun patted the shoulder of the dead man.
"I'll make good use of these 20,000 points."
He was a B-rank Master, but thanks to Kinjo's brilliant sche, he had been dealt with easily.
"Muahaha. That's 40,000 points now, sir!" Kinjo cheered.
"Do I have to kill three more like this?" Taehyun asked.
"Just trust , sir. In a place like this, my sches are foolproof."
At Kinjo's supre confidence, Taehyun nodded. The goblin's strategies were proving invaluable. From luring the enemy with a feigned charge to exploiting their montum on the slope and timing the ambush perfectly—it was all ticulously planned. To think it all ca from Kinjo's mind was truly impressive.
'He even calculated the cavalry's speed on a downhill slope. That's disturbingly thorough.'
This hunt had proven Kinjo's true worth. He wasn't just a Supporter talented in managent and politics; he was a master tactician. Taehyun intended to make full use of his sches for the rest of the hunt.
[Contribution Points: 40,000]
'Sixty thousand to go. I just have to kill three more.'
There were still plenty of Masters fleeing the chaos at the bridge, most of whom had lost their soldiers trying to reach the 100,000-point mark. A few high-ranking ones fought back, but most were simply being hunted down.
"As I thought, many others knew about the hidden rule. They must have retreated behind the bridge from the start."
"Muahaha. But there wasn't a single one who thought to occupy this forest like you, Master Taehyun!"
"Well, that's true," Taehyun conceded. His gaze returned to the main battlefield on the plain. The allied Dungeon Masters had summoned their siege units and secured the entrance to the hill, but had made no progress since. A powerful barrier of divine energy was likely blocking their path. Even now, a nine-headed Hydra was trying to lt through it with acid, but to no avail. It would take days of constant bombardnt to break through.
Taehyun studied the two Dungeon Masters at the very front. 'Those two must be aiming for the top rewards, even though they know the hidden rule. Do they have so idea of what's at stake?' He had heard that S-rank and above Masters were veterans from the first summoning, making them his seniors. 'But I don't need to worry about them for now. They've always operated in the shadows anyway.'
They could earn their points their way, and he would earn his.
"There are three left, so I'm counting on you, Kinjo."
"Don't worry, sir. I will hunt the remaining three with ease."
"I know you will."
Only three remained. Sixty thousand points. Mihye Han hadn't been summoned to Partisan, so there was no risk of running into her.
'I'll hit 100,000 points and then continue to lay low in this forest.'
---
On Day 9 of the Holy Kingdom Invasion, the High Priest's barrier blocking the middle of the hill was finally beginning to crack. The Dungeon Masters focused the firepower of their siege units, preparing to capture the mid-hill.
Just then, the Holy Kingdom finally deployed its main army. A perfectly composed force of Holy Knights, Priests, Raiders, and soldiers marched onto the plain. Unable to withstand the siege any longer, they had been forced to engage directly.
"They're finally coming out. I've been waiting."
"Let's start summoning Guardians and Keepers. Anyone with rcenaries, bring them out!"
"Now we can finally have a proper fight. Ti to earn so real points."
As if on cue, the Dungeon Masters summoned their Guardians and Keepers. The two armies faced each other in a tense standoff.
"Bring down the hamr on the demon bastards!"
"May the protection of Behel be with us!"
"Hyaaa!"
The Holy Kingdom's army charged, aiming for the siege units. The two forces clashed, signaling the true beginning of a fierce and bloody war.
---
Watching the scene from afar, Taehyun clicked his tongue. "Tsk. They're recklessly deploying their Guardians and Keepers when the High Priests and Cardinals haven't even shown themselves yet."
The High Priests must have been dispatched to the various cities, but the most powerful among them, along with the Cardinals, would surely be defending the capital. Since they hadn't yet appeared, the war had only just begun.
'At least the S and A-rank Masters are still hiding their cards. That's a relief. By the way, has the Commander of the Holy Knights not shown up? I heard he's incredibly strong.' There was no clear commander among the Holy Knights on the field. It seed he, too, was being held in reserve.
"Ugh... Ah..."
"Ah, my apologies. I kept you waiting." Taehyun turned his head back to the Dungeon Master behind him. The man was spewing blood from his neck as he crawled across the forest floor.
[Contribution Points: 120,634]
He was a man who had collected over 100,000 points, but unfortunately for him, he had fallen for Kinjo's latest sche.
"Is it ti to kill him now?" Grai asked, standing over the man.
Taehyun nodded, and the Fla Dragon Sword descended, cleanly severing the man's head from his shoulders.
[You have extorted 20,000 contribution points from B-rank Dungeon Master Choi Sangtae.]
Another 20,000 points. Taehyun watched the head roll to a stop before checking his own total.
[Contribution Points: 80,000]
'Just one more to go.'
---
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