Chapter 10 - The D-Rank Raid Party (2)

　　Taehyun’s relentless war of attrition continued.

　　[Bolton]

　　[Rank: D (Low)]

　　[Level: 9]

　　[Class: Shield Bearer]

　　[Title: None]

　　[Affiliation: Freelance Raider]

　　[Stress: 15/100]

　　[Status: Bleeding from injuries to arm and leg (undergoing first aid with bandages), Fatigue (Low)]

　　[Relationship with Comrades: Braeam (Trust), Riden (Dissatisfaction)]

　　[Description: A raider who formed a party after hearing news of Balak in Partren. He has experience raiding several D-rank dungeons. He primarily uses a shield to protect his allies.]

　　Having already acquired the raid party’s information, Taehyun weaponized Riden’s inexperience, using it as a wedge to drive a rift between the two veterans.

　　"Damn it! Now they’re attacking while we’re trying to eat!"

　　"Braeam, two goblins on your right!"

　　"Son of a bitch!"

　　By constantly repositioning his wild dogs and goblin scouts, Taehyun harassed them at every opportunity, exploiting their every weakness. The ceaseless attacks frayed their nerves and deepened their exhaustion. He masterfully orchestrated each skirmish, ordering his soldiers to strike and retreat, minimizing his own losses while maximizing the raiders’ suffering.

　　Riden is this party’s weak link, Taehyun thought, a cold strategy forming in his mind. By exploiting him, I can continuously wear down Bolton and Braeam. If he could break the party’s two core members, stopping the raid would be simple. And so, for the entire second day, Taehyun’s forces tormented the raiders with a relentless cycle of hit-and-run attacks.

* * *

　　"What the hell is going on? Why do these monsters keep coming at us nonstop!" A battered Braeam threw his scabbard to the ground in a fit of rage. It was their tenth ambush. They always struck when the party was most vulnerable, and the damage was steadily accumulating.

　　"Whew… These aren’t just random monsters native to the forest," Bolton said, his voice grim. "I’ve felt it since that first night raid. They’re deliberately targeting you and me." His gaze drifted to Riden, who, while exhausted, was in far better shape than the other two. Bolton and Braeam were already suffering from multiple status ailments, and with no priest to heal them, their condition was only worsening.

　　"I agree," Braeam said. "And they don’t fight to the death. The moment they inflict some damage, they vanish, only to return later fully healed. None of this is normal."

　　"They must be tracking us from that fortress," Bolton concluded, remembering the goblins from the plains now working in concert with the wild dogs. He pushed himself up from the rock he’d been resting on. Ahead, nestled deep within the valley, was the dark maw of a cave. "We’ve finally made it to Balak, but I’m sick with worry. If we go in like this, we’ll be slaughtered."

　　Their objective was right in front of them, yet he was paralyzed by indecision. Turning back wasn’t an option either; the monsters from the fortress would surely hunt them down. He briefly considered the possibility of a Dungeon Master but quickly dismissed it. No, he thought, shaking his head. The monsters’ tactics and recovery rates are bizarre, but there’s no way a brand-new D-rank dungeon could have captured a fortress. He was completely oblivious to the fact that Taehyun had acquired it by summoning a Mid-rank Minotaur.

　　"What do we do now?" Riden asked, his voice trembling on the verge of tears.

　　I never should have brought him, Bolton thought, looking at the boy with a wave of disgust and regret. Riden had been utterly useless. He’d only been brought along to fill their need for a ranged attacker, but he’d proven to be nothing more than a liability.

　　"Hmph. We’re going in," Bolton finally declared, his voice heavy with resignation.

* * *

　　[Bolton]

　　[Stress: 60/100]

　　[Braeam]

　　[Stress: 40/100]

　　[Riden]

　　[Stress: 70/100]

　　As Bolton’s party stepped into Balak, Taehyun monitored their rising stress levels.

　　"What happens when this stress index gets too high?" he asked.

　　"The raiders’ stress index is tied to their mental fortitude, Master," Riel explained. "The higher it climbs, the more erratic they become. In severe cases, it can lead to a complete mental collapse."

　　The Stress Index. Alongside the Surprise Phenomenon, it was one of the things raiders feared most. It eroded their psyche, poisoned their relationships, and could shatter a party from within.

　　The stress index and their camaraderie… As a Dungeon Master, those are the vitals I need to watch closely. Their stress was already dangerously high, compounded by their injuries and fatigue. He was confident he could finish them within the dungeon.

　　[The Bolton Raid Party has entered the first room of Balak.]

　　Taehyun watched the system message appear and gave the order to his waiting soldiers.

* * *

　　A torch flared to life, casting flickering shadows across the first cavern.

　　"That’s one torch down, four to go," Bolton announced, his voice echoing in the damp air. "It’s a new, D-rank cave dungeon. Should be more than enough."

　　"Ugh. At least we’re not being swarmed the second we walk in," Braeam grumbled, rubbing his swollen shoulder. "We’re out of bandages and herbs. All we can do now is pray this is an easy clear."

　　"Look," Riden called out. "There’s a flower over here."

　　He pointed toward the center of the room. A grotesque flower bloomed there, its petals and roots the color of ash and bone. It radiated a deeply unsettling aura.

　　"Don’t touch it," Bolton snapped. "It’s a dungeon installation."

　　"Yes, sir. So, we just ignore it?"

　　"We’ll see."

　　An installation. Whether it was a natural formation or something placed intentionally, it was undoubtedly dangerous.

　　It’s an Abyssal Plant, a Landrozel, Bolton recognized, having encountered one on a previous raid. It was a gamble; it could grant a powerful buff, but it could just as easily inflict a crippling debuff. He glanced at his and Braeam’s condition.

　　We’re both in bad shape. The constant attacks have left us exhausted, and these injuries mean we can’t last much longer. Two of us are battered, and one is useless. Our stress and fatigue are through the roof. It was, without a doubt, the worst situation he had ever been in.

　　Squeezing his eyes shut, Bolton made his decision.

　　"I’m betting on it."

　　"Bolton, are you serious?" Braeam asked, alarmed.

　　"We have no other choice," he shot back. "We’re dead if we continue like this. This flower is our only hope."

　　With a tense expression, Bolton reached out and brushed his fingers against a gray petal. In an instant, a skull-shaped icon materialized above each of their heads, and a chilling aura swept through the room.

　　[You have touched the Abyssal Plant, Landrozel.]

　　[A random debuff has been applied to the raiders.]

　　[The Abyssal Aura reduces the raiders’ stats by half.]

　　It was the debuff.

　　"Damn it all," Bolton whispered.

* * *

　　[The raiders have made contact with the Abyssal Plant, Landrozel.]

　　[A debuff is applied to the raiders.]

　　[The raiders’ stats are reduced by half for one day.]

　　Watching through the Blue Eye, the corners of Taehyun’s mouth curled into a cold smile. He hadn’t counted on the installation having an effect, but a debuff was a welcome surprise. I can’t see their exact stats, but if they’re cut in half right now, this just became much simpler. Fifteen goblins and imps were already lying in wait in the next passage.

　　[Discord has occurred between D-rank Raider Bolton and D-rank Raider Riden.]

　　[D-rank Raider Braeam’s stress level has increased by 10.]

　　To make matters even better, the party was starting to fracture. This was an opportunity Taehyun would not let slip by. He immediately began moving the Minotaurs from the final chamber toward the first room.

* * *

　　"Why the hell did you touch the plant?" Riden shrieked, his voice cracking with panic. "We’re all going to die now!"

　　"You son of a bitch!" Bolton roared back. "You knew damn well we had no other choice, and now you’re blaming me?!"

　　"This is insane! I never should have followed you! I can’t believe I fell for that ‘experienced’ act!"

　　"What did you say?" Bolton spat, his eyes blazing. "You’ve been completely useless this entire time, and now you have the nerve to complain? If I’d known what a worthless coward you were, I would have left you to rot in Partren!"

　　Their pent-up frustration and fear erupted. Riden and Bolton hurled insults at each other while Braeam stood between them, overwhelmed.

　　"Both of you, stop it! This isn’t the time!"

　　"Stop what?" Riden scoffed. "We’re already dead!"

　　"Shut your mouth! You haven’t done a single thing right, so stop flapping your gums!"

　　The argument spiraled out of control. Finally, his rage boiling over, Bolton raised his shield as if to strike.

　　"You bastard. It would be easy to kill you right here!"

　　"There it is! Showing your true colors, you despicable snake!"

　　They squared off, weapons raised, snarling like cornered animals. Just as Riden nocked an arrow, monstrous shapes emerged from the corridor ahead.

　　"Intruders will be killed. Moo."

　　"Unforgivable. Moo!"

　　Balak’s soldiers had arrived, led by the hulking Minotaurs.

　　"Minotaurs…" Braeam breathed, his face paling. "No way."

　　"I thought this was a D-rank dungeon!"

　　Absolute despair washed over them. The monsters’ eyes gleamed in the torchlight as they charged. Bolton and Braeam mounted a futile resistance while Riden, his will to fight completely shattered, simply stood and watched. The monsters descended upon them in a tide of violence. The raiders, broken and divided, were slaughtered without ceremony, their desperate raid ending in a futile, bloody mess.

* * *

　　[Successfully defended against the D-rank raid party.]

　　[Raid Defense Rank: A]

　　[You have acquired 5,000 Zen as an A-rank Raid Defense Bonus.]

　　[Experience of Balak’s soldiers will increase by 50.]

　　[The Goblins’ combat experience has slightly increased.]

　　[The Goblins’ combat experience has surpassed its limit.]

　　[15 Goblins have been promoted to Elite Soldiers.]

　　[The Imps’ combat experience has slightly increased.]

　　[The Imps’ combat experience has surpassed its limit.]

　　[15 Imps have been promoted to Elite Soldiers.]

　　[The Minotaurs’ combat experience has slightly increased.]

　　[The loyalty of Balak’s soldiers has increased by 1 for the first successful defense.]

　　[You have acquired 3 D-rank Raider corpses.]

　　[You have acquired an additional 400 Zen from the D-rank Raiders’ bodies.]

　　[You have acquired a Wood Shield from the body of D-rank Raider Bolton.]

　　[You have acquired a Broad Sword from the body of D-rank Raider Braeam.]

　　[You have acquired a Crude Bow from the body of D-rank Raider Riden.]

　　He had done it. Only after reading the final message did Taehyun allow himself to relax. I succeeded. The raiders hadn’t even come close to his Crystal Sphere. He had survived. A thrill shot through him as he scanned the flood of notifications. The party’s demise had been anticlimactic, but a successful defense was a successful defense.

　　"Congratulations, Master. You have flawlessly defended against the first raid," Riel said, her voice filled with genuine admiration. "To achieve an A-rank on your first attempt is truly impressive."

　　"Thanks," he replied, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. "I was terrified, but I managed to pull it off."

　　"You may have been nervous, but you were also incredibly focused."

　　"W-was I?" With the immediate threat gone, he reverted to his usual self. Riel watched him scratch his head, a satisfied smile gracing her lips.

　　He exceeded all my expectations, she thought. That focus, that ruthlessness… He has a true aptitude for being a Dungeon Master, whether he knows it or not.

　　Taehyun had completed the final tutorial quest. Now, his real life as a Dungeon Master was about to begin.

* * *