Chapter 5 - Exploration (2)

　　[System Directive]

　　[8. With Balak’s exploration party, conquer the Blue Tribe Orc habitat.]

　　[Warning: Failure to comply within one hour will result in the destruction of the Crystal Sphere. The destruction of the Crystal Sphere will result in the death of the Dungeon Master.]

　　On the sixth day of relentless exploration, the quest to subjugate the Blue Tribe Orcs—the greatest threat to Dungeon Balak—finally appeared.

　　"So it’s the Blue Tribe Orcs now. How am I supposed to handle them?"

　　Of all the monsters he’d encountered, the Blue Tribe Orcs were by far the most troublesome. With twice the strength of a human and incredible Endurance, every fight against them had been a struggle. Now, he had to conquer their home base.

　　Taehyun studied the map, his eyes fixed on the plains west of the Forest of Silence. The orc habitat, a circular fortress situated in the middle of a wide-open field, looked like a nightmare to assault. There was no cover, no terrain to exploit, and its circular walls made a flanking maneuver impossible. A frontal assault was his only option.

　　"First, let’s review my forces," he muttered, pulling up the dungeon’s status.

　　[Dungeon Name: Balak]

　　[Master: Taehyun Yoo]

　　[Rank: D]

　　[Location: Western Frontier, Astral Continent. A cave deep within the Valley of Silence.]

　　[Supporter: Riel of Healing (B)]

　　[Boss: None]

　　[Mercenary: None]

　　[Guardian & Keeper: None]

　　[Soldiers: Lowest-Grade Goblin (12), Lowest-Grade Imp (6), Lowest-Grade Wild Dog (3)]

　　[Monsters: Lowest-Grade Goblin (12), Lowest-Grade Imp (6), Lowest-Grade Wild Dog (3)]

　　[Servants & Maids: None]

　　[Traps: None]

　　[Installed Measures: None]

　　[Remodeled & Altered State: None]

　　[Rooms: 5]

　　[Dungeon Status: A dungeon that could be conquered by even a ragtag group of Raiders. No troops or traps are deployed, and with no installed measures, the path leads straight to the Crystal Sphere. A rapid change is needed. The vitality recovery rate of troops has increased due to the B-rank Named Supporter, Riel.]

　　"Hmm. This looks impossible."

　　It was a pathetic excuse for an army. His monsters weren’t intelligent; they just followed orders. He needed more numbers, or at the very least, a powerful unit to hold the front line.

　　"Hey, Riel, I think I saw a soldier training function before. Can I use that?"

　　"Hmm, no. To train soldiers, you need either a direct subordinate, a soldier whose rank has increased through combat experience, or a Named unit, which is one with a unique name. While you could create them through repeated battles, it is far more efficient to obtain them through summoning."

　　Direct subordinates and Named units. Elite troops and unique powerhouses. In short, to train a soldier, you need an even stronger soldier to lead them.

　　"I see. It’s not worth buying equipment for these grunts, so I guess I have to increase my numbers."

　　Taehyun stared at the shop icon, deep in thought. He had been hoarding Zen to invest in the dungeon itself, but getting stuck on a tutorial quest forced his hand.

　　"Oh, screw it. I’ll get the Zen back when I clear the quest, and I’ll have the spoils, too."

　　He decided to buy more summon cards.

　　"It’s risky, but let’s try a random summon this time."

　　The random soldier summon card cost a steep 300 Zen, but if he got lucky, he could pull a high-tier unit. Riel watched his decision with a hint of anxiety, but she remained silent. The choice was her master’s to make; her role was merely to advise.

　　He’s cleared every quest so far, she reasoned. He must have a plan.

　　While she pondered, Taehyun left his private chamber and walked to the main cavern, wanting to take advantage of the Crystal Sphere’s mana stabilization buff.

　　[You have used a Random Soldier Summon Card.]

　　[A summoning circle is being generated.]

　　[The summoning circle has appeared near the Crystal Sphere, stabilizing its mana.]

　　The buff activated as expected. The summoning circle pulsed with blue light and, a moment later, produced a pair of hulking monsters.

　　[Great Success!]

　　[Two C-rank soldiers, ‘Intermediate Minotaurs’, have been summoned.]

　　With brawny, muscular bodies, sturdy frames, and massive axes clutched in their hands, two bull-headed warriors materialized. Taehyun’s eyes went wide.

　　C-rank soldiers! They were Minotaurs, just like in the games and movies, and they were intermediate-grade. They were the perfect tanks he had been hoping for.

　　"I pledge my loyalty. Moo!"

　　"As do I. Moo!"

　　He couldn’t have been more pleased as the two beasts knelt and swore fealty. His eyes lit up as he immediately checked their information.

　　[Intermediate Minotaur]

　　[Rank: C]

　　[Level: 1]

　　[Class: None]

　　[Title: None]

　　[Affiliation: Balak]

　　[Loyalty: 40]

　　[Favorability: 10]

　　[Obedience: 40]

　　[Skills: None]

　　[Special Abilities: None]

　　[Strength: 2] [Endurance: 3] [Agility: 1] [Stamina: 4]

　　[Mana: 1] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 1] [Luck: 1]

　　This is definitely worth 300 Zen!

　　The unexpected arrival of two Minotaurs made the orc conquest seem far more achievable. He could fill the rest of the ranks with cost-effective imps and goblins.

　　Recalling the stats of the Blue Tribe Orcs, he knew these two Minotaurs alone could hold the front line.

　　Their numbers weren’t that high, and with Riel’s healing buff, these two will be even harder to take down.

　　He finished assembling his expeditionary force, adding more ranged imps instead of melee goblins. He had spent around 500 Zen, but the quest reward would more than cover the cost.

　　Alright. Time to move out.

　　Mindful of the distance to the Arid Plains, he purchased provisions for the journey and finalized his preparations.

　　"Oh, are you finished already?" Riel asked as he returned.

　　"Yeah. I got lucky and summoned two Intermediate Minotaurs. Thanks to them, I didn’t have to overthink it."

　　"My goodness, Intermediate Minotaurs! In the shop, even a lowest-grade Minotaur costs 500 Zen… That’s incredible, Master."

　　[B-rank Named Supporter, Riel of Healing, is impressed by the Master’s summoning.]

　　[Loyalty increases by 2.]

　　[Favorability increases by 1.]

　　His lucky pull had paid off in more ways than one. Riel’s admiration instantly restored the loyalty and favorability he had lost earlier.

　　"It was just luck. Anyway, I bought food, so we should be good to go."

　　"But was it necessary to purchase food?" Riel questioned. "Monsters typically hunt to sate their hunger during an expedition."

　　"I know, but I’ve noticed their loyalty sometimes drops if I don’t provide for them. It’s better to spend a little extra Zen," Taehyun explained, meticulously managing every detail.

　　He’s even considering details I might have overlooked, she mused. Is he already adapting to his role as a Dungeon Master? He’s a completely different person from the man I first met.

　　Riel’s assessment of Taehyun shifted once again. It was still early, not even a month into his protection period, but his smooth progress through the tutorials was deeply satisfying. With a proud smile, she served him the tea she had prepared.

　　"This is very good to see. Please, continue on this path."

　　"Uhh… thanks."

　　Her sudden praise caught him off guard, but he didn’t mind the positive evaluation. He accepted the tea, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

　　Wait a minute, he thought, a new idea taking root. The status window has stats for Favorability and Obedience… If those get high enough, does that mean…?

　　An unwelcome, lewd fantasy invaded his thoughts. The image of Riel, her pristine nurse’s uniform gone, approaching him… Heat flooded his cheeks. The uniform was already dangerously form-fitting, but the thought of what was underneath was intoxicating.

　　No! He shook his head violently, trying to clear the image. This is not the time for that. My life is on the line. I have to focus on survival!

　　Riel tilted her head, confused by his strange behavior, but then turned her attention to the map. Balak’s exploration party, now including Blue Eye, had departed for the Arid Plains. Taehyun forced himself to refocus on the world map as well.

* * *

　　"To think he’d pack food for us, who were just summoned. He’s a very kind master. Moo."

　　"That’s right. Moo!"

　　The Minotaurs, having just left the cave, already held a high opinion of their new master. Behind them, the goblins and imps trembled, intimidated by the massive newcomers. Before the Minotaurs’ arrival, this had been their paradise, but a new pecking order had just been established.

　　Keeping their distance, the smaller monsters followed the Minotaurs into the Forest of Silence.

　　"Food! Moo!"

　　"Let’s hunt! Moo!"

　　The Minotaurs spotted deer in the woods and were about to give chase, but Blue Eye stopped them with a sharp glare.

　　"Kkyuuuu!"

　　It was relaying Taehyun’s will.

　　"We must obey the master’s command. Moo!"

　　"That’s right. Moo!"

　　On an expedition, the master’s command was absolute. As long as their loyalty and obedience stats didn’t hit rock bottom, they had to obey. The party continued toward the Arid Plains, engaging in several skirmishes along the way. As night fell, the soldiers made camp in the forest and ate the provisions they had brought.

* * *

　　"Hmm. They should be entering the Arid Plains soon," Taehyun mused, watching his troops on the screen.

　　For the soldiers, it had been nearly a full day’s march, but for him, only a few minutes had passed. Time flowed differently for the Dungeon Master, accelerating between major events. The icon representing his party was already at the edge of the forest.

　　"No casualties so far. I guess the real fight starts now."

　　He watched the icon move, his mind formulating a strategy. He had programmed the troops to halt just outside the orc habitat, so he had a little time to plan.

　　"What is your strategy?" Riel asked.

　　"Guerrilla tactics," he replied. "The fortress is surrounded by walls, so a pincer attack like last time is out of the question."

　　"Do you believe it will succeed?"

　　"We’re about to find out," Taehyun said, turning his attention to the new message on the map.

　　[Balak’s exploration party has discovered the habitat of the Blue Tribe Orcs in the Arid Plains.]

　　[As this location has been previously discovered, no bonus experience will be awarded.]

　　They had reached their destination. As programmed, his troops were waiting just out of the orcs’ line of sight. He immediately issued an order to the Minotaurs.

　　Lure the orcs at the entrance over here!

　　The first targets were the sentries. Following his command, the Minotaurs roared and feigned a charge.

　　"Chwiik! Enemy! Kill!"

　　As expected, the two orc guards charged forward without hesitation, undaunted by the larger foes. The Minotaurs then turned and pretended to flee, and the orcs gave chase.

　　The bait was taken.

　　Two of them are coming! Quick, support the Minotaurs!

　　The goblins and imps, lying in ambush, swarmed out at Taehyun’s command. The pursuing orcs were stunned by the sudden appearance of reinforcements.

* * *