Gelka didn't understand what had just happened.
Why had his proud Sword of Thunderfire—a strike powerful enough to evaporate monsters in an instant—done nothing when it struck the Tree Sentinel's shield?
How could that shield absorb his thunderfire… and then reflect it back as a light-bullet aimed straight at him?
He didn't know the reason.
But he knew one thing—
Run!!!
Run? But how could he even escape?
Another Tree Sentinel was already blocking his path from behind. Its warhorse reared up, neighing sharply. Though its face was hidden beneath a full helm, Gelka could feel the mocking grin behind it.
And even if he hadn't been surrounded, that Golden Parry's speed alone was something a worn-out mercenary captain like him couldn't possibly dodge.
Gelka glared desperately at the Tree Sentinel, forcing out a curse—
"Fu—"
BOOM!!!
The world vanished in a thunderclap of smoke and dust. Human eyes couldn't pierce the chaos.
"Still too much for him?"
Simon glanced back at Gelka, his brows drawing together slightly, before turning his gaze back to the battlefield.
The wyvern roared, its blazing dragonfire staining the sky crimson. Beneath its burning wings, the Lothric Knights cut down the city guards—once-gleaming armor now painted red.
The Zinogre howled, thunder crackling wildly across its body as it ravaged everything nearby without distinction.
The army of undead, illuminated by lightning, looked even more horrifying—perhaps the weakest force present, yet by far the most terrifying in appearance.
From the dungeon, wave after wave of monsters poured out, flooding the ancient city with the stench of blood and death. Beasts both familiar and unknown "introduced" themselves to the world in their own grotesque ways.
This—this was true calamity.
Even far-off Bedford City shuddered with dread. The screams and roars carried by the wind painted vivid images of slaughter in the minds of its citizens.
The mercenaries' resistance was collapsing. In truth, it had been meaningless from the start. How could they possibly hold back C-rank Black Knights and Silver Knights—let alone the Lothric Knights, who were slightly weaker but no less deadly?
Then, through the dungeon's portal, a Crucible Knight emerged.
The adventurers who had been debating whether to help froze in terror. The instant they recognized that figure, they bolted—fleeing toward Bedford City without a single glance back.
Thanks to countless eyewitness accounts, Crucible Knights had become one of the most infamous "hot topic" monsters of late. Their imposing armor and unmatched strength had made them the popular guess for a "final boss."
And so, his appearance carried even more dread than the Tree Sentinel's.
"Sorry, Captain," Simon sighed, then shouted, "Retreat! Back to the city!"
The mercenaries exhaled in relief. The mages banded together, erecting a barrier spell on par with high-tier magic to stall the monsters' pursuit as they withdrew in haste.
"What about us?!" the captain of the guards cried out in panic, glancing back for orders from Count Philip.
But the rear was empty—Count Philip had already fled.
"Bedford's filthy curse!!!"
The mercenary collapsed instantly. If they'd had double their numbers, maybe they could've clashed with the tide. But starting with barely a hundred men—half of them now dead—they had no chance at all.
Still, their discipline showed. Even in retreat, they didn't break formation or scream in panic. They loosed arrows, cast spells, anything to slow the pursuit, keeping their withdrawal from becoming a complete rout.
Back in the ancient city, the smoke finally cleared.
Gelka lay sprawled on the ground—only to realize in shock that he was still alive.
It wasn't luck.
A familiar figure stood before him: a young girl, delicate in appearance, yet holding a massive sword that had intercepted the Tree Sentinel's Golden Parry.
The Hero—Elsa—had finally made her move.
"Th-thank you," Gelka stammered, scrambling to his feet. Seeing his mercenaries retreat, he said quickly, "We should fall back for now."
Elsa nodded—but the Tree Sentinels weren't about to let them go.
A golden halberd swung down with earth-shattering force, shattering the stone beneath it.
Elsa's eyes sharpened. She raised her greatsword.
CLANG—!
Steel met steel. Sparks exploded.
And then—something impossible happened.
Those slender arms unleashed overwhelming power, sending the golden halberd crashing backward! The Tree Sentinel itself staggered, its arm trembling from the recoil.
A single blow—and a C+ class monster was forced to retreat?!
Such was the power of a Hero.
Elsa's lips curved faintly upward. She recalled something she'd once read in a novel—that at a moment like this, the heroine should flash a victory sign.
Was it… two fingers like this?
Before she could finish arranging her hand, another Tree Sentinel charged, its halberd slamming into her and sending her flying in a perfect arc.
BOOM!
She crashed into the ground—but crawled out unscathed, brushing herself off before retreating without hesitation.
"..."
Gelka was speechless.
Well—running was the only option.
And so ended the first clash between the Dungeon and the Light Eagle Corps—
in complete and utter defeat for the mercenaries.
In the ancient city, only one remained—Wade.
But his state was… strange. Though his body still looked human, he could no longer hide the monstrous aura radiating from him. Black mist curled constantly around his form.
Open Dungeon—the phenomenon that allowed dungeon monsters to reach the surface under normal circumstances.
It activated when the dungeon judged itself to be under great threat. The criteria for that judgment were unclear—beyond any measure of common sense.
Sometimes, however, the Dungeon Master's own emotions could trigger it. Intense joy or sorrow, grief or rage—any of these could drive a dungeon berserk.
But this wasn't necessarily a good thing.
First, it risked the Dungeon Master's sanity. Second, slaughtering surface dwellers brought no Mana return.
True, during Open Dungeon, the cost of summoning monsters was greatly reduced—a temporary boon. But in the end, it was still consumption without replenishment. No matter how you looked at it, it was a losing deal.
And the Dungeon Master's mental state was no small concern. Years of isolation underground could easily lead to madness. Some, like Aldwin, sank into dementia; others lost themselves entirely. None met a good end.
Luckily, Wade still had his avatars to interact with the outside world—preserving a shred of his humanity.
There was also one crucial warning—
It was said that if a dungeon went berserk too often, it would invite unspeakable consequences.
Aldwin's records were vague, and Wade didn't know what exactly those consequences were. But he knew enough to be careful.
"Still…" he murmured, gazing over the battlefield, "since I've already come this far out, I can't just waste the opportunity."
Before him stretched a sea of monsters awaiting his command.
From savage wyverns to Tree Sentinels, Black Knights, and Crucible Knights—they all surrounded him like stars orbiting the moon, lowering their proud heads.
A king.
Here, the Dungeon Master was their king.
Looking over his army, Wade suddenly thought—perhaps conquering the world wasn't such an impossible dream.
He shook his head with a wry smile. I'm really getting carried away. Then, sweeping his arm forward, he ordered:
"March! Target: Bedford City! Destroy those wretched nobles for me!"
(***)
In Bedford City, inside the Adventurers' Guild—
"What do you mean, monsters are pouring out of the dungeon?!"
Stella shot up from her seat by the fireplace, her face pale.
The adventurer who'd burst in was practically shouting. "It's true! I saw it with my own eyes! Even Count Philip was eaten alive!"
(He hadn't been, of course.)
The guild erupted into chaos. Many hadn't been near the portal—this was the first they'd heard of it.
"Sein Dungeon's gone berserk!"
"I need to get home—if I leave now, I might still make it!"
"Ha! To see a monster siege firsthand—worth it even if I die!"
This can't be happening…
Stella clutched the sun-emblazoned pendant at her chest. It was glowing faintly, radiating warmth.
If she had to choose, she already knew her answer.
She would stay—and fight.
After all, wasn't helping others the duty of a Warrior of Sunlight?
At that moment, the guild doors burst open.
When the newcomers' faces came into view, the guild erupted with joy.
"It's Sir Leon—and the Raiding Team!"
"They're back!"