SSS-Rank Overlord: Defend the Dungeon or Die-Chapter 249: Episode

The Black Ocean was dark. The terrain was a treacherous, uneven space of pillars and rocks rising from a central chasm. While the spear knight remained at their sub-point, ready to throw, the assassin had a different role. They were the Bat, tasked with hiding in the shadows and hunting their counterpart. Marking the enemy was essential to guide the spear knight’s throw, making teamwork paramount.

Unfortunately for the White Team, they had the exact opposite.

—"Stop showing off and move! I can only hit my target if you leave a mark!"

—"Hah. And what do you plan to do with that tiny little spear? In this domain, I am omnipotent. You just watch from over there."

—"Ugh! Have you even read the objective? This is the third time I’m explaining that the assassin’s role is the Bat!"

—"Indeed, this body is as nimble as a bat. Your compliments, however, are useless. An assassin must always savor solitude. This battle will be no different."

The two were utterly incompatible. One was desperately trying to reason with her partner, but the other, lost in a haze of self-admiration, had no intention of listening. The battle had already started, yet they were still bickering over the open channel instead of using telepathy.

"Mmm. Just as I thought. Zero teamwork."

"Kukuk. Looks like you have a problem. Have you finally realized your limits, Taehyun Yoo?"

"Not my limits, no. But I have realized that a certain someone’s condition is far more severe than I thought. You seem pretty confident, though. Finally managed to relax a bit, have you?"

"Of course. Since assassins can’t attack each other, rank is meaningless here. The Black Team’s victory is inevitable."

He was right. Combat was forbidden in Bat Catching. Even an S-rank Named like Krodin held no real advantage. His job was simply to mark his opponent, and since he hadn’t even bothered to understand the rules, his chances of success were slim to none.

[System Message: Nero has successfully placed a mark.]

[System Message: The location of the stealthed Krodin will be revealed for a limited time.]

At last, Nero struck first. Krodin, who had been mid-rant, saw the glowing mark on his body and ground his teeth.

—"You dare!"

—"Ahahaha! Now that you’re marked, try to run. Sir Fletain, the hunt is on!"

A shimmering mark pulsed across Krodin’s body. In the pitch-black arena, there could be no easier target. Nero watched the spear arc through the air from the sub-point and melted back into the shadows. Fletain’s accuracy from a fixed position was among the best of all spear knight raiders. With the mark shining like a beacon, victory was all but assured.

—"Kuh! To inflict such a humiliation upon me... I will not forgive you!"

As if finally shocked back to his senses, Krodin’s entire demeanor shifted. He weaved through a volley of spears and ducked behind a pillar. For an assassin playing the role of the Bat, it was a desperate situation.

Taehyun, however, watched the screen without a hint of concern. He sat back leisurely, calmly re-examining Krodin’s information window.

[Assassin Krodin]

[Rank: S (Named)]

[Level: 59]

[Class: Rogue]

[Title: King of Assassins]

[Affiliation: Balak]

[Loyalty: 72]

[Favorability: 54]

[Obedience: 54]

[Skills: Bat Transformation, Block Escape Route, Silent Blade, Dark Assimilation, Shadow Clone]

[Special Ability: Stealth]

[Strength: 42] [Endurance: 5] [Agility: 93] [Stamina: 39]

[Mana: 12] [Divinity: 2] [Affinity: 38] [Luck: 67]

[Status: Self-absorbed]

His narcissism was a critical flaw, but the King of Assassins did more than just assassinate. Stealth was a mere basic ability. Krodin’s true power lay in his impossibly nimble movements.

[System Message: S-rank Named Assassin Krodin has cast Dark Assimilation.]

[System Message: S-rank Named Assassin Krodin has cast Shadow Clone.]

[System Message: S-rank Named Assassin Krodin has cast Bat Transformation.]

A flurry of skills activated. Krodin, now a swarm of bats, used his clones to disrupt the spear knight’s aim, flitting through the air with impunity.

—"Ahahahaha! You can’t hit a single one! Did you truly believe you could strike this body, the King of Assassins, with such clumsy efforts?!"

His arrogance was grating, but it didn’t matter. No matter how many marks were placed, it was all for naught if the spear couldn’t connect.

"Kuh! What are you doing, Fletain? Hit the soldier, not the clones!"

Vesta’s order came too late. The mark was already fading.

[System Message: Krodin’s mark has disappeared.]

The glowing bat vanished without a trace. Having already cast Dark Assimilation, Krodin had become one with the Black Ocean itself. Nero and Vesta were blind, but on Taehyun’s screen, his form was perfectly clear.

—"Aha. So this is what you called telepathy, wench. Very well. As a special favor, I shall follow your command. They have bestowed upon me a great humiliation, and for that, there will be no mercy."

—"Hah. Whatever. Just mark him. I’ll handle the rest."

—"Kukuk. I hate to admit it, but it seems this battlefield itself rejects this body. I shall entrust this task to you, just this once."

The Bat had finally understood his role. His arrogant attitude remained, but at least he was on the right track.

’Well, I might as well see how this plays out.’

The combination of Lisita and Krodin had no teamwork whatsoever. Their coordination was still a mess, but it was certainly entertaining. Taehyun rested his chin on his hand, watching the screen with a leisurely air.

---

The foundation of assassination is concealing one’s presence. To go undetected is paramount. Nero was undoubtedly skilled, but he had his flaws.

’Rather than clumsily hiding your presence, it’s better to reveal yourself. You know nothing of a true assassin. Now, allow me to demonstrate.’

Simple stealth always leaves a faint trace, but Dark Assimilation was different. By entrusting his entire being to the darkness, Krodin had become one with the Black Ocean.

[System Message: You have cast Shadow Clone.]

A lesser assassin would try to identify the real body by sensing its presence. But against a foe who had assimilated with the darkness, telling the real from the fake was nearly impossible.

[System Message: Nero has successfully placed a mark.]

[System Message: The location of the stealthed Shadow Clone will be revealed for a limited time.]

Nero took the bait. He stared at the glowing clone, his confusion palpable.

"A-A clone?!"

He had mistaken it for the real thing. A clumsy error. The clone was merely a tool. Krodin shot toward the marked decoy.

[System Message: You have cast Block Escape Route.]

[System Message: You move to the rear of the Shadow Clone.]

If the distance was too great, he could simply use a clone as a stepping stone. Krodin spun through the air, his hand clamping down on the back of Nero’s neck.

"Found you, insect."

"D-Dammit! To think I marked a clone!"

"You dared to humiliate this body. A thousandfold repayment would not be enough for your sin. Now, as I recall, the mark is placed by touching the opponent’s body. In that case, I shall leave a mark that lasts an eternity."

"Ugh! At this range, you’re a target too!"

Nero tried to wrench free and mark him in return, but he was already surrounded by shadow clones. Krodin used Block Escape Route again, instantly appearing behind him.

"I shall teach you what it means to be the King of Assassins. Watch closely with those two eyes of yours."

Behind his mask, Krodin’s eyes began to flicker with an eerie light.

---

[System Message: Krodin has successfully placed a mark.]

[System Message: Krodin has successfully placed a mark.]

[System Message: Krodin has successfully placed a mark.]

Marks were placed in rapid succession. They didn’t stack, but the duration was constantly refreshed.

—"Dammit! Get away from me!"

The weak flee.

—"Kukuk. Do you truly believe there is anywhere to run?"

The strong pursue.

Fletain, at his sub-point, hurled his spear, but it was impossible to hit a target without a mark. Lisita, however, at the red point, had a target that was constantly illuminated. She could launch her spears with ease.

As Lisita’s spears began to zero in on Nero, their impacts echoing like thunder, the raid leader grew frantic.

"What is going on? What in the world is that man? Why? Why can’t he mark him back?!"

This could be the final battle. If the fifth tower fell to the White Team, the raid party would be annihilated, defeated in Rule Maker with only a single victory to their name. Vesta was losing control, his rage boiling over.

Just then, Taehyun spoke from across the arena.

"Hey. Don’t you think ending it like this is a bit anticlimactic?"

"...Are you mocking me?"

"What are you talking about? I’m asking because this doesn’t feel right to me either. What do you say?"

"Grrr.’ I cannot accept this! Such a one-sided defeat! I, the raid leader, haven’t even had a proper fight!" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

And he wasn’t the only one. Three of his raiders hadn’t even set foot on a battlefield. It was only natural that he couldn’t accept the Arena ending this way.

Taehyun looked at the enraged Vesta and made a proposal.

"Then how about this? We’ll call this battle a draw. Then, you and I will face each other, one-on-one."

"You and I? Just the two of us?"

"That’s right. I’m giving you one more chance. Let’s settle this between us. The winner takes the entire Arena. Oh, and of course, right before being annihilated, the loser has to grant the winner one request. Deal?"

"...Fine. But as I said before, I cannot tell you anything about the Tarantula faction. That is a taboo placed upon me. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand. Perfectly. But that’s not what I want anyway."

His true objective was never the members of the Tarantula faction. The reason he had dragged this out, offering chance after chance, was for something else entirely.

[System Message: The White Team soldier has achieved the objective.]

[System Message: White Team’s Victory!]

[System Message: The fifth crystal tower has been captured by the White Team.]

Nero was struck by a spear. The fifth tower fell to the White Team, but the result was immediately nullified. Taehyun and Vesta rose from their seats, moving toward the sixth and final capture point.

---

[System Message: The objective has been updated.]

[System Message: Battlefield Objective: Kill the opposing commander!]

[System Message: Details: You have entered the final battlefield. The field is a fighting stage suspended over a flaming chasm. Your class, level, skills, and special abilities have been temporarily adjusted. You must kill the opposing commander.]

[System Message: Objective Status: Vesta 0/1]

The scene was like a vision of hell. A fighting stage stood untouched in the center of an inferno.

[Name: Taehyun Yoo]

[Age: 22]

[Nationality: Republic of Korea]

[Level: 84 (Temporary)]

[Rank: S]

[Class: Boxer (Temporary)]

[Title: He Who Stands at the Center of the West]

[Affiliation: Dungeon Master]

[Guild: Resistance]

[Skills (Temporary): Perseverance’s Protection, Focused Strike, Lion’s Roar, Body Flicker, Guard, Balance Breaker]

[Special Ability (Temporary): Counter]

[Strength: 64 (Temp)] [Durability: 44 (Temp)] [Agility: 70 (Temp)] [Stamina: 52 (Temp)]

[Mana: 1 (Temp)] [Affinity: 1 (Temp)] [Luck: 15 (Temp)]

’Not bad. This might actually be a good fight.’

His opponent was an experienced S-rank Boxer. Factoring in the crimson gauntlets on his hands, he was a truly formidable foe. And Taehyun had to face him one-on-one.

Vesta, standing opposite him, warmed up and asked.

"Do you need equipment?"

"No, I’m already geared up. That’s why I requested the same Boxer class as you."

He had already borrowed and equipped greaves, accessories, boots, and a helmet from his main forces. All that remained was a weapon and chest armor. Taehyun pulled the items from his inventory.

[System Message: You have equipped Vaddon’s Mithril Armor.]

[System Message: You have equipped Vaddon’s Mithril Gauntlets.]

Vaddon, the former commander of the Frost Queen’s army. Though he was long dead, his equipment remained.

Taehyun lightly tapped his fists together, the mithril ringing with a sharp clang as he limbered up.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

The final, bloody battle between the two was about to commence.