The very moment I felt it—that pull—I knew. It was an intense urge, one just like the impulse that usually urged me to acquire my invader’s G.P. But this? This was at least three times stronger. And in that instant, I understood. Just like last time… I was dealing with another "Authority-wielder." But what I didn’t expect—was to see this.
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 31
Race: HighBreed
Class: Swashbuckler
Title: Master Duelist / Blade Dancer / Champion
[Status]
- H.P: 2005 / 2120
- M.P: 302 / 350
- S.P: 3250 / 3700
- Fatigue: 8%
- Defense: 460
- Offense: 4100
[Skills]
- Acrobatics: Level 8
- Blade Mastery: Level 8
- Counter-Attack: Level 6
- Dueling Stance: Level 5
- Evasion: Level 7
- Shadowstep: Level 5
- Parry: Level 6
- Quickdraw: Level 6
- Swordplay: Level 8
- Lesser Regeneration: Level 3
- Tactical Awareness: Level 5
[Abilities]
- Blade Dance: Unlocked
- Elusive Shadows: Unlocked
- Holy Enhancement: Unlocked
- Precision Strikes: Unlocked
- Swift Reflexes: Unlocked
- Regeneration: Unlocked
『Expand』
_____________________________
Through a simple glimpse at the stats displayed before me, it was obvious—many things demanded my undivided attention. First, I was finally dealing with my first HighBreed, one of the three sub-races of what this world considers humans and one of the two that actually had access to the leveling system. Then there was the blatant title of "Champion."
I didn’t need an explanation. Instinctively—and through that authority, Otherworldly Synergy—I understood what it meant. It meant that this invader had already defeated a dungeon like mine before.
To be honest, I had never considered the idea that more dungeons like mine could exist out there. But right now? I couldn’t care less. Me not being the only Dungeon Master? Who cares. Him being a Champion? Meh. Him being my first HighBreed invader? Still don’t care. All that mattered was the reward on his head.
27,082 G.P.
And more importantly—two Authorities. Authority Gathering and Ethereal Echo. No invasion had ever been this promising. The sheer greed that surged within me was almost unbearable. But of course, I remained cold and logical. For one, that was simply how I was. For another, something about his stats—or perhaps about him—set off every alarm I had.
Because this couldn’t be just his level. Sure, Level 31 was impressive, but not enough to make me feel what I was feeling right now. "I suppose it’s the Authorities. This bastard has two, after all," I told myself.
It was just about then that I realised. What worried me wasn’t just his Authorities. But their absence.
Yes. They were absent.
I felt like slapping myself for not noticing it immediately. This invader—who had all the stats of a normal Level 31 Swashbuckler—bore no sign of the two Authorities mentioned in the invasion notification.
Unlike Christian—that lone invader from before, the one who wielded Otherworldly Synergy—this one had no such listing. Christian’s Authority had been clearly displayed in its own category within his stats. But this one?
Nothing. No sign of either Authority at all.
Had it not been for the initial notification… had it not been for this overwhelming greed clawing at me… this guy would look like just another invader. A strong one, sure, but nothing more.
"Where is it, buddy? Where is your Authority?"
Was he hiding it? Waiting to use it when he really needed it?
I've never been fond of unexpected surprises. No, to be precise—it’s the concept of surprise itself that I don’t like. And yet, ever since I became this, that’s all I’ve been confronted with. One surprise after another.
I won’t go so far as to blaspheme and complain—I’m still grateful to exist like this instead of rotting in that place. But this one? This surprise? I wasn’t fond of it. If anything, I was outright annoyed.
"Come on, where are your Authorities? Didn’t you have two of them someho—Ah, crap. It’s beginning."
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 20, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 20, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
The moment he set foot in my domain, I immediately remembered what happened last time with the lone invader—I knew it would come to this. I knew this was a sight I would have to bear. At least he didn’t have the terrible timing of that other lone invader, the one who showed up right after an invasion. This time, I was fresh—like a fish out of water.
All my spawns were ready. Ready to kill. Ready to die for me.
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 20, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 20, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
Actually, never mind. I'm not so fresh anymore.
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 20, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 20, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
"This... this is a really depressing sight." I sighed as I watched the Level 31 Swashbuckler carve through my Level 20 Specters like a knight slicing through butter. "I guess I've reached the threshold where Specters just don’t cut it anymore."
Not that I didn't already know this. I've always followed the rule of leveling up after each invasion. At first, that meant exclusively improving my spawns. Then, after acquiring a dungeon guardian, it became about balancing both—the average level of my spawns and that of my guardian. That way, I’d never find myself overleveled and overwhelmed by an unexpected threat.
One of the things I dread the most is what I suspect happens to most of my invaders: getting overwhelmed—both quantitatively and qualitatively.
The worst part? How suddenly it can happen. And if you're not expecting it, you're probably not prepared for it. No one is immune to that. Not even the person I used to be in my past life. In this one, I’ve done my best to make sure I never end up in that position, and so far, it hasn’t happened. Most of my invaders have been weaker than my spawns collectively, but I know that won’t always be the case. The best I can do is make sure I’m ready when that day comes.
Watching the carnage unfold, I made a mental note: replace 80% of my Specters. I’d keep the last 20%—they still made for a warm, inviting bait for invaders—but the rest? Gone. I also had to keep the ones in the walls. "As for the rest…What should I replace them with? Another type of incorporeal undead? Or maybe something entirely different…Damn why am I asking that now?! Now is not the time."
I kinda shook my head, refocusing on the present. The real problem was standing right in front of me.
Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "Oh, crap. Now you're going after my Death Paladins?"
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, dropped “Mommy’s Sword”]
『Expand』
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Death (Patrolling Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
"Tsk."
After the Peon incident and its aftermath, I had to go through a complete dungeon rearrangement. Well, I call it an arrangement, but in reality, not much changed—except for one crucial thing: positioning.
Now, the deeper an invader ventures into my domain, the stronger my spawns become. At the same time, I installed external chambers along the sides—all of the side of my long, winding, seemingly endless domain, each filled with hidden spawns. Compared to the creatures in plain view, the ones in these chambers are always stronger. That way, if an invader tries to flee upon encountering a spawn they deem too powerful, they'd find themselves trapped—pursued by something just as strong as what they were running from.
All in all, this "arrangement" was really just me doubling down on my role as a Dungeon Master: luring invaders in and making sure they never make it out.
Evil? Maybe. But that’s the nature of this existence. I need them to come in—I need that sweet, sweet G.P.
Right now, I could already have some of my hidden spawns burst through the walls of my domain, cutting off his escape. But I won’t. Not yet. That’s for when he finally tries to retreat—something he’s clearly not doing anytime soon.
So, I let him rampage.
At the rate he's tearing through my spawns, he's burning through his S.P. fast. As a Swashbuckler—a class that relies more on Stamina Points than Mana Points—that resource is his lifeline. I know that if I just let him go wild, he’ll eventually push himself into a vulnerable spot. And when that moment comes, the fight is mine.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Sure, Level 31 is slightly above my spawns’ average level. Only my Dungeon Guardian and about two dozen Death Paladins match or surpass it. But even a Level 31 Swashbuckler won’t survive a tsunami of enemies attacking from both the front and the back.
So, what do I do?
I look away.
What’s that saying again? A watched pot never boils?
Yeah. Let him dig his own grave.
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 27, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, dropped “Starlight”]
『Expand』
_____________________________
I waited.
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 28, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
Waited.
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 28, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
And Waited.
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 28, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 28, dropped “SkullBasher”]
『Expand』
_____________________________
But when he got there, to that sweet tight spot, it was him that became the aggroing target for all my spawns in the vicinity.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Shadow Specter Level 25
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Shadow Specter Level 25
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Shadow Specter Level 25
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Shadow Specter Level 25
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Shadow Specter Level 25
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
“Get that bastard, boys.”
I watched as the red dot representing my new lone invader was swarmed by blue dots representing my Shadow Specters.
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 31
Race: HighBreed
Class: Swashbuckler
Health: 71%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
On top of outnumbering him, each Shadow Specter averaged around level 25. Individually, they would be the invader's victims, but together in this ratio, the roles were inverted. I watched as the invader's health plummeted, but as it did, I also winced.
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
Amidst the plummeting of his health, the invader still slew my Shadow Specters one after the other. The last time I lured someone here, that someone being the last lone invader, he, upon realizing the trap he fell into, desperately tried to make his way toward the entrance of my domain in an attempt to run away. Naturally, neither I nor my spawn allowed that. This lone invader, however, didn't seem to even try to hack his way toward the exit. Instead, he seemed to focus on taking down my spawn. "That's a dedicated fella we have here," I couldn't help but praise. "But it's all for nothing."
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 31
Race: HighBreed
Class: Swashbuckler
Health: 52%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 31
Race: HighBreed
Class: Swashbuckler
Health: 37%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 31
Race: HighBreed
Class: Swashbuckler
Health: 22%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 31]
_____________________________
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 31
Race: HighBreed
Class: Swashbuckler
Health: 6%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
I silently watched as his health plummeted, closing in closer and closer to 0. It could happen, but just as it reached 6%, a critical juncture that I believed a blow or perhaps just a second would bring him to defeat, something happened.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification
Intrusion Report:
One entity has invaded your dungeon domain. G.P safety compromised.
Suggestion:
Secure G.P, put an end to the invasion.
Intercept and Slay the invaders
Estimated Reward:
- 27082 G.P
- Authorities: Authority Gathering
/ Ethereal Echo
_____________________________
"What the hell?"
Before me stood a notification announcing the invasion of my domain, a sight I had grown quite used to. However, there were a few issues. First, I was already mid-invasion, and while I was on the verge of ending it, I was still nonetheless in the midst of an ongoing invasion. Second, it was the same notification I was greeted with earlier, G.P and Authorities included. And third, the said notification was followed by an interface that left me even more perplexed.
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 33
Race: HighBreed
Class: Paladin
Title: Holy Champion (Champion / Undead Slaughterer
[Status]
- H.P: 2150 / 2150
- M.P: 502 / 550
- S.P: 2760 / 2760
- Fatigue: 19%
- Defense: 3820
- Offense: 3800
[Skills]
- Acrobatics: Level 7
- Blade Mastery: Level 7
- Counter-Attack: Level 6
- Dueling Stance: Level 5
- Evasion: Level 7
- Shadowstep: Level 5
- Parry: Level 4
- Holy Enhancement: Level 5
- Divine Shield: Level 3
- Tactical Awareness: Level 5
[Abilities]
- Blade Dance: Unlocked
- Divine Aura: Unlocked
- Precision Strikes: Unlocked
- Swift Reflexes: Unlocked
- Regeneration: Unlocked
- Holy Smite: Unlocked
- Sacred Oath: Unlocked
『Expand』
_____________________________
"What the hell?"
Before me was the status of what seemed to be a new invader. However, instead of appearing near the entrance, the owner of the status screen before me was there, at the spot where just a moment before stood the nearly defeated lone invader.
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 26, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 33]
_____________________________
Dumbfounded, I instinctively pulled away from the interface, struggling to process what had just happened.
Moments ago, the lone invader—a Swashbuckler—had been on the brink of defeat. And yet, in an instant, he was gone, replaced by an entirely new adversary—a Paladin.
At first, I was completely baffled by the sudden transformation. But then—
Clarity hit me.
Not like a gradual realization, nor like a sudden jolt of understanding, but rather like a revelation—as if some divine insight had been bestowed upon me by the power of Otherworldly Synergy.
This wasn’t a new invader. He hadn’t been swapped out or teleported in.
No—the Swashbuckler had changed.
In the final moments before his defeat, something had triggered a shift, transforming the Swashbuckler into a Paladin. And that shift wasn’t some random fluke—it was the result of an Authority.
An Authority I now had no doubt was in this man's possession—
Even though it didn't appear anywhere in his stats.
That’s what had caused this.
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 26, slain by HighBreed, Swashbuckler, Level 33]
_____________________________
"An authority that can do something like that, isn't this too unfair?" I pondered, comparing it to my own authority, which so far only brought strange rune and symbol visions, akin to a language installed and that yet I was still slowly deciphering. His authority seemed vastly different. Although I hadn't yet figured out its potential applications for me, the intense desire to make it mine was growing stronger.
Through the screen, a series of notifications appeared and disappeared. Each as depressing as the last.
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Paladin, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Paladin, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Shadow Specter (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 26, slain by HighBreed, Paladin, Level 33]
_____________________________
The invader—Tusko Vagar, now transformed from a Swashbuckler into a Paladin, began cutting through my spawns with efficiency, unlike his Swashbuckler counterpart who had teetered on the edge of defeat just moments ago. The Paladin swiftly slaughtered my Shadow Specters, and thanks to the authority Otherworldly Synergy, I understood that his titles—Champion and Undead Slaughterer—granted him anti-undead capabilities.
Realizing that the Paladin was about to escape the "corridor of death," I decided to preemptively send my final line of defense to assist the remaining Shadow Specters.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Death Paladin Level 30
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Death Paladin Level 30
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawn: Death Paladin Level 30
Health: 100%
Status: En guarde, Enhanced
_____________________________
At this point, I didn't bother with a cool one-liner as I had my spawns aggro him—I just sent them, observing how things would evolve or devolve.
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Paladin, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 33
Race: HighBreed
Class: Paladin
Health: 63%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Paladin, Level 33]
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 25, slain by HighBreed, Paladin, Level 33]
_____________________________
The countless notifications indicating the death of my spawns popped up one after the other, and I couldn't help but wonder what it looked like—the battlefield, the struggle.
Not that I was complaining about not seeing it, but this struggle, this battle, what’s happening right now, was bound to be quite the sight to behold. That being said, if there was one thing I wanted most right now, it would be to witness the demise of this invader, for he was the first to survive this deep into my domain—a domain that I designed not to allow any invader to make it this far.
_____________________________
Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 33
Race: HighBreed
Class: Paladin
Health: 32%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
As the invader relentlessly hacked through my spawns, I started fearing that he might turn around and run away. While I could have my spawns seep through the walls to block his path, they would be no match for this relentless beast. Fortunately, even as the invader's health plummeted, he showed no sign of considering a retreat. He remained engaged, continuously battling against my spawns. The longer I witnessed this spectacle, the more my initial sense of “good fortune” started to wane. Though, I admit, the sight of his health dropping rapidly, I had a nagging feeling that things were about to take an unexpected turn.
Sure enough, as the invader's health reached a critical 20%, it happened again. Unfortunately not the development I was hoping for.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification
Intrusion Report:
One entity has invaded your dungeon domain. G.P safety compromised.
Suggestion:
Secure G.P, put an end to the invasion.
Intercept and Slay the invaders
Estimated Reward:
- 27085 G.P
- Authorities: Authority Gathering
/ Ethereal Echo
_____________________________
Tsk. Again!?
