“Everyone did well.”
A boss monster that was strangely powerful.
Although I had no basis for it, it felt like it was my fault, so I had to say something.
“Ah… let me hear your voice again.”
“Alpha’s voice is so nice… mhm…”
“I’m dying to know who Alpha is!”
‘… No matter how much I prod, it’s not going to be revealed.’
I didn’t want to keep switching between these things, but what could I do when there were limitations?
“By the way, don’t we need any kind of token for mission completion? If you want to take some byproducts, I could temporarily leave the corpse out.”
Since we had been together for a few days, I could at least extend my last goodwill.
“Ah, we already cut it off.”
“Haha, y-yeah. Just in case, we quickly cut it…”
“I-I did too…”
‘… Quick, aren’t they?’
Definitely an A-rank hunter.
They were thorough enough to secure the Lesser Hellacne’s scales while anticipating the worst.
“Uhm, excuse me, Alpha. Is there any chance we can meet again next time?”
A beastman who had never spoken to me before asked in a tone heavy with regret.
‘What was her name again…?’
Anyway, if I had to pick someone from this party to take along, it would be this woman.
Just being able to implement threads that I can’t sense was enough to qualify, and she had this strange skill of wrapping her fluffy fur around armor when in battle.
Of course, this is assuming I actually took her.
“I don’t even know myself. I already have a party I usually go with, so it won’t be easy to meet again.”
“Ah….”
“Such…”
Sighs erupted from all around.
It was unexpectedly filled with emotion.
‘Did they think I wouldn’t have a team?’
“Your presence is so overwhelming that I thought you were a solo player.”
Come to think of it, I’ve been alone since the day we first met.
“Alpha’s team. Surely it’s a party we’ve heard of at least once, right?”
“What can I say? You’re an S-rank hunter, so of course it’s a renowned party.”
“To think you would dare traverse A-rank dungeons alone. Is this the so-called ‘recreation’?”
“Saving face…”
“Wow… if you’ve hidden your strength, just how strong is your main body?”
These people are saying everything they can as if this is their last.
‘S instead of an S-rank, and it’s not like I’m hiding my strength. If they knew my party was B-rank, they’d faint.’
I never expected that I would perform this well, even at ‘Nando.’
Was the moment I caught the First Escalon a turning point? Before I knew it, I had climbed the ranks to be assessed as S-rank by other hunters.
Time for some small talk.
“No, don’t stab your sword through its scales. The gaps look flimsy; it’s a representative tactic of the Hellacne line.”
“I forgot. I just wasted a weapon for no reason. Ugh…”
I spent a few minutes listening to the beastmen’s chatter.
The two gates that appear after defeating a boss monster had not yet opened.
‘The well to the next area and the door to exit the dungeon after finishing the challenge.’
It was a place with several differentiating factors from other dungeons.
Vwoom—
‘It’s starting to open.’
The exit began to open about five minutes away.
“Shall we go?”
Sadly, it was really time to move on and say goodbye now.
Woosh—
The door formed, bathing the area in bright light.
The hunters standing by confirmed the signal and started walking in the same direction.
But just a few steps later.
‘───?!!’
A chilling feeling of something unnatural crept over me.
It was as fast as light.
Soon, a blinding light flashed in the dark space of the boss battle.
‘What the?!! Dodge!’
[Sanctuary of Caution]
And then.
Swish──!
The rabbit beastwoman Arang and the tiger beastman Ho-yeol, who were smiling up ahead, had their necks cleanly sliced diagonally and slid down.
‘Damn it!!’
The beastmen near [Sanctuary of Caution] were unharmed, but two had been taken out in a blink.
Without thinking, I stored Arang and Ho-yeol’s bodies into my space and dashed toward the remaining beastmen, throwing them into the sanctuary for safety.
– Aahhh! Ho-yeol and Arang!
– Alpha!! Let us out! We have to find out what’s going on!!
I lightly ignored the cries of the beastmen trapped inside the sanctuary.
‘People are already dying this quickly…’
Other hunters within the wave of sensations were also rapidly losing life. No, their body parts were already shattered into two or three pieces.
It was from the light-based magic that Arang and Ho-yeol had just experienced.
Moreover, it wasn’t even a sacred feeling-filled light.
‘There’s a disgusting, tainted smell wafting through.’
I sensed a massive presence radiating that energy without filtering it out.
‘What the hell is that monster?’
I wanted to identify its identity immediately, but first, there were tasks to do.
‘I can’t just lose these precious talents!’
I started to turn and gather the deceased hunters into my space.
Some bodies were broken apart as they were clustered together, but I still picked them up.
“Y-You?!”
A lucky surviving man looked up at me with a dazed expression.
“Run away quickly, idiot. Don’t just stand there.”
“Ugh…! Please take care of that guy’s corpse! I’m definitely coming back to find it!”
‘He knows who I am and is coming to find me.’
The unknown hunter began to sprint toward the exit I had indicated.
So I ran like crazy for a few minutes, leading the hunters toward the exit, and managed to gather another 19 corpses.
‘From over 40 A-rank hunters, half were taken out in one blow.’
Carrying the [Sanctuary of Caution] on my shoulders, I rushed with the beastmen toward the exit.
Woosh───
‘Is another one coming?!’
Once again, a blade of light swept over my field of vision.
[Arcane Deflection]
Ka-ching───!!
I activated my magic reflection skill successively and managed to adjust its trajectory somehow.
But I took a tremendous impact that twisted my armor significantly.
After absorbing all the magic, my health dropped to nearly 50%.
That was truly destruction that surpassed my level by a long shot.
The confused beastmen trapped in the sanctuary screamed at me, wondering what the hell was going on, but how should I know?
‘For now, let’s get out of here.’
Finally arriving at the exit.
If I could just get out of here, I might be able to survive somehow.
I leaped through the gate while holding onto the [Sanctuary of Caution].
“Once we get out, get away from this place. Who knows what might happen…!”
Once I released the sanctuary, the beastmen inside awakened and urgently called out to me.
But just then.
My body, which was slipping through the gate, started to get pulled back.
‘Damn…’
In an instant, a chilling sensation ran through my back.
I felt someone grabbing my back.
And it was clear that this being had malevolent intent toward me.
– Alpha!!
– ······!!!
The cries of the beastmen quickly quieted down.
A haunting voice I had never heard before pierced my ears.
“Who obstructed my sanctity… a vile being has intruded.”
“······.”
[Chain of Flame]
[Corrupted Green Binding]
Without a second thought, I launched the bindings.
Whirr—!
The skill that had pulled me was canceled, and the man bound by my restraints tilted his head in confusion.
“Uh? How is it that a filthy being like you can wield the powers of flame and Ent? That’s absolutely illogical.”
The moment I saw his blue eyes, I experienced a vision where my entire body shattered into thousands of pieces.
I hurriedly turned back.
The beastmen had escaped safely.
Although I had confirmed it earlier, the presence of this man was astounding enough to momentarily make me forget.
“Huuh…”
I had managed to avert the worst-case scenario somehow.
I had secured the deceased hunters and saved the living.
Crrr—!
An enigmatic figure easily tore apart the bindings I had placed and took a step forward.
Takk—
The man, positioned a step within reach, approached me with an indifferent expression.
With piercing blue eyes radiating, he exuded an ominous existence filled with hostile energy.
And in his hand were the tongue of the Corrupted Lesser Hellacne and a beautiful water poison fang that the mighty Hellacne boasted.
Did he take down the adult Hellacne preparing for birth and then rush over to sweep up the Lesser Hellacne?
No matter how much the balance of the dungeon was disrupted, how could they allow the intrusion of such a monstrosity?
‘Balance Manager, you bastard, get your act together! You did well last time. This bastard doesn’t have a scratch. Why am I being discriminated against?! Catch that bastard too!!’
– ······.
But the well-regarded dungeon manager had no response. What a real piece of work.
In a moment of boiling rage, I cooled my head thanks to [Cool-headedness] and noticed something else.
‘That guy… the scent he gives off is similar to Jo Gi-man!’
The imparted energy, properties, and flow of magic had nothing in common, yet there was a familiar smell.
‘… It feels like he forcefully lowered his rank… Is that guy also a being like that?’
After experiencing Jo Gi-man transform into an evil dragon, I came to understand the cause of the discomfort I felt from him since my previous life.
It was the scent emanating from beings that had their ranks forcibly lowered.
It was highly likely that this individual had also forcefully lowered his rank to enter this dungeon.
Could it be that the balance manager couldn’t impose a dual restriction since he had already entered with limitations?
Anyway, even though he had lowered his rank, it was hard to even gauge how strong he really was.
‘Damn… is he a monster that can contend with Jo Gi-man?’
Even if he was weakened by imposing restrictions on himself, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
All the means I could avail would be useless against him.
Unless I called upon fragments of a great being like I did when taking down the Great Beast Debsorpia, I had no way to deal with this irresistible existence.
“Ahh- Lubuya is crying more mournfully today. Just as a good offering has come along… Undead. I will tear you apart, appease the goddess, and silence her voice.”
Undead. He clearly called me an undead.
A being with the insight to peer into the depths of [Mimicry].
I felt the energy of a seeker who had long since advanced ahead of me.
With a threatening posture as if to pounce at any moment, I had to quickly restrain him.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait! Damn it, just wait a moment!”
Even if I had to die, I should at least know what kind of a jerk this guy is.
“Hum? Just die. No long speeches.”
“Calm down. I’m not an undead; I’m on the same side as you.”
“… What? You want to die, don’t you? How can I be on the same side as something as filthy as you?”
Vwoom—
The sticky tainted divine energy gathered in his right hand, forming a boulder-sized mass.
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