“Everyone’s dead!”
Now that I knew my sword could devour, there was nothing to hold back.
Just as I was about to lift the great sword that first tasted blood…
Gagagagagagagak—
A swarm of bats attacked first.
They clawed at my neck and various places with their sharp hooks, trying desperately to knock me to the ground.
However, thanks to the neck guard made by Yeon-hee, I took no damage at all, and the claws brushing over my body made only noise without even scratching my bone armor.
As long as I didn’t make the mistake of losing my balance due to their overwhelming mass, I would not fall to them.
Lowering my center of gravity, I hunched down, creating space with Fireballs in the bat storm and repeatedly swung my great sword, waiting for an opening.
Sometimes, multiple groups would swarm me from all sides, but I managed to roll out like a hedgehog stretching its spikes and avoided danger.
Suddenly, I thought it would be great if I could release the spikes all over my body, but reality hit me hard, as pulling out even one spike was nearly impossible. I had to postpone that idea.
As the black storm of bats swirled, I found it becoming increasingly easier to use the great sword, eventually reaching a level where I could naturally combine it with magic without thinking of the next move.
Whooo-ooong— Wheee-ooong—
With a thick, unrefined sword made of bone, about a meter long, I danced alone with the sword for a good thirty minutes.
Normally, I would never engage in such flashy motions, but since the hunters in this space were bound by a pact, they wouldn’t be able to talk about me once we got outside.
Moreover, the swarm of bats surrounding me was so massive that anyone outside would have a hard time identifying my condition.
Still, the area I was fighting the bats was gradually shrinking, and the hunters who occasionally caught glimpses of my armor becoming stained with bat blood regarded me with a mix of fear and awe.
“The pressure on my left arm is incredible… Damn!”
After withstanding that for over thirty minutes, my originally numb arm became extremely sensitive, able to detect even the passing bats’ movements.
“They said it depends on how you use it…”
The bone armor that fused with my body had now become one with me, and the more I swung the great sword, the greater my understanding of my body increased.
However, Yeon-hee, who was watching me, seemed anxious as her magic power surged with worry.
The delicate line connecting her and me conveyed her feelings of anxiety and impatience directly to me.
She was saying it was time to stop and come over—she was worried and wanted me to stay close where she could see me.
– Defeat 10,000 enemies with your great sword in one blow. (1154/10,000)
“Just as I was gaining momentum… what should I do?”
As I was contemplating for a moment, the bats that had been attacking me began shifting toward my companions.
But this time, they wouldn’t go down easily.
The hunters, who had initially struggled to respond, now had their eyes gleaming with determination.
“Do you think we’ll get hit twice?”
– Wall of Fire-!
– Light!
– Fortify the front with a shield to leave no gaps! Once I signal, the dealers will attack!
It all began when the fire mage unleashed a fiery barrier, roasting dozens of bats.
The second battle kicked off in a glorious fashion, and Yeon-hee briefly glanced at me before diving into the fray with her companions.
Right, it’s important not to forget one’s responsibilities. Good choice.
“Should I stack a bit more too?”
With one swing, over ten Hook Bats were squished flat against my great sword.
Having always poked at gaps with a dagger, swinging with such refreshing impact felt incredibly liberating.
“This great sword isn’t too bad… I should ponder what my main weapon will be.”
Maybe this quest is meant to guide me down the path that suits me best while defeating enemies in various ways and with different weapons.
That thought was cast aside the moment I hurled myself back into the storm, focusing exclusively on delivering speed and power.
So we fought for an hour, then took an hour’s rest, repeating this routine two more times, and soon it was almost midnight.
“Ugh, going back to the ceiling to breed is pushing my limits…!”
The bats returning to the ceiling to reproduce was, on second thought, a supremely inefficient move.
Still, whether driven by natural instinct for the species’ cycle or another reason, who knows?
Shaking my head, I glimpsed at the rising messages.
“Seriously… it’s like a total reversal.”
– Defeat 10,000 enemies with a skill having an attribute. (7221/10,000)
– Defeat 10,000 enemies with your great sword in one blow. (4090/10,000)
– Defeat 10,000 enemies in stealth using daggers. (2233/10,000)
Making such significant progress on the quest in just one day was truly encouraging.
However, now it had become a task to complete the dagger quest.
Defeating small enemies with daggers was far less efficient than other conditions.
“But with the attribute and great sword quests, I might finish those by tomorrow… Phew—”
At this rate, I seemed likely to complete the quest in a few days.
My homework ended up being surprisingly simple, but now the issue lay with the other hunters. Those bound by the pact were now…
– Uweeek…! Gahh…
– I can’t take any more… Hah… cough…
– Hah… I want to go home… why must I suffer like this in this damn world!
– Damn… they say the dungeon is balanced? Consideration is key? Give me a break… Hehehe…
The hunters sprawled out on the big boar skin I laid down were venting their frustrations, their exhausted bodies contrasting sharply with their vocal complaints.
“One less, making it twenty-three…”
We even had an additional casualty.
Just a while earlier, one hunter collapsed, not recovering from unconsciousness. Depleted life-force led to their death.
It was a bit puzzling, really. It’s not common to die from exhaustion, even though it was certainly tough…
“Everyone, please manage your health. Don’t be stingy with food. Life force is invisible, so it’s up to you to manage it.”
“Y-Yes…”
“Let’s eat for now…”
“We only have enough for a day…”
Yeom Tae-seok told everyone not to be stingy and to restore their health, but everyone hesitated, clearly worried about the food supply.
Did they really not expect to face such survival? It wouldn’t make sense to blame them for not preparing.
“I need to lift their spirits a bit.”
I hid behind the Lizard Squad and pulled out a big boar I had captured and stored earlier, making my way back to where the people were.
Kuwung—!
“Waaah?! A big boar! And it’s a baby?!”
The closest healthy melee fighter shot up, exclaiming.
Of course, it wasn’t small enough to be called a baby, but in the eyes of a tank with such a giant bulk, it must’ve looked that way.
The big boar was clean, stripped of inedible parts, and ready for cooking.
The other hunters, previously lying down, quickly turned their heads to look at the big boar in my hand.
Gulp—
The meat of the big boar, reportedly three times tastier than pork belly.
“It’s… it’s here… how did that come out of nowhere…”
“They must be carrying stuff from their inventories one by one…”
“At least this guy won’t starve in the dungeon.”
Unfortunately, the inventory space of summoned creatures isn’t even half of a hunter’s, so the big boar can’t fit in.
I had already tested that.
It was true that my storage space was unusually large, but I’d rather let them think that.
I dug a small round hole in the flat ground, placing the big boar alongside the magic furnace I had brought.
Then, I just needed to infuse magic into the circular magical storage tank attached under the furnace, and that would be my fuel.
I infused it with about 30 magic, and soon, a fairly intense flame began to blaze above the furnace.
Tadadak—Furrrrk—
With a spit set up by hanging a skewer on the side of the furnace, I impaled the whole big boar on it.
Chiiiii—Sizzle—Sizzle—
And just like that, the big boar would be roasting like crazy.
As I squatted next to it, turning it casually, the hunters’ eyes gleamed in tandem with the evenly cooking meat.
During our rest, I had assessed that all the hunters had barely a single day’s worth of food.
To the ordinary person, it might seem like enough for days, but for hunters who eat far more than regular folks, it’s a different story.
My party members, including Yeon-hee, were at ease knowing I had stored a large amount of food, but the others were oblivious and clearly worried.
Meanwhile, as I casually grilled the big boar, various thoughts must’ve been swirling in their heads.
“Il-wol… you’re sharing, right? Right?”
Yeon-hee seemed worried that I might not share with the other hunters.
“Clap, clap, clap!”
“Yeah! This should be enough for everyone.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be enough for all 29 people to be fully satisfied, but it should definitely be sufficient to boost their spirits.
Eating monsters in the dungeon temporarily increases magic and health recovery rates, so it was a bonus.
I sliced the perfectly cooked big boar meat into easy-to-eat pieces with a dagger and served it on a plate, while the hunters smiled at me, gratefully taking their portions.
“Thank you!”
“I’ll eat well! Wow—”
“Thanks! Thank you…!”
The hunters eagerly bowed and expressed their gratitude to Yeon-hee, busy making a good impression.
When someone provides something, there’s a natural desire to give a little more to those who offer feedback like that.
D-class higher-ranked hunters with some experience would typically possess such social skills.
“…Well, being around people isn’t so bad.”
Of course, this was just a moment of reflection, but battling alongside a large group in the dungeon brings a different kind of enjoyment than in smaller numbers.
“Whoa, this is absolutely delicious.”
“This is amazing, ugh…”
It wasn’t the first time they tasted big boar meat, but they were all over the top.
However, even Ham Eun-young, who usually minimalizes her expressions, smiled with a mouth full of meat, so it seemed to have a genuinely good taste.
“No way, this is too good! Is it the best I’ve ever had?!”
“Is this really big boar? It tastes different from what I know!”
“Yep, a low-ranked dungeon big boar.”
“Hmm… since I can’t taste it, I can’t tell if they’re exaggerating or if it genuinely tastes better.”
Since it had been over a month since I stored it in my inventory, maybe it had aged? Who could say?
‘Where…?’
I tossed a piece of meat into my mouth, but a notification popped up saying it didn’t meet the condition of [Essence Consumption].
‘So, cooking makes it neither living nor dead? The standards are kind of arbitrary…’
I figured I would know the difference if I tried eating an uncooked piece of the big boar body later on.
Regardless, everyone finished their happy meal, and it seemed their faces became a little rosier, helping their recovery somewhat.
I nodded in satisfaction, contemplating the variables that might arise during the night while using [Mimicry].
“It’s probably best to hide inside the tent with Yeon-hee…”
To do that, we’d need a space that could cover just the two of us.
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