– Everyone, please stop pushing!
– Huh? Didn’t they say using skills would get you kicked out for sure?
– Damn it, can’t you let go of my leg? Get your dirty hands off!
– You guys didn’t contribute anything, have some shame!
– You filthy creatures! I’m going to pay you back, who’s stealing here?!
– Hey, let’s keep some order!
As soon as the Big Boar landed on the island, chaos erupted.
It wasn’t just some dried food for survival.
It was a favorite food that always ranked in the top three tastiest ingredients chosen by hunters.
So it was understandable that they showed such sensitive reactions.
It wasn’t rough from the start.
The situation turned dire as those who hadn’t paid started creeping closer; it felt like watching a tightrope walker, making it hard to leave.
“Oh dear… At this rate, we’re gonna attract all the neighborhood monsters. Can we just hold them off a little?”
‘Unnecessary meddling…’
As Ah-rin said, they were engaging in acts that would surely attract monsters.
With their faces flushed and desire triumphing over reason, they were still too busy fighting, making it only natural for the monster horde to reveal themselves right in front of us.
We easily defeated them, giving the others time to regain their composure.
‘Well, I suppose it’s a reward for a generous deal.’
After briefly defending, we sprinted toward our next destination.
We managed to successfully execute trades worth over 200 times more than the usual value.
The help from [Obsession] continued, and within three hours, we were able to finish all contacts with the survivor groups.
Among them, some were crying and begging to be taken along, but I firmly rejected them as I didn’t want to leave any variables where Yeon-hee was.
“Wow─ How much have we made today, anyway?”
“Clap, Clap, Clap!”
Well, it feels like at least 450 million or more. I’d need to go outside to know exactly.
“Ughuhuh- Uhuh-”
‘……’
Since it was traded as my property, Ah-rin shouldn’t get any benefit from it, yet she pretended to hum a tune.
It seems she still feels awkward being alone with me.
‘Or maybe it’s because of what happened inside the tent…’
It’s understandable to feel strange after experiencing that kind of thing.
Glancing back-
Since I was running a bit ahead, Ah-rin kept sneaking looks at me from the side.
Especially focusing on my hands… Surely she doesn’t think I did anything with them, right?
When I turned around for a moment, she quickly averted her gaze and said something random.
“Wow- That terrain over there looks like it might have treasure buried!”
Of course, even if I searched with my eyes scrubbed clean, there was no such place.
‘I did handle a few things with my hands… but she definitely thinks differently than Noh Ha-yoon.’
Even though the two were in the same space, it was intriguing how their perceptions of who took initiative differed.
Ah-rin seemed to recall that incident as her ears perked up, her fur fluffing up like cotton candy.
Seeing that made me feel a slight urge to chuckle.
Since we had nothing more to see, we returned directly to the main base.
The return was quicker than expected.
Yeon-hee had wanted to go out too, but she expressed a bit of disappointment at my return after scouring everywhere without missing a spot.
I mean… what’s so good about going out where the Undead swarm? It’s just meat for bones and mana stones, anyway.
I gently tapped Yeon-hee’s head and reassured her not to feel too sad.
Ever since my return, the atmosphere in the base, which had been chaotic, began to settle down gradually.
Occasionally, lost monster hordes would rush toward the bridge, but there was no need for me to step in as the Lizard Squad handled it.
‘The Lizard Squad has definitely gotten stronger.’
I was curious about how things would turn out if a team of summoned creatures, not including me, teamed up with the remaining hunters to fight.
‘Will they fail because of Noh Ha-yoon…?’
It seemed that removing the ring from Noh Ha-yoon was necessary to balance things out.
When I caught eyes with Ha-yoon across the way, she cupped her mouth and said something, and from her lip movements, I had a good guess of what she meant.
‘If you change your mind… feel free to let me know…?’
It looked like Noh Ha-yoon hadn’t retracted the conditions she proposed.
‘She did say she would provide a reward if she satisfied her desires…’
Her ring flickered before my eyes.
There would probably be a plethora of powerful members from Vision Guild lined up to meet Noh Ha-yoon once we stepped outside the gate.
Of course, they wouldn’t be there just to greet Noh Ha-yoon.
They would be there to fend off other hunters aiming for that ring. That ring was an absurd artifact.
And I have to admit, the witch who handed such treasure to her daughter was quite something too.
However, Noh Ha-yoon still couldn’t fully manipulate that ring yet.
It was clearly a matter of lacking capability.
‘I don’t know about anything else, but if she boosts her magic pool…’
She’d become a great stimulus for Yeon-hee. I mean, she’s already a monster as it is.
‘Hmm… She probably has a lot to offer.’
I may not be able to directly resolve what Noh Ha-yoon desires, but there are indirect ways to assist.
Though I don’t know if that would be satisfactory to that unusual lady, if the deal goes well, maybe I could snag one of the astonishing artifacts stored away by the Vision Guild.
While I was mulling over such trivial thoughts, guarding the bridge for hours, the darkness subtly began to lift.
The fifth day began to dawn.
I had planned to follow a consistent pattern from this day onward.
From dawn till dusk, I would slay monsters outside, and from night till dawn the next day, I would guard the bridge.
It had only been three days, but the time felt agonizingly slow.
And finally, it became the last day.
“Yawn… Only three hours left!”
“Ahrin, as soon as we’re out, let’s dash to the tavern. Showers be damned.”
“Got it!”
Our party members were relatively relaxed, but the other hunters looked like they were going to die.
Who said the finish line was the most dangerous part?
As the time to leave approached, people couldn’t hide their anxiety.
Their reactions weren’t simply because time was running out.
Earlier today, we had engaged in a large-scale battle against two Narguls and two Skeleton Knights.
Since we could fight under somewhat stabilized conditions, we were able to escape without any fatalities or serious injuries.
In fact, I personally didn’t feel a sense of urgency at all, but the other hunters must’ve felt differently.
Nevertheless, the monsters attacking us was actually a stroke of luck for me.
After smashing the skulls of two Skeleton Knights, I was able to steal one of their traits.
=====
[Forgotten Ancient Swordsmanship]
– An ancient sword technique left behind by a being who touched the end of the sword and ascended to deity for future generations.
– Over many years, many parts have been forgotten and simplified, but the core essence remains intact. If one perseveres and progresses to the extreme───
=====
‘…… If they do…? What do you mean by that? Why did they stop explaining?!’
Since it contained the best way to annoy someone, I felt an intense surge of frustration.
However, having acquired such an incredible trait left me feeling refreshed ever since.
Vroooom~ Hooong~
‘…… Hmm. I have no idea.’
Even after wielding the sword a few times with the trait, I still couldn’t figure out what had changed.
I thought I would instantly understand swordsmanship after acquiring the trait, but it was completely unexpected. Still, if I keep honing it like the explanation said, surely I’ll gain something?
– Hoo- Time, please hurry up. Please… ugh…
– Hoo… Once I go out this time, I swear I’m quitting everything.
– You’re selling the artifact, right?
– Isn’t that obvious? The effects are somewhat vague, so the price will probably be the lowest, but at least 3 billion!
– Hehehe…
Although I was imagining a rosy life from selling the artifacts to overcome my fears,
The hunters who faced death during the dawn were now at peak tension.
And the anxiety, worry, and impatience of those hunters were excellent prey for the Undead.
As those intangible feelings continued to be supplied from the survivors remaining in the dungeon, something was bound to occur.
‘This doesn’t feel good…’
Even if Nargul didn’t actively exert its power, it was a perfect scenario for terrible mutants to arise spontaneously.
And 30 minutes more passed.
‘……’
A natural barrier began forming on the ground a little less than 2 km away.
The barrier ravenously absorbed everything around it, which was peculiar considering that barriers typically have a strong nature of pushing things away.
The things scattered around the area were naturally monsters and the leftover scraps from them. As they clumped together, they formed a small hill.
Wriggle─
‘Oh hell…’
A conglomerate of various corpses began to assemble, producing a familiar shape like throwing up.
‘Giant Skeleton…’
It was an ordinary-looking giant skeleton with six arms, but it was so colossal it could make someone chuckle.
[KWOOOORR──!]
‘…… Why is it that my bad premonitions never go wrong?’
Without even having to stand on my tiptoes, the enormous creature’s form loomed like a small mountain against the dark clouds.
“What the heck—?! What is that?! Why is it so big?!”
“Looks like it’s over 30 meters tall!”
“It’s a monster… That’s a monster!”
“There’s no way… How are we supposed to fight that?”
“Of course, we shouldn’t fight it! Let’s all hide and endure for three more hours!”
‘That’s a monster? No way.’
Typically, a monster categorized as a beast would be one that requires at least an S-rank hunter to do battle equally; they’re defined as cataclysmic entities.
The creature within our sight right now might as well be called a monster due to its size, but in reality, it was just a pile of rubbish made up of Undead.
However, even if it lacked value, a thing of that scale is bound to look impressive.
Furthermore, considering that the strength of the bones increases with their size, dealing physical damage wouldn’t be easy. My [Penetration] would probably take a while too.
‘It has to be Flame Explosion.’
With that kind of size, its health would be substantial, so using [Flame Explosion] to take down 100 HP at once wouldn’t be enough to kill it instantly.
‘If I use Flame Explosion five times, it has a kill capability. I might be able to use it.’
One thing for sure was, I was the only one capable of dealing with that creature.
While I nodded to myself as a poor man,
Yeon-hee stared at me with a worried expression. She looked like she was thinking, “Are you going to try to do this by yourself again?”
But it couldn’t be helped.
If it was a creature of such mass, my summoned creatures would be obliterated with just one swipe.
And if the creature happened to target Yeon-hee, it would only lead to more exhausting troubles. My life may count to 95, but she only has one. I’d have no choice but to treat her like a baby.
Yeon-hee couldn’t have been unaware of this. Yet…
‘You’re making that expression again.’
She had a slightly teary-eyed expression, feeling sorry for me having to struggle alone, a bit resentful too.
‘If only I could summon a powerful being, so you’d never have to make that face again…’
The guilt of not being able to join in stems from the need for me to summon a strong enough companion that could at least be reliable. Though of course, Yeon-hee herself needs to evolve enough to send the summoned creatures further out.
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