The beastmen approached me one by one, nodding their heads quietly.
With cat-like eyes, they looked up at me while wearing their boots.
‘They can’t possibly want more to eat. Why are they staring at me like that?’
It’s probably not that they specifically want something from me, but rather a sign of their fondness towards me in their own way.
I give them what they want without a second thought, but for them, it must feel like a good deal.
“Heh…”
Especially Arang, who seems restless as if ready to pounce on me at any moment, stands out more. It’s a minor embarrassment and a condition under water, but permanent damage reduction? I would have screamed too.
‘Should I ventilate a bit?’
Thunk-!
I stuck my sword into the cutting board and changed the subject.
[The next battle won’t be easy. You already know the reasons without me explaining, right?]
The beastmen silently nodded at the words I wrote.
Having received all of Marshall Dragard’s teachings, I could no longer expect their consideration.
From now on, the attacks will be fierce.
Of course, due to their nature, they wouldn’t attack in groups, but they would pounce on us one by one with hardly any delay, essentially turning it into a group battle.
If we end up fighting a multitude, we’d likely receive a passive that increases our stats. From then on, we would become monsters with drastically increased combat power.
We need to synchronize our teamwork so we won’t overlap within our ranks.
That meant I had to carefully set up the formation.
A few minutes later.
[Let’s head out. They’re waiting.]
Around the igloo I temporarily made, dozens of ‘Marshall Dragard’ were on guard.
They were lightly sparring with each other, making meaningless noises, probably the most tense time when responding at the third hunting ground.
“Shall we go?”
Nod-
“Let’s do this, no big deal.”
“I must use water magic right away. Oh, I’m so nervous. The day I get to use water magic has finally come.”
“If you use that, you might gain another possibility.”
“I really hope that’s true.”
“Alright, let’s go!!”
After eating Blue Manatee meat, we were in a condition far beyond our best.
With the beastmen, who had gained even more vigor than when we first met, we set out for the serious Dragard hunt.
* * *
The twin sisters, Hae-ryeong and Ha-min, turned into demon servants.
The one who had been active with them, known as ‘Teacher Cha’.
He had just finished his first meeting with the ‘Cheonsudan’ guild members, including Cha Jin-hyuk.
In a short period, the ‘Cheonsudan’ had grown into a massive guild of over two hundred members.
“Who in the world came up with the ridiculous guild name called ‘Heaven’s Guardian Angels’?”
That was the first thing that came out of Teacher Cha’s mouth after their awkward meeting.
It likely wasn’t a name created by Il-wol, who had now become his master.
“I-I’m the one who came up with it… Even if you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do! I won’t change it!”
“…Huh? This isn’t a joke. I can’t take this seriously.”
Helping someone with such a screwball attitude? Moderation, please.
‘But still, there seems to be considerable potential…’
Despite living a lifestyle of debauchery, Teacher Cha had actively participated in the hunter community and knew about Cha Jin-hyuk.
‘An extremely rare gravity sorcerer… A rising saint comparable to the archmage Noh Ha-yoon, right?’
No matter how impressive, he couldn’t shake the innate aversion. He had never dealt with a straight-A student type like that.
But there was no other choice.
He had died and was reborn through some unknown power, now serving Il-wol.
Teacher Cha was gradually accepting that he was completely bound to Il-wol.
“One by one, they’re not bad…”
Looking over the hunters, he thought so.
Although he hadn’t seen Cha Jin-hyuk’s abilities firsthand, he could roughly guess the remaining key guild members’ skills.
Hwang Tae-wook was such a well-known figure that everyone in the underworld knew him, and Mari, who stood next to him, was also a recognized figure.
And currently, Haseirin, who held the largest influence in the guild, was someone he had heard about before.
‘Hwang Tae-wook’s five subordinates are pretty decent… and there’s a barrier mage. The ones co-representing with Cha Jin-hyuk aren’t bad either. However…’
Just like what Il-wol felt, he too was dissatisfied with the composition of the members.
“Are the mage and healer still being searched for?”
These individuals were already preparing for future threats.
They had even received weapons made from Kadinite.
However, the problem was the serious imbalance in personnel.
Mari was an outstanding mage, but she alone was vastly insufficient.
90% of the forces Haseirin had built were close-combat warriors. Considering that most hunters were melee types, this was a serious issue.
“It’s hard to find them in the area, and even if I want to hire mercenaries, funds are a bit tight.”
Cha Jin-hyuk scratched his head, giving the impression he had nothing to say as a co-representative.
“It seems they don’t want to venture into the outer regions.”
Hwang Tae-wook raised his arm as if it were only natural.
“That’s why I’m trying to recruit them.”
“Ms. Serin, I hope you will refrain from such activities. There are many in the community already suspicious.”
Haseirin, who had established the largest faction in the guild, still hoped to expand her influence in her own way.
‘I guess we need a focal point.’
Teacher Cha, who finally understood the words Il-wol had spoken when sending him off.
Il-wol simply wished for no part to bear too much weight, but Teacher Cha had a previous career running a mid-sized guild when he was younger, allowing him to see things others couldn’t.
‘Suddenly, my mind feels clear. It’s as if I’ve found something I had forgotten… it’s fascinating.’
An inexplicable smile appeared on Teacher Cha’s face.
“How about we reorganize the guild structure first?”
“The guild structure?”
“Building a system is important. If we stay like this, separated like a patchwork, unforeseen events could turn us into a ragtag group.”
As Teacher Cha was about to take the wheel, the hunters who had established the guild with Cha Jin-hyuk, as well as Haseirin and Hwang Tae-wook, raised their eyebrows.
‘Cha Jin-hyuk’s companions may be fine, but those guys need to be reined in. I don’t want to resort to violence, but there’s no other choice.’
Teacher Cha decided to toss out the agenda first and then deal with Hwang Tae-wook and Haseirin.
“Opinions are always welcome. Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
With Cha Jin-hyuk’s voice having gained strength, Haseirin and Hwang Tae-wook’s factions decided to just watch for now.
Of course, this was also a situation created by Il-wol.
“Alright, my thoughts are like this.”
Teacher Cha drew several bold lines on the board to start his presentation, and surprisingly, most guild members were convinced by his logical ideas.
A clear organizational chart was completed in an instant.
‘What… I thought Teacher Cha was just a rascal, but he’s unexpectedly a brainiac?’
Haseirin felt rather anxious.
She had heard not long ago about the monster known as Jung Tae-hyung, dubbed the Grim Reaper, joining them; now even her second-in-command position felt precarious.
Healthy competition could lead to organizational growth.
From this point onwards, Cha Jin-hyuk’s ‘Cheonsudan’ would actively emerge as a leading group in the region, laying the groundwork to become a significant force capable of countering the association.
* * *
Once out of the igloo, the journey that day was a continuous struggle even for a horse beastman known for its fierce reputation.
– Wa-da-ooh!!
“Those damned bastards… they’re back again.”
“Ugh! Seriously, stop coming!”
Had it not been for Il-wol’s heavenly cuisine and the mysterious igloo that kept the sandstorms at bay, the beastmen would have likely given up their extermination efforts long ago.
Of course, the beastmen knew that they’d overestimated their individual abilities and hastily pursued completing their mission without proper preparation.
But with a clear shining being leading them, there was just a sliver of hope:
‘As an A-rank hunter, I feel ashamed, but I have to complete this mission no matter what.’
The benefactor of Arang, ‘Sang-gun’.
His youngest son, Ho-yeol, had grown up with her, making them almost family.
‘I can’t let Ho-yeol fall behind.’
Ho-yeol’s eldest daughter and second son, being the benefactor’s children, were aggressive individuals that couldn’t be viewed positively, no matter how one tried.
Arang believed that those two shouldn’t become the successors of ‘Sang-gun’s’ legacy.
‘I must catch them.’
If she missed this opportunity, the gap between Ho-yeol and them would widen even further, so she had to endure.
Before she realized it, the reliable figure of the Alpha filled her gaze.
With every step, the mysterious cloak swayed, and the flow of solid magic made her heart pound wildly.
‘So cool…’
She had never thought about liking someone in her life, but the moment she tasted his food, she felt certain. She wanted to capture this person.
‘It can’t happen, right…?’
But he was someone who had reached an elevation far too high.
It was hard to believe that there was a hunter of such immense caliber.
A story she couldn’t tell anyone, but she thought that perhaps this person might surpass ‘Sang-gun’ in the not-so-distant future.
Compared to him, she felt utterly insignificant.
The chronic weakness of rabbit beastmen, endurance, always held her back.
‘Why did I have to be a rabbit by nature…?’
While Arang fought against herself, Il-wol, who was walking in front, suddenly halted.
*
‘Nothing is really going right. Why did that thing come up to the surface…?’
The Sea Serpent Hellacne.
Its belly noticeably bulged.
‘Damn it, is it breeding season?’
The unexpected appearance of the giant monster that came up to lay its eggs.
Having transformed into a ‘land-type’ form, it now resembled a massive lizard walking on four legs.
Notably, its front limbs were thicker and longer than the hind legs, suggesting it was of the ‘Power Hellacne’ type.
The Hellacne monster was essentially classified as a boss-level monster in this dungeon.
If such a creature appeared outside the dungeon, it would be considered a ‘Kaiju’ level threat, extremely dangerous.
‘At least it’s not the Swift Hellacne; thank goodness, but judging by its size, it looks like it just graduated from the Lesser stage.’
Even among Hellacne, combat abilities varied drastically.
The one caught within the wave of senses was undoubtedly one of the weakest Adult Hellacnes.
In addition, unlike under the sea, its speed of movement wasn’t fast, and the use of various special abilities was restricted, so if we were to hunt it, meeting it on land would be the way to go.
‘However, if hunting is the goal, it’s too large to take down. How do I deal with that? My blades wouldn’t even penetrate its skin.’
The Hellacne grows exponentially larger after surpassing the Lesser stage; the one in front of me was at least over 30 meters long and well over 200 tons.
If we were to remove its heart, it could fit all our party members inside.
‘The thickness of the outer shell alone exceeds three meters. If I try to carve a Flame Mark into it, it would take all day.’
I quickly pulled out a notebook from the Space and hastily scribbled down some notes.
[Power Hellacne has appeared a short distance away. Let’s stabilize our mana.]
───?!!
The beastmen startled upon seeing the contents of the note I raised.
“Uh, where? How far away is it?”
“Sniff sniffs- I don’t smell it yet, but can you see anything?”
“Not at all. I can see up to 5 km, and all I see are Dragards…”
Boom— thud—
My earlier words became doubted moments later, dispelled by the weighty vibrations that suddenly resonated.
“Something enormous is definitely here on this floor.”
“Yeah… it must be a monster that exceeds 30 meters.”
“This heavy vibration… it’s truly a Hellacne. What do we do?”
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