Chapter 316: Deep Night (2)
Crack.
Despite being the same person’s hand, the five fingers attached to the beast’s arm grip Jeong Ha-seong’s shoulder with an unbelievable fixation, like a metal claw.
“!!”
Jeong Ha-seong couldn’t avoid physical damage during this process.
The small beast that appeared clearly possessed an ‘Enhancement’ awakening ability.
When the spell, which was common yet undeniably powerful, activated, the beast tightened its grip, damaging the hero’s shoulder muscle.
Moreover, as if worried about failing its hunt, the beast skewered an innocent awakened individual next to it with its remaining claws, securing its insurance policy.
Seonwoo-yeon had also been caught in its grasp.
“Aaaah!”
The B-Class Hunter, with relatively low defense, ended up with a hole in her humerus during the clawing process.
‘What the hell is this, a damn reaper from the underworld?’
It was chaos.
The beast was clearly trying to drag the Korean Hunters far away, but could there be any benefits for the raid party by just standing by during such a crisis?
The only ones capable of fully reacting to the sudden disaster were the two top-ranking awakened with S-Class physical abilities.
And perhaps a great mage who possessed even greater instincts.
‘Insane!’
Kim Gi-ryeo had actually jumped into action swiftly, even before Seonwoo-yeon could pull the hero toward her.
However, of course, the superhuman actions of the real S-Class Hunters were faster than his goal.
“What kind of madman…!”
Esther and Jeong Ha-seong attacked the beast almost simultaneously.
Since their comrade Seonwoo-yeon was also entangled near the beast, they tried to separate the enemy as physically as possible without using skills.
‘Damn it!’
In such a dire situation, what could a washed-up F-Class do?
Kim Gi-ryeo rushed towards the shadow on the ground, aiming to touch it.
Since he knew he wouldn’t be able to help much physically, he decided to aim for the [Reaper’s Shroud] right from the start.
‘This is…!’
He had never cared about artifact spells before, but now he had to analyze them instantly.
And he had to inspect and disassemble them immediately?
Surprisingly, the analysis process went smoothly.
Although he was trapped in the fragile body of a worn-out mammal, his innate talent in souls was still intact, even across the universe.
Thus, the Alphauri mage completely interpreted the Reaper’s Shroud in a blink of an eye.
It was a speed that even the rulers of Earth had nothing to say when they called him a monster. The alien also finished calculating how to nullify the cloak’s spell simultaneously.
There was just one problem.
【 760 mmHg 22°C conditions require 3884.7 ???? (Magical energy) to stop the spell. 】
He had calculated this swiftly but found the ending had led to despair.
【 ∴ An F-Class with depleted magic power can do nothing. 】
Honestly, he had just recently received his F-Class Hunter license, and it hadn’t even dried yet.
Of course, at that moment, it was hard to hope for help from the black gloves on his hands.
The spell tied to the material was difficult to absorb even when it touched the gloves made for nighttime.
Conversely, it was similar to the loaded magic inscribed on the gloves not being easily influenced by other factors. During Su Ye-hwi’s case, he had resolved such items with the item called “Dissolution Particle.” But since he destroyed the equipment’s state before the weapon could activate, would the result have been the same now?
Soon, the situation developed in a negative direction.
The remaining two S-Class, including Jeong Ha-seong, ultimately could not repel the beast’s suicide attack.
Perhaps due to help from an enchanter, a mysterious figure wearing an unbreakable bone mask strained to the utmost to prevent their target from escaping the shadow.
The fake beast was injured to the point where its arm was nearly torn off from the attacks of Esther and Jeong Ha-seong.
But it was still not enough.
Crack.
The beast, Jeong Ha-seong, and Seonwoo-yeon.
Currently, the criminal’s claws were digging into the skin of others like a hooked claw.
Thus, due to that connection, the [Reaper’s Shroud] shadow would recognize all three as passengers if this continued.
Esther quickly assessed the entire situation with her hyper-vigilance and decided.
‘We must prevent Jeong Ha-seong from being separated!’
She didn’t know where that item’s target coordinate was, but if Jeong Ha-seong were to accidentally die, the very power of this nation would crumble.
‘But since the beast itself seems to be trying to move as well, it can’t be leading to a death trap at the destination.’
As the 2nd-ranked hunter, she became determined to connect with the 1st-ranked.
And there was an alien who, during his analysis of the magic tool, inevitably came into close contact with the shadow.
If at that moment, he hadn’t diverted his attention elsewhere and had run away with all his power, even with an F-Class’s sluggish body, the great mage could have escaped the danger zone.
But Kim Gi-ryeo chose not to flee.
After all, another poor mammal was still “caught” by the enemy’s claws.
Aaah!
It was simply bad luck. Seonwoo-yeon just happened to be standing closest to the gate and became the insurance target of the predator.
Even the national hero couldn’t escape the beast’s overwhelming power, and the weaker B-Class technician couldn’t move an inch either.
‘There’s no helping it.’
Witnessing this, the great mage gathered mana to achieve one miracle.
‘This should do, anyway. The fake beast is worried that the part it’s grabbed will be torn off completely, so it’s restraining itself against a B-Class!’
It was precisely the manifestation of [Telekinesis].
As expected, the enemy had not paid much attention to the relative weakling Seonwoo-yeon, who was caught.
Taking advantage of the beast’s moment of distraction, the great mage pulled its arm toward the north while simultaneously using the same intangible magic to push Seonwoo-yeon hard backward.
Thud!
When a person is in a life-or-death situation, their past life flashes before their eyes. Perhaps the current phenomenon was such a latent ability of a creature.
“……!”
The Earthling with long hair barely escaped from the beast’s claw.
Even though a colorless and odorless force was applied.
Strangely, Seonwoo-yeon immediately recognized whose help it was and opened her eyes wide.
The blond man was particularly vivid today, almost as if time itself had slowed down.
“Hun…!”
But she didn’t have time to utter the three words “Hunter-nim” before she experienced a shift in circumstances.
Kim Gi-ryeo frowned in regret for his reflexive actions.
Soon, a certain stimulus rushed through his veins.
An odd feeling of weightlessness, as if he had been cast adrift in a vacuum.
In other words, the sensation of moving through space with magic.
Slide.
When the great mage opened his eyes again, they had already significantly moved from their previous coordinates due to the effect of the [Reaper’s Shroud].
That’s right. An alien had missed the right timing to withdraw from the passenger status by excluding Seonwoo-yeon.
‘Oh dear, back in my prime, I could have saved her along with my body and had my mana overflowing.’
Well, this is what being broke feels like.
Be it financially or magically.
When you have so little, you often have to give up one thing or another.
“No, that bastard beast!”
“Ugh!”
“Take off your mask, you son of a b*tch!”
It was at that moment when Esther regained her physical freedom after the travel time of the [Reaper’s Shroud] was over and began to pound the beast.
‘By the way, where is this?’
The great mage looked around at the uneven ground and the mysterious moonlight to realize.
‘A dungeon?’
The final storage location of the misshaped item the beast had used was inside the A-Class Gate they were supposed to guard.
However, based on what he gathered from Earth, this was a bit tricky.
‘Seonwoo-yeon’s [Seocher] skill and Esther’s [Curse] are significantly affected by the gate. Especially, [Seocher] only indicates where the opponent is in some passage. To know the exact spot of the target in the dungeon, the caster also needs to enter the subspace.’
The blond man thought as he tried to smoothly retreat from the battle zone.
‘Uh, so this civilization’s background is so flawed except for the cloak?’
While Esther and Jeong Ha-seong nearly finished off the fake beast, he felt a suspicious feeling brewing, recalling the characteristics of the bait box.
But at this moment…
Hey, you idiot! I told you to just bring one…
Someone in the same space soon grumbled in a rough voice.
As the language hinted, he was not a companion from this nation.
Turning his head, he was greeted by another being wearing a bone mask.
‘Beast.’
Moreover, the entity that showed up felt eerily similar to someone.
Long.
Thin.
And exuding a chill of oppressive aura with that unique physique.
‘…Brooklyn Morgan. It’s exactly the same.’
From beyond that horizon emerged a new mimic.
Due to the characteristics of body shape, as well as the attire, the mid-sized beast mistaken for the real beast arrived along with a plump fake made in the same gloomy attire.
Ughhh…!
The injured beast howled in the air.
With all the fakes gathered in one space now.
And once the criminal group realized their comrade was being lynched to the point of losing flesh, they sprang into action.
Soon, an enormous incident occurred where S-Class awakened beings fought, with a total of six involved.
‘Damn it.’
Wait a minute.
Now that I think about it, strictly speaking, this is a 2:3 fight…
*
Three hours earlier, before the battle of the awakened beings with various attributes unfolded.
Oh.
In other words. Precisely at the time the background of this dungeon was still at the sunset hour.
Look over there. How is it possible that the sun is setting on every floor while the space is divided?
One figure wearing a bone mask admired while looking around.
The dungeon they had occupied days ago, which they had managed to seize by bribing some high-ranking officials, was a giant ‘ant nest’ shape containing a wide plain, as they could see.
Before stepping onto this plain, there had to be complex, dark cave-like corridors linking all sides.
However, once one emerged onto this spacious outdoor area, one could occasionally see some trees and grass.
Most importantly, the highlight was the beautiful sky.
According to what they heard from their ‘clients,’ that background was clearly just fake, yet how the dungeon produced such warm, dazzling light like real sunshine was beyond comprehension.
Still, it can’t compete with the real sunset from my hometown.
The largest beast, referred to as the number three among their kind, remarked casually.
Then suddenly, the smallest beast among them, dubbed number one, sitting in a corner of the dungeon, muttered.
Damn it. You guys sure are at ease.
In fact, the beast collective gathered here was set to perform a significant task in this dungeon as per their clients’ request.
We’re illegal immigrants. If this dungeon safely makes it to the break point, we will definitely confront S-Class Hunters, shouldn’t everyone be worried?
What difference does being anxious make?
Fine. I’ll just stop talking.
The Bloviating number one and three exchanged some light verbal tussles.
By the way, why has the item [Dissolution Particle] been disqualified for use again? If we had blocked the entrance with that right from the start, we wouldn’t have to be so cautious!
Hmm…
Why did we have to leave a backtrack record while boldly opening the passage?
A few hours into the future, the small one-number beast would be the one to kidnap a Korean.
However, the bear-sized three simply shrugged his shoulders.
Oh, that item? As far as I’ve heard…
Having played it off earlier, the three eventually spoke with reluctance.
If you recklessly seal the passage with that, it’s likely to disturb the dungeon’s internal space.
What?
It’s true. In a way, closing the gate with that orb is kind of like exploiting a bug… you know what I mean?
It seemed the third beast had overheard such information from their employer.
Damn. If such a dreadful error is possible, then it’s certainly something to avoid.
So they had no complaints about that.
I thought they were just trying to conserve it since it’s been discontinued.
Hahaha. They’ve got enough money; they wouldn’t skimp on something this important.
Can’t they?
Come on. Just look at the price of the gear they provided us. It’s enough to buy at least two countries.
Clink.
The large beast smiles contently as he fiddled with his belt around his waist.
This is why I do this job!
What drives this being to labor is none other than the high-priced magic tools.
No. Perhaps it’s a term too trivial to apply here.
Their clients often lured the interest of the awakened with items very hard to acquire even with wealth. This was quite common.
On days when I don’t wear this belt, I feel gloomy the entire day. Most importantly, my body feels so heavy, I just can’t get by.
You’re completely addicted.
It’s not like I’m drowning in alcohol like someone.
Shh! What is this lunatic saying? Shut up. To me, being a slave to item allure is way weirder than being an alcoholic, you know?
When the word ‘alcohol’ came up, the remaining beasts turned their heads.
A figure resembling Brooklyn Morgan returned to life, momentarily froze the place as everyone held their breath.
……
……
Assessing the atmosphere, it was evident that the most powerful presence here was the one in the second position.
……
However, contrary to their worries, this number two seemed completely uninterested in the trivial chit-chat and resumed resting his chin beneath his bone mask, admiring the sunset instead.
Phew.
After some time, a sigh of relief escaped.
Upon witnessing the leader-like character of the first and third beasts turn back, they resumed conversation.
Moreover, this time they moved to a different location, cautious of any unwanted eavesdropping.
Wait. If we’re making complete fools of ourselves like this, it’s all because of that bastard. Why do I have to watch over the guy who caused all this trouble?
The large number three beast grumbled continuously.
You should stop bowing down like that. Why on earth would grown adults like us be stuck in this ridiculous masquerade? It’s all because that jackass proposed it, which the clients accepted!
But for once, he seemed to have no retort.
Soon after, the first beast scratched its head and made an inquiry.
Really?
Yeah. Before we began this mission, he suggested, “If we’re putting on another’s face, how about wearing a mask over that for safety?” It’s why we ended up in these get-ups now.
Didn’t know that.
It’s only natural that those committing a crime would want to hide their identities.
Having already disguised themselves with an item that changes one’s appearance, opting to overlay with masks resembling beasts was rather impressive.
What if the real beast comes and gets angry?
Even with their equipment, it could be quite troublesome if such a scenario occurred.
A timid Earthling raised his hand, expressing his concerns.
Oh, that’s not going to happen.
But hearing his worries, number three quickly interjected nonchalantly.
Even he knows what’s up.
In the sunset-draped dungeon corner.
Someone recalled the bone mask wearer on the second floor far away.
I’ve got good hearing compared to most. So I accidentally picked up information while I was out and about…
What?
The great employer—or maybe it was just a spectral PC communication—they passed intel to him before the job started. Apparently, the real beast has been dead for some time.
What in the world!
On hearing this shocking news for the first time, one of the fakes was noticeably startled.
But that wasn’t the only startling news.
And the hunter who killed the beast? They say it’s a Korean! Their intel network is truly impressive; it’s already been thoroughly investigated!
The implications that a beast killer lived in a country being forcefully entered heightened the atmosphere, fueling more debates.
What? This damn pig! That info should’ve been shared ahead of time!
Don’t get mad.
If I had known things would get this dangerous…
What would you do if you knew? Try to negotiate your pay?
……
Or perhaps you’d hold out your hand for a bounty? Come on, buddy. You know very well how they’re going to treat anyone who acts rude beyond their contract, right?
Yet the loud disagreement didn’t last long.
Eventually, one side conceded and closed their mouths grudgingly. The analog clock they had been watching finally pointed towards lunch for Korea.
It’s time.
The beasts impersonating the dead beast prepared once again.
Soon, the monster density will reach its limit… We must reduce the dangerous hunters as much as possible and blast the gate as planned.
Huh.
Preferably, let’s kill all the captives we brought along.
I really despise this kind of job. I’m so weak at heart.
Quit complaining.
Thus, one of the beasts stepped out with the [Reaper’s Shroud].
Alright, number one. Make sure of it. Just get out of the gate and snatch the closest person without exception. Someone who seems important as a hunter would be great! That way, the Koreans won’t just sit by and will come in to save their comrade. That’ll be our chance. In this dungeon, we’ll definitely! have the upper hand.
However, what actually unfolded after that…
