Usually, monsters are lumped together by their race.
Red Leaf Hounds, or Red Hounds. The standard hierarchy is set at a level 7, with any variants referred to as alpha types.
While there may be differences among individuals, they aren’t distinct enough to warrant separate classifications.
That’s not the case here.
Aerus of Blood Cloud.
A special monster, so remarkable that the association has named it both as an alias and an individual.
It’s ranked at level 3 and treated as an alpha entity.
Among the monsters that wreak havoc in “Savior,” it’s quite a top-tier beast.
Not a single run in history has ended with a party’s demise at Aerus’ hands. However, there have been many instances of encounters.
Runs where Aerus was caught? Sure, they existed. But they never ended neatly.
The runs that began to systematically hunt down level 3 monsters didn’t start until the eighth run.
Prior runs either had mediocre specs or were riddled with flaws, even if they had superior output.
The ninth run sought out a malignant path but ended up blowing itself up due to poor choices.
The only runs capable of soloing level 3 or higher monsters were the eighth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth runs.
“Damn it.”
Now, I’ve got a monster with such potential right in front of me.
Naturally, it’s not actually level 3 right now.
If it were, there wouldn’t be any survivors left.
– GRAAAAH!
Still, to me, it’s a monster.
The roar crashed around me. My clothes whipped harshly in the wind. A blast of sound and murderous intent hit me, making my complexion go ashen.
Momentum. Should I call it a pressure? It enveloped my senses, making me worry about the level of this beast.
It seemed similar to the level 5 creature that Hong Yeon-hwa had set ablaze…
In this wonderful reality, my fingertips trembled. I calmed my unstable breathing as I assessed my condition.
The sensation below my left forearm was faint. A chunk of flesh was torn away… If I had felt that pain fully, I might have screamed bloody murder.
My mana… more than half is left. My core and circuits complained from exhaustion. My body, aside from the forearm, was still intact.
In terms of readiness, the supply sword I brought was turned into scrap the moment it blocked a hit from Aerus.
The wings of the sky were gradually restoring their shape as I poured mana into them. Without the restoration ability, they would’ve been junk from that last attack.
“Damn.”
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
I almost genuinely bit the dust. My head turned ice cold.
It wasn’t a “maybe I’ll die” situation. It wasn’t some training I went through in the cradle. It felt like if I messed up, I would genuinely die.
Death was right in front of me. Without spatial awareness, without mapping out my senses, there was nothing but darkness reflecting death.
Defensive magic, the sword used as a shield, wings of the sky, the hardened air wrapped around me, and the high-level martial arts I unleashed.
If one of those wasn’t there, I would have just died.
Life would’ve ended. Just like I felt countless corpses with my spatial awareness, I would’ve become one of them.
“Run…”
I have to go. There’s no reason to hesitate.
If I fight that thing, I’m dead. My survival instinct screamed at me.
Is my life not worth more than anything else?
I was fundamentally a selfish individual. The reason I pushed myself to get stronger was to stay alive.
That thought made me pull back my feet.
Information from the shelter trickled in. There was no time to sift through it.
I couldn’t capture it all. Only some bits of information came in.
Fear and anxiety. Condensed, yet swirling with confusion, I felt the inside of the shelter.
I am selfish.
A question popped into my mind.
Back then, why did I save that person?
There was nothing to gain, I nearly died, and lost a leg because of it. Why did I even act?
– You’re a piece of filth that shouldn’t have been born, huh?
It must be infuriating. I had to deny that statement. If I stayed there, it felt like I’d be agreeing with it.
Crack! I bit down hard. Liquid, not saliva, swirled in my mouth. A sharp pain jolted me awake.
I summoned my mana. The creaking core spewed out mana. I employed my martial arts with the mana coursing through my body.
I dragged my foot forward.
WHAM! The energy that greedily consumed my mana fiercely wrapped around me.
– RUMBLE!
I heard thunder. The source was the monster, Aerus. Its fur, already red, was enveloped in crimson mist.
Unique abilities aren’t just exclusive to superhumans. Regardless of the term or how it’s expressed or activated, they definitely manifest even in entities other than humans.
Monsters are the same. While usually classified into kin traits, exceptional entities like that definitely have unique abilities.
“Blood Cloud.”
An ability that manifests as mist appearing to be made of blood.
That blood mist also serves as its power. Just wrapping it around its body boosts its specs and serves as both armor and weapon to shred enemies.
– CRUNCH!
The ground quaked. It was the monster’s footsteps, not mine. The asphalt buckled as its massive body charged forth.
It’s fast. Its specs clearly overwhelm mine. If we both moved at the same time, I’d be the one to go down. I needed to predict its movements and act first.
I used spatial awareness to anticipate its movements. Holding onto my nearly useless sword, I threw it backward. The sword, shrouded in energy, sliced through the air.
Aerus didn’t react. There was no sign of defense.
– CLANG!
The sound of metal on metal. The sword smashed into the mist and splintered into pieces, scattering into the air.
“Of course, it wouldn’t take any damage.”
Aerus closed in. As the distance narrowed, my spatial awareness creaked.
“An alpha type.”
I shut down any hopes I had of it not being one. That thing was undoubtedly an alpha entity. It was also actively receiving help from the dungeon’s powers.
In other words, Aerus was the core and center of this dungeon. Wherever Aerus is located, that’s the dungeon’s heart, and it’s where the dungeon is most powerful.
The force pushing against my spatial awareness grew increasingly stronger, disrupting my ability to pull in information. My expression twisted in response.
A thick paw reached out. The elongated claws were shrouded in blood mist.
I reached out, wielding my energy-filled fist. I aimed my right hand first, considering the injury on my left forearm.
– CRACK!
The blood mist and my energy collided. An insane recoil surged through my arm. It felt like my hand would snap at any moment. I clenched my teeth, altering my trajectory.
Grrrk! The massive paw of Aerus barely grazed my body.
If I had been hit directly, my skin would’ve been sliced open like tofu. A dreaded premonition flashed through my mind.
“I can’t allow myself to be hit.”
Having felt the difference in their base strengths firsthand made the size disparity glaringly apparent.
Previously, I barely survived; however, letting that happen consecutively would turn me into a hunk of meat.
– CRACK! BANG! GRAAAAH!
The battle had engaged. I deflected each attack effortlessly. The missed strikes tore through buildings like they were made of dominoes.
The ground cracked under the onslaught. Vehicles abandoned on the road were pulverized along with brutal explosions.
My skill surpassed theirs. It’s foolish to measure technique against a beast, yet thanks to the gap in skill, I managed to deflect their strikes.
Even having trained with numerous weapons against Professor Atra, the weapon I was most comfortable with was my own fists and feet.
Whenever I would drop my sword, I had to use my fists and legs.
That experience allowed me to deflect the monster’s attacks.
– CRRAAAH!
The energy was chipped away. It wasn’t a problem. I replenished the energy that had been carved away.
I reinforced my energy even sturdier than before, although my mana felt like it was being drained. My circuits and core were being overworked to raise my mana.
For now, it wouldn’t shatter with just a single strike. I could withstand one or two hits. As long as they weren’t sudden powerful strikes filled with the true strength of the monster, I could hold my ground.
The drained energy could be replenished again.
But…
“Tsk.”
With the creaking spatial awareness, the recovery of my mana was sluggish.
Physical damage was piling up. Although I had been deflecting attacks, there was no avoiding the strain on my body.
I hadn’t anticipated a prolonged battle, but I couldn’t last much longer than I had initially thought.
So, what about a quick battle? Can I defeat it?
I looked for an opportunity. The massive paw descended toward me, casting a shadow over my body.
Its movements were grand. Generally, that allowed me to deflect its blows, and I could occasionally strike in return.
I twisted my body. The tip of the energy crackling paw just barely skimmed past me. I spread out my left hand.
“Mana Slash: Multiple.”
A series of slashes burst from my palm and enveloped Aerus. Due to the size difference, the volley slammed into its side.
I sliced through the crimson mist. Many slashes were lost in the process, yet a few managed to connect with its fur.
– CRACK!
The rigid fur blocked the remaining attacks. Even with diminished power, it barely left any marks.
– GRAAAAH!
My eardrums vibrated. I grimaced and quickly leapt away from where I had just been standing.
A massive jaw snapped shut right where I had stood. SLAM! The sound of teeth clashing echoed in my ears.
Aerus let out a roar, lifting its head. The remnants of the sky wings I had lost were caught between its grinding teeth.
Using my spatial awareness, I assessed Aerus. A faint mark was etched where the slashes impacted.
Could I kill it?
“Impossible.”
The parasite that looked similar to Aerus had directly been obliterated by Hong Yeon-hwa’s bloom.
I didn’t possess enough output to replicate that.
Gop-hwa? It hadn’t been used since that day. I could’ve used it plenty of times, but this annoyingly capricious ability wouldn’t bend to my will.
– GRRRR!
I wasn’t dead yet. But one good hit would end me. Still, by deftly dodging its attacks, I kept smashing into harmless terrain.
That must have irritated Aerus. Its neck let out a throaty growl, sounding like metal scraping against itself.
Then, both of its front paws raised high. The blood mist coiled and bubbled around its limbs.
It was a clear sign of a strong attack. My instincts screamed.
If I get hit, I’m dead.
Can I block it? No, I can’t. Even if I do, I’m still dead.
What about dodging it again? My instincts shook their heads.
The murderous intent and pressure of its mana pounded against me, hitting the ground hard.
I stepped back, not forward. I created some distance from Aerus.
– GRRR!
That ominous roar felt like it was mocking me. BOOM! The blood mist wrapped its front paws, swelling even larger.
Due to its similar hues, its paws appeared two to three times larger than before.
No, it was just its front paws. Fully extending, they were taller than the nearby buildings.
Then, Aerus’ back legs bulged. Its muscles swelled like balloons, and the blood mist enveloping them expanded.
“Yeah.”
If it gets further away, I’ll just have to close the gap myself.
BAM! The ground behind Aerus shot up.
In turn, Aerus was slung forward, as its massively inflated front paw came crashing down toward me.
The sky vanished.
The sunlight was blocked. The area around me was swallowed in darkness.
From above to below.
It was the best angle to pour all its power into.
The paw that obscured the sky slammed down upon me.
*
The ground buckled. The aftermath sent a brutal gust sweeping through.
Trees that couldn’t withstand the momentum fell over like dominos, and debris scattered everywhere.
It was a blatant destruction of nature, but Atra didn’t care even a bit.
Cifnahen doesn’t have a gate terminal.
The nearest gate terminal was the Edinburgh Gate.
From there, Atra dashed forward without resting.
Lee Ha-yul was swept up in the dungeon’s rampage.
The dungeon’s rank was barely at level 4.
The standard hierarchies pouring out would barely reach level 8. Even considering the dungeon’s backup, it would hover around level 7.
Given Lee Ha-yul’s skills, he should definitely make it out alive.
That’s what Atra thought in the past.
If it were that kid, it would be fine. It was also an opinion reached through objective judgment, and Atra felt that way too.
And then, that kid vanished, leaving only a cold arm behind.
Just please…
Atra’s face twisted in despair. Past nightmares clashed with the present.
“Just stay alive.”
If he’s alive, he could be healed. There are many ways to heal in this world. Somehow, if he’s alive, he can be fixed.
She chanted those words, drove onward, unleashing her martial arts to cross mountains and rivers.
A golden line was painted in the sky.
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