Chapter 317
Chapter 317. In the Dead of Night (3)
'Oh, this.'
The scene vividly conveyed the sky's nonexistence. By the ti the actual plan was underway, looking up revealed a dark, starless night above each dungeon floor—a distinctive ceiling. Despite the absence of any light source, the visibility was oddly bright, while the grass that once adorned the ground had turned into a dull, swamp-like black.
'That damn idiot Number 1.'
By the ti the cloak-type item returned to its stored location, a host of powerful hunters—including Esther, Jung Haseong, and a blond hunter—had sward the dungeon's mid-level like a cluster of stars. Their comrade, who had tried to retrieve the hostage, couldn't withstand the relentless assault from the other S-rank hunters and was forced to retreat in a group.
'I told him not to co back empty-handed, and yet he shows up dragging a whole bunch of S-ranks instead.'
How can soone be so all-or-nothing? It's infuriating—I almost want to kill him. But blaming my comrade now won't change anything. On the other hand, maybe it's for the best. After all, their goal was to eliminate so of Korea's Awakened beforehand, to prevent any chance of failure later on.
That's why.
“Ugh...!”
Jung Haseong, and especially Esther's joint attack, made their comrade emit sounds close to that of a beast. Beast Number 3, seeing their unfortunate comrade being lynched, quickly rolled up his sleeves to ensure that at least they wouldn't die.
“....”
Additionally, the moderately built individual who had been relatively composed—in other words, the criminal whose physique most closely resembled that of the real Beast—also had a certain purpose for taking part in this occupation.
Srrrnk.
The leader-like Number 2 also finished preparing for battle by equipping his gear. But the beautifully straight spear he pulled out—any sharp-witted modern hunter would have no choice but to recognize it imdiately.
A weapon from which imnse power surged like relentless crashing waves... emanating from the shaft of the spear it...
The leader-like Number 2 also finished preparing for battle by equipping his gear. But the beautifully straight spear he pulled out—any sharp-witted modern hunter would have no choice but to recognize it imdiately.
A weapon from which imnse power surged like relentless crashing waves—emanating from the shaft of the spear itself.
‘...100% Epic-grade or higher!’
That was the signal for the battle to begin. The fake Beast acting as the leader drove his spear into the dry ground, announcing his presence loud and clear.
***
Boom!
An epic-grade spear struck down into the dungeon floor. At that very mont, the dried-up ground of the dungeon transford in an instant—just like the onset of a violent earthquake.
‘Oh my.’
Damn it. Honestly, I didn’t plan on getting this deeply involved in the incident.
Damn it. Honestly, I didn't plan on getting this deeply involved in the incident.
'No matter how many tis I check, it's definitely inside the dungeon.'
I smacked my lips bitterly and took another step back. Now that the civil servant had safely fallen back, all I had to worry about was my own safety.
'I really hope this choice ends up working in my favor.'
Still, if there was one thing I was holding out hope for, it was the fact that the long-haired Earthling was the owner of the [Searcher].
Actually, this wasn't just a selfless act pushing Seonwoo Yeon forward. In a situation where the destination of the Shroud of the Underworld was unknown, the possessor of tracking magic was most likely to find the victim.
'It's just that I've always been surrounded by top-rankers, but honestly, a B-rank Hunter with tracking skills is pretty rare!'
Rescuing Seonwoo Yeon was sothing that had to be done anyway. It's just that things got worse because I was ssing around trying to analyze the [Shroud of the Underworld] and failed.
As the awakened one wearing the bone mask gripped an unnad spear and activated a skill, sothing suddenly su
Rescuing Seonwoo Yeon was sothing that had to be done anyway. It's just that things got worse because I was ssing around trying to analyze the [Shroud of the Underworld] and failed.
As the awakened one wearing the bone mask gripped an unnad spear and activated a skill, sothing suddenly surged upward. The exact nature of the ability used was a technique that released water molecules in an ultra-low-temperature state in a specific form. In short, it was ice magic.
“Jung Haseong, be careful!”
To cover the entire area in a mass of ice spikes in just a matter of seconds—how terrifying. However, through this Beast's strike, I noticed sothing slightly off.
‘Huh?’
It was because the enemy's magic completed at an unusually fast timing.
‘Why is the skill casting speed like that?’
And for the record, this wasn't a complint. Ordinarily, a sorcerer must devote at least a minimum amount of care when casting a spell. That care might take the form of ti, or mana. But this fake Beast before my eyes completed the technique far too quickly relative to the effort invested—and on top of that, from the perspective of a high mage, the resulting magic was downright shoddy.
‘What is it?’
echnique far too quickly relative to the effort invested—and on top of that, from the perspective of a high mage, the resulting magic was downright shoddy.
'What is it?'
Ssshk.
As you can see—if that had been a properly constructed ice spell, it would’ve at least held up for a while. But even now, the tips of those ice spikes are already starting to crumble on their own.
'Doesn't seem like it was influenced by the item's performance or anything. Even if they're an S-rank Hunter with above-average reflexes... this is just a bit too much...'
Fast casting speed. But an unstable magical form.
The fact that that beast's magic is just slightly faster than others is a detail that a true mage would find quite significant. So then, what does this imply?
'The ice attack is just a disguise.'
While busily moving his sluggish body, he simultaneously assessed the opponent's abilities.
'The skill just used doesn't match that primitive caster's natural affinity. In that case, considering their strength in spee
While busily moving his sluggish body, he simultaneously assessed the opponent's abilities.
'The skill just used doesn't match that primitive caster's natural affinity. In that case, considering their strength in speed battles, that Beast's attribute must be...'
However, perhaps because the battle was unfolding in real ti, it was hard to stay focused. The hulking beast, massive like a wild mountain animal, and the much smaller fake Beasts—who looked barely half its size—seed entirely fixated on Korea's top two ranked hunters. So I ran even faster, desperate to avoid getting caught in the crossfire between Jeong Haseong and the enemy's attacks.
It was then.
One of the tall Beasts, who had retrieved the spear it had driven into the ground, stood still and stared in this direction.
……
The opponent was wearing a mask, so it wasn't entirely clear— but the mont I felt like our eyes t, I'll be honest, my blood ran cold.
'Huh?'
Beside , Korean hunters were stabbing and scorching its comrades in utter chaos. And yet, in the midst of it all, this
'Huh?'
Beside , Korean hunters were stabbing and scorching its comrades in utter chaos. And yet, in the midst of it all, this predator—was staring only at the blond man who stood exactly the sa height as itself.
'There are so many awakened ones here—so why only ?'
The opponent was wearing a massive bone mask and tattered leather clothes—just for a mont, it truly felt like the world's top-ranked magic user had co back to life. But judging from the looks of it, their awakening attribute must be quite different from Brooklyn's.
I sneakily glanced around...
'As expected, the greatest magic in this world is running away!'
Seizing the mont when Esther rushed to subdue the Beast, I fled at full speed. My destination was sowhere near the depths of this dungeon. Perhaps they needed a place to rest while hiding. Fortunately, even the enemies had cleared out so of this area's minions.
'Monsters everywhere, and S-rank hunters too. It's like a chaotic marketplace out here.'
I dragged my pathetic F-rank body to a corner of the second floor. And then—an anomaly erupted on the battlefield where S-rank monsters had clashed.
"Ugh!"
"What the...!"
Among the fakes, the one whose build was most similar to Brooklyn—that tall, cold-looking Beast—suddenly began relentlessly pursuing a single Hunter. This ti, without relying on any weapons, he abruptly pushed forward with raw magical force.
Swoosh.
When the mid-sized Beast swung his hand, part of the dungeon began to change. He filled the floor and walls with a massive volu of water, then brought it down to an ultra-low temperature—freezing the area behind him, effectively paralyzing that region so the awakened ones couldn't dare approach.
'This is unfair! What on earth did an alien do to deserve this!'
Crack.
The wielder of the long spear soon approached with a fierce montum, tearing up the ground as he ca.
"Huh!"
For reference, the other Korean hunters had all ended up on the opposite side of the ice wall. The fake Beast continued charging forward, tearing up the ground with such ferocity that an unawakened civilian wouldn't even begin to comprehend it. Compared to this, a wild boar trampling crops would seem almost endearing—that's how heavy and destructive its footsteps were.
And what made this situation even more despairing was—
'If solid ground can be torn up that easily, then it's obvious what'll happen to a low-rank Hunter like !'
Having made my decision, I imdiately took a weapon out of my pocket. The chosen equipnt was the [Surprise Box!].
However, just as I had roughly expected in my head, the otherworldly powerhouse among the fakes—especially the one exuding an extraordinary presence—wasn't soone who could be stopped by a petty trick like this.
Crack!Clank.
Soon after, two distinct sounds echoed simultaneously within the dungeon. The first was a crushing noise—caused when the mid-sized beast grabbed my neck and stomped one foot into the ground. And mingled faintly with that crushing sound was the subtle pop of the [Surprise Box!] being opened.
The beast flexed the muscles in its calf, continuously pushing the captured hunter backward. Seizing the mont when I was at a reasonable distance from my allies, I imdiately opened the box, but the opponent naturally shrugged off the stun effect and slamd against the cave wall while still holding captive.
Boom!
'Oh my.'
Before long, the beast, still clutching its prey, charged forward with such force that it shattered the dungeon's terrain and structures in its path.
'If this wasn't a sacred tree, my back would have already been worn away.'
How many hundreds of ters did it charge through? The mid-sized beast tore away from the group without even giving a reason. And after that, it seed intent on incapacitating .
'Oh my!'
Well, since ominous mana was gathering in the beast's grip... I mobilized every bit of imagination I had. And before the disaster I was predicting could actually happen, I decided to buy so ti—if nothing else, with my mouth.
"W, wait...!"
But the beast's magic activated much faster than my words. Then again, maybe that's not even the real problem right now.
'Oh, shoot. This damned planet. Co to think of it, I don't have a translator right now, so even my threats won't be understood!'
To think that the only weapon that could match an S-rank would end up being sealed!
The magic completed by the Beast felt oddly familiar to the alien. Because all the inhabitants had lived in water tainted with slight impurities, on certain planets, this elent had long been considered devastating in power—so much so that it led Alphaurians to prioritize mastering insulative resistance above all else. It was a divine force of nature.
Bzzzzzzzt!
Electricity.
A crazed criminal grilled a person with artificial lightning. Furthermore, the opponent didn't care whether I was hit by the first attack or not, and laid a secondary trap that he had prepared in advance. As expected of a human of unknown origin, the artifact that Beast activated additionally had a function that I had never encountered in Korea.
Zzzzt, zzzzzzt...
I think I saw a similar form in an Earth biology book. If I recall correctly, it resembled sothing like a red basket fungus, with a web-like pattern of red lines that electrified and surrounded as I collapsed.
'If I touch it, the barrier will lt?'
s, with a web-like pattern of red lines that electrified and surrounded as I collapsed.
'If I touch it, the barrier will lt?'
At a glance, it was clear. This was a fixed trap designed to make it hard for the prey to escape—any contact with it would deal trendous damage. If you had to classify it, it was a type of magic derived from a barrier.
'Oh, as expected.'
Zzzzt.
I shouldn't force my way out of this. Just to be sure, I cautiously brought my fingertip closer—and the mont it touched one of the red lines suspended in midair, a nacing roar erupted from around my [Protection] barrier. I imdiately pulled my hand back.
But what was truly puzzling at this point was that the Beast, who had just trapped using the artifact's effect, had suddenly stopped its relentless assault.
'Why?'
If the prey's already trapped in such an effective cage, shouldn't they be bombarding it with long-range spells by now? When the opponent's actions suddenly deviated from standard combat logic—not that I could retaliate much anyway, having drained most of my mana using powerful telekinesis before even entering this place—I could only blink in confusion.
Unlike the sky-high region accessed through spatial distortion, the winding cave paths here were tangled like a human's capillaries. The masked beast glanced briefly toward the plains where the sounds of battle echoed—then promptly set out on a new course of action.
'Huh?'
A superhuman, whose appearance clearly suggested they were far from civilized, suddenly pulled out a machine resembling a walkie-talkie from their pocket.
'That's...'
The device turned out to be a universal translator from the Pixy Corporation. I was wondering what they were up to, pulling out sothing like that all of a sudden—And then, the Beast calmly took the earpiece from the device and carefully fit it into their ear...
Korean!
Soon ca the first words, which were rather unexpected as an opening sentence. Hearing that, I instantly wondered what kind of guy this really was.
Wait, let ask you a question.
But generally, there's usually a reason behind a person's actions.
It will only take a mont.
Within a few seconds, that tall beast revealed the true purpose hidden behind his eccentric behavior.
Swoosh.
From the back of the hand to the tips of the fingers, the figure—just like —had not a single patch of bare skin exposed, completely covered in gloves. Then, the beast brought a hand to his neck and, with force, removed his own mask. What appeared before next was a truly shocking sight.
Glossy golden bob-cut hair. Pale white skin. And a sharply sculpted nose, like that of a statue.
Ah... so, the question I was going to ask is...
Inside the beast’s bone mask was none other than a face perfectly identical to Brooklyn Morgan’s.
Have we, by any chance, ever faced each other like this before, with the masks off?
A woman who looked like a model opened her mouth and laughed. The small problem was that Brooklyn Morgan was already dead. After a long and careful observation, I finally rembered whose magic power was flowing through that impostor pretending to be soone else.
That human and I have already t before...
Author's Thoughts
Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)
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