18. Zhuque, Boss of the Vermilion Bird Volcano Zone

Safety Planning Department and HR Innovation Department clashed head-on with Zhuque, the boss monster of the Vermilion Bird Volcano Zone, for a few minutes. In that short time, dozens or hundreds of exchanges flew back and forth.

Both Zhuque and the employees were running low on stamina, so the battle ground to a temporary lull. The longer this dragged on, the more anxious I felt. If we didn't take it down fast, Zhuque would just keep getting stronger. Time was never on our side.

And sure enough—

Piiiieek!

Zhuque let out a shrill cry and wrapped its entire body in a pair of wings. Then it curled up in midair, enclosing itself in a sphere of flames.

"Its mana is growing stronger. It's trying to evolve!"

"Stop it at all costs!"

The employees unleashed attacks at Zhuque from all directions, but it was pointless. Anything that touched the flame barrier surrounding it crumbled to ash.

At that moment, I caught a glimpse of Zhuque swelling to gigantic size—like an illusion. Soon, some kind of energy spread out in all directions.

Paaat!

"Here it comes."

I scanned our surroundings.

"……."

"……."

"……."

A sudden silence blanketed the area. Everyone stood there dumbfounded, like mice frozen in fear. Only a few, like Madric Blood and Seon Ga-hee, seemed to notice something was off.

"……What was that just now?"

"Similar to Angelica's power, huh. Tsk."

The employees, their eyes glassy and soulless like dead fish, began to move again.

"Raaagh!"

"Graaaah!"

"Die! Die! Die!"

"Ugh! S-stay back!"

They turned their blades on each other, hurling spells wildly. Zhuque's second authority: the Seat of the Ghost. They were probably seeing horrific illusions of their comrades transformed into monstrous demons.

Thanks to my Mental Strength Gift, I was fine before and still fine now.

Clang!

"……Damn it."

But I couldn't stop a fellow employee from trying to kill me.

"Young master Kim. I'll assist you from the side."

"Gwak Do-cheol? You're unscathed."

Luckily, Gwak Do-cheol had shaken off Zhuque's illusion quickly.

"The inner arts of the Black Moon School do not yield to such petty sorcery!"

Shing!

"I see!"

I teamed up with him to subdue our deranged comrades while calling out to Angelica.

"Angelica. Can you dispel it?"

Immediately, a dark mist poured from the gem on my Sealed Sword.

"……Hah, huff! What have I done?"

"Snap out of it and help subdue the other employees."

"Y-yes. Of course, Section Chief!"

Fortunately, the afflicted employees weren't all that powerful. While I was restoring their senses one by one, Angelica suddenly spoke up.

I nodded right away.

"Spot on."

"……?"

She went quiet, so I tilted my head. I'd expected her to yell something.

As if reading my mind, Angelica spoke.

"I need its power."

"Not many monsters react to the Sealed Sword. You know that."

Exactly. The Sealed Sword couldn't seal just anyone. It required a being with spiritual power, one of sufficient rank—but not too high, or the sword couldn't handle it. It might not even be sealable in the first place.

Zhuque before us was a divine beast, but as a mere stage boss, it was degraded enough to seal.

"……."

I had no rebuttal. Truth be told, I'd vaguely felt the same. We had two Directors, but stamina was low, and we'd lost many subordinates. I had no confidence we'd win.

And Zhuque was definitely stronger than the one I'd seen in my past life. I couldn't figure out why.

What was different this time? Skipping floors 11 through 13 to come straight ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to 14? That might be it. The penalty for cheesing our way here was a tougher boss.

No point dwelling now. All we could do was fight, death be damned.

Then Angelica said something unexpected.

"You can help? How?"

Angelica was already using most of her power to counter the dungeon-wide hallucination field. Could she do more?

My face lit up.

"Then right—"

I started to summon her, but she cut me off.

"Deal."

I agreed without hesitation. It was a promise with no end in sight, but we had no other choice right now.

"Angelica. As master of the sealed soul, I command you: appear here."

I recited the Sealed Sword's summoning incantation, and the first gem lit up.

Whoosh!

Dark mist surged out, forming a silhouette. Madric Blood's eyebrow twitched at the sight. She'd guessed who it was.

The mist soon dispersed into the air, revealing a figure—not human, but vampyre.

"Angelica."

"Hey, sis."

"Showing up here? There's a limit to shamelessness."

"My master called me. He begged, saying he needed me bad."

Both sisters turned to me.

"This isn't the time for us to fight among ourselves."

Angelica smirked.

"True. I don't have much time manifested anyway."

She closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and formed a mudra.

"Resonance of the Banshee."

A high-frequency wail echoed through the chamber. The employees stopped fighting at once.

"The humans are under my control now. At least they won't kill each other."

Come to think of it, back on Underground Floor 10 when I'd faced her as the Vampyre Queen, something similar had happened.

Angelica continued. "We should hurry. I'm not dispelling the illusions completely—just overlaying my curse to suppress them."

Applying her power over such a wide area made perfect individual control tricky.

Piiiieeeeeek!!

Zhuque shattered its egg-like shell, reborn larger—maybe three times the size.

Fwoosh!

It spewed flames to either side, birthing clones. One, two, three, four, five... up to ten Zhuques floating side by side in the air, spanning the full width of the volcano summit. If they all charged at once, there'd be nowhere to run.

The ten Zhuques flapped their wings in unison.

Regaining its dignity let it speak now—not with a voice, but imprinted directly into our minds like telepathy. No one panicked. Angelica stepped up again.

"Begone!"

As she cried out from midair, the clone Zhuques distorted wildly.

"Ugh…… Dizzy. If only my full power were intact!"

Angelica stomped her feet in frustration.

Fwoosh!

"You think I'll go down that easy?!"

Several more clashes followed. With Angelica here, things were much better—she countered every illusion Zhuque threw. Still, no clear advantage emerged, so Madric Blood asked me,

"Have you no stratagem?"

The Director relying on me. If only Kim Hansu and Choi Heejeong were here. Even after 20 years apart, their absence hit hard.

"Buy me a little time."

I never thought I'd say that. I had a plan, but executing it was uncertain. Contact from the command center was later than expected.

Right then—

Cherubim's voice. Our chance was finally here?

"I hear you. Signal's not great."

Radio contact from HQ meant another portal had opened somewhere. The heavy noise suggested it was far off.

I shouted loud. "Have the goblins open the portal again!"

I repeated until Cherubim got it.

I quickly placed the gem I'd kept in my pocket. Set up the summoning circle, and when HQ reopened the portal, high chance it'd link here.

Soon, the portal hummed open.

Weeeeng—

"Crystal clear."

"No!"

I glanced at Zhuque curling up again.

Even with two Directors and Angelica, we were at a stalemate. If it evolved to four stars, reinforcements would just mean more pointless deaths.

I explained my plan to Cherubim.

Boom!

I barely dodged a flame bomb from Zhuque and yelled, "We make it possible!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

No worries about blame. Failure meant we all died here. The only other option was triggering the demolition switch in the military factory—blowing the crater and everything sky-high. Not this time.

"Portal!"

Weeeeng—

Cherubim kept spawning portals on my signal. HQ monsters must've been cleared. I trusted they'd calculated the angles right.

I circled Zhuque, placing gems. Portals spawned encircling it in response.

Zhuque leaped high, aiming to stomp me flat. Madric Blood intercepted instantly.

Shwaaak!

Five blood tendrils wrapped and bound Zhuque tight.

Fwoosh!

Zhuque flared its flames, vaporizing the chains in seconds. I called to Madric Blood, prepping her next attack.

"I'll draw its attention."

"What? You think you can handle that thing?"

A brutal truth, but... maybe our chance.

"If I'm about to die, I'll ask for help then."

"Obviously. Your death would sadden me."

"……Yeah, me too."

A strange tension hung between us briefly. Then I taunted Zhuque.

"Still dumb as a rock even after evolving, huh, you chicken-headed freak?!"

Its flames burned brighter red.

"Gonna crush me, huh? Too fat to move? You pig-chicken-headed freak!"

Perfect—it'd go all-out to kill me now. Just what I wanted.

"Director Blood. Hit it with Bloody Chain on my signal."

"So be it."

Madric Blood trusted me. Even in this dire spot, it felt good. Gave me strength.

Boom!

"Chicken brain making you mumble? Can't hear you!"

It bellowed. Like a teen throwing a tantrum. Still mid-evolution, taunts worked great.

Dancing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the edge of death, I nearly finished placing the gems—thanks to the two Directors, Angelica, and comrades covering me full-force. They'd heard Cherubim's radio too.

Crackle.

"Radio. You made me use this technique—you'll regret disappointing me."

No slacking, or Seon Ga-hee's electric torture awaited. Must succeed.

"Urgh!"

Spurt!

Blood trickled from Seon Ga-hee's mouth down her chin. Internal injuries hurting, yet she barked orders—for her Director pride. Couldn't show weakness before subordinates relying on her.

Her brow furrowed deep, she thrust her sword at Zhuque with all her might. Lightning vortexes around her whipped into a frenzy.

Seon Ga-hee's ultimate, still unfinished: Storm Prison Wave.

Crackle—crackle-crackle—rumble—BOOM!

The lightning storm hit like hundreds of bombs exploding at once.

"Director Blood!"

Now's the moment.

"I know!"

We extended our hands together.

Blood Impact, Madric Blood's secret art. I'd begged to learn it while training Blood Cycle under her. Only Alpha, but perfect for now.

Even amid chaos, Madric Blood praised, "You learn quickly."

No time to reply.

"Manager Cherubim! Now!"