#49 Advent of the Demon Wolf (2)
#49 Advent of the Demon Wolf (2)
A chill seeped into the air, and before anyone knew it, a pervasive black mist was spreading, blanketing the entire area. The atmosphere grew heavy—it had forced its way alone through the dimensional rift and exhaled a breath laced with frost.
"———."
The sound of its breathing rode the air currents and resonated low across the plaza, bringing the slaughter-crazed horde to an abrupt halt. Even the White Lion and the Executioner, who had been driving the hunters back, sensed its presence and turned their heads.
"......!"
And it wasn't just the monsters. The hunters' bodies began to tremble under the eerie killing intent that filled the plaza. Far from pinpointing its source, they couldn't control their own shuddering—wracked by fear. A trembling that felt as if it would never stop, a vertigo-inducing presence that had frozen the frenzy-driven chaos in its tracks.
"Ah, Alpha (Jirisan Warg)..."
A voice already raw whispered the creature's name. Black fur. Raging jet-black flames and a bleak black mist—as every gaze in the arena converged on it, a violent wind seemed to sweep through, and then in an instant, everything was unleashed.
The black flames and mist burst outward, and in the blink of an eye, the fire demon and the mist filled the plaza. Shattering the silence, agonized screams rang out and crimson flowers bloomed. The shadows of the horde had already been eroded by the spirit field, and under the Wolf's dominion, they pierced their masters. Screams and death throes subsided, stained red. Once more, a cold silence descended upon the plaza.
"......."
The sound of someone swallowing was unnervingly loud. The monsters simply trembled in terror, but the hunters were dumbstruck.
"...Insane."
At the very least, they could see it. Every single shadow had pierced a vital spot without exception. The shadows rippled and surged as if a will of their own resided in each one. The hunters glanced nervously at their own shadows.
...Even though it was impossible, they could have sworn they had just moved.
What broke the silence was a single footstep. The massive Wolf trampled over the corpses of the fallen horde. Though it stepped through pools of thick blood, the blazing black flames evaporated it instantly. It turned its head for a moment, and then a small dragon leapt out from beyond the dimensional rift, following at the Wolf's heels. The black flames swelled in size, incinerating the horde—as the acrid smoke spread, the monsters fully regained their biological instincts.
"———!"
Shrieking in a cacophony of pitches, the horde began to flee the plaza. Even as the raging flames engulfed them, they didn't stop—squeezing through the narrow gaps. Tangling with one another, they thrashed about in chaos and bolted for the dimensional rift.
"......."
Faced with this unbelievable spectacle, the fighting had died down before anyone realized it. Kang Tae-jun grabbed the frame of his broken glasses and crushed it, a frown creasing his face.
'The Swallower?'
A being even he, a hunter for decades, had never heard of. A monster that had never appeared before—Square's masterpiece, a monster on which appraisal did not work.
'Like the Purple Black Tiger...'
It was alien. A sense of otherness, as if its rank as a living creature was different. This thing and the Purple Black Tiger shared too many similarities. They were the only two monsters whose information he could not read at all. The moment those red eyes had looked at him, Kang Tae-jun had felt a bone-deep chill. There was no killing intent, no madness, yet it was as if he was being overwhelmed...
'.......'
Just as his thoughts were deepening, Kang Tae-jun snapped his wrist to deflect an incoming blade. He angled his sword to let the strike slide off with friction, and as the blue flame blazed fiercely, he kicked Kang Hoon away.
'As expected.'
—He had meant to kick him, but his ankle had twisted instead. Their fight was a battle of wits. A contest of moments, seizing openings and piercing through instants. However, the scales were slowly tipping.
'...This isn't going to be easy.'
His capabilities fell short. Even when they traded blows, the accumulated damage was different. For now, they were evenly matched, but as time went on, he would be the one at a disadvantage. But he didn't need to win. He just had to buy enough time for the clans to break through Snowell and retreat.
—As if he had seen right through that thought, Kang Hoon's gaze shifted. Not to Kang Tae-jun, but to the others.
***
The fallen monsters sank into the shadows. Something that would normally have been impossible became reality as the black patterns covering the Wolf's entire body emitted a faint light.
[Experience Points have reached maximum. Lv.1 → Lv.8]
'—So far, so good.'
It had devoured every single monster it had pulled into its shadow without leaving a trace. Checking that, its eyes gleamed again. Good up to this point, but the problem was that this was only the beginning. It had only sifted out the small fry.
'Black Mist.'
The frenzy that drove the monsters into a berserk rage was also nothing more than a phenomenon produced by mana. If so, there was no way the Black Mist couldn't suppress it. It had simply instilled fear in the monsters whose frenzy had been quelled, making them flee. It was all a performance, and there was nothing really spectacular about it. —It was absurd, but at least that was what the Wolf thought. Having cleared out the horde, the Wolf surveyed the situation again.
'Snowell.'
Kang Tae-jun and Kang Hoon, engaged in their own private duel. The assault team, fighting the White Lion that was blocking the entrance to the maze. There were still quite a few monsters left, but they were at a manageable level.
'...The problem is.'
—Whether or not I can take that thing down. A monster against which I once had not a single percent chance of victory. But not anymore. Watching it approach, it performed a final check of its status.
[Tyrant (Swallower) Lv.8] [EXP 65123 / 224670]
[Karma 2.61%] [Spirit Field 17.67m³]
[Length 4.61m] [Height 1.79m] [Weight 486.9kg]
[STR 306] [AGI 347] [VIT 385] [MP 447] [Willpower 15]
[Skill List]
Snatch Devour (C) Lv.7, Thorned Tentacle (D) Lv.4, Detection (C) Lv.2, Regeneration (D) Lv.7, Superior Stealth (C) Lv.8, Insight (D) Lv.9, Superior Hearing (D) Lv.4, Faint Sixth Sense (E) Lv.7, Superior Sight (D) Lv.4, Mitigation (C) Lv.2, Superior Hardening (C), Mutation (D) Lv.1, Faint Poison Resistance (E) Lv.1, Overwhelm (E) Lv.9, Fullness (C) Lv.4, Amphibious (D), Superior Elasticity (D) Lv.8, Superior Perception (D) Lv.4, Gust (C) Lv.8, Superior Sense of Smell (D) Lv.5, Superior Intuition (D) Lv.8, Clairvoyance (E) Lv.4, Mana Regeneration (D) Lv.8, Black Mist (B) Lv.3, Pain Nullification (D), Fairy Language (F), Stowage (E) Lv.5, Shadow Domination (B), Great Magic Power (B) Lv.2, Void (A)
[Remaining Skill Points 15]
—Growth accumulated until now. The Wolf's red eyes flared wildly as it looked at the Executioner, which was now right in front of it.
***
"Scatter!"
As the massive paw of the hundred-ton White Lion swung down, the assault team recoiled in horror. They could only manage this thanks to the space the Wolf had created for them by quelling the frenzy. They hadn't been hit, but the monstrous wind pressure forced them to brace against each other just to barely hold their ground. The White Lion swept its paw across the ground as if raking it, and Kang Tae-ho yanked Lee Gi-jun back by the nape of his neck, narrowly saving him from getting caught in the swing.
"Th-thank y—ack?!"
—The next moment, he was flying through the air. Needless to say, Kang Tae-ho had thrown him. As the hunter, who had soared dozens of meters, landed on the White Lion's back, Kang Tae-ho shouted.
"Just keep messing around up there!"
Lee Gi-jun sighed at those words. Snowell turned its head to meet his eyes. This wasn't some huge, stupid animal. Section bosses weren't that easy. Sword raised, Lee Gi-jun poured mana into it and brought it slashing down in one motion, and as if mildly annoyed, Snowell leaped.
"—Fuck!"
He had brought his sword down with both hands, but only fur scattered. It was impossible to pierce through Snowell's high vitality, Rock Skin, and Mitigation. The fact that his blade tip had even managed to penetrate the hide at all was proof of his strength.
That was enough—the moment he condensed mana into the tip and forced it inside, Lee Gi-jun staggered as if he was about to fall off at any second, then grabbed a clump of fur and barely held on.
The monster howled not in pain but in displeasure. Snowell shook its body violently, finally managing to throw him off. Falling from dozens of meters up, Lee Gi-jun's eyes flew open. Snowell's jaws had closed in and swallowed him whole. Staring at the bright red tongue rushing toward him, he gave up on life.
"You fucking... Kang Tae-ho, you bastard...!"
And the next instant, he was standing on solid ground.
"......?"
Hadn't he died? Had he seen a hallucination? That couldn't be. When he had been inside Snowell's mouth, the saliva that had soaked him told him it was real. Unable to process what had just happened, Lee Gi-jun stood there dumbfounded, blinking at the cry he heard by his ear.
"Kyu-uuuut!"
As if demanding thanks, a single monster lifted its chin arrogantly—at the sight of the Fairy Dragon, he let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
"What the..."
"Eun Gong!"
And then the Disciple of the Spear Saint was shoving him aside as if to say "move," and embracing the Fairy Dragon. The sight of her hugging it like something precious—it hit him belatedly.
'...Come to think of it, they said it traveled with a Fairy Dragon.'
So the Wolf that had suddenly appeared in the plaza and crushed the frenzy really was Alpha (Jirisan Warg) after all. Looking at the Fairy Dragon again, it had perched on Eun Ja-rim's shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world, staring directly at him.
"Kyu-uuu~!"
Under the silent pressure, Lee Gi-jun let out a dry laugh.
"Thanks. I seriously thought I was dead..."
Only then did it nod its head, genuinely haughty. It fluttered its wings as if that should have been obvious. The fact was, it had saved his life. It was ironic that a monster had saved him, but if he could pay his debt with just this much, he'd do it gladly. Just then, a fist smacked into the back of his head, and Lee Gi-jun glared as he turned around. Kang Tae-ho stood there with his fist clenched.
"What did you just call a superior who's like the sky to you? Bastard? Have you lost your mind?"
"...Ah. I nearly died because of you."
"So what. You moron. It's your fault for being stupid."
At the sight of the raised fist, Lee Gi-jun, who had been grumbling, clamped his mouth shut. In the meantime, Snowell was tilting its head and smacking its lips. It had clearly swallowed something, but nothing had gone down its throat. Looking thoroughly perplexed, Snowell spotted Lee Gi-jun standing on the ground and cocked its head. As if asking him why he was alive.
"......."
At that nonchalant look, Lee Gi-jun scratched the side of his head. He had even forced mana inside through the wounds... It was a known fact that Snowell didn't feel pain, but he was still sickened by its unwavering, sturdy appearance.
"Don't we have any good options?"
Kang Tae-ho jerked his chin in response.
"―――Când coboară florile de zăpadă"
A continuing incantation, as Hayeon prepared a grand spell. He meant they had to hold out until her magic was complete. Indeed, to defeat a monster of Snowell's caliber, grand magic was essential—though honestly, he doubted even grand magic could bring Snowell down, Lee Gi-jun nodded.
'Because it's fortunate enough.'
Where else could they even fight like this? The reason they could afford even a slight breather... was Alpha (Jirisan Warg), locked in a battle of nerves with the Executioner far away. Lee Gi-jun shook his head. Just a few months ago, it had been nothing more than a single Warg, and now it had become a monster that could stand proudly against a section boss of Neverland...
'...Anyway, it's a positive for now.'
Thinking could come later. Escaping the dungeon came first. As the hunters braced themselves to face Snowell again, in the center of the plaza, the Mountain Goat and the Wolf clashed violently.
—And the Black Demon Wolf howled.