An Unexpected Meat Party
With the unexpected meat party underway, there was no holding back now that I knew the sword I'd made could actually take them down. Just as I was about to raise the greatsword that had tasted blood for the first time, a swarm of bats launched their assault.
Gagagagagagak—
The bats struck first, raking their sharp hooks across my neck and every other exposed spot, desperately trying to drag me to the ground. Thanks to the neck guard Yeonhee had made for me, however, their attacks dealt no real damage. The claws scraping across my torso made plenty of noise but couldn't even scratch the bone armor. As long as I avoided losing my balance under their overwhelming numbers, they had no chance of bringing me down.
I lowered my stance to keep my center of gravity low, detonating Fireballs amid the bat storm to carve out space before swinging the greatsword into the gaps. Occasionally, three or four groups would rush me at once, but I simply extended the spikes still embedded in my body like a hedgehog and rolled through them to escape. The thought of firing every spike outward at once crossed my mind, but pulling even a single one free was still too difficult in practice, so that would have to wait.
Amid the pitch-black whirlwind of bats, the greatsword that had once felt too heavy to swing even once gradually became easier to handle. Before long, I was linking it with magic without needing to consciously plan each movement.
Whoosh— Whoosh—
For a full thirty minutes I danced alone with the thick, unsharpened bone blade barely over a meter long. It was a flashy display I would never normally attempt, but the hunters here were bound by oath and couldn't speak of me once we left. Besides, the bats surrounding me occupied such a massive area that those outside couldn't clearly see what I was doing anyway.
Even so, the hunters watching from beyond caught glimpses of my armor gradually growing darker with bat blood as the swarm I faced shrank. A flicker of fear and awe passed through their eyes.
The pressure on my left arm is insane...! Damn it!
After enduring it for over thirty minutes, my originally numb arm had become so hypersensitive that I could feel the bats brushing past. So it really does depend on how you use it...
The bone armor fused to my body had become one with me. The more I swung the greatsword, the deeper my understanding of my own form grew. Yet Yeonhee, who had been watching me closely, was growing visibly anxious—her mana rippling with worry. A thin thread connected us, and through it she sent her unease without filter.
That's enough. Come back here. I'm worried. Stay where I can see you.
She was saying exactly that.
Defeat 10,000 enemies with a greatsword in a single strike. (1154/10,000)
I'm just getting into the rhythm... What should I do?
While I hesitated, the bats that had been swarming me began shifting their focus toward the other hunters. This time, however, the hunters wouldn't be caught off guard. They had learned from the first clash and were now watching with sharp, determined eyes.
"You think I'll fall for the same trick twice?!"
"Wall of Fire—!"
"Light, heed my call!"
"Keep your shields locked tight—no gaps! Once the opening appears, the dealers will strike!"
The fire mage's blazing barrier roasted dozens of bats to a crisp, marking the start of a second round every bit as spectacular as the first. Yeonhee glanced at me once more before joining her teammates in the fight.
Right. She can't forget her own role. Good choice.
Then I'll just keep racking up a few more kills myself!
Each swing of the greatsword flattened more than ten hook bats against the blade. After relying on daggers to exploit openings, the satisfying impact of a heavy strike felt incredibly refreshing.
Greatswords aren't bad either... I might need to think seriously about what my main weapon should be.
Perhaps this quest was meant to guide me toward the most suitable path by letting me try different methods and weapons. That thought vanished the moment I threw myself back into the storm, my mind emptying until only the desire to swing faster and harder remained.
We repeated the cycle of one hour fighting and one hour resting twice more. Before long, it was nearly midnight.
At least they return to the ceiling to breed, or we'd never hold out... Damn it.
The bats' instinct to prioritize breeding over efficiency was baffling, but I shook my head and checked the messages that had appeared.
Well... look at that. The numbers have flipped completely.
Defeat 10,000 enemies using attribute skills. (7221/10,000)
Defeat 10,000 enemies with a greatsword in a single strike. (4090/10,000)
Defeat 10,000 enemies while stealthed using daggers. (2233/10,000)
Completing so much of the quest in a single day was genuinely encouraging. The problem now was that filling the dagger-related quest had become actual work. Killing the smaller bats with daggers was far less efficient than the other conditions.
Still, if I keep this pace, I could finish the attribute and greatsword quests by tomorrow... Whew.
At this rate, I might wrap everything up in just a few days. My own assignments were turning out easier than expected, but the other hunters were becoming the real issue.
The twenty-three hunters bound by oath with us were currently...
"Uweeegh...! Kueeeh..."
"I can't do this anymore... Hah... Heuk..."
"Haa... I want to go home... Why do I have to suffer like this?! This damn world...!"
"Shit... Dungeons are supposed to maintain balance? Value fairness? Go to hell... Heh heh heh..."
Sprawled across the Big Boar hide I'd laid out like freshly washed laundry, the hunters continued venting their complaints despite their exhaustion.
One more down... Twenty-three left.
Another death had occurred during the previous fight. One hunter had lost consciousness and never woken up—death from complete depletion of vitality. It was unusual; fatalities from sheer exhaustion weren't common. Still, the battle had been that grueling.
"Everyone, manage your stamina carefully. Don't skimp on food either. Since vitality isn't visible, no one else can monitor it for you."
"Ah, understood..."
"Let's eat first..."
"We only have enough for one day..."
Yeom Tae-seok urged them to restore their stamina without holding back, but worry over their dwindling rations made everyone hesitant to eat. None of them had expected this kind of survival situation, so their lack of preparation was understandable.
I need to lift their morale a bit.
I slipped behind the lizard summons, retrieved one of the Big Boars I'd stored early on, and carried it back to the group.
Thud—!
"Whoa?! A Big Boar! And that's a young one, right?"
A melee fighter whose stamina had held up better than most bolted upright and shouted. It wasn't exactly small enough to be called a calf, but to a tank accustomed to massive builds, it apparently looked that way.
The Big Boar had already been skinned and cleaned of inedible parts. The other hunters, still lying down, turned their heads at the cry and stared at the carcass in my hands.
Gulp—
Big Boar meat, said to be three times more delicious than premium pork belly.
"Whoa... How did that even get here...?"
"Summons each have their own inventory, so maybe they carry stuff like that around..."
"At least that guy won't starve to death in a dungeon."
Unfortunately, summon inventories were less than half the size of a hunter's, so a full Big Boar wouldn't fit. I'd already tested it. My own storage space was unusually large, but letting them keep their misconception seemed harmless.
I dug a shallow circular pit in the flat ground and set the mana brazier I'd brought alongside the Big Boar inside it. Pouring mana into the round storage tank beneath the brazier was all it took for fuel. My mana dropped by about thirty points, and soon a strong flame roared to life.
Crackle— Fwoosh—
I set up the skewer rack on the brazier, impaled the entire Big Boar on a spit, and hung it over the fire.
Sizzle— Sizzle—
The sight of the whole-roasted Big Boar was mesmerizing. I crouched beside it and began turning the spit with a detached expression. As the meat browned evenly, the hunters' eyes followed its rotation like they were hypnotized.
During the break I'd checked everyone's rations—none had even a full day's worth left. To ordinary people it might have looked like several days' supply, but hunters consumed far more than average. Yeonhee and our party members knew I'd stockpiled plenty of food, so they looked relaxed, but the others had no idea and were already deeply worried.
Now that I was casually roasting a Big Boar in the middle of all that, their thoughts were probably racing.
"Ilwol... We're all going to eat together, right? Right?"
Yeonhee looked anxious, as if she feared I might not share with the other hunters.
"Clack clack clack!"
"Yeah! This much should be enough to get us back, at least."
It wasn't enough to fully feed twenty-nine people, but it would certainly restore their energy. Dungeon monster meat also granted a temporary buff that boosted mana and stamina recovery.
Slice— Stretch—
I carved the perfectly roasted Big Boar into easy-to-eat portions with my dagger and plated them. The hunters accepted their shares with bright smiles.
"Thank you!"
"This looks amazing! Wow—"
"Thank you. Thank you so much...!"
They bowed repeatedly to Yeonhee as well, eager to make a good impression. Those who offered something always wanted to give a little extra to people who showed proper gratitude. Experienced upper D-rank hunters knew that much about social skills.
...Well, being around people isn't so bad either.
It was only a fleeting thought, but exploring a dungeon with a large group had its own unique appeal compared to working in a small party.
"Ugh, this is seriously delicious."
"It's so good I'm tearing up..."
Most of them had eaten Big Boar before, yet their reactions were over the top. Even the usually reserved Ham Eun-yeong was chewing with full cheeks and smiling softly, which confirmed the meat really was excellent.
"No, this is too good! It's the best thing I've ever eaten!"
"Is this really Big Boar meat? It tastes different from what I remember."
"Right? And it came from the lowest-grade dungeon."
Hmm... I can't taste it myself, so I can't tell if they're exaggerating or if the flavor really improved.
It had been over a month since I'd stored it. Maybe it had aged somehow. There was no way to know.
Let's see...
I slipped a piece into my mouth, but a message appeared stating it didn't meet the conditions for Essence Devour.
Once it's cooked, it counts as neither alive nor dead? The criteria are completely arbitrary...
Later, if I ate raw Big Boar instead of grilled, I'd be able to compare the difference. For now, everyone finished their meal in good spirits, and a bit of color had returned to their faces. It seemed the food had helped restore their stamina after all.
I nodded in satisfaction, then turned my thoughts to the variables that would arise once I used Mimicry at night.
First, it would be best to hide inside the tent with Yeonhee...
To do that, we'd need a space large enough to conceal just the two of us.