The Transcendent's Majesty
Entering the Dark Space might mean the smoke had already dissipated, but there was nothing I could do about that. What could I even do with it anyway... Still, it's a byproduct from the monster that defeated Yeonsu. There should be something, right? With that faint hope in mind, I took a moment to assess the current situation.
It's a relief that there are so many capable people here. Disputes are minimal, and their response has been surprisingly clean.
Despite the massive influx of hunters, two major crises, countless deaths, and numerous severe injuries, the absence of total chaos was thanks to Park Yonghwan stepping forward from the very beginning to serve as the central pillar. I made a mental note to remember the name Park Yonghwan—I had barely any information on him until now.
The colossal monster that had spat out the black entity remained completely silent for over an hour afterward. During that time, the hunters took the opportunity to eat simple meals, catch some sleep, and reorganize themselves as best they could.
And then, at last, one of the early awakeners recruited by the Management Bureau appeared—one who was called a Transcendent. A hunched figure descended gracefully from the sky, translucent wings fluttering behind him. Is that even human?
Those dragonfly-shaped wings... It's that person?! As expected. So the Bureau called him after giving it some real thought.
The fluttering translucent wings had now folded neatly behind his back and vanished from sight. Judging from the mana I sensed radiating from him, it was difficult to call his form human at all.
...... I'd heard the Constraints could affect one's appearance, but this is my first time seeing it in person.
His face was completely hidden behind a mask, and he was shorter than a goblin. His physique made me seriously doubt whether someone like him could even fight. Yet the moment his feet touched the ground, the presence he emitted exploded outward with such force that such doubts became impossible.
As soon as he arrived, Park Yonghwan sprinted over barefoot and offered Kim Sunmin a deep, respectful bow.
"Ah, hello! It is an honor to meet you!"
"...... Hm. There's no time, so let's skip the introductions. Is that the one?"
Transcendent Kim Sunmin immediately began looking for his assignment the moment he arrived. His gaze was utterly captured by the bizarre life form shifting between black and turquoise light. After a moment, he uttered a single phrase.
"Beautiful. A perfect life form."
"...... Yes?"
Park Yonghwan, who didn't dare stand too close to Kim Sunmin, ended up giving a rather foolish reply.
"Thirty minutes."
The number that flowed from Kim Sunmin's mouth next was thirty minutes. Park Yonghwan nodded in satisfaction and immediately launched a flare into the sky—the signal for an all-out assault.
"The master can only remain active for thirty minutes! We will settle this battle within that window!"
With Park Yonghwan's shout, Insect Master Kim Sunmin began activating his power.
As expected... That ability is actually perfect for dealing with a monster in hibernation.
Kim Sunmin possessed an ability that matched his class name perfectly. It was, quite literally, the power to command insects. That said, he didn't summon exotic creatures from other worlds—most were the common varieties found on Earth. Ants, bees, beetles, fruit flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, fleas, woodlice, dragonflies, and countless others.
An endless swarm of insects poured from the gap between his face and mask, carried on a thick, viscous liquid, and surged toward the giant monster's body all at once.
The power of a single insect is negligible, but once they gather, the story changes completely.
Kim Sunmin's ability carried the absurd constraint of only being able to use mana on insects, making it extraordinarily unique. His mana was used solely to strengthen the insects and forge connections with them. Because he didn't emit mana directly, even a sensory-type like me would be unable to identify who was commanding the swarm.
That made it an ideal ability for secretly undermining enemies, and it was an open secret that he had deep roots in the underworld.
Ants • Bees • Beetles • Fruit Flies • Mosquitoes • Cockroaches • Fleas • Woodlice • Dragonflies
Status: Coordinated Assault
Crunch... crunch—
Crunch... crunch—
To individually commune with so many insects and control them with perfect freedom... It's truly an unfathomable power.
I wasn't certain, but my guess was that Kim Sunmin bestowed new strength upon the insects, and in return they fulfilled his wishes as compensation. Perhaps it was an equal exchange.
Crunch— crrrunch—
The insects began earnestly gnawing at the monster's body. Whether the black entity simply hadn't noticed the swarm now covering its form or considered them too insignificant to care about, there was no reaction at all. No reaction was good news.
Skitter-skitter— skitter—
The multicolored insects swiftly covered the turquoise sphere, soon becoming so numerous they enveloped more than half of the black core.
"Ugh..."
Yeonhee frowned at the sight of the bugs and eventually squeezed her eyes shut. Quite a few of the other hunters were reacting the same way, visibly uncomfortable.
Silence—
The only sound was the ceaseless gnawing of insects devouring the monster. The quiet was so absolute that no other noise could be heard. The hunters held their breath, afraid any sound might interfere with Kim Sunmin's ability. Ten more minutes passed in that tense hush.
This is insane...
Suddenly I remembered a book I'd read as a child about Transcendents. The entry on Kim Sunmin had noted that while his ability didn't stand out, it was quiet and overwhelmingly powerful.
Doesn't stand out? He's devouring something that massive this quickly?
If he ever turned that power against hunters, most would fall without being able to lift a finger.
Before long the monster's body had shrunk to eighty percent of its original size.
It's chilling that it still doesn't realize its own body is being eaten. Maybe the insects secrete some kind of paralytic along with their bite?
This was a mysterious ability I'd only heard stories about. The highest-ranking hunters—including Kang Yeonsu—sat in a circle around the meditating Kim Sunmin, stacking dozens of defensive barriers to prepare for any possible counterattack.
Maybe this will actually end peacefully...?
The situation really did seem that favorable.
Another ten minutes passed. When the monster's body had shrunk to sixty percent, it finally began to react.
"Damn it...! It's that ability from before!"
"Does it activate at regular intervals?"
"Protect the Transcendent first! The monster might not have realized it's being eaten by the insects yet!"
True to their words, Insect Master Kim Sunmin remained utterly motionless, simply sitting upright and staring at the monster. Beneath his chin, more insects continued pouring out alongside a sticky, pale-yellow fluid. Anyone unfamiliar with the sight would have recoiled in horror. Yet the hunters guarding him were far more interested in studying the flow and structure of his mana, desperately trying to claim even a fragment of that power for themselves.
"Senior, thank you... This is an entirely new world."
Even Kang Yeonsu bowed her head to him in gratitude. Kim Sunmin regarded her with an interested gaze and spoke.
"Handling mana is something mysterious and profound. Even without direct lines connecting it. Once you fully perceive it as your own, the effect is no different from being connected, even if you are far away."
The usually quiet Kim Sunmin had offered words heavy with profound insight. The top hunters listened with rapt attention, nodding vigorously so as not to miss a single syllable.
And just as he said, the hundreds of millions of insects moved in perfect unison, exactly as he desired.
Perceiving it as completely your own... Even converting the foreign power of mana into your own requires a massive shift in perception. Just how deep must one's understanding and enlightenment be to perceive it that way?
The more I pondered it, the more absurd it sounded. Yet something about his words tickled at the edge of my mind, like an insight I could almost grasp.
"Stay back a little behind me. Don't try anything else, understand? For now I intend to focus solely on defense. I need to recover as well."
"Yes, sir!"
We had been staring at Kim Sunmin in a daze near Yeonsu, but her words snapped us out of it and we began creating distance.
⊳ Concentrate on defense
⊳ Protect the Transcendent at all costs
Park Yonghwan's shout had grown urgent. Ominous mana was condensing within the thousands of gunports covering the monster's body.
"I still don't understand what's happening... but those lights are really sparkling, huh?"
It had been some time since Ran's Acceleration had worn off, releasing Arin from my subspace. Yet she still hadn't regained her senses—perhaps due to aftereffects from being inside it.
So the women I rescued from that underground factory weren't just drugged after all. And that thing... it's even scarier that there's no sound when it activates.
There was no impact noise like the firing of shells. Without any warning or sound at all, thousands of mana projectiles erupted from the monster's body in every direction.
Thousands of mana projectiles
The thoroughly prepared hunters combined their strength to raise barriers, desperately holding back the onslaught. Yeonhee and I had prepared our own defensive formation, but even blocking the bullets deflected by Kang Yeonsu's barrier pushed us to our limits. The sheer destructive power was overwhelming.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-thud—!!
"Ugh... When is this going to end?!"
"Grrgh...!"
Yeonhee and Arin were overwhelmed by the relentless barrage, yet even then Yeonhee didn't forget to layer the Mysterious Membrane onto the Black Dragon.
Whooooosh——
After what felt like an eternity of horrific endurance, we sensed the monster's attack had finally subsided and cautiously peeked out from beside the drake. Far fewer hunters remained around us than before. Hundreds of long gouges stretching backward across the ground showed how those at the front of the defensive line had been blasted far back by the impact.
Thanks to Kang Yeonsu shielding us from the front, we had managed to hold our position and maintain our distance from the monster.
Then, suddenly, the thousands of gunports covering its body transformed into eyeballs all at once and fixed their gaze on a single point.
A chill ran down my spine.
Ugh... Its power really has dropped this much.
"Heh heh— So you finally noticed?"
Unlike me, Transcendent Kim Sunmin met the monster's gaze with perfect composure and let out a hearty laugh.
Now fully aware of Kim Sunmin, the monster's turquoise body flushed a burning red, radiating fury. Its body had already shrunk to less than half its maximum size. The hunters had stopped spamming skills that would only empower it further, and the insects grew even more ferocious as they continued devouring its flesh.
"Checkmate. Heh heh—"
Kim Sunmin declared victory, and the other hunters breathed deep sighs of relief, hands pressed to their chests.
Whew... So this is the power of a Transcendent. To stop that nightmarish monster all by himself.