Playtime with the Puppy
Even the baduk game could join in—without using telepathy like me, to belt out volume like that with his actual voice, that guy must have real talent as a singer. As the storm of sound crashed over us twice, the adventurers completely lost their balance, tumbling over or retching onto the floor. One poor bastard even face-planted right into his own puke. Tsk tsk. That's what you get for messing with me.
There was a huge difference between us hunting down the enemy and the enemy coming for us. When we went after them, we could drop the adventurers somewhere safe and start the fight. But when they came to us, no such luck. Which meant our adventurer pals were bound to get caught in the crossfire.
To build a dungeon this size, they'd have to be at least knocking on Transcendent's door. No matter how strong the Hero was, she couldn't just swat 'em like trash mobs.
If you die, I'll wish you eternal rest.
"Ugh... krrgh... Don't jinx it... damn it..."
Even in the middle of all that, the leader was struggling just to stay upright himself, but he still scooped up his knockout-crisp lover. Touching, really.
Their side was just as heartbreaking. They'd yelled back and forth to communicate, but this dungeon was insanely vast, and the distance between us was ridiculous. The dungeon's space was twisting, warping, closing the gap at a scary rate, but it'd still take them a good while to reach us.
What kind of moron can't even leash his attack dogs properly?
"WHODARESPEAKTHATNAMEFROMYOURMOUTH-!"
Sigh, touchy much? Listen up, punk—I'm the only one in this world qualified to trash your god.
He was heaving from yelling himself hoarse, voice cracking, but I'm telepathic, so no sweat for me. My nonstop roasting finally shut down his bellowing. Guess he figured out the hard way that talking back just hurt him more. And with the massive distance between us, payback wasn't happening anytime soon.
Instead of chasing the impossible, the Dark Cult goon switched tactics.
"...They're coming."
Sensing something, the Hero clenched her cute little fists into a fighting pose. Wait, why's she ditching the perfectly good sword for that again?
...No way she's actually taking seriously what I said earlier about carrying two swords. I didn't even say it out loud—just thought it.
"GRRROOOOARRR!"
"ORORORORONG!"
But things were heating up fast, so no time for dumb side thoughts. As expected, this dungeon was under the Dark Cult's thumb. The structure warped, space distorted. The whole massive area obeyed its master's will, summoning monsters from every corner into one spot. Our little zone seemed off-limits, but everything around us flipped and twisted until dozens of beasts swarmed together. Their murky glow was suffocating.
"Fall back."
Once the adventurers retreated far enough, the Hero hurled the holy sword toward them. It spun through the air and stabbed into the ground right in front, radiating light.
I shall guard them.
The holy sword didn't have any flashy powers, but just that light purging the surrounding darkness seemed to reassure the adventurers plenty.
Prepped, the Hero clasped her hands. Unlike her usual playful power-ups, this time she was pulling out the real deal. The air churned from the sheer aftermath, divine energy surging wildly.
"Grk! Grrrk!"
Ogre, slime, and a horde of other monstrosities. Every soul-bearing beast thrashed and howled but didn't dare approach the Hero.
Then she thrust out her hand.
What she desired: radiance to purify evil.
What she called: flames to free souls.
From her fingertips, a small sun devoured the darkness. With a casual flick, it erupted into a ferocious blaze that swept toward the horde.
...Whoa.
It's been ages since I last saw the Hero go all out. The world seemed dyed blood-red. Before the merciless sun's power, every sinner's flesh and soul burned equally fair.
But that was just the prelude.
As the Hero incinerated the horde, the dungeon's space folded in, and the master of this place finally arrived. A being on a whole other level from the small fry before—a threshold Transcendent, just like the Hero.
Name: Lucas Demogorgon
Species: Beastkin
Stats: Physique A+ | Senses C | Mind S-
Traits: Black Goat's Blessing (SS-) | Half-Moon's Heir (S) | Moon's Stigmata (A+) | Super Regeneration (B)
Status: Corruption, Madness, Rage
KRAAAAAAGH!
His emergence from the rift was so grotesque, I let out a horrified shriek. In this world, beastkin usually just have animal ears and tails on a human body. And Transcendents—barring Hero weirdoes—take ages of grinding to reach that level.
So this Dark Cult member, Lucas, was terrifyingly a wrinkly old man with cat ears and tail!
Damn this isekai! Eat shit!
"Wh-what?"
A true Dark Cult high priest disaster of a man. His stigmata split right under his nose, making his already hideous mug even harder to look at. Look, I'm no looks-ist, but there's a limit.
Ugly as a slime-ogre hybrid?
Whoops—backtalk slipped out loud. Already flushed from my earlier barbs, Lucas's face went beet redder.
"GAAAAAAAAMHI!"
Backed by the dungeon space that spat him out and resealed, Lucas made his majestic entrance with a bone-chilling howl. Gotta admit, the guy's got pipes—even the Hero winced.
But that was it.
The Hero was already reigniting the sun she'd used to torch the horde.
"Filthy minions of false gods! I'll rip your vermin to shreds and offer them as sacrifice for the true god's revival!"
In response, Lucas's stigmata gleamed with sinister light. Pitch-black ice—not your standard moon priest fare—reared up from the shadows.
The Dark Cult was a cabal of fallen clerics. They'd once served one of the three gods, betrayed them, corrupted their stigmata, and wielded cursed powers as heretics.
"KWEK!"
Put simply: low-tier divine power users getting wrecked by elemental matchup against a superior Hero. Her blazing sun shattered his black ice effortlessly and slammed straight into him. All that buildup, and he went flying with a pathetic yelp.
"Grhuhu... I sensed something off as the maze kids dropped one by one... You. Solar Saint of the Sun Church...!"
True to Transcendent form, he staggered back up after the Hero's hit. Though the wild misunderstanding suggested a concussion.
"Didn't peg it from those weakling bugs... A priest who can't unleash his power without guards? Bold."
"Huh?"
"You'll pay for invading my domain alone-!"
One exchange, and Lucas clocked the Hero wasn't easy prey. He leaped back, body swelling up.
Half-Moon's Heir (S)
A beastkin-exclusive feral transformation. Shedding civilized weakness for primal savagery from the wilds.
Hit him now!
But our genteel Hero just watched him morph, arms crossed, faint smile on her lips.
By then, Lucas finished transforming. A freak wolf-human mashup, fur dulled gray with age. But age didn't mean mercy. Plus, Dark Cult priest perks: razor-sharp ice spikes bristled over his body.
Writhe in inescapable agony and despair.
Beast vocal cords couldn't form words, so he growled it telepathically. I snorted.
What're you yapping, retard?
So the blasphemous telepathy came from you... Pathetic sword overstepping its place. Let's see if you yap so cockily in hellfire's forge.
Ha! Craving dog meat stew anyway—perfect timing. My bro'll tenderize you just right, so stick around.
'Dog meat stew' didn't exist here, but he got the gist—wolf-man's brows shot up.
Don't insult my kind!
Nope. You dog...
"Don't."
Even Brutus! No clue why the Hero's defending him, but she scared me more than Lucas, so I shut up.
Meanwhile, Hero and Lucas squared up and closed in. Spotting her melee stance, he scoffed.
A saint raised in the gods' greenhouse dares close combat with a wild warrior like me?
"Yeah."
...Hmph! Feel the price of your ignorance on your flesh!
Hero's cool reply left him awkward, so he tossed some edgy line and charged. She watched the rush, arms wide open—totally exposed.
Sure, she's a martial arts pro, so she's got a plan. Right? Why no reaction as he closes? This is bad! Wait—what just happened?
I replayed it. Beast-Lucas charged. Hero stayed wide open till the last second. Now? His head was clamped between her palms like a steel trap.
Hero beamed.
"Puppy, let's play."
CRUNCH!
Her transcendent grip twisted Lucas's head a full 360 degrees.