The Undead Legend
After defeating the Crystal Scorpion Nedad, I found a "treasure chest" inside a cave where I'd stopped to recover.
These things usually appeared at extremely low probabilities, and they were almost never found on floors where exploration had already wrapped up.
Labyrinth equipment typically came from these treasure chests, and since this was an uncharted territory like the Snow Mountain Zone, it seemed these chests were easier to come by here too.
Peering carefully inside the chest, I spotted a necklace.
I didn't have an appraisal skill, so I had no idea what effects it held, but there was no doubt it was something extraordinary.
Not only had it been found deep in the labyrinth, but the mana emanating from it felt profoundly ominous.
And the large, unidentified blue gem embedded in the center was breathtakingly beautiful.
I should tuck it away carefully and gift it to Snow later.
She'd be absolutely thrilled.
Following Bayaba came Nedad.
With two SS-rank monsters appearing in quick succession, I wondered if the next floors might bring more of the same.
But contrary to those hopes, SS-rank monsters weren't that easy to encounter.
Moving past the 77th floor to the 78th.
There was no floor master here at all.
Like a few previous floors, high-rank monsters clashed daily.
There were no SS-rank monsters, but the battles between these high-rank ones still provided plenty of entertainment for me.
I even joined in their skirmishes from time to time, enjoying myself.
Floors 78 and 79.
These had floor masters, but they weren't SS-rank.
SA-rank high-rank monsters resembling penguins and bears ruled as floor masters.
They didn't measure up to Bayaba or Nedad, but as floor masters, they put up a decent fight.
As always, the victor was me.
By the time I reached the 80th floor, I still hadn't met the opponents I'd been hoping for.
Even in the depths of the Snow Mountain Zone, SS-rank monsters weren't that common, it seemed.
A deep sense of regret lingered, but I didn't hesitate.
Once I crossed into the next zone after the Snow Mountain Zone, the monsters would level up accordingly, and I might encounter SS-rank ones more easily.
Or perhaps, before even reaching that unknown next zone, I might run into something comparable—the true ruler of the Snow Mountain Zone, the zone master (area boss).
If SS-rank monsters like Snow were mere floor masters, what might the zone master above them be like?
It was possible an SSS-rank monster existed, the kind people only imagined in their heads.
Of course, that didn't mean every zone master was guaranteed to be SSS-rank.
There was even a chance no zone master existed at all.
A zone master was simply the strongest monster in that zone by definition—it didn't have to be SSS-rank.
It was just that if even SS-rank monsters like Snow couldn't claim the title, the zone master was likely SSS-rank.
So, I couldn't help but feel thrilled at the prospect of this potential—possibly SSS-rank—zone master, whose existence was uncertain.
Though if I actually faced it, mere excitement wouldn't cut it.
With considerable anticipation, I pressed onward relentlessly.
Floors 81, 82, 83.
There were floor masters, but none reached SS-rank.
The buffalo-like monster called "Rowun" on the 82nd floor seemed pretty strong, but it showed no hostility toward me, so we didn't clash.
Quite a shame.
I was tempted to just charge in blindly for a fight, but the creature kept bowing its head to me from start to finish, snuffing out what little battle lust remained.
It was a wise one.
Gathering the occasional treasure chests and their contents, I set off again.
The rising anticipation had long since plummeted to rock bottom.
Forget the imaginary SSS-rank monsters—not even traces of hunters remained.
They must have either slipped past undiscovered or died without leaving a mark.
As my high expectations began crumbling one by one, regret filled me.
I discovered a monster disguised as a treasure chest—a "mimic".
Normal mimics were around C- to B-rank, but this one was a full A-rank.
Its mimicry was so advanced I didn't suspect a thing until I pried it open.
Only when its teeth clamped down on my hand did I realize what it was.
At first, I just stared blankly at the suddenly snapped-shut chest mouth, but then eyes appeared slyly on the lid, confirming it was a mimic.
Having only heard tales of them, it was fascinating.
The mimic itself seemed utterly bewildered by my unscathed state—no wounds, not even a scratch.
It was a rare monster, and since it obediently surrendered its contents, I spared it.
I merely gave it a gentle pat to ensure it wouldn't snap at just anyone in the future.
Pick your targets more carefully from now on.
Four days into hiding in a cave to escape a sudden blizzard.
I ventured out through the unrelenting storm in search of the warp gate.
My detection abilities were greatly diminished by the biting winds, but after scouring mountain after mountain, I found it.
Floor 84.
As I stepped in, wondering if this was finally the last floor of the Snow Mountain Zone, a strange sensation hit me.
The sky here was unusually clear, almost sunny—a rarity in the Snow Mountain Zone.
The towering snow-capped peaks in the distance were as dazzlingly beautiful as ever, but this 84th floor felt different.
Apart from the occasional wind, the entire floor was eerily silent.
A chilling stillness that raised goosebumps.
No signs of life at all.
And above all, the thick death aura (sagi) permeating the whole floor.
I knew what this was.
'Undead.'
Undeath, the immortals who wouldn't die. The intense death aura I'd occasionally sensed in the Desert Zone now blanketed the entire 84th floor.
'...Undead monsters in the Snow Mountain Zone?'
I hadn't seen any so far, but it wasn't impossible.
The Snow Mountain Zone was uncharted territory.
I shouldn't be surprised by anything beyond my imagination.
'Not ordinary undead.'
To shroud an entire floor in death aura like this, it couldn't be some run-of-the-mill foe.
At minimum, it commanded a powerful legion or was SA-rank or higher.
Suppressing the rising excitement and curiosity, I moved cautiously.
Exploration first.
As I'd sensed initially, the 84th floor had no signs of life whatsoever.
Only the oppressive death aura and frigid silence enveloped the floor.
It was far too quiet.
And despite all that death aura, not a single undead in sight.
With this much aura, there should have been hordes—not even a skeleton appeared.
'...Something's off.'
This place was bizarre beyond words.
I'd already located the warp gate to the next floor during exploration, but should I stick around a few more days?
Truth be told, ever since stepping foot here, my Instinct had been blaring big and small warnings, making me consider rushing to the next floor.
It had been mostly silent since evolving to SS-rank, so this warning was notable.
The atmosphere here was unsettling, and my gut feeling was poor.
Curiosity burned, but needless risks were unwise.
'I'll scout a bit more, then head to the next floor.'
The Snow Mountain Zone felt like it was truly ending.
'Wonder what the next zone will be.'
Given the floors so far, it might be something utterly ridiculous unfolding before me.
'Maybe right in the middle of the ocean.'
If so, I'd have to stay on guard.
I didn't know how to breathe underwater, after all.
Worst case, I could adapt my water or wind magic.
Lost in such thoughts, I casually crested one last ridge for a final look.
Then my Instinct screamed furiously.
A warning more intense than even against Wang Feng or Nedad.
The most urgent alert I'd felt since becoming a monster and gaining Instinct.
Before I could react, I faced it.
A vast white expanse stretched below the ridge.
A lone figure stood upon it.
Solitary in the endless snowy plain.
No—not lonely, but noble.
And proud.
Basking leisurely in the sunlight.
Our sudden eye contact sent a chill down my spine.
Limit Break SS has been activated.
Thought Acceleration SA has been activated...
Body Reinforcement SS has...
The ninth voice echoed in my mind, and fragments of the future glimpsed through the Magic Eye flashed before me.
[……! Main body, danger! You have to dodge right now!]
My head exploding, heart pierced.
Mangled beyond recognition, torn to shreds.
Even my regeneration, pushed past limits, couldn't keep up with the transcendent onslaught.
Seeing my own death firsthand made my scales bristle all over.
And in that instant.
The figure, distant on the snowfield, appeared right before me.
Amid the system alerts ringing in my head and the world slowing in an instant, I saw two swords swinging toward me.
I knew those blades well.
The red and blue swords were far too famous for anyone to not recognize.
'Sun and Moon.'
Labyrinth equipment once known to everyone.
Wielded by none other than Seong Jae-myeong.
Glancing aside, as if entranced, I saw the figure glaring at me with fierce blue eyes.
The helm pressed low and the gear it wore were all too familiar.
Peering intently into the helm, the face was unmistakably recognizable.
At this point, even if I tried to ignore it, I couldn't.
Foreigners might not know, but any Korean would recognize it instantly.
'Seong Jae-myeong...!'
Korea's first SS-rank hunter.
The man still called the strongest hunter, past and present, swung his swords at me.
"Killkillkillkillkillkill..."
In a state no longer human.
The one I'd met deep in the 84th floor of the Snow Mountain Zone was no longer a hunter.
The pinnacle of humanity, once hailed as humanity's future, had devolved into a mere undead.
I couldn't help but frown at the sight of the mindless corpse swinging its blade on pure instinct.