No Escape
*Crack*—I pry my jaws open wide.
I hurl myself toward the five hunters, still dazed by the sight of their comrade dying before they could even react.
At least the D-rank hunter, who had shown decent response time earlier, flings himself into action at my movement.
Realizing he couldn't block me head-on, he chooses not to intercept but to dodge alongside his comrades instead.
*Crunch*—
Another D-rank hunter follows right after, leaping toward me as the first barely saves his ally and evades.
"Shield Tackle!"
With a shout like a battle cry, he slams his shield down toward my momentarily exposed head.
My Instinct screeches in warning, and I whip my head aside in a hurry—but I'm a fraction too slow.
Bam!
A heavy impact crashes onto my skull, shaking my vision for an instant.
A mild concussion, maybe?
As my dizzying sight steadies, I flick my tongue repeatedly, sensing the hunters who had shifted from attacking to fleeing.
"Let's run while we can!"
"B-but!"
"It's a C-rank monster! If the raid leader were alive, maybe, but not us—not now!"
I quietly furrow my nonexistent brow at their backs as they bolt without a backward glance.
They really did have sharp situational awareness and adaptability.
I stared blankly for a moment at their retreating figures fading into the distance beyond my recovering vision.
If I let them go like this, word about me will spread...
Pathetic as I might look, I'm a C-rank monster with the potential to become a floor lord.
If they make it back alive, they'll report me to the Association without a doubt.
And that would mean a subjugation order on me immediately.
At least a few C- or B-rank hunters would be dispatched.
Thinking that far, I couldn't just let them escape like this.
They're probably heading for the nearest gate around here?
Fortunately, the closest gate was quite a distance away.
And the direction they'd fled was the exact opposite of that gate.
Figuring they'd circle around to avoid me, I still had some time.
Not forgetting to devour the two hunters I'd already felled, I finally slithered after them.
Tracking the fleeing hunters wasn't hard.
I just needed to use my tongue's senses or mana detection to predict their route and lie in wait nearby.
I watched them for a bit as they ran without pause, gasping for breath.
They looked utterly pathetic, sprinting endlessly without even brushing off the thick dust coating them.
Still, I had to give them some credit—no one was abandoning anyone; they were all sticking together as a group.
Or maybe that's because I already took out the bait they would've ditched first.
I recalled the F-rank who seemed to be the porter.
Porters were pack mules.
Not just non-awakened civilians, but even awakened hunters sometimes worked as porters—usually those underleveled or lacking rank for proper hunts.
They got better treatment than non-awakened, sure, but a porter was still a porter.
In a raid party, they were just disposable luggage carriers with little importance.
It was natural they'd be left as bait when things went south.
"Huff... huff...! Just... just a short break, then we go!"
"...No. We don't know when that'll catch up."
"We've already lost two, haven't we? Isn't that enough for it?"
"Yeah. If it was gonna chase, it would've by now. Nothing's happened, so it must be full and gone back."
The three E-rank hunters, weaker in stamina due to their lower ranks, chimed in agreement.
Perhaps swayed by them, the lead D-rank hunter slowed to a sly halt.
"Hmm..."
"I think you three are right. If it wanted us, it'd have shown up already. How about a quick breather?"
"...Fine. Short rest, then move. But don't drop your guard around us..."
"In the middle of this wide-open desert, what guard do we need? It's not a 'Sand Worm'; it won't pop out of the ground!"
Relieved at the break, they flop straight onto the sand. The D-rank hunter frowns quietly.
"It's a C-rank monster. Think back to our first ambush—scout the surroundings properly. And it's not like this desert has just that one monster; prep thoroughly..."
"No! Hey, Hwi-seong! Why are you acting like the raid leader all of a sudden?"
"...Pardon?"
One E-rank hunter snaps at Yoon Hwi-seong, the D-rank, arms crossed.
"I mean, sure, it was an emergency back then, but you keep bossing us around like you're in charge. That's a problem."
"...What's the problem?"
"Problems galore. Take Chang-sik, for example!"
"Me?"
She points at the other D-rank hunter standing there blankly, watching.
"Yeah, Chang-sik. You're a D-rank hunter too, right? Doesn't it bug you when another same-rank keeps ordering you around?"
"...Nah, not really..."
"No! And another thing!"
As Chang-sik demurs, she pivots to a new gripe.
Yoon Hwi-seong falls silent at her antics.
Reluctant to argue over nonsense? Or maybe this wasn't the first time? He quietly averts his gaze.
Fuming at his dismissive attitude, the E-rank raises her voice even louder, ranting away—but Hwi-seong ignores her completely.
It was like watching a comedy skit. Even I, hidden and observing, forgot my goal for a moment.
An E-rank lashing out at a D-rank like that? Surprising on multiple levels.
Especially Hwi-seong just taking it, ignoring her.
Minding the other comrades' eyes, maybe?
If it were me, I'd have buried her in a nice warm sand grave by now.
Am I too monster-minded?
More than that, she's got guts. Yelling like that in a monster-infested desert.
Not guts—stupidity, probably. But it didn't concern me.
What did: the monsters starting to slink closer, drawn by the escalating noise.
...Wait. Do I really need to strike first?
Stealth
*Shii*——
I flick my tongue once, probing the presences around.
Monsters drawn by the growing racket, approaching one by one.
None too strong yet, but their numbers were decent.
Better to let the monsters hit the hunters first than strike now.
Even with that many, Hwi-seong's skill suggested they could handle them without heavy losses.
Some stamina drain, sure, but they'd manage.
Then I'd clean up the worn-out survivors.
Decision made, I concealed myself even deeper.
Time to properly gauge these hunters' skills.
And soon enough, the gathered monsters made the resting hunters leap to their feet one by one.
They seemed to guess why the monsters swarmed so suddenly, glaring without exception at the E-rank.
Even a thick-skinned fool like her would feel pierced by those looks. She starts over-dramatically fighting the monsters to deflect.
True to the undead-plagued desert zone, the mobs were all skeletons and zombies.
Average E- or F-rank. Highest D-rank at most. The five handled them easily enough.
The overzealous E-rank took a minor wound in the process, but a recovery potion fixed it right up.
As they looted mana stones and valuables from the corpses, I finally rose slowly.
"Whew... Kyung-hoon was good at this stuff..."
"Tch... That's what you get for acting dumb. Should've stood your ground instead of running. That's why a retard like you barely scrapes by as a porter even after awakening. Well, not anymore after today..."
—But it cut off there.
A shadow burst from the sand behind them.
"Gaaah!"
"A-ambush!"
"Ha Sang-rok!"
*Crunch crunch*—
I savagely bit into the thrashing hunter's waist, then flung his limp body to the ground and lunged for the next target.
Amid the chaos, Yoon Hwi-seong was the first to snap to, grabbing his gear.
Talent, for sure.
Young too. Keep growing, he could've led raids in a top guild someday.
He seemed the type who'd climb high if not for meeting me.
Can't be helped from his view. Wrong monster, wrong day.
Any ordinary monster, and I wouldn't have bothered chasing. He'd have escaped the labyrinth fine.
Learned from today, grown stronger.
A shame, that possible future—but I didn't stop my charge.
Body Reinforcement C
Charge B
*Crack*—jaws gaping, I barrel toward him. Understandably rattled, but Yoon Hwi-seong calmly raises his weapon.
Meet me head-on?
With a skill, maybe?
The thought flashes, but no—that wasn't it.
Instead of blocking, he deflects, sidestepping slightly while thrusting his weapon at me.
Using my own momentum against me.
I saw through it, but didn't change course.
His weapon wouldn't pierce my scales—I was sure.
Tough Scales C has activated.
"Ngh...! Damn it!"
Not even scratching the scales, the rebound sends Hwi-seong tumbling across the sand.
"Hunter Yoon Hwi-seong!"
Seeing their comrade in peril, the others finally move.
Chang-sik, the other D-rank, pulls out a massive shield and charges me.
"You bastard! Get off Hunter Yoon Hwi-seong! Shield Tackle!"
Same move as before, shield-first rush.
I flick my tongue, savoring the waited moment.
Tail Strike C
Counter C
*Whoosh*—Crack!
A perfect counter as he swings his shield.
My tail smashes him; he flies off coughing blood, a mangled mess.
The two surviving E-ranks freeze at the instant retirement of a D-rank.
Terror fills their faces.
"Ngh... Everyone, snap out of it! Don't zone out...!"
Intimidation A
I unleash Intimidation on Yoon Hwi-seong as he shouts.
Leaving him frozen stiff, I move.
First, the two E-ranks—lest they flee.
As I said before, no letting them live to blab about me.
No one escapes me today.
"Hii... hiiik..."
"S-spare...!"
Half catatonic with fear, they were easy prey.
Rank gap made it like snapping a child's wrist—I broke their necks lightly.
They crumpled lifelessly. I turned my gaze.
Yoon Hwi-seong, freed from my Intimidation, glared daggers at me.
His eyes burned to tear me apart.
"Everyone...! I won't...! Forgive you...!"
Each word ground out, laced with pure killing intent.
A vow to slay me.
How tragic.
Without meeting me today, he'd have become a great hunter.
I'm a monster. He's a hunter.
We had to kill or be killed.
"Hiyaap!"
With a kiap, he charges. I meet him head-on.
A massive serpent and a small human collide.
*Crunch*—
The winner was decided from the start.