Accepting the Labyrinth's Will

Whatever his personality, Lee Min-seong was undoubtedly an exceptional hunter.

Among all the hunters I'd encountered so far, he was the most outstanding—no exaggeration.

Even back when he was D-rank, he seemed like the top of his peers. Now that he'd ranked up, I couldn't even guess his current level.

In that sense, if I wanted an easier win, targeting Lee Min-seong first in my initial ambush would have been ideal.

Moreover, he was a frontline tank hunter wielding a shield, and the raid leader to boot.

Considering the ensuing battles and chaos, taking him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out first would have been the smart play.

But despite knowing all this full well, I deliberately avoided targeting Lee Min-seong.

To deny him an easy death.

I wanted him to survive until the very end, if possible.

To watch everything clearly until the last.

To feel the creeping terror of approaching death.

'Oops... got too focused. Showing him this much interest is a luxury.'

I reminded myself once more.

This wasn't revenge.

Just another simple hunt, like always.

Don't forget that.

Lee Min-seong stood at the front, with the other hunters arrayed behind him.

The surviving C-rank hunter was positioned safely in the center of the formation.

'...Does he have a ranged attack skill?'

I wanted to target the C-rank hunter first if possible, but their setup made it impossible to strike easily.

'Looks like I'll have to chip away slowly.'

I preferred short, decisive battles when possible, but a drawn-out war of attrition wasn't bad either.

I'd already experienced the synergy of Gluttony and Regeneration to the point of boredom.

After pondering how to play out this hunt, I finally moved.

They seemed to be devising their own countermeasures against me, but I had no intention of waiting longer.

Strike first, before they came up with a good plan.

"Shaaah──!!!"

"Everyone, get behind me!"

Lee Min-seong blocked my charging path with his shield.

A normal monster would have crashed right into him, but I was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠different.

I was a thinking monster.

An intelligent one.

No need to play right into their hands.

Shii───

I blew right past Lee Min-seong.

My target: a D-rank hunter on the outer edge of their formation.

He clearly hadn't expected me to ignore the frontline and charge straight at him—his eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Damn it! It's coming your way! Don't just stand there like an idiot—move!"

Lee Min-seong's rough shout echoed across the desert.

Snapping to attention, the D-rank hunter rolled desperately across the ground.

But I didn't stop my assault.

My long tail whipped like a lash.

Empowered by Body Reinforcement, the blow struck the hunter dead-on.

Thud—the dull impact, followed by the crack of breaking bones. A choked "Keurk!" scream erupted from the hunter's mouth.

'Tough durability. Still breathing... time to finish him.'

"You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bastard!"

As I reared for the killing blow, Lee Min-seong and the others wouldn't let me.

Leaping high, Lee Min-seong swung his shield down at my head with full force.

He used to lament his low agility compared to his durability, but as a C-rank now, it had improved dramatically.

Unlike the others in light armor, his heavy plate made him surprisingly fast.

Whoosh─

Dodging the shield swing wasn't hard.

I'd anticipated all seven hunters ganging up on me to protect their comrade.

And my prediction paid off.

I evaded Lee Min-seong's strike easily, but couldn't counter.

The others' attacks were incoming.

The D- and E-ranks weren't much threat, but the remaining C-rank was the problem.

"Hunter Shin Yu-jeong!"

Lee Min-seong, shield forward, urgently called out.

His shout triggered my Crisis Detection—I whipped my head around.

There stood a C-rank hunter I'd never noticed drawing a long staff.

"Casting complete!"

'No way...!'

Flames erupted right in front of me.

Boom─!

The not-insubstantial explosion seared one side of my head.

'Guh...! Magic, of all things!'

A rare skill even among the few hunters who could wield it.

I hadn't expected a magic user right here—in Lee Min-seong's raid, no less.

"It hit clean! Don't let up—press the attack! Hunter Shin Yu-jeong, keep the next one coming!"

"Got it!"

Through the burning pain and blurry vision, I heard Lee Min-seong and the hunters shouting.

Then a heavy blow hammered my head again.

Thud─

Like a massive hammer smashing down.

Well, it was a shield slam—close enough.

If anything, the skill made it hit harder than a plain hammer.

"Press him! Keep pressing!"

Buzzing voices rang in my ears like hallucinations, deafeningly loud.

The wounds had already healed via Regeneration, but the two consecutive head blows left me reeling.

To make matters worse, another 'Boom─!' explosion of flames burst on my body.

'Dangerous.'

No Crisis Detection needed—I felt it plainly.

This couldn't go on.

Gluttony's reserves could tank hours of this without regen failing, but danger was danger.

Beyond that, getting helplessly pummeled like this bruised my pride.

By Lee Min-seong, of all people.

My head still spun, but I gritted through it.

Ignoring the status window alerts droning softly in my mind, I whipped my tail.

An indiscriminate swing, no specific target.

Predictably, it hit nothing, slicing empty air—but it achieved my goal.

Lee Min-seong and the hunters halted their assault to dodge my tail.

'Pour all mana into regeneration.'

Normally, Regeneration auto-consumed mana unconsciously, but not this time.

I consciously directed mana via Mana Manipulation.

Thanks to constant practice, it wasn't hard despite being my first deliberate try.

I felt the minor wounds across my body healing rapidly.

My shaky, unfocused vision steadied somewhat.

"──! Damn it, it's regenerating! Hit it again, everyone!"

Lee Min-seong's voice rang out as their brief pause ended.

Had he noticed my recovery?

I'd been healing openly from the start, so no big deal.

My prior damage was mostly healed anyway.

-Kill.

A cold voice, thick with nothing but murderous intent, echoed in my mind.

Unlike the status window—wholly different.

-Kill.

The Labyrinth's Will, always whispering whenever I encountered hunters.

Today, as usual, its intense urge thrummed in my head.

-Kill.

Endlessly urging, trying to compel my actions.

Normally, I'd ignore it outright.

But not today.

-Kill.

I didn't resist the vast murderous intent.

At least for this moment, I accepted the Labyrinth's Will as it was.

I ignored the status window's whispered warning.

Power surged through me—enough to make my past rejections feel foolish.

I wanted to unleash this overflowing strength right now.

Baseless murderous rage and hostility consumed my body.

I yearned to tear apart anything in sight.

And conveniently, perfect prey stood before me.

"...Raid leader. That thing's eyes look weird."

"...Everyone, be careful. Something's off."

Their hushed, tense voices faded into the background.

I stared at them for a moment, their faces taut with caution—unlike before.

Unlike the boiling hatred toward them, my reason was colder than ever.

'...So this is the Labyrinth's Will?'

The reward for finally accepting it after long refusal was exquisitely sweet.

This immense power.

Overflowing beyond what I'd wielded moments ago.

I felt invincible against anything.

That omnipotence I sometimes sensed during evolutions filled me completely.

And this was just temporary acceptance—not full embrace?

What if I fully accepted it...?

'...Need to be careful with this.'

Despite the godlike sensation, I feared this sweet power.

The surging murderous intent from deep within dwarfed my expectations.

'Above all, this isn't my power.'

Not earned through my growth—borrowed from an unknown source.

Such power, easily gained, could vanish just as easily.

'Once is enough.'

Resolving inwardly, I shifted my gaze.

The hunters stared back, faces rigid with tension.

Especially Lee Min-seong and the other C-rank—their eyes shook most violently.

As the highest ranks here, they'd sensed my sudden shift in presence.

-Kill.

I furrowed at the whisper in my mind, then nodded quietly.

I'd planned that from the start—no need to say it.

Shii───

Flicking my tongue, I lunged.

Power brimmed in every limb, as I'd said.

The same attack felt utterly different.

Lee Min-seong desperately blocked my casual tail swing.

"Ngh...!"

Bang─!

He'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blocked cleanly, yet his body flew back far.

The other hunters' faces darkened watching.

"Raid leader!"

"Damn! Everyone, careful! Its power just spiked!"

Lee Min-seong urgently warned his team, but my strike hit first.

"Shaaah─!"

Crunch─

A hunter who couldn't dodge my leap was bitten clean.

Savoring the thick blood flooding my mouth, I shook him viciously.

"Kyaaah!"

"Ngh...! Hunter Shin Yu-jeong! Magic not ready yet?!"

"J-just a sec! Casting almost done!"

I ignored their exchange.

Whoosh─

"Wha? Huh? Wh─?!"

Thud─

I hurled the hunter in my jaws at the C-rank mage.

Shin Yu-jeong couldn't evade the blood-spraying corpse flying at her.

Was it because it was her comrade?

Or maybe her other stats lagged behind her mana as a magic user?

Either way, she took the impact.

True to her C-rank, she caught him relatively safely.

Even if he was already a cold corpse.

"Hye-jeong? You oka─Gasp?! D-dead?!"

"─!!! Hunter Shin Yu-jeong!"

-Dodge now!

Lee Min-seong's shout pierced Shin Yu-jeong's ear as she stared dazed at the body in her arms.

She looked up blankly—and my tail loomed.

"Huh?"

Splat─

The impact sent her and the corpse flying far, crashing into the sand.

The surviving hunters' faces paled at the sight.

"Wh-what...?"

"...Hunter Shin Yu-jeong? Hunter An Hye-jeong...?"

"......"

Stunned by the blink-of-an-eye carnage, they murmured the names in shock.

Even Lee Min-seong faltered, mouth agape.

I flicked my tongue quietly at them.

Fights weren't mutual exchanges.

If one side dominated unilaterally, it wasn't a fight anymore.

So I had no intention of "fighting" Lee Min-seong and his hunters.

What I wanted from start to finish was a hunt.