The Dullahan Legion
By the time I'd taken out about five groups of hunters who'd come running at the commotion, it hit me.
I'd screwed up.
The irritation that had boiled up to the top of my head gradually faded, and as my mind cleared, I surveyed the surroundings. This was beyond salvageable.
I'd really screwed up big time.
I'd planned to stick around the 36th floor as long as possible, but now it looked like I'd better bail in a hurry.
One or two raid teams vanishing wouldn't raise eyebrows, but five in a single night? That's a different story.
And to top it off, the subjugation force was camped out right above.
They were already prowling around with fire in their eyes, hunting for the missing floor boss. No way they'd overlook something like this.
The second word got out, they'd come charging in.
Alright, time to run.
I hadn't fully explored the 36th floor, but I'd already scouted out a warp gate leading to the 37th, so no worries about wandering lost in the desert.
I headed for it, avoiding combat as much as possible.
Finally, around noon, I arrived on the 37th floor.
The desert on the 37th floor had an eerie vibe to it, somehow.
The blazing sun was the same as ever, but there was a chill in the air, you could say.
Despite the clearly dry, arid weather, a damp, ominous atmosphere hung thick.
Flick my tongue absentmindedly, and the unmistakable stench of rotting corpses—undead signature—assaulted it mercilessly.
There were way more of them here than other floors.
If the floors I'd passed had about ten, this 37th floor felt like at least forty or fifty.
And that was just what I'd spotted so far—could be even more.
Had a higher-tier undead shown up?
I needed to investigate a bit.
If it really was a superior undead specimen, things could get dicey.
Depending on the type, but with numbers swelling like this, it might be one hell of a powerhouse.
Not just your average B-rank floor boss—maybe A-rank at least.
Not long after I started scouting, I ran into the undead legion.
Immortal hordes filling the middle of the desert.
Most weren't high rank, barring a few standouts, but the sheer numbers were insane.
Just standing there, motionless, they exuded an overwhelming deathly aura.
The area around their camp was already stained black with thick miasma.
Creepy as hell.
Seeing them packed so densely triggered an instinctive revulsion and fear—as a living being.
The thought of that many surging at once made my head go numb.
Hunters are gonna have a rough time.
Especially the one leading that legion. Major threat.
Sitting motionless at the center: a headless knight, Dullahan.
Just as I'd guessed, it was an A-rank monster.
Not just any A-rank, but floor-boss caliber.
Taking that thing down would require a full-scale subjugation force.
Hunters really are in for it.
The legion's absurd numbers posed no immediate threat to me.
Undead hated life on principle, so I'd need to stay cautious, but in stealth mode, no way they'd spot me.
Even an A-rank Dullahan might warrant some care, but since it hadn't sensed me up close before, I could relax.
At first glance, I considered skipping straight to the next floor, but I quickly changed my mind.
To wipe out a legion like this, they'd mobilize a massive subjugation force for sure.
A decent number of hunters would flood in.
High-rankers among them, sure, but plenty of low-rankers too.
They'd need the numbers to match that horde.
My plan was simple.
When the subjugation force arrives to tackle the legion, swoop in between them and snag the scraps.
Not greedy for the big prizes.
No point bursting my gut overreaching.
Just play it smart and moderate.
No clue when the subjugation force would show, but I'd hang out on the 37th floor for now.
Like I said, as long as they couldn't pierce my stealth, the legion wasn't a real danger.
Was the legion that overwhelming?
Other monsters were scarce on the 37th floor—hard to find anything besides undead.
Not just C or D-rank; even lower ones were rare.
Sandmen, usually everywhere, were nowhere to be seen here.
That was the problem.
No food besides undead.
As you know, undead—especially zombies—tasted like rotten kimchi.
Skeletons were at least crisp and nutty, fine as occasional snacks, but zombies? No thanks.
And skeletons got old fast if every meal.
Luckily, I'd glutted before arriving, so energy stores were fine for now—but once the subjugation force hit, who knows.
Better conserve minimum reserves for emergencies.
Which meant...
Guess I gotta eat 'em.
Fine, eyes shut, down the hatch.
Not all undead clustered in the legion.
Stragglers wandered the desert like before—those were my targets.
Obviously, swallowing them eyes-closed still tasted like rotten kimchi.
Or, positively, aged fermented cabbage.
Super sour.
Made my gut feel bloated.
A group of hunters arrived on the 37th floor.
Subjugation force? Close, but no.
One B-rank, two C-ranks.
Just a hunting party? Not quite.
Scouts.
How'd I know? Pretty obvious.
Too few for casual hunting, and they were blatantly observing the undead.
Their leader, that B-rank hunter, had impressive stealth skills.
Not my level, but his presence vanished completely in an instant.
If not for the faint scent on my tongue, I'd have no clue where he hid.
The labyrinth's full of talents.
An ambush from hunters like that could be nasty.
Need to sharpen my senses more.
The three scouts hustled.
Not just counting heads—they mapped terrain, gauged abilities too.
Didn't approach the Dullahan core, but circled the outskirts, assessing the outliers to gauge the legion's strength.
I spied on their grave-faced huddle.
"...This is bad. A Dullahan, of all things."
"Couldn't confirm up close—too risky—but the numbers suggest upper A-rank at least. Taking it down needs three A-rank hunters minimum."
"Factor in the rest, and the threat's S-rank equivalent."
"...Big trouble. Can we handle it with current forces?"
"Five A-rankers, but that horde... we'll need more low-rankers for the numbers."
"Report to the Association President, send official notices to other guilds."
"Let's head back—fast."
Short chat over, they bolted.
I flicked my tongue quietly, watching them warp out.
Considered ambushing on exit, but nah.
No real gain.
Better for the subjugation force to roll in properly, from my angle.
Though they seemed beefier than expected—no biggie.
Not diving deep anyway.
Soon after they left, the subjugation force arrived.
Mid-crunch on a fresh skeleton snack, presences flooded in.
Hunters pouring through scattered warp gates across the desert.
My detection didn't cover the whole floor yet, but even partial, it was a ton.
New scents hitting my tongue nonstop—I shivered quietly.
Knowing numbers in theory vs. feeling them? Worlds apart.
Korea has this many hunters?
And this was just a fraction.
Average ranks weren't sky-high, but the sheer mass overwhelmed me for a second.
They funneled from various gates, rallying at a central point like planned.
Tailing stealthily, I spotted the core: six dangerous presences.
The A-rankers, as rumored.
Scouts said five—must've gotten reinforcements.
This legion vs. subjugation force clash? Gonna end anticlimactically.
Using my upgraded Clairvoyance—better since ranking up—I eyed the A-rankers from afar.
Facing what felt like an S-rank floor boss, no fear on their faces.
Confident, bold—convinced they'd win.
Makes sense. Even I first thought it'd wrap quick.
Worried there'd be slim pickings for me.
That powerful.
Maybe overkill at a glance?
Scouts must've stressed it hard.
Or after two subjugation wipes on 35th recently, this was par for course.
Watching the A-rankers, I recognized a couple familiar faces.
A calm, quiet guy and his opposite: bubbly woman.
Famous TV hunters: Kwak Su-yong and Lee Ji-min.
A-rank couple hunters.
Stunning looks, top skills—always on screen.
More popular than celebs or idols, hunter power couple.
Seeing porter-era TV favorites in the flesh? Surreal.
Especially as a fan of Kwak Su-yong's cool confidence—fanboy vibes rising.
Though loitering near 'em would get me vaporized.
Bury that old fandom deep.
Frustrating.
Them joining? Busy stars, yet here—shows how serious the Association was.
Dead set on success.
Skills match the fame.
Heard back then they were close to S-rank.
If true, subjugation's a breeze.
Slim scraps for me.
Better dodge hunters carefully.
Pity.
After brief prep, the subjugation force marched.
Straight for the undead legion, naturally.