The Subjugation Force Advances
The subjugation force moved with such speed and precision that even I, who knew nothing about them, could see it clearly.
They struck the undead legion like they'd prepared everything in advance.
As they charged, the force split into two groups, each led by three A-rank hunters, crashing headlong into the horde.
Numerically, the subjugation team was outnumbered, but in terms of quality, they dominated completely.
The vanguard A-rank hunters went berserk from the start, sweeping through the undead like fallen leaves.
Even mid-tier undead like ghouls or giant zombies tried to block their path, but they couldn't halt the A-rankers' unstoppable advance.
Just looking at the momentum, the situation had clearly swung in the subjugation team's favor right from the opening.
But their opponents weren't ordinary living creatures—they were undead.
Beings filled only with hatred and enmity toward the living, devoid of intellect or emotion.
No matter how much they were losing ground in momentum, they never retreated.
On the contrary, as the subjugation team fully engaged, the undead charged recklessly, heedless of danger.
And so, the horrific wails of the undead mingled with the hunters' battle cries in the heart of the desert.
Was it because the vanguard A-rankers were rampaging so fiercely?
The Dullahan at the center of the horde began to stir.
It casually shoved aside the obstructing undead like annoyances, then mounted the skeletal horse it had stationed to one side and advanced slowly.
The moment it moved, the A-rank hunters—who had seemed to be charging mindlessly—shifted into another coordinated action.
Four A-rank hunters, including Kwak Su-yong and Lee Ji-min, rushed toward the Dullahan almost simultaneously.
With those four handling the Dullahan, the remaining two A-rankers would continue directing the subjugation team as before.
Was the real fight about to begin now?
I coiled up quietly and watched the thrilling spectacle.
My plan was to spectate for a bit, then slip in when an opening appeared.
The clash between the undead legion and the subjugation team felt just like watching a movie.
Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning—spells of every element blazed in a dazzling display.
Even just observing was endlessly entertaining.
There was so much to see.
The battle appeared to be a one-sided steamroll by the subjugation team, but closer inspection revealed intriguing cracks.
No matter how many undead they felled, more kept pouring in relentlessly.
That sheer, monstrous number was starting to make even the subjugation team hesitate slightly.
The A-rank hunters and other high-rankers still rampaged spectacularly, but the lower-rank fillers brought along for numbers weren't faring as well.
Watching from afar made it all the clearer.
The subjugation team was gradually being pushed back, step by weary step.
It wasn't obvious yet, but tiny fissures were forming in their formation.
Leave those cracks unchecked, and it was obvious the whole line would collapse.
This fight, which I'd thought would end boringly quick, might drag on longer than expected.
Maybe I should make a move?
Unfortunately, things didn't unfold quite as I'd hoped.
The directing A-rank hunters weren't fools; they quickly patched those small gaps.
Being right in the thick of it made spotting such flaws harder than for me watching from outside, yet they managed it effortlessly.
Was that what they called experience?
Or innate talent?
Either way, impressive.
More's the pity.
I'd thought it was prime time to sneak in, but with their formation still so solid, jumping in rashly was out of the question.
One wrong move, and I'd be obliterated.
Meanwhile, the Dullahan fight was just as fierce as the main battle.
Centered on vanguard Kwak Su-yong, the four hunters moved in perfect synergy.
Kwak Su-yong and Lee Ji-min, being a hunter couple, needed no mention of their coordination, but the other two meshed seamlessly without disrupting them.
Honestly, it was almost too fast for the eye to follow—flawless linkage at every moment.
If I'd been in the Dullahan's place, I'd have lost in the first few exchanges.
Even my near-infinite regeneration would be useless against them.
They'd sever my head in one go, regeneration be damned.
Yet the Dullahan held strong against the storm of their combined assault.
True to its status as a floor boss, it was putting up a hell of a fight against four same-rank hunters.
Dodging what it could, blocking what it must.
Unless it was lethal, it didn't bother defending—instead counterattacking aggressively.
A brilliant blend of undead recklessness—sparing no heed for its own body—and the intelligence befitting a high-tier undead.
Even four A-rank hunters couldn't end it quickly against such frenzied, self-sacrificing attacks.
Plus, fighting in the wide-open desert center meant other undead kept swarming in constantly, another factor prolonging the bout.
Even if their ranks were inferior to the four hunters, endless waves were a problem.
Especially with a Dullahan lurking, ignoring its own wounds and biding for openings.
Any momentary lapse could be fatal.
It'd probably take the Dullahan side a bit longer to reach a conclusion too.
If they stayed patient and chipped away steadily, the hunters' victory was assured.
Was it because such an entertaining fight was unfolding right before my eyes?
My body was heating up, itching for action.
Spectating was fun, sure, but I really wanted to jump in myself.
Maybe slip into the skirmishes on the outskirts?
The prolonged battle seemed to be wearing down the hunters' focus...
No, too risky.
One careless entry, and those ghost-like A-rankers would notice for sure.
Seeing them command flawlessly without a single falter after dozens of minutes confirmed it.
Better stay put and watch.
The undead numbers had clearly dwindled from the start.
They still surged endlessly, but from my distant vantage, they'd thinned out massively.
At this rate, they'd be mopped up soon.
The hunters were tiring too, but their flawless command made it seem they'd wrap up fine.
The Dullahan fight was nearing its end too.
With the overall undead horde shrinking, fewer interruptions plagued the hunters.
This gave the four a bit more breathing room.
The already battered Dullahan, worn from prolonged combat, was being steadily pushed back.
It was obvious it'd fall soon.
Looked like the subjugation would end much as I'd first predicted—no surprises.
The twist came in an instant.
The subjugation team steadily thinning the horde seemed fine.
The low-rankers were expectedly struggling, and even high-rankers showed fatigue, but...
Thanks to impeccable command, it felt like they'd finish without issue.
The real problem was with the four battling the Dullahan.
Had the drawn-out fight made them impatient?
Their steady coordination hit a snag in a split second.
Kwak Su-yong and Lee Ji-min were flawless, but one of the others lunged too far ahead abruptly.
Seemed like he aimed to finish the weary Dullahan, but that was the mistake.
He hadn't gone deep—maybe half a step, a meter at most.
But after their prior perfect sync, that tiny shift mattered.
That minuscule half-step exposed him.
The Dullahan's hand shot toward the isolated hunter.
How could a fatigued foe move that fast?
It startled even me and the watching A-rankers.
Clank—
With the heavy clang of plate armor, the Dullahan's gauntlet clamped around the hunter's throat.
"Hunter Jeong Da-hoon!"
"Damn it! Charging ahead on your own...!"
"We have to save him—!"
The other three hunters rushed desperately to rescue him.
But the Dullahan acted first.
A thick miasma swirled in an instant.
Whoooosh—
Centered on the gripped throat, the visible-black miasma churned.
The charging hunters froze momentarily.
And at that exact moment...
"Gaaahhh!"
The captured hunter thrashed, screaming.
He struggled to escape the grasp, but even his full-powered frenzy didn't budge the Dullahan.
Moments later, his life force began draining away.
"G... guh..."
In the blink of an eye, he withered into a mummified husk.
With a faint groan, he went still.
"D-Drain Touch!"
"It stole his life force?! Damn it, Jeong Da-hoon!"
Amid their belated, fury-filled shouts, the Dullahan finally released the hunter's neck.
Thud— His corpse hit the sand carelessly.
The hunters clenched their jaws at the sight of their tossed-aside comrade.
Meanwhile, the Dullahan's heavily damaged armor had fully regenerated.
The situation was getting interesting.
"Damn it. If you're gonna die, at least go down clean alone...! We had it cornered, and he pulls that...!"
"Lee Ji-min, calm down. A man's dead."
"That dead idiot just trolled us hard! No wonder his eyes looked off earlier—he was gunning for the kill steal!"
"...Focus on the enemy first. This won't be easy."
The three remaining hunters—including Kwak Su-yong and Lee Ji-min—tensed, assuming battle stances.
Unlike the exhausted hunters after the prolonged fight, the Dullahan looked fresh as ever, like nothing happened.
They had the numbers advantage, but against a fully restored Dullahan...
'Definitely not easy. If the directing hunters joined, maybe, but...'
The undead legion cleanup wasn't done yet, so no.
The three's options boiled down to taking it down themselves or waiting for subjugation team backup.
Against a healed Dullahan, the former was impossible.
Thus began round two: three hunters versus Dullahan.
The dynamics flipped completely from round one.
The hunters had dominated initially, but now the Dullahan clearly held the initiative.
The trio held their own against the restored foe, but three against what took four before? Impossible, especially exhausted.
Inevitably, another hunter got his nape gripped.
Not Kwak Su-yong or Lee Ji-min—the other one.
"Guhhh—."
Like before, his life force was siphoned away.
Miasma churned viciously around the now-peak-condition Dullahan.
Just its aura felt beyond A-rank.
Even from afar, my scales prickled at the intense energy.
The survivors, Kwak Su-yong and Lee Ji-min, exchanged grave looks.
No words, just a brief eye contact conveying their decision.
They turned and bolted.
Had they realized victory was impossible—even survival a stretch?
Best to regroup with the others, they figured.
The legion was nearly cleared, so not a bad call.
If the Dullahan had let them go, that is.
The shift happened abruptly.
Still watching with keen interest, my instincts suddenly blared a frantic warning.
What threat was this?
Before I could assess, it began.
Immense mana gathered around the Dullahan.
Mingling with its miasma, it resonated with a eerie huuung—.
Retreating Kwak Su-yong and Lee Ji-min stared blankly back.
Even the A-rankers directing the legion cleanup turned, entranced.
Not just them—everyone present fixated on the Dullahan.
I was no different.
I knew what this was.
'Evolution...!'
Mid-battle, the Dullahan was evolving.
I'd evolved countless times, but this was my first time seeing another monster do it.
And not some low-rank trash—an A-rank high-tier like this Dullahan.
Probably the same for most hunters here, barring a few with taming skills.
Monster evolution was known in theory, but few had witnessed it live.
The Dullahan vanished into a black cocoon of swirling miasma and mana.
Kwak Su-yong, staring dazedly, suddenly yelled.
"Damn it... Run—!"
His voice cracked with uncharacteristic excitement, shattering his usual calm demeanor.
The hunters snapped to and fled in panic.
Abandoning remaining undead, they turned tail and sprinted.
I watched blankly, then glanced at the black cocoon.
Crack— Fissures spiderwebbed across it.
And then.
Clang—
Despair descended.