Chapter 49
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Hybrid
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Puuk!
“Guh, aaaagh!”
The spear that emerged from my inventory plunged straight into the naga’s torso. And it didn’t end with just one. My hand kept moving until my inventory was completely empty.
「Gate of Babylon」
A technique that summons weapons stored in a subspace and rains them down like a bombardment.
Normally, the weapons would materialize in midair before launching, but I substituted by hurling them the instant they came out of my inventory.
The form was a bit off, but even so, this was a pretty solid recreation.
“Bet this would kill at a cosplay event.”
Of course, I couldn’t actually use it for real. The venue would be trashed if I did. Just like that guy.
“Ss, ssik…….”
“Couldn’t hold out in the end, huh.”
The naga was dying, its body pierced through by eighteen spears. Even the super regeneration it bragged about didn’t seem capable of healing wounds this severe.
“But better safe than sorry.”
A breeze rustled by, and the naga’s head went flying. Its massive body slumped limply. The vigorous wound recovery had already ground to a halt.
At the same time, a congratulatory message rang out.
[Level Up!]
[Cha In-hyeok. Lv 20. (0.3%)] [Mana 5/30]
[Strength 52, Agility 52, Vitality 53, Intelligence 50]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 20]
I shot up two levels in one go. A proper power-leveling session after a long time.
“Level 20 already, huh.”
I’d rushed ahead thinking I had to rescue Instructor Song, and my level rose accordingly. It was proof of how much I’d staked my life on these fights.
“Phew. I’m so done with poison. Once this is over, I’m never setting foot near here again.”
I dumped the unallocated stat points—ten each into Strength and Agility. Boosting Strength amps up Charge and Heavy Strike, while Agility powers up Stealth and Camouflage.
I planned to make full use of those abilities in the upcoming clash with the All-Kill Guild.
Once all the stats were allocated, my status window looked like this.
[Cha In-hyeok. Lv 20. (0.3%)] [Mana 5/30]
[Strength 62, Agility 62, Vitality 53, Intelligence 50]
Now I just had to time my entry into the gate. If I slipped in a bit early and lay in wait in the boss room, Instructor Song and the All-Kill Guild would come walking in.
As I eyed the gate with that in mind, I noticed one of the lizardman eggs in front of it twitching. The one whose shell had cracked earlier.
“Huh?”
The egg wriggled side to side for a moment, then the cracked section bulged and the fissure began to widen.
“No way, is it hatching right now?”
I found myself approaching the egg without thinking. It kept heaving, and soon the crack split wide open with a crack.
“Haa. Haa.”
Exhausted from breaking out of the shell, a hand-palm-sized creature panted heavily.
To my surprise, a tiny baby naga stared back at me. It was like looking at a 1/10 scale figurine.
“C-Cute.”
Our eyes met in that instant. Huge, round eyes like serene lakes.
“Mama?”
“Huh?”
“Mama!”
“Uh, umm?”
Animals imprint on the first living thing they see upon birth as their mother…… I knew the explanation without needing to hear it.
‘This is bad. Can’t exactly tell it I killed your mom.’
Hearing some savage burn the moment it opens its eyes isn’t good for a child’s emotional development.
I subtly blocked the view of the corpse with my body while pondering what to do with the baby naga.
My original plan was to just let it hatch on its own and leave. I couldn’t stick around long anyway since I had to enter the gate tomorrow.
But I couldn’t just abandon the little thing clinging to me, calling “Mama. Mama.” Honestly, it was too adorable.
Sure, someone might say what’s cute about a monster with two heads, four arms, and eight tails. But seeing it in person felt just like gazing at a baby octopus or jellyfish—irresistibly charming.
“Mama!”
“Ma~?”
Especially those pleading eyes and voice, like a rain-soaked kitten. Impossible to ignore.
‘Hmm. Dad said never bring home strays…….’
Wait, this isn’t home—it’s the Demon King’s Castle. Maybe that doesn’t count?
Plus, it’s still a baby, so even if it acts up suddenly, it shouldn’t pose much threat.
“Mama! Mama!”
I shouldn’t, but pity kept welling up. I tentatively extended my palm.
The baby naga climbed right on as if it had been waiting, then coiled up and settled in.
‘S-So cuuute~!’
I gently stroked its heads with my finger. Freshly hatched, its skin was soft and squishy.
Rubbing both heads with my index and middle fingers, the baby naga soon drifted off to sleep.
‘Guess I have no choice but to raise it.’
In a way, this was the seed I’d sown. Feeling a twinge of responsibility, I carefully cradled the child.
That was when the message arrived.
[Bloodline expansion is possible.]
[Will you accept Naga (★★★) into your bloodline?]
[Bloodline expansion requires 1 Mana. Once decided, it cannot be undone. The 1 Mana is permanently transferred to the bloodline member. Choose carefully.]
‘Bloodline expansion, huh.’
In simple terms, adoption.
The upside was I could take in a 3-star monster naga for just 1 Mana.
But it wasn’t mere subordination—it meant raising the child, so the responsibility was immense.
‘I’ve already decided to take it along, so no reason to hesitate. Alright, let’s do the bloodline expansion thing.’
[Bloodline expansion complete! Naga (★★★) registered as adopted daughter.]
[Bloodline members grow into vastly different forms depending on your love, attention, and education. Remember: Adults are children’s mirrors.]
That day, I set an unprecedented record: zero romantic relationships, one monster adoption.
* * *
“Hunter Song Hye-rin?”
“Yes. That’s me.”
The All-Kill Guild member checked her ID and nodded.
“Follow me.”
Song Hye-rin followed the guild member’s guidance inside the barricade. After about twenty minutes along the path, she finally reached the raid party.
“Everyone’s here, boss.”
“Good. Let’s head in.”
The raid leader was a man with a massive scar over his eyebrow—Lee Chun-bae. He kept rubbing one side of his chest, looking somehow uncomfortable.
‘Some chronic condition?’
But she had no time to leisurely observe Lee Chun-bae. The group had already finished prepping and was entering the gate.
‘Whew. Alright. Time to figure out what they’re up to.’
As Instructor Song tugged at the straps to check her armor’s fit, she suddenly recalled yesterday’s events.
‘Orc leather armor…… When did he prepare something like this?’
The armor she wore now was made from materials Cha In-hyeok provided, meticulously crafted by Uncle Jang at the leather workshop. Light yet boasting high defense.
[Superior Orc Leather Armor (D)]
[Defense 28. Durability 40. Weight 10]
Cha In-hyeok had apologized for only managing a breastplate on short notice, which had tugged at her heartstrings. It felt like some master-apprentice bond.
‘Good call handing over Oppa’s axe. Honestly, I was just hiding it away. It found the right owner.’
The axe, gathering dust for so long, had grown ever more radiant in Cha In-hyeok’s hands. And it wasn’t just the axe that had changed.
‘That kid’s gotten a lot more reliable.’
The boy who’d looked like a middle schooler at first glance had grown nearly as tall as her, muscles filling out his frame.
‘Still a kid, though.’
Twelve years age gap. Honestly, he still felt like a late-born little brother. Playful and quirky.
That’s exactly why she had to step up this time.
‘I can’t lose him too.’
She’d lost too many close ones already. She’d realized keep running wouldn’t solve anything.
‘That aside, the All-Kill Guild’s forces are no joke.’
Even in a 2-star dungeon, the hunt progressed smoothly without a hitch. High levels, gear perfectly suited to the terrain—they’d come prepared.
With their flawless tank, DPS, and healer lineup, the lizardmen were mere XP fodder against the All-Kill Guild.
Especially eye-catching was guild leader Lee Chun-bae, dual-wielding massive claws and diving into melee frenzy.
‘Claws? Unusual weapon choice.’
Specially made, judging by the size. A 3-star hunter wielded them effortlessly, but they looked a tad awkward regardless.
Still, no issues with the hunt. He cleared the first floor without even using skills.
‘Already taking down the mid-boss?’
Unlike 1-star dungeons, 2-stars and up had multi-level structures. 2-star went two floors underground, 3-star three floors, and so on.
Each floor had a mid-boss guarding the stairs. Here, it was the lizardman raider.
Lizardman raiders had super regeneration, making them one of the monsters that took forever to kill. Yet this one……
Craaaack!
It was shredded into nine pieces by Lee Chun-bae’s claws before it could even regenerate. A display worthy of a 3-star hunter.
‘No, stronger than most 3-stars? Rumors of level 30 must be true.’
As Song Hye-rin mulled over speculations, the All-Kill Guild pressed on with the hunt.
‘Fast. Boss room already.’
They’d reached the second-floor boss room—a vast swamp with water up to the waist.
Inside waited around eighty lizardmen, four lizardman raiders, and the 3-star boss monster naga.
‘This might be tough.’
But the All-Kill Guild members silently popped detox pills and advanced in formation, clearing everything in their path.
That’s when Song Hye-rin truly grasped their power. And realized she’d been too optimistic about the situation.
‘To think the All-Kill Guild had grown this strong.’
Back when Santa Maria Guild existed, they were just third-rate thugs. Now they rivaled Santa Maria at its peak.
As expected, the mighty All-Kill Guild began assaulting the boss room.
Before long, even the lizardman raiders were cleared, leaving only the boss naga.
“From here on, I’ll handle it. You lot head up to the first floor.”
At Lee Chun-bae’s words, the guild members hesitantly backed away.
‘Monopolizing the XP, huh.’
Monsters give less XP the more people share the kill. Soloing used to be all the rage for that reason.
But solo hunts took too long and were risky, so they’d fallen out of favor.
These days, soloing just the boss was the trend.
“Oh! Interns, feel free to observe. That’s why we brought you.”
And so began the one-on-one between Lee Chun-bae and the naga.
Splash!
The naga zipped across the water surface at incredible speed.
Amazingly, Lee Chun-bae kept pace.
‘Definitely has a water-movement skill.’
The more his skill shone, the stiffer Song Hye-rin’s expression grew. Not only was the skill gap huge, the terrain favored him too.
Puuk-!
The fight ended in ten minutes. Winner: Lee Chun-bae, naturally. He shook blood from his claws and approached Song Hye-rin and the interns.
“This is our guild’s strength. What do you think?”
“Th-that’s amazing.”
Awed by the overwhelming display, the interns were fully sold on the All-Kill Guild.
“Do you all know monsters level up too?”
Lee Chun-bae dropped a loaded remark casually.
“First I’ve heard of it. Monsters leveling up? Wild.”
“Monsters gain XP by killing us, just like we do from them. But hey, what if a human-monster hybrid was born?”
His voice dropped to a whisper as he went on. The interns leaned in to hear better—and in that instant, light flashed.
“……Huh?”
Something was embedded in the intern’s chest. Lee Chun-bae’s claw.
“Wouldn’t that hybrid gain XP from hunting monsters *and* ‘hunting’ humans?”
The claw sank deeper. The intern’s eyes widened briefly, then blood bubbled from mouth and pupils.
“Gurk! Gurglegurgle!”
The claw withdrew, and the intern crumpled like rotten straw. Lee Chun-bae grinned in satisfaction, licking the blood from his claw.
His tongue was far too long and slender for a human’s.