Chapter 40
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Strategy
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Far from the Strange Tree Farm.
A small spring formed from dew collected on a particularly thick and massive tree branch.
Or rather, a giant monkey, five meters tall, gazed at the reflection of the Strange Tree Farm in that water mirror.
【Cunning Stone Monkey 'Moru'】 was thinking.
—What foolish prey.
This labyrinth was their hunting ground.
Intelligent species were nothing more than food, yet they clung to a nest they couldn't even move, when they should have been fleeing for their lives.
Even a monster could see how foolish that was.
And it was even more apparent to Moru, who, though lacking true intelligence, had gained a cunning intellect from the corrupted mana.
Then again, considering the power that had blown away the bosses, it was understandable that they would have such confidence.
But Moru thought with a smirk.
—This is actually for the best.
If the bosses had destroyed the nest of the intelligent species, he would have had to share the precious prey.
For a monster, the greatest of all foods, a living elixir that could grant even greater power.
None other than the Divine Beast.
Thus, Moru was delighted at the prospect of devouring the Divine Beast all by himself.
He had already grown stronger by absorbing the massive amount of corrupted mana that had flowed in during the dungeon break, but what if he devoured the Divine Beast on top of that?
He might not only surpass 【King of Hunters 'Rashanta'】 and become the master of the labyrinth, but perhaps achieve even more.
—I will hunt it, without fail.
Instinctual greed.
Rational ambition.
His eyes burned with a desire that mixed the two, and Moru gestured lightly.
The three-meter-tall [Old Tree Monkeys] loitering around him received his signal and scurried over to one side.
They returned, dragging a large boar with horns on its head.
A 3-star monster, the [Ram Horn Boar].
A boss whose horns held such powerful mana that a head-on charge could shatter a boulder the size of a house.
But its low intelligence had made it easy to capture in a trap. Leaving the Ram Horn Boar on the ground, the Old Tree Monkeys began to move.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
*Kreek, kreek.*
Clapping their hands.
Letting out cries.
Beating wooden sticks.
Dozens of Old Tree Monkeys danced in circles around the Ram Horn Boar.
As befitting monsters, the ritual was primitive, yet it had a clear purpose. When it reached its climax, Moru grabbed the Ram Horn Boar's head with both hands.
And…
*Crack!*
『【Primitive Sorcery】 activated.』
『Special effect of 【Sacrificial Rite】 activated.』
『All spell effects are enhanced in proportion to the value of the sacrifice and the level of the ritual.』
As the Ram Horn Boar’s neck snapped, a faint energy flowed from its body and seeped into the water mirror.
A potent scent began to spread from the Strange Tree Farm reflected in the water.
Blood and meat.
And even mana.
As all those already vivid scents spread even wider, monsters from all corners of the labyrinth began to stir and move.
Moru cackled, convinced.
—This will do.
The effect would have been stronger if used up close, without the scrying spell.
But Moru didn't do that.
A true hunter never takes risks.
All he had to do was wait for the foolish monsters, lured by the scent, to fight the intelligent species and wipe each other out. Then he would invade the empty nest and devour the Divine Beast.
Just as he had manipulated the seven bosses to reap the benefits.
The only thing that bothered him was that he couldn't find the small intelligent being who had defeated the bosses and had since vanished from the Strange Tree Farm…
But Moru scoffed at the thought.
As a fellow spellcaster, he knew that such a feat was only possible because they had poured out every long-prepared spell they had.
And no matter how strong, an intelligent being without the labyrinth's blessing was, in the end, just their prey.
And so, with a *rip*, he tore the Ram Horn Boar's body in half.
Tossing the remaining half of the carcass to the Old Tree Monkeys, Moru said:
—Devour it.
*Ookee-kee!*
As if they had been waiting for that command, the horde of Old Tree Monkeys swarmed the Ram Horn Boar.
While despising his foolish subordinates for fighting over every last scrap of meat, Moru also tore into the boar's flesh.
The intelligent species could defend their nest for half a day at most.
To not miss the moment to hunt, he needed to eat his fill and build up his strength in advance.
He might even have to fight the 'Snake', the 'Queen', or the 'King' for the prey.
It was just as Moru and his subordinates were devouring the Ram Horn Boar.
*Kreek?!*
*Kik! Keek!*
The Old Tree Monkeys suddenly began to cause a commotion.
Moru’s face twisted in disgust at the unsightly display, and he grew angry. Or rather, he was about to.
…If the Old Tree Monkeys hadn't suddenly started vomiting blood and collapsing.
And then, the anomaly reached him.
Boiling blood.
Melting organs.
A spinning world.
Numb limbs.
Even a chill that seeped into his very bones.
In the midst of that horrific pain and confusion, only after coughing up a mouthful of black blood did Moru realize.
—He'd been poisoned.
Who, when, how.
As Moru’s face contorted in the deeper confusion and pain that followed his realization, a voice reached him.
"Such a shame."
*Thwack!*
When had he gotten so close?
The moment he reflexively swung his arm at the stinging pain in his neck, the opponent flipped in mid-air to dodge the fist and landed gracefully on a branch.
The boy in the white half-mask spoke with a grin.
"You're not the only hunter who knows how to torment their prey before catching it."
【Cunning Stone Monkey 'Moru'】★☆☆
Title: Moru
Specialization: Cunning
Classification: Stone Monkey
Traits: 【Sacrificial Rite(R)】, 【Primitive Sorcery(R)】, 【Rock Durability(R)】, 【Large(Un)】,【Command(Un)】, 【Throwing(N)】, 【Tree Climbing(N)】, 【Clever(N)】.
Status: [Scrying].
Weakness: Agility, Status Ailments.
—The monkey, once merely sturdy, gained cunning wiles from the curse of abundance.
It uses the entire forest as a trap and all other things as tools, the cleverest of hunters.
***
*Slither.*
Moving along the branches was a swarm of 1-star monsters, [Poison Centipedes].
Individually, they were only as thick as a forearm, but a swarm of over a hundred was violence in itself.
Enough to devour even a high-level Awakened One alive if they were careless.
*Rustle, rustle.*
But the boy in the half-mask passed by the swarm of Poison Centipedes with calm composure.
It was thanks to the Class Trait 【Stealth】.
This ability, granted by the 2-star Class 【Thief】, blurred Dion's form and presence.
There was another factor as well.
Still, if he had just wandered the labyrinth aimlessly, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered…
But Dion wasn't just wandering aimlessly.
'Hmm, this way, I suppose.'
He read the tracks left on the branches with the 1-star Class 【Hunter】's Trait, 【Observation】, and followed them.
Dion smirked.
The Strange Tree Farm, its defensive line shattered by the invading mob of bosses.
Honestly, that was bad luck.
If seven bosses hadn't rushed in all at once as if on cue, they wouldn't have been pushed back so pathetically, even if they had been caught off guard.
That's precisely why Dion knew it wasn't just simple bad luck.
'Quite the cunning one, this first Named.'
Dion smiled cheerfully as he recalled the mastermind who had secretly aided the attack.
It was a conviction based on the 【Detective】 Class Trait, 【Deduction】…
But it was a fact he could have easily figured out even without the aid of traits and classes.
The [Old Tree Monkeys] mixed in with the monster horde.
Most of all, the fact that boss monsters, which usually moved separately, had swarmed in all at once.
All of it pointed to the involvement of a Named Boss.
'—Found you.'
That was why.
Before even a few hours had passed, Dion was able to find the giant monkey.
【Cunning Stone Monkey 'Moru'】 was peering into a water mirror from a particularly high branch.
Seeing the dozens of [Old Tree Monkeys]☆☆ surrounding it, Dion narrowed his eyes.
'As expected, facing them head-on would be a bit tricky.'
He wasn't particularly disappointed that the boss wasn't alone.
After all, labyrinth bosses, armed with all sorts of traits, were generally difficult to face solo.
The standard was to hunt in at least a party.
A Named was a target that required multiple parties to form an alliance of dozens for a raid.
…That is, if it were anyone else.
'Its strength is defense, and its weaknesses are agility and status ailments… A piece of cake.'
*Schlick.*
The moment he lightly sliced his wrist with a dagger, red drops of blood flowed from his smooth, girl-like skin. They were collected in a small glass vial, where they gradually turned black.
This was the result of imbuing his blood with toxicity using 【Lesser Poison Generation】, which he had absorbed from catching poisonous insect-type monsters in the labyrinth.
Of course, it was still a lesser poison.
It might work on an ordinary person, but it wasn't nearly enough to affect a large monster…
—Deconstructing a Class with the special effect of 【Job Changer】
—Swapping the existing Class with a stored Class using the special effect of 【Job Changer】
1.【Liar】☆ + 【Detective】☆
→【Aberration】☆☆
2.【Herbalist】☆ + 【Hunter】☆
→【Poison Master】☆☆
【Poison Master】, a Class with the ability to create poisons.
【Aberration】, a Class specializing in presence concealment and status ailments.
Using the abilities of these two Classes, the blood poison, which had been a dark red, turned into a viscous black.
It was now lethal enough to be fatal to most large monsters.
But Dion wasn't satisfied with that.
Instead, he took a small piece of flesh from his bag, put it in the vial, and quietly chanted an incantation.
“diD Ad iiD, hauL.”
The 【Warlock】 Class, which maximizes the power of spells using sacrifices.
Its talent was activated using the salivary gland of a Plague Woodpecker as a sacrifice.
The drops of blood, mixed with the bubbling, melting flesh, turned from black to transparent.
'Now it's somewhat usable.'
[Cursed Intermediate Blood Poison]. It didn't look dangerous on the surface, which made it all the more deadly.
Dion was satisfied as he swirled the vial.
Of course, no matter how potent the poison, actually poisoning the target was a separate issue.
Especially against that stone monkey, whose 【Rock Durability】 Trait would likely prevent even a poison-coated blade from piercing it.
But Dion wasn't worried about that.
He climbed onto a thin branch high above Moru and the Old Tree Monkeys, then simply flipped his body and hung upside down.
The moment he did, a change occurred in the black gloves he was wearing.
*Swish.*
Silently, but quickly, a single strand of spider silk extended from the tip of his glove.
So thin and transparent it was almost invisible, yet harder than steel, Dion let it hang down long.
Down.
Down.
Down.
When the spider silk reached just above the Ram Horn Boar, Dion opened the vial and let the prepared [Cursed Intermediate Blood Poison] slide down the silk.
And so, the drop of blood, carrying poison and a curse, silently seeped into the Ram Horn Boar.
And along with the boar meat that Moru and the Old Tree Monkeys tore apart and ate, it seeped into their stomachs.
After that, it was easy.
All he had to do was wait.
Wait for the poison's effects to spread.
Like waiting for meat on a grill to cook perfectly.
And so, when the poison had spread sufficiently, Dion uttered a short incantation.
“—jaIN.”
*Kreek?!*
*Kik, kee-hik!*
The horde of Old Tree Monkeys collapsed, vomiting blood.
A simultaneous seizure, possible only because it wasn't a pure poison, but one mixed with a warlock's curse.
In that instant, Dion moved.
He unwrapped his legs from the branch and dropped straight down.
Right onto the nape of the giant stone monkey's neck.
"Such a shame."
*Thwack!*
Tearing flesh.
Splattering blood.
He'd added the momentum of his fall and the centrifugal force of his spin to the blow, but even though the sword bounced off after only slightly cutting the skin, Dion wasn't disappointed.
He simply used the recoil to flip in mid-air, dodge Moru's fist, and land on a branch.
"You're not the only hunter who knows how to torment their prey before catching it."
*Kreeeeeeee…!*
【Cunning Stone Monkey 'Moru'】.
A staggering five meters tall.
A body as sturdy as a rock.
Primitive, yet useful sorcery.
And above all, a cunning that never allowed it to fight on the front lines, instead using its subordinates for its schemes.
In every aspect, Moru was one of the worst Named Bosses in this [Hunter's Forest]. It let out a ferocious roar.
But his subordinates, who would normally rush in and tear at the enemy at just that sound, were not there.
There were only beasts poisoned and coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
*Thwack!*
"You shouldn't leave an opening like that."
*Ookee!*
Seizing the opportunity, Dion slashed at Moru's ankle.
The sword couldn't sever the Achilles tendon; it only cut some blood vessels and muscles before bouncing off.
Even so, Moru shrieked as if having a seizure.
It was understandable.
Thanks to its 【Rock Durability(R)】 Trait, it had likely never been threatened by ordinary blades.
…That is, if its body's durability hadn't been lowered by the [Cursed Intermediate Blood Poison].
And so, with a smirk, Dion moved.
*Swish!*
Slicing arteries.
Cutting muscles.
Threatening vital points.
Due to its naturally high durability, the wounds weren't fatal, but he was accumulating injuries that would lead to a serious condition.
Moru tried desperately to counterattack, but its fists, already cumbersome due to its sturdy body, were now even slower from the poison and only punched the air.
It couldn't threaten Dion, who skillfully repeated his hit-and-run attacks.
Especially since every time Dion's sword cut it, the poison on the blade seeped in, worsening its condition.
*Kree! Kreee!*
"I understand you want to call your subordinates, but they're not really in a position to help you right now."
Dion laughed as he watched Moru's face twist into an even more gruesome expression.
If he had fought Moru head-on, who not only had a body impervious to blades but also used all sorts of primitive sorcery, it would have been a fierce, bloody battle.
Even more so if the Old Tree Monkeys had received buffs and moved according to Moru's orders.
But now?
The Old Tree Monkeys were already on the verge of death.
Moru's rock-like body had weakened, and he couldn't even use his primitive sorcery properly because he was vomiting blood.
Just by using a single poison, everything had changed dramatically.
Cowardly?
Such a thing doesn't exist in the labyrinth.
The law of the jungle.
Survival of the fittest.
It's not the strong who survive, but those who survive who are strong.
That was the absolute law of all labyrinths—no, of Odobaekryeong—regardless of whether one was an intelligent species or a monster.
"Normally, I'd play with you a little longer… but I'll make it quick for you today."
And so, pointing his sword at Moru, whose eyes were darting around, searching for a way to live, Dion smiled brightly.
"You see, I'm a newlywed."
『Achievement: A Meal to Die For』
『Achievement: Cunning Hunter』
『Achievement: Boss Poisoning』
『Special effect of 【Bloodlust Star】 activated.』
『【Warlock】☆☆☆ Lv4→Lv5』
『【Murderer】☆☆ Lv9→LV10』
『【Thief】☆☆ Lv7→ Lv8』
『【Aberration】☆☆ Lv1→ Lv3』
『【Poison Master】☆☆ Lv1→ Lv3』
『Acquired Unique Trait 【Sacrificial Rite(R)】.』
『Upon reaching Lv10 in 【Murderer】, the Class's imprint is engraved upon your soul.』