Chapter 90
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Edible Monsters
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“Shin Ji-ui? The hunter?”
“Eek...!”
Cha Do-yun Hunter tapped my shoulder. Only then did I snap back to my senses and look ahead.
The other hunters had all entered the gate and were scouting the area inside. That status window from earlier must have been visible only to me.
“Was the interior of the Gapyeong S-Rank Dungeon always like this?”
“No. It felt a bit more wild before.”
Choi Min Hunter replied while touching the bench with her hand.
It had to be different. This was the space that appeared when you shattered a fragment of the Creator.
In one of my twenties-something timelines, I'd deliberately become its Apostle. With the shallow wish to pay off all the debts piled up at home, I'd gotten my hands on the Creator's fragment.
I'd shattered it to stop its plan for the end times, but in the end, I ended up alone in this space and got killed by S-Rank monsters.
'Still, escaping this space makes the fragment vanish.'
I remembered hearing the Creator mutter that right before my life ended inside the fragment.
There were two ways to make a Creator's fragment disappear. One was for the Apostle holding it to die. The other was to meet the specific annihilation condition inside the fragment. And those conditions varied per fragment.
[Why■, ■quality■, have you en■ered the space of chaos■.]
[Num■er of reg■stered life■orms: ■ people]
'So the fragment is part of the Boundary too.'
I had no idea how much influence the Absolutes could exert on a dungeon, but the gate hidden inside the fragment had dragged us into the Boundary.
“What a mess.”
Se-bin-i muttered as she drew Eong. The other hunters prepared for battle from their positions.
Han Jin-woo Hunter had enlarged his Lucky Rabbit's Foot in advance, ready to hop on at any moment. Choi Min Hunter, who had been lost in pale thought, adjusted her weapon Pratapana and fixed her gaze on the sky.
Whoosh―
A wind blew. The flowers in the garden swirled into the air. Petals of every color traced a parabolic arc bending downward. They looked like closed eyes or the smiling mouth of someone.
And soon, a bright red liquid dripped from the cluster of petals.
[■■■-esca■ed mon■■sters are app■■ring.]
[Number: 5]
[Mo■ster Type: Edible ■easts]
[Mo■ster Ra■k: S-Rank]
[Mo■ster Feature: This specimen is edi■le.]
Thump.
[One Who Steps on Karma]
[*To raise achievement further, you must en■er the ■■ ■reams of the ■beasts.]
Right. They were edible beasts. I'd somehow beaten the first monster, but my stamina hit rock bottom, and I got done in by the second one.
“Edible, huh? Kinda iffy...”
Han Jin-woo Hunter muttered. Maybe because Mi-rae-ssi had mentioned saliva earlier, but it really felt like this gate was inside someone's mouth.
'Five S-Ranks...'
Exactly as many as the number of people here. I didn't know how many would summon at once, but being S-Rank meant I couldn't let my guard down.
“Nokdu.”
Kya―woong!
Nokdu burst out from the bracelet. Bigger than before, Nokdu was almost fully grown now.
“Sis, back up the attacks. Help the others too.”
'Don't worry!'
I stroked Nokdu's head as it let out a mighty howl, then turned forward again. The crimson liquid bubbled, gradually taking shape, and one solidified first.
It was a massive apple tree laden with sturdy branches full of apples.
[Edi■le beast 'Primordial Ap■le T■ee' has been su■■moned.]
Edible Beast 'Primordial Apple Tree'
HP:100,000/100,000
Here it comes.
Click.
I drew Ego and gripped it, while Nokdu had already taken position in the air.
I remembered its attacks were pretty straightforward. Defense wasn't that high either.
The real attack from that monster came when its HP dropped to half—its mental skill. That's when the true battle began.
“HP is insane.”
“We don't know what skills it'll use, so be careful.”
I replied to Se-bin-i and met her wide eyes.
'Ah, was that too curt?'
The memory from the past had made the words slip out.
“W-Well, it's S-Rank anyway. Could be mental skills or traps.”
“Got it. I'll be careful.”
Se-bin-i smiled brightly, then turned to the other hunters with a serious face, like the smile never happened.
“Han Jin-woo Hunter and Cha Do-yun Hunter, avoid getting targeted as much as possible. Oh, you too, Ji-ui.”
“Got it.”
“Choi Min Hunter, handle the air and defense. I'll take the front.”
After issuing commands, Se-bin-i stepped right in front of the apple tree. As the Primordial Apple Tree shook its branches on its own, green leaves scattered everywhere.
[How about ju■t one bite?]
[One bite ■hould be fi■e.]
HP:100,000/100,000
The leaves turned into blades in an instant, pouring toward us.
Kikik.
I blocked with a shield faster than the leaves could stab me. But it was too thin to stop dozens, shattering quickly.
I swatted the honeycomb shield aside and leaped with Bird That Listens to Morning Words, dodging the attack.
A green wind arrow flew, embedding in the center of the Primordial Apple Tree.
Kaboom!!
The tree's roots burst through the ground where Cha Do-yun Hunter stood, shooting upward.
“Tch.”
Cha Do-yun Hunter grimaced, barely dodging, then used Heaven's Disaster to lift himself slightly into the air with a light breeze.
Bang!
I pulled Ego's trigger. The sound bullet severed the root, making the apple tree sway wildly.
[No cu■iosity ■ kid, huh.]
HP:74,213/100,000
Boom boom!!
This time, Choi Min Hunter's flames engulfed it. Through the crimson pillar of fire, its silhouette danced side to side like it was performing.
Se-bin-i hurled Eong high toward the Primordial Apple Tree. A black hand shot up from Se-bin-i's shadow, grabbing the wandering blade mid-air.
Zzzzt.
The black hand slammed down onto the apple tree. The sword piercing it was starkly visible.
Clunk.
I set Ego on the ground and shifted it to mortar mode.
The moment the Primordial Apple Tree shook off the flames and extended roots toward us again.
Boom boom!!
A massive sound shell launched from Ego.
As the shell left Ego, the air itself resonated, turning the threatening roots to dust in an instant.
Crunch.
The shell fully pierced its body.
[Ah■... Too bori■g to eat, so tasteless?]
HP:48,000/100,000
“It's switching to the next phase!”
I shouted, gripping Ego again.
HP at about half. Now it'd use its mental skill.
Knowing it was coming would halve the effect, but getting careless could still get us killed.
A quick glance showed everyone preparing their next moves.
Whoosh―
“Ngh...!”
Suddenly, a wind heavy with sweet scent blew in. Leaves and apples rained down, hiding its form in an instant.
[Do■sn't this whet your appe■ite a bit?]
HP:50,000/100,000
“Sis!”
'Damn it!'
Slap!
I ducked my head and slapped my cheeks with both hands. But no pain came.
Definitely an S-Rank skill. Even knowing it was mental, it didn't break right away.
I looked up to see Ji-yu sitting on a hospital bed, offering me a piece of apple.
“I can't finish all this.”
Ji-yu pouted, poking the apple piece with her fork.
I bit the inside of my cheek hard and pinched my arm. With faint pain, Ji-yu's image shook violently. Even knowing it was an illusion, even knowing I'd fall into eternal sleep if I didn't wake here, it hurt to see her fade.
“Sis...”
Ji-yu's plaintive voice wormed into my ear. My pinching hand kept losing strength.
Crunch!
“Ow!”
Woof! Woof!
Then sharp pain shot from my leg. Dizzy with agony, my body swayed, and cracks spread across Ji-yu's illusion like it might shatter.
'Sis, what the hell are you thinking!'
“Nokdu!”
It was Nokdu. She released my leg, leaving fang marks on my pants.
Nokdu barked at me reproachfully before flying back into the air.
“Thanks, Nokdu.”
'Resist a bit more and it'll fully break.'
Escaping mental skills worked like waking from a dream. If you recognized it while afflicted and took strong physical impact or heard a loud noise, you could break free.
Click.
I brought Ego to my lips and took a deep breath.
“It's a mental skill! Wake up!!”
My voice boomed through the space.
Crack.
Ji-yu's illusion shattered completely.
[Eloquence has risen]
[All lifeforms react to Awakener 'Shin Ji-ui's' statement.]
[Statement result: Awareness]
Now I could properly see the hunters around me.
“Ah.”
Cha Do-yun Hunter clutched his head briefly before recovering and drawing Morning Glory's string.
Ping―
The wind arrow split into dozens, slamming into the Primordial Apple Tree all at once.
“Looks like you're awake now.”
“Se-bin-i...”
Before I could fully call her, she sliced the Primordial Apple Tree horizontally.
Come to think of it, Se-bin-i seemed immune to mental skills. She looked completely unaffected by this one too.
“Haa~ No wonder. Mi-rae-ssi would never talk to me that sweetly...”
Han Jin-woo Hunter sighed deeply, casting Healing Hand over our entire area. Fresh grass scent came with slight fatigue recovery.
Click.
Taking advantage of the apple tree's daze, I aimed Ego again.
Bang!!
The trigger pull sent a nice vibration through my hand, and soon a white bullet tore it to pieces.
HP:0/100,000
[Pretty tou■h ■ guts for huma■s.]
[Do■'t know how lo■g that wi■l last though.]
[Edible beast 'Primordial Apple Tree' has been annihilated by 'Shin Ji-ui.']
[Edible beast 'Skull Soup' is waiting to be summoned.]
[Edible beast 'Trauma Powder' is waiting to be summoned.]
'Is Choi Min Hunter okay?'
I looked up at Choi Min Hunter. Hovering in the air, she stared where the apple tree had been. She must have felt my gaze, but her head stayed down, her clenched fist trembling.
“At least the monsters don't seem that tough. Lucky.”
“High HP, but defense is basically zero.”
Cha Do-yun Hunter backed up Se-bin-i's words.
Rumble.
Right as he finished, the ground shook. Lowering my stance to scan around, a massive skull head rose from the earth. Purple liquid bubbled inside, steaming, somehow not spilling from the eye sockets.
Ping―
Another beast burst through a parabolic cloud. A pepper grinder flying erratically overhead stopped above the skull. Scrawled crookedly on it like a kid's handwriting: 'Trauma Powder'.
[Edible beast 'Skull ■oup']
HP:10,000/10,000
[Even Si■la ■ monks approve this hea■ soup! Come taste it, everyone!!]
[Edible beast 'Trau■■ Pow■er']
HP:7,000/7,000
[Sprinkle on soup for extra fla■or~ Trauma powder awakens your ■re■ms from ■emory!]
'Here they come.'
Their combo attack had killed me once. I vividly remembered the skull shuddering when blood obscured my vision.
“Everyone! Let's take out the Trauma Powder first!”
Shouting at the monsters, they responded by forming up for battle.
Thud boom!
As shadow hands seized the Trauma Powder, the chaotic battle curtain rose.