The Wild Hidden Boss Appears

In truth, the very idea of taking photos of monsters is downright idiotic.

Monsters don't just sit still for a photoshoot, after all.

If you shove a camera in a dungeon monster's face out of nowhere, won't it chomp down on your head right along with the camera?

There was even a news story about a reporter who tried snapping pics of monsters and ended up as someone's hearty meal.

After that incident, journalists were legally banned from entering dungeons, I think.

'Whatever, not my problem.'

To hunters, monsters are enemies that must be exterminated—and vice versa.

Friendly shoulder hugs for the perfect life-shot? Yeah, not happening.

That's been history up until now.

But today.

That long history changes thanks to one person.

Me!

The newly awakened S-rank hunter of Korea, the man (formerly) about to shake the entire world…

-Click.

-Click.

"……Child. Didn't I say one photo was enough?"

"Ah, uh. Well, every time I take a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pic of you, Fenrion, you look so cool. Just one more, I swear, and then I'll stop."

Click. Fenrion's slightly awkward expression was captured in my phone's album.

It was an old model phone, but the photo came out crystal clear—lucky break.

Anyway, being able to snap close-up shots of a dungeon monster like this was a definite advantage.

No hunter in the world could get a monster close-up.

If a hunter tried posing for a pic with one, their teammates would be like, "Are you insane?!" and hold them back.

Sure, you could kill the monster and photograph the corpse.

But a living, breathing monster like this? No way in hell.

This was something only I could do.

"I'm, like, way too competent."

Imagining the Helji Gallery flipping out over the photos I uploaded made my lips curl up.

Soon enough, some big guild might show up with bags of cash to scout me, right?

Monster photos were invaluable intel on their own.

How to use them? Eh, I'd figure it out.

And on top of that.

What if they found out I was a hunter with two S-rank skills awakened?

"Heh heh…."

-Mutter.

"Right, I've got two S-rank skills loaded in me like bullets… And one more on the verge of becoming S-rank."

Once they learned about my skills, guilds would bend over backward to recruit me.

Then I'd ditch the crappy rooftop room for a penthouse in a skyscraper, living the high life.

If they scouted me, I'd sell all my stocks first thing. A bit of a loss on the ones I bought, but the massive salary ahead would more than cover it.

Oh yeah.

Life set.

-Lick.

"Eugh…?!"

Fenrion, who had been watching my self-muttering with interest, suddenly licked my head.

Does a tongue lick count as an attack? I looked up at her curiously, and her voice echoed in my mind again.

"……At least you still hold hope. It's been such a long wait."

"Uh…. What?"

Fenrion spouted something incomprehensible, then slowly folded her legs and lay down on the ground.

Like a real neighborhood puppy. I almost reached out to pet her head on instinct.

"Child, will you come with me? There are things I want to show you."

"Uh, well…. Um, I…."

What if I said no here?

She's friendly to me now, but the moment I upset her, who knows how she'd turn.

Even with my S-rank invincibility skill, without offensive skills, it was meaningless.

I'd just be invincible and taking hits all day.

The second invincibility dropped—even for a moment—it'd be chomp chomp, thanks for the meal, game over.

"…What do you want to show me?"

I had no clue how to exit this dungeon anyway, so following her seemed like the smart play.

I could always sneakily ask how to get out later.

She's still on my side for now, right…?

"Heh heh. You'll see when we get there."

In the end, I decided to follow Fenrion. The red warning windows that kept popping up seemed to say I'd regret it otherwise.

It was scary enough already—what if another boss showed up on top of that? I wasn't sure I could handle it.

Not just any boss, a hidden boss.

Fenrion was terrifying at first sight; a hidden boss might straight-up make me soil myself….

Anything but that.

"Hop on."

"Huh?"

And so, I rode off somewhere with Fenrion.

Straddling her broad, fluffy back.

-Thud thud─────────!

"Whooooaaaaa────!"

Incredible speed.

My body shook wildly as I barely clung to Fenrion's mane.

The wind was so fierce I couldn't even open my eyes.

I held on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with everything I had until she finally stopped.

If I fell off now……well, you know.

"Child. Open your eyes now."

"…Ugh…."

Her sprint had stopped, but my vision was still spinning.

Not content with up-and-down shaking, it went side-to-side like a deflated balloon doll.

Probably no rollercoaster in the world was scarier than riding Fenrion's back.

Wanna argue? Hop on yourself.

Oh wait, you'd get chomped first.

"Child."

"Y-Yes…?"

"Lift your head. What I want to show you is over there."

Only then did I manage to raise my head.

And for the first time, I saw them.

People like me—not monsters.

-Murmur murmur. -Murmur murmur.

"Wha—people…?"

In the distance, across the plains, hunters—or what looked like them—were fighting desperately.

Against wolf monsters that resembled Fenrion but looked a bit different.

-Twitch.

-Twitch twitch.

Maybe thanks to the two extra ears on my head.

Even from that far away, their voices rang clear as if they were right in front of me.

"Block the front properly! If they surround us, we're done!"

"Ngh, left! The left is open, I said!!"

"Hah, hah……. Urgh…."

"Jo Cheol-woo!! Snap out of it, you bastard!!"

Urgent shouts.

Groans of pain from wounds.

The clash of swords, double-bladed axes, shields against sharp fangs and claws.

"…This isn't good."

Those hunters were my one lifeline.

My rope out of this dungeon.

Sucked in by a sinkhole, I didn't even know the gate's location.

But properly equipped hunters like them surely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knew the way out.

Of course, only if at least one survived.

If they all died, rescue was impossible—escape too.

"Um, Fenrion!"

"Yes, child. Speak."

That's why I was about to ask her to help the hunters.

They looked to be in danger right now.

The wolf monsters were stronger than expected; things seemed a bit dire.

A few injured hunters lagged at the rear formation.

Fenrion looked way stronger than those wolves, so if she joined, she could save them.

I couldn't lose this lifeline I'd barely found in this vast dungeon.

"Pl-Please help!"

But Fenrion asked me.

"Which side?"

"Obviously……!"

-Flinch.

"Obvi…ously…."

She'd been so friendly, I'd forgotten.

Fenrion was a monster too.

Those wolf monsters tearing into the hunters were her kin.

No way she'd help hunters slaughter her own kind.

Once that hit me, the words stuck in my throat.

Why had I assumed she'd help naturally?

Even if she liked me, it wouldn't extend to betraying her own.

'…What do I do.'

All her kindness so far was purely my skill's effect.

Not because she liked hunters—or humans.

No reason to let me leave alive either.

If she did, I might return as another hunter slaughtering her kin, like those over there.

And as if reading my thoughts.

"Child."

Fenrion asked again.

"You."

The reason she shouldn't take my life.

"What makes you different from those humans?"

Liking someone didn't mean sparing them.

Even without feelings, you could still kill if needed.

If something more important was at stake—like your own kin's lives.

The red warning windows popped up again, revealing Fenrion's true nature.

Her eyes flashed crimson as she faced me head-on.

"Answer me."

The hidden boss's pressure crushed everything around us.

Only now did I realize I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't in a position to worry about others.

…Emergency.