#276. Who Knows Who's the Monster.
"I'm changing the order."
-Huh? What's up with that?
"When I signal, pull me out of here..."
-That's the same damn thing, you old man! How the hell am I supposed to pull you out of that shitshow?!
The spot Go Eul-ji was pointing at was a scene so chaotic that calling it a "mess" felt like an understatement.
Joo Se-ah's sword strikes clashed repeatedly with the queen's wings, the crashing gong-like booms echoing vibrantly through the chamber. Each impact made the cavern tremble. The already-holed ceiling shook precariously, as if the remaining chunks might collapse at any moment.
Some of the injured hunters, their internals damaged, looked ready to vomit blood just from the noise.
The shockwaves from the clashes gradually widened their reach. The floor cracked and buckled like an earthquake had hit. Jagged rocks shot up, shattering into fragments. When razor-sharp winds whipped through, one wall crumbled with a thunderous roar.
Thomas holding firm amid the fray like the eye of a storm was nothing short of incredible.
"Thomas Hunter will provide support. In the meantime, use your telekinesis to pull me in."
-Oh, is that all? But what's the deal with Thomas? The guy who was whining earlier is holding his own in that madness. And he passed out a bit ago too. What the hell happened?
"Various things happened."
-Dodging like that? Guess it's something even the boss can't spill.
"I'll tell you when Hunter Go Eul-ji's rank rises a bit more."
Go Eul-ji was used to Kang Moo-hyuk's phrasing by now. She caught that his mention of a rank-up didn't end at A+. It was a warning—or rather, a benchmark—not to pry unless she was at least on Joo Se-ah's level.
She realized this situation was far more complex and critical than she'd thought.
-S-rank ain't some kid's name. I'm not dying of curiosity or anything. La la la, not listening.
Despite her words, Go Eul-ji's personality meant she'd lose sleep over it. She'd have to sneakily ask Thomas later.
Having coordinated with Go Eul-ji, Kang Moo-hyuk tried contacting Joo Se-ah, but it didn't connect.
"Looks like her communicator broke during the fight."
With no choice, he explained the rough plan to Thomas alone.
"Hunter Thomas, after I pull out, assist the guild master."
"And the specifics?"
"We need to kill the queen's mobility."
"Pin her down with strong magic, right? But as I said, in my current state, I can only fire one heavy spell."
"Save that for the finisher. Can you use this shield spell instead? It wasn't on the list of spells you mentioned before."
Thomas saw through Kang Moo-hyuk's intent at the suggestion.
"You're saying put up a wall."
"Yes. A normal shield might be tough, but seeing you cast shields so freely, it seems possible. Am I right?"
"Yes. I can do it. It's an application of wind-element magic."
Kang Moo-hyuk didn't miss Thomas's offhand remark.
"Can you use any magic regardless of element or trait?"
"I haven't practiced everything, so I can't say for sure, but I can roughly mimic any spell I've seen once."
"Then that phoenix earlier...?"
"That was mixing Fireball and Flame Dust. A few were theories I'd toyed with before."
"I suspected, but this is even more than I thought..."
The conversation cut off briefly.
A heavier impact than before slammed into Thomas's shield.
"Queeeeee―!"
Several layers of shields shattered, leaving just one. The queen bared her fangs as they faced off.
Thomas glared back with murderous intent. For some reason, he wanted to erase her more than she hated him.
He'd lost both birth parents and adoptive ones to monsters, but revenge had never swayed him before.
Yet in this moment, killing rage ignited like wildfire.
"......"
As Thomas and the queen locked eyes, Joo Se-ah caught up from behind and struck. The queen flapped her wings and leaped away, dodging.
The attack hit Thomas's shield instead. He yelped, hastily layering more shields.
The shock rattled his whole body worse than blocking the queen.
"Ugh, watch it..."
Their eyes met for an instant.
'Block above.'
Her glance toward the queen told him her plan.
'She's attacking because she thinks I can block it.'
Thomas figured Joo Se-ah was timing her strikes based on his defense.
Meanwhile, Joo Se-ah stomped the shield with her foot. He thrust it upward. Using the rebound, she launched into the air.
The queen veered to chase her, but an invisible barrier blocked the way. No time to smash through, she turned the other direction.
Too late. Joo Se-ah pivoted off the blocking shield, her sword slashing with ominous energy.
Anguish Flow
Angervadil's curse-laced blade grazed the queen's chest.
Lethargy. Loss of will. Bleeding.
Three curses stacked in an instant.
Dazed, the queen's stinger pierced Joo Se-ah's side.
She twisted, raising her right leg. She could've taken it with her body but chose her sturdy shin to block and counter rather than risk vital organs.
The moment she blocked the stinger, Joo Se-ah sensed something off.
'Huh? I definitely blocked it?'
Lethargy, loss of will, and bleeding—invalid without a wound.
Angervadil's curses reflected right back.
"Nice ability."
Brave Heart
The lethargy and loss-of-will debuffs vanished.
'Good response.'
Fully registering the split-second clash, Thomas admired her as he prepped his spell.
He signaled Kang Moo-hyuk first for extraction.
"Hunter Go Eul-ji! Now!"
Responding to Kang Moo-hyuk's order, Go Eul-ji pulled him into her domain.
On cue, Thomas concentrated shields forward. Kang Moo-hyuk slipped out behind them.
Confirming Kang Moo-hyuk's swift contact with Go Eul-ji, Thomas extended a hand toward the queen.
Thunder Cannon
A lightning cannon blasted where the queen and Joo Se-ah stood.
The queen, unprepared for a spell mid-fight with Joo Se-ah, convulsed from electrocution.
Joo Se-ah felt it too.
"Y-you bastard were aiming f-for both of us?!"
No way he'd blast her and the monster together.
But.
'Nice call.'
While the queen still reeled from the shock, Joo Se-ah shook off the electrocution.
'I looked into Iron Will when digging on the boss. Rumors on Guild Master Joo Se-ah too.'
Magic Killer.
Her nickname. Believing her magic resistance was world-class as rumored, he'd cast it.
'Impressive as expected.'
As anticipated, Joo Se-ah moved first.
Thomas generated a shield behind her. She used it like a wall and charged the queen.
The queen flapped her numb wings to evade, but they wouldn't obey.
"Die already, you monster bitch."
Angervadil's tip extended a long mana blade. It plunged deep into the queen's chest. Not enough—she rammed the main blade in too.
The queen finally broke free of the shock. Still alive. Desperate to escape, build a new hive, recover.
As she mustered strength to fly—
"Where you going?"
Joo Se-ah dropped her sword, lunged, and hugged the queen's body.
The momentum was so fierce the queen froze mid-flap. She crashed to the floor with Joo Se-ah on top.
Mounting her, pinning both arms, Joo Se-ah smirked coldly atop the chest.
The queen strained wings and legs to escape, but Joo Se-ah's mana-anchored feet held firm.
"Good job running. Now the real fun starts—look forward to it."
Bam!
"Quek!"
Splat!
"Queeeee!"
Crack! Crunch!
"Kii..."
Fist. Fist. Fist. Fist. Fist. Fist. Fist.
Primal violence hammered the queen's body.
Then joint locks ripped limbs off. She mounted the back, tore wings free. Yanked the stinger—eliciting a pitiful scream.
Green fluids sprayed everywhere.
Finally, head, chest, gut—fully disassembled.
The queen suffered from her own toughness. Breath wouldn't end easily.
But Joo Se-ah didn't stop. She shredded intact parts with Angervadil, finishing by stabbing the face.
"Who knows who's the monster."
Thomas clicked his tongue, easing post-spell pain.
Joo Se-ah, bathed in green blood, glaring at the queen's remains, turned to him.
Her usual gaze, but Thomas flinched.
'She won't beat me for friendly fire, right?'
Thus ended the long, grueling hive raid.
With the battlefield cleared and casualties evacuated, Kang Moo-hyuk summoned the expedition leaders from Gunpowder and Call My Name guilds.
'Normally I'd coordinate with the guild masters, but raid shares prioritize on-site judgment. Gotta clarify this to avoid backlash.'
Kang Moo-hyuk focused on post-raid cleanup.
Joint guild ops made aftermath the real headache.
Here began a new war. Each guild's desk staff scrambled for evidence and witnesses on contributions for loot shares.
"I was willing to yield some unique items, but your guilds' performance was deeply disappointing. Ignoring initial agreements for solo plays wasn't enough—you nearly wiped."
"No need for long talk. You're saying cough up the unique item and leave, right?"
"Do you think I'm being crude, Leader Taylor?"
"Embarrassed to say it outright."
Camilla answered for him. Taylor nodded.
"We're done talking. Unique item? We forfeit. Surviving's thanks enough."
"How will you convince your guild masters?"
"Tell 'em to come bitch themselves. To... Guild Master Joo Se-ah over there."
Camilla recalled Joo Se-ah dismantling the queen.
'That human? Ripping a boss monster apart? Oh, right—S-ranks aren't human.'
Anyone witnessing that fight wouldn't claim their share.
"If the masters dig in, we'll take extreme measures to block it."
Taylor backed her, glancing at Joo Se-ah.
'Better quit than end up like that. Guild master couldn't complain then.'
Her arms-crossed stance near the butchered queen gave him chills.
"Good. For unique item shares, send a forfeiture pledge. You've done well."
Wrapping distribution easier than expected, Kang Moo-hyuk dismissed them and approached Joo Se-ah.
She stared silently at the queen's chunks.
"How long do I gotta stand here arms crossed?"
"Just a bit longer. Still watching."
"First time in my life I've heard 'stand intimidating for loot shares.' This necessary?"
"This is America. Front yard where stray dogs get fed too—S-rank needs a show of force. Ah, they're gone. You can drop the pose."
Joo Se-ah sighed, more exhausted than in the raid.
Kang Moo-hyuk shrugged off his armor coat and handed it over. She took it.
"What's this?"
"Can't have our guild master in rags when she has dignity. Wear this for now."
"What's with the kindness?"
"Secured three unique items. This much is fine."
"Knew it. Figured there was a catch."
Kang Moo-hyuk approached the queen's head, carefully touching the antenna.
"Antenna from a 5th-gen—or likely 6th-gen or higher queen even Botsuna couldn't secure. Supposed to use psychic waves, but luckily this one couldn't wield it properly."
"Probably just finished metamorphosis, couldn't tap full power. Like me before realizing I was S-rank. Of course, I'd have cut it if it did."
"Good thing it didn't awaken to its strength. Thanks to that, one raid netted three unique materials."
Kang Moo-hyuk gently picked up a severed wing.
"Wings intact—panicked when you ripped them off. Stinger undamaged too."
"Ripped in anger, but remembered boss's order for intact materials."
"Glad you did."
Kang Moo-hyuk gazed at the queen's byproducts, looking stuffed just from sight.
"Alright then. Time for the guild master to suit up properly."
"Suit up?"
"Need a skilled craftsman. Soon, a full unique set."