Chapter 58 : Damn Raid 7

19 A-rank hunters decided to set up their base camp at Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol.

However, there was a problem.

Shia, who had come with them, was still missing.

If Han Jinseong and Choi Yuhwa, who had joined last, hadn't witnessed the dungeon boss, they would have built the base camp at Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol and, using it as a hub, carefully explored the map of this dark dungeon, examining the types of monsters and waiting for the next group of hunters.

But now, Shia was missing, and the identity of the dungeon boss had been partially revealed.

"For now, it engaged in cannibalism. I don't know if we should call it 'cannibalism,' but the monster… Well, it devoured other humanoid monsters."

"If it's cannibalism, it means it's a living creature capable of reproduction, right?"

"I'm not sure about that. There are monsters that indiscriminately devour others without even digesting them."

"Shit, it's not even an AA-rank, and we're already dealing with a boss monster that could be S-rank or higher. It's insane."

For some reason, Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol had power, and despite the time hunters had been stationed there, the humanoid monsters seemed to dislike the light, as they hadn't approached the area.

The problem was that the dungeon's darkness could not be illuminated beyond 3 meters, no matter how strong the light was. While the interior of Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol was lit, the exterior was still pitch-black.

Yuhwa and Jinseong had walked through the darkness until they were within 3 meters of Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol, where they were suddenly blinded by the bright light.

"With this visibility, it's impossible to guide Shia here with light."

"I don't know how much power we have left, but we shouldn't assume it's unlimited."

The hunters decided to conserve power at Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol for now.

While it was unfortunate they couldn't find Shia, going outside to search for her, given that the boss monster was likely S-rank or higher, would be foolish.

"Damn, this is fucked…"

"Haah… Even if reinforcements come, unless someone like Yeonseo arrives, this is going to be really tough…"

Because of the dungeon's darkness, hunters couldn't properly coordinate with each other.

The blocked visibility was a problem, but they also couldn't grasp the scale of the humanoid monsters.

The hunters had no idea how deep the dungeon's darkness went, how many humanoid monsters there were, or whether they were all C to B-rank.

If the dungeon boss was S-rank or higher, then surely there would be some humanoid monsters among them that were A-rank or even more dangerous.

A dungeon that stimulated the primal fear of humans with its darkness.

It was a dungeon as vile as it was terrifying.

"Um, excuse me…"

"Huh?"

At that moment, a hunter with a fox-like face raised a hand, drawing everyone's attention.

"What if we attack the dungeon boss first?"

A silence fell among the hunters.

After about ten seconds, one of the hunters shouted in confusion.

"Hey! Are you out of your mind? There's no way we can do that with our current strength!"

"Why would we provoke the boss when Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol is safe?"

"Do you really think it's safe?"

"What?"

The fox-faced hunter smirked as if mocking the others.

"Even if these humanoid monsters are afraid of the light, do you think an S-rank dungeon boss would be scared of just this light?"

"…"

He had a point.

If it was indeed an S-rank or higher dungeon boss, there was no way it was staying away from Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol just because of some light.

The dungeon boss with its horrifying tentacles likely hadn't paid attention to the hunters at Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol because it was still busy eating other humanoid monsters scattered around.

"And think about it. If that thing comes here after it's gorged on other prey, it'll be too late. The more satisfied and powerful it becomes, the lower our chances of winning. Right?"

"Well, that's true, but…"

"This is a gate dungeon. We have to defeat the dungeon boss to escape. And Shia is still missing. She could be dead, but if we want to find the missing person, we need to kill the dungeon boss. That's the only way we can figure out whether she's dead or alive."

"...Hmmm."

"Hey! Hmmm?! Are you kidding me? You think 19 A-rank hunters can take down an S-rank raid boss? Do you think 'S-rank' is just the name of a dog or something? If it really is an S-rank raid boss, just one of those could wipe us out like bugs!"

"What if it's possible?"

"What?"

"What if we have a chance to kill the dungeon boss?"

"Don't talk nonsense! You must have gotten cocky after taking down a few A-rank dungeon bosses, but this one is on a whole different level!"

The fox-faced hunter's expression twisted grotesquely in anger.

It was a bizarre sight, even though they knew it was just a hallucination.

"Let's hear him out. He's not the type to spout nonsense."

Thanks to another hunter's intervention, the tense atmosphere settled slightly.

In a situation where a potential casualty like 'Shia' had already occurred, it was only natural for the hunters to be on edge as they prepared to risk their lives again.

"Do you know there's a dam beneath Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol?"

○○○○○

"Shit, why am I doing this?"

"What else can we do? This is the only option…"

Imha Dam, located upstream of Andong Dam, was a multipurpose earthfill dam with a total reservoir capacity of approximately 600 million cubic meters.

And Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol was a hotel built right above Imha Dam.

The fox-faced hunter's proposal was simple, yet a significant gamble.

[Imha Dam beneath Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol? So what?]

[If we lure the dungeon boss to Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol and collapse the hotel, the boss will fall straight into the dam below. Beneath here is essentially a hollow cavity, with nothing but supporting structures.]

[Like the boss would just fall. And even if it did, do you really think it would die from falling into cold water? Are we praying it'll die from hypothermia or something?]

[Of course not.]

Jinseong couldn't shake the unsettling feeling the fox-faced hunter gave him.

Despite knowing it was a hallucination, that constant smile made him uneasy.

[Once the boss falls into Imha Dam…]

The fox-faced hunter's smile only widened.

The fox-like face, with its bones and muscles grotesquely stretched to form its shape, was enough to make anyone want to retch.

[We activate the dam.]

[What?]

[If we time it right, when the sluice gates open, about 80 million tons of water will pour onto the dungeon boss. And where does that water go? Right into the dam's hydroelectric turbines.]

[Oh…]

[If we're lucky, we'll shred the dungeon boss to pieces without lifting a finger.]

The fox-faced hunter's plan was persuasive.

If it succeeded, they could kill the dungeon boss, which would mean the dungeon would disappear, and they might even find the missing Shia.

Even Yuhwa, known for her sound judgment, voted in favor of the plan, while Jinseong, though feeling uneasy, found himself agreeing with the other hunters. They knew that hiding in Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol wouldn't solve anything.

Jinseong volunteered to act as the bait to lure the boss.

It was the only role he could take on.

Hunters with detection abilities like Yuhwa had to stay in command to make cold, rational decisions.

"Hey, are you scared of being bait? Feeling nervous?"

"Nervous? Fuck off. You think I'm still the same Han Jinseong from the academy days?"

"Oh, look at him showing off because he brought his girlfriend."

Despite the absurdity of seeing everyone under the illusion of being humanoid monsters, Jinseong figured if they survived, it would make for a good story over drinks.

"Showing off? It's only natu—wait, something's coming."

Jinseong readied his spear near Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol's entrance while chatting with his fellow hunter.

Click, clack!

Click!

"Shit, just our luck. It comes right after we set foot outside?"

"Is that the boss…?"

"Yeah. If you see it, don't even look back. Just run. If it catches you, you're dead."

The sound of teeth clashing echoed from afar.

Jinseong, tense, swallowed hard and lowered his body, ready to move at any moment.

"Even if I get caught, just run. The same goes the other way around."

"Shit… The air's already crackling with tension…"

The two hunters began slowly backing away, and as soon as they sensed something creeping through the darkness, they immediately turned and sprinted into Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol.

Bang!!!

The tightly shut door, which they hoped would buy them at least five seconds, was ripped off by tentacles that burst inside.

The humanoid form they'd seen earlier was nowhere to be found.

The bloated tentacles still clicked their teeth as if starving.

"Ahhh! Fuck! It's huge!"

"It looks even bigger than before!"

"You said it was only about 3 to 5 meters!"

"I don't know! Maybe it gorged itself and got fatter on the way!"

Luckily, the two hunters, who were specialized in speed, easily dodged the tentacles.

They ran and ran, as fast as they could.

Since communication didn't work in this dungeon, they couldn't give real-time updates.

So the two hunters, who acted as bait, tried to buy as much time as possible while luring the dungeon boss. The others would collapse the foundation of Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol and activate the dam once they heard the sound of the boss tearing through the hotel.

[Come with meeeeeeee~]

"…!!!!"

"Hey! Did that thing just talk!?"

[Come with meeee!]

We're fucked.

Seriously fucked.

The dungeon boss… a presumed S-rank dungeon boss can speak?!

Every hunter knew how terrifying an intelligent monster could be from the academy, government directives, and the Hunter Association's decrees.

Jinseong felt a chill run through his entire body when he heard the creature's voice.

This thing must be killed here!

It must die here before it causes more casualties!

The two hunters desperately dodged and lured the tentacles, running around the interior of Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol at full speed.

Crash!

The bloated body forced itself through the narrow hallways, turning the place into a wreck in seconds.

But, thanks to that, its movements were restricted, making it easier for the hunters to lure it.

"Over here!"

The fox-faced hunter appeared at the end of the hallway, signaling that the preparations were complete.

Clack, clack!

Click! Click!

[Wait, wait, wait for me!]

"Ahhh! It's even faster now!"

"Fuck, runnnn!"

"Eek!?"

The appearance of the new hunter seemed to excite the tentacles, which clashed their teeth in anticipation.

Was it getting excited by the arrival of new prey?

The tentacles, seemingly thrilled, began tearing the entire hallway apart as they lashed out.

The bait team barely managed to pass through the doorway with the fox-faced hunter, just as the tentacles completely destroyed the hallway behind them.

'Shit… If we had gotten caught, we'd be dead for sure…'

As terrifying as they looked, the sheer mass and physical power of those tentacles were beyond belief for Jinseong.

Thud! Thud!

"This is the spot, right?!"

"Yes, it is!"

The steel shutters that came down when they hit the emergency button were buying them some time, but the tentacles wouldn't be held back for more than a few seconds.

But that was enough.

Boom!

[Come with meeee!]

Fuck!!

The sound of a woman's scream echoed through the air as Jinseong immediately hurled himself forward.

At that moment, the tentacles ripped through the steel shutter and stormed into Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol's lobby. At the same time, the ground beneath the tentacles began to crack.

[!?]

As soon as the creature showed signs of panic, Jinseong and the other hunters knew the plan was working.

"Now! Shoot!!!"

The tentacles tried to find another support, clinging to the walls or other structures to get away from the crumbling ground.

But at that moment, the hunters hidden behind the pillars and balconies emerged and began attacking the creature.

"Die, you bastard! Die!"

"Fall, you damned thing!"

Of course, it was a minimum S-rank dungeon boss.

No matter how much the A-rank hunters attacked, they couldn't deal fatal damage.

But what about the collapsing hotel lobby? The ground? The supporting structures?

The hunters' attacks weren't meant to kill the boss but to prevent it from escaping.

The Griden mineral bullets turned the ground beneath the tentacles into a sieve. The Awakened ones unleashed fire and lightning, and Jinseong, having decided to use his precious spear as a one-time weapon, hurled it at the monster.

The other hunters, too, used every means at their disposal to push the boss down.

Thud!

The concentrated attacks lasted no more than five seconds.

But to the hunters risking their lives, those seconds felt like an eternity.

After precisely five seconds, the entire lobby of Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol collapsed.

[Aaah…!]

With its massive body, the dungeon boss quickly succumbed to gravity and plummeted down toward Imha Dam.

The hunters had already severed all the supports below.

There was nothing for the monster to cling to.

The dungeon boss made a splash into the icy river below.

And there, the dam's sluice gates opened, unleashing the gigantic turbines that had already been running, spinning like chainsaws.

Crunch! Crack!

Snap!

The sound of flesh being torn apart echoed, and the hunters closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight.

"…We did it…right?"

"Haah… haah…"

Jinseong collapsed to the ground, his legs trembling.

"Jinseong!"

"…Yuhwa."

We did it, damn it.

If they had strayed even slightly from the route Yuhwa had outlined, they would've been crushed by those tentacles.

"…Hey, I can see everyone's real faces now."

"It seems the hallucination lifted because the dungeon boss died."

Finally, the hunters began returning to their original appearances.

Yuhwa, Jinseong, and the others, who had been under the illusion of being humanoid monsters, all reverted to their normal human forms.

"…Ha, I thought I was going to die."

"Jinseong, you said earlier that we'd go wild after this."

"Can't you see I'm exhausted? Can we rest first?"

"No, we can't."

Despite his expression of discomfort, Jinseong hugged Yuhwa, looking genuinely pleased.

Yeah, damn it.

We almost died, so of course, we should celebrate…

"I'm so glad."

At that moment, Jinseong felt a chill run down his spine.

The hallucinations had lifted from all the hunters.

The tentacle monster had been torn apart by the dam's turbines, and the illusions of the humanoid monsters had disappeared.

"I'm really glad."

But why…

Why hadn't that fox-faced hunter changed?

Realizing something was wrong, Jinseong threw Yuhwa aside.

"Kyaa! Jinseong, what are you—!"

Thud!

"…Huh?"

"Cough… shit…"

In that instant, Jinseong coughed up blood as something snake-like pierced his abdomen.

"J-Jinseong!"

"Hey! Grab your weapons! It's not over yet!!!"

Shocked by the sudden turn of events, the hunters raised their weapons, but the fox-faced hunter simply smiled mockingly at them, clearly unfazed by their actions.

"What the hell is that thing!? Wasn't it one of us?!"

"Isn't it obvious?!"

[I'm truly, truly grateful.]

Nine snake-like tails sprouted from the fox-faced hunter's waist.

The shadows beneath its feet seemed to writhe and twist like living darkness, amplified by the light from Moonlit Pavilion of Yeongwol.

The grotesque fox-faced creature smiled even more broadly.

"…!"

"That, that thing…"

"Was the dungeon boss… actually that thing?"

"Shit… we're screwed…"

This dungeon was originally a typical dungeon with a tendency for predation.

While it had a predatory nature, it merely absorbed ley lines or nutrients from the earth to grow.

Had this dungeon appeared in a city or in any ordinary, uneventful land with no legends or folklore, it wouldn't have been more than a common C-rank dungeon.

But this dungeon had devoured something truly horrific.

Something forgotten by people.

Something that hadn't been recorded in any literature.

The dungeon consumed that thing, and in turn, it became one with the dungeon.

That nameless entity, which crawled across the land with deep resentment and wasn't even allowed to gaze upon the sun, was swallowed by the dungeon, and the nameless entity swallowed the dungeon in return.

They devoured each other and became one.

It became a Grudge-filled entity with pitch-black darkness.

It had malice and cunning resembling that of a fox, and its form bore a resemblance to an Imoogi, consumed by envy of the world.

It possessed darkness, malice, and cunning. It became the dungeon itself, filled with endless resentment.

[You can't imagine how thankful I am that you killed the one thing I feared the most.]

"...…What?"

[Do you know what you just shredded?]

"Wait, no way…"

At that moment, a terrifying thought crossed the hunters' minds.

No, it couldn't be.

[The one you just shredded was the person you've been searching for. Wasn't her name Shia? I almost threw up seeing something even more monstrous than me wearing a human shell.]

"….!"

"…We… We killed Shia… with our own hands…?"

As the horrified, tearful hunters stood in disbelief, the creature revealed its true form.

Its mouth stretched into a hideous grin, and the shadows beneath its feet writhed like living beings.

Instead of a fox's tail, it now had nine Imoogi-like tails.

Jinseong pulled out the Imoogi-like tail that had pierced his abdomen and staggered backward.

"J-Jinseong…"

"I-I'm fine. Haa…ugh…"

Although he said he was fine, his chances of survival were slim after suffering such a severe injury.

The bleeding was severe, and if he didn't stop it, his organs would spill out.

We're really fucked…

This is why intelligent monsters are terrifying.

Their intellect and malice surpass that of any human, making their evil impossible to comprehend.

The fox-faced creature smiled mockingly at the hunters, the same smile it had shown when they first met.

[Let me say it again. Thank you. You've made it so much easier to get rid of the one thing that was bothering me the most.]

"Shit, we're completely screwed…."

"Shit…."

The hunters realized their situation instantly.

None of them thought they could take down that monster, not even if they all attacked at once.

If that fox-faced dungeon boss had cast illusions and only now removed them, it had likely always known it could kill them all at any moment…

[Oh, and didn't they say… if you don't report in, the humans will send reinforcements?]

"…!"

[Don't worry. It's not just you. Soon, the next group will all join you inside my belly.]

The hunters gritted their teeth in anticipation of the grim future ahead.

A raid dungeon boss with intelligence.

A monster full of malice, capable of wielding darkness and illusions.

If the Association sent another group of hunters into this dungeon, the monster would probably pretend to be the only surviving hunter.

And, just like it did with us, it would assess the hunters' strength from within and slowly pick them off one by one when the time was right.

The more hunters it devoured, the stronger it would become.

Though it was now trapped in the gate dungeon, the time when it would escape into the outside world drew closer and closer.

Soon, it would lead its army of humanoid monsters and invade reality.

[Let me say it again. I'm truly grateful. Don't be too afraid. The pain will only last a moment. And in the end, you'll all live on inside me…]

Thunk!

[Cough!?]

At that moment, a familiar, blood-red tentacle pierced through the monster's abdomen and pinned it against the wall.

"What!?"

"Isn't that the tentacle from earlier…?"

Wait, didn't the illusion lift? Then why does it still look like a tentacle…?

No, the illusion doesn't matter. Could it be that Shia's ability is the tentacle itself?

"Ugh… it's so cold…"

As the hunters were still trying to grasp the situation, Shia slowly emerged from the hole, her face puffed up with frustration.

Though her body was soaked with water, she appeared unharmed.

[You… You! How…!?]

"Huh?"

[How the hell… are you alive?]

The monster had definitely seen her get shredded by the enormous turbines.

Thanks to those foolish humans' cooperation, it had undoubtedly thrown her to the bottom!

So how was she standing here, perfectly fine?!

She had been torn apart by the turbine blades! How could she still be…?

"Even if you ask how…"

Shia, as if unsure how to answer, raised a hand to scratch her head.

Her arm, though, was twisted at an unnatural angle.

In reality, Shia's body had been torn apart by the dam's massive turbines.

She had been swept around, thrown and bashed by thousands of tons of water, but in the end, she slowly made her way back from the bottom of the dam.

Crrrack!

[!?]

"Eek!?"

Shia's grotesquely twisted arm snapped back into place in an instant.

Even though her bones and muscles had broken through her skin, not a single drop of blood spilled from her body.

Is that… human?

Is that really a human?

No way, that's impossible.

She's a monster.

"I don't die."

The dungeon had thought it was a monster.

I am evil.

I am a monster.

I am the Grudge-filled entity that was not allowed to see the sun.

I am the fox who could not become human.

I am the Imoogi, forever crawling the earth, envious of the sky.

Thus, I am evil, and I am a monster.

That was what it had believed.

However, now it felt fear from the pure, serene eyes staring at it.

I am the one who should be instilling fear, but instead, I'm the one who is afraid.

Ah, my very existence is being denied.

I, who have lived as a monster, now face an even greater monster. I am nothing more than prey.

"Hehehe, well then, I'll enjoy the meal~"

[…You monstrous bastard…]

"…I've heard that a lot."

Crunch!

There was no need for more words.

Someone's mouth opened.

Something was bitten, chewed, and swallowed.

And thus, the life of a being that was once a monster came to an end.

○○○○○

No, it's not over yet.

It's not over.

I am a monster.

I am a monster, and I am darkness, and I am a serpent, and I am a fox.

The fact that I died was painful and agonizing, but I still have a chance.

I can still survive.

If I just consume more, even if I crawl miserably in the dark for a little longer, I still have a chance…!

Yes, I'll feed on the humanoid monsters to sustain myself.

I'll skewer the weak humans, weaker than those hunters, and eat them.

Then, I'll live.

I can rebuild my body.

Even if I am now just pathetic fragments, I still have the potential to rise again…!

[Click?]

What is that?

A centipede?

Why is something like that in my dungeon, in my territory…?

Crunch!

Ah, no.

Crunch!

No, don't eat.

No, what are you…!

Crunch, click!

Click-click!

No, stop eating. Please, stop!

Stop. Please stop.

If you eat me, I won't be myself anymore.

No, save me.

Stop it. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.

Stoooop!

[Screech, clack, clack… crack…!]

Stop… please… stop…

[S-So…deliciousss…clack…crunch…!]