Chapter 41

The dungeon chamber was filled with the remnants of battle.

The demonic Ifrit, eyes closed, was engrossed in controlling the mutated creatures.

‘Damn it.’

The mutated creatures, formed from coalesced spiders, turned to ash under the elf mage’s clean, linked magic. Nearly two-thirds of the mutated creatures that the demonic Ifrit had painstakingly crafted over the past two weeks within this dungeon were obliterated in an instant.

‘…It’s over.’

The Ifrit severed the connection with the mutated creatures being grilled by the electric flames and stared blankly at the ceiling, eyes wide open.

Even the elf mage, who displayed the eccentric behavior of clearing mines while weaving through spiderwebs, was more powerful than he had anticipated. Outwardly, she possessed magic power at the level of an average mid-rank mage, but the completion of her spells and the linkages between them were far beyond the common standard.

It was impossible to escape further into the depths of the dungeon.

His injuries were deep, and his stamina was depleted. If only he had time, he could somehow rest and recover his condition, but his opponent possessed an excellent tracker.

They would burst into the room where the Ifrit was in less than ten minutes.

The expression ‘a rat in a trap’ perfectly described the situation.

Even so, the demon did not despair. Nor did he accept death while sitting still.

He possessed no pride or sense of duty like the soldiers of the continent.

It was simply that struggling, even in a pathetic flurry until the very end, leaving even a single scar on them, would benefit the demon race, however slightly, more than quietly awaiting demise.

An extremely rational and totalitarian way of thinking.

That was the phrase that symbolized the demon race.

“Hmm…”

The demon, so nonchalant as to be unbelievable for a creature facing imminent death, stroked his chin and let out a murmur.

‘Did they throw themselves into this dungeon simply to covet the treasure within? No… They must know that our brethren are eyeing the Achilliptus Woodlands hungrily from beyond. Could they be so carefree?’

Ifrit calmly began to retrace the steps, starting with what their purpose could have been in the first place for setting foot here.

‘The elven mage deliberately entered a room laden with landmines, even at considerable risk. And then, they disarmed them with finesse. An act they would never commit if their goal was simply to escape the dungeon, or to clear it.’

Slowly, the monster groped back through the situations in which he had first encountered them.

‘…Their purpose in entering here…is to disarm the mines?’

The calm thought process soon led to the correct answer.

‘I don’t know the exact reason, but that’s certainly the purpose. There’s no other explanation for such bizarre behavior.’

“…Should I hide it far away? Or would there be little point? Their guide seemed quite skilled, so they would find it soon enough.”

He commanded the lumps of flesh he had scattered throughout the dungeon to gather information, ordering them to deliver the last remaining mine to his room.

“Then, it would be better to gift it to them, in reverse.”

Soon after, a grotesque being—a small doughy body with two legs of a giant spider—entered the room where he was, carrying a mana mine emanating a purple light on its head.

The demon Ifrit silently took the mine into his hands.

It was clear that the slightest wrong move of a finger would immediately trigger the detonator, turning the surroundings into a sea of flames.

“Gather…”

Ifrit, clutching the landmine in both hands, was drawing all the variants he’d spawned behind him, a collective amassing.

From the small, reconnaissance-bred lumps of flesh to near-failed experiments and even grotesque spider clusters perfected enough for direct combat, they stood there.

The masses of flesh gently embraced Ifrit.

Pitch-black lumps, like a wave, wrapped around each other, secreting poisonous fluids as they forced open a path, beginning to roll off somewhere.

“I can leave a scar, at least.”

…The demon Ifrit, even as his end drew near, muttered with a face as coldly mechanical as always.

* * *

“Please wait a moment. If I don’t cool the air, the thunder might echo…”

Beyond the translucent barrier, a room filled with pristine white ash and mist was visible. Seeing even the horrifying masses of flesh and the venomous secretions they produced turned into pure white ash, Rex let out a hollow laugh.

“…Is that really just 4th Circle? I swear, I’m starting to feel unsightly just being around so many geniuses.”

At Rex’s words, Lir fidgeted, unsure of what to do, before burying her face in her robes.

*She’s always so snappish when I praise her, but she’s so happy when Rex praises her*

…Did I do something wrong?

Even after the situation was resolved, Lir maintained the ‘Isolation’ spell for a long time, waiting for the lightning-scorched, sweltering air to cool enough to prevent any thunderclaps from spreading.

Finally, after waiting, when the ‘Isolation’ magic was released, humid air caressed our cheeks as it rushed through the doorway. With expressions twisted in disgust at the sticky, heavy sensation, we all stepped into the room.

Ash.

Ash.

Ash.

Only pure white ash swirled within the room. The lightning Lir had conjured had scorched the walls, bored holes in the floor, and even completely melted the murals painted on the ceiling.

“Reduced to ash, every last trace. Couldn’t you have been a little gentler?”

Trian swept a hand across the ash-covered floor, a grumble escaping his lips.

The massive room, easily thirty *pyeong* in size, was entirely blanketed in a pristine layer of white ash. Sifting through it to uncover any hidden clues, even for someone like Trian, would clearly demand a considerable amount of time.

“Finding a lead is going to take a while. Might as well rest up in the meantime.”

For reasons I couldn’t quite fathom, Trian looked directly at me as he spoke.

…I hadn’t done anything of note in this battle. Lir had performed the lion’s share of the work, yet somehow, I was the one being given the most consideration. It felt oddly unsettling.

Of course, discomfort aside, I intended to make the most of this break.

“Haaah….”

Hardly had Trian finished speaking when I slumped against the wall, sinking to the floor.

I hadn’t even *done* anything, so why did this damn body tire so easily?

Seeing me seated, Lir cautiously approached and settled beside me. Already obscured by the wide brim of their hat, Lir’s face remained almost entirely hidden, buried deep within the folds of their robe.

With a humble gesture, I carefully swept the dust from the floor next to me, clearing a spot for them. Without a word, Lir drew near the clean area, leaned against the wall, and slowly lowered themselves to sit.

They didn’t show it, but Lir, too, seemed quite fatigued from keeping pace with Rex and Trian’s rapid movements.

“…Rex, see anything over there?”

“There are some signs of corrosion… but whether it’s from the mutant’s blood spatter when it died, or blood left by the demons passing through, I can’t tell with my own eyes.”

“Just remember the location for now. After we’ve searched this side, I’ll go over and determine it….”

*Thrum…*

A foreboding vibration resonated through my back, leaning against the wall. Reflexively, I straightened up and turned my head toward the source.

“…”

Had he felt the ominous tremor as well?

From the room next door, Trian, who had been sifting through ash, paused abruptly, turning his head toward our chamber.

Before the thought, *What was that noise?*, could even form, a vibration drummed against my back once more.

*Thoom…!*

The dust motes clinging to Trian’s fingertips danced for a fleeting moment.

Instinctively, Rex reached for the axe he bore upon his back.

A disquiet settled over me, a certainty that whatever the source of this tremor, it harbored no kindness for us.

“…Mages, rise.”

*Thoom!*

The vibration drew closer, even before I could fully stand.

Rex, axe already in hand, bolted from the room, racing toward where Lir was resting.

“Come this way. We need to form a line…!”

With her singular grace, Lir was up and moving, reaching out a hand to me. I took it, pushing off the floor with my free hand, just as a massive tremor shook the ground.

*Thoom!*

*Thoom!*

*Thump!*

*Thump!*

The vibrations intensified, the end nowhere in sight, before morphing into a sickening, wet sound. A sound like some viscous, foul liquid adhering to the floor, then tearing away, repeated again and again, with a volume that was simply immense.

*Rattle!*

Before my mind could fully grasp the situation, the door to the chamber where Lir and I had been resting burst open.

All three doors, previously sealed shut, simultaneously gaped open, unleashing a torrent of grotesque, regurgitated matter.

A tidal wave of flesh and bone, vast and relentless, crashed down from three directions, aiming to engulf the very spot where Lir and I were seated.

A coordinated army moving with clear purpose – a telltale sign of the mutated hordes controlled by the demonic forces.

A surprise assault launched the moment vigilance began to wane after battle.

No doubt, the demon orchestrating these mutants was a seasoned strategist with considerable combat experience.

“Rex!”

“I know!”

‘…Ah, wait. This is too close.’

Reacting instinctively to the sudden ambush, I started channeling my inner mana, transforming it into lightning. Thin as I was, vibrant white currents began to coil around my form.

“Not here!”

Lir shouted urgently, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward a chamber choked with pale, ashen dust. My focus faltered momentarily, causing the electrical currents around me to scatter.

“The thunder will be too loud if you use that spell! Even ‘Isolation’ wouldn’t contain it for long – the firepower is just too immense. It’s excessive, in every way…!”

Lir, realizing my intent to use Bloom in response to the surprise attack, quickly tried to stop me.

Bloom was undeniably a potent skill, but it unleashed a staggering amount of electricity, generating ceaseless peals of thunder. Recklessly using Bloom would undoubtedly draw the attention not only of the monsters nearby but also of those slumbering on the opposite end of the dungeon.

Furthermore, using Bloom in such a confined space would risk engulfing Lir and the others in the electrical discharge, possibly shattering their eardrums with the deafening thunder.

And beyond all that, the brief five-minute duration would leave me unconscious. That was the last thing I needed in a dungeon teeming with threats.

*Whoosh*…!

Piercing through the overwhelming mass of flesh that filled the room, a massive arrow flew in a straight, unwavering line.

The steel-forged arrowhead punctured everything in its path, embedding itself into the far wall, where it swiftly began to rust, dissolving slowly in the poison-laced ichor.

“Get in here! He must be desperate; the mutants’ quality is abysmal. With proper formation, we can handle them without needing any major magic!”

*Whoosh!*

From behind, the sound of a monstrous axe brutally cleaving bone and flesh echoed. Blood, erupting from torn meat, began to dissolve other chunks of flesh, and the blood flowing from that dissolving meat started to dissolve yet more.

Then, a spider chimera with stark stitching across its massive abdomen blocked our path.

It was utter pandemonium. Rex did his best to halt all the charging mounds of flesh, but he was only one man.

Seizing the opportunity in the split second the massive axe swung toward another fleshy mass, I focused on the alien sensation within my chest as an even larger one came for me.

“Manifest.”

Subtle particles erupted from my chest, instantly forming a crimson and ochre crystal. No sooner had it taken shape than it began emitting a hectic mechanical whirring, bathing the area in crimson light.

The light, discharged with pinpoint accuracy, pierced the spider’s head.

The hulking chimera’s head simply crumbled to ash, its body toppling backwards.

Seeing this, I swiveled my head. I needed to scan the surroundings, in case Rex had missed any other chimeras barreling toward us.

If we could just escape to the next room, we could lure the enemies into the narrow entrance and deal with the countless flesh piles effectively.

Forming a proper formation was our most pressing task right now.

If we could make it to the next room safely, Rex could relax, and maybe escape this living hell as well…

“Looking for this, were you?”

Before I could even finish the thought, an unnerving voice sliced through the chaos.

A voice I’d never heard before.

Incompatible with the bedlam, the calm, even tone of the voice triggered an instinctive revulsion.

I reflexively turned toward the voice’s origin.

There stood a demon, his body awash in toxic substances, flesh visibly melting away. In his hand, he held the final magic mine we had so desperately been searching for.

The seams on the chimera’s collapsing torso were torn completely asunder.

I couldn’t say for certain, since I hadn’t directly witnessed him emerge from the chimera’s body, but he must have been hiding inside it.

* * *

Whoosh!

Before Lir and I could fully grasp the situation, a steel arrowhead had pierced the demon’s head.

“Damn it…!”

Trian’s sigh, thin and reedy, brushed past my ear.

I frantically twisted the crystal’s end, aiming at the demon, but it was already too late.

Even as its entire body melted, the arrow lodged in its skull, the demon wore a savage smile.

“Take it.”

Amidst the chaos where blood and flesh filled the air, the sound of the demon pressing the detonator of a landmine with both hands rang out clearly.

Click—