The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

The dungeon monsters keep offering sacrifices – 061

EP.61 After the Monster Wave

Silence followed.

It was so quiet that one might think time had stopped.

Even the passing wind seemed hushed, as if it too held its breath in anticipation.

If it weren’t nighttime, would the sky be leisurely adorned with drifting clouds?

“?”

And in my mind, filled with the sight I witnessed a little while ago, there were only question marks.

As Maru swung the sword, the Death Knight soared.

Arch Lich fell to Maru’s sword.

No.

What are they doing?

No matter how powerful Maru’s sword, it couldn’t have had such an impact on opponents like Death Knight and Arch Lich.

Could it be that Maru has awakened?

Just to be sure, I checked on my smartphone.

“……”

The monster list confirmed that Death Knight and Arch Lich were still intact.

Maru was the same.

Their ranks were not so low that they would collapse with just one sword.

To me, their current appearance was merely a show.

Since they were originally my monsters, and I knew their ranks accurately, it was nothing surprising.

However, the hunters far away seemed to perceive it differently.

The distance was considerable, making it impossible to confirm who they were, but they must be hunters sent by the guild or association.

They seemed frozen in place, as if shocked by the current situation.

Regardless, it was the most suitable moment for me.

The hunters remained still, and my monsters kept their positions without clashing.

I quickly ran towards Maru’s direction.

Then, I grabbed Arch Lich in front of Maru.

Even though caught in my hands, Arch Lich continued to show an exquisite appearance as if nothing happened.

‘Ha.’

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. I continue to held onto Arch Lich while looking around.

Celia and Azmo, as well as the hunters who were in front of me, were all staring at me.

‘If I didn’t have the robe and mask, it would have been a big problem.’

Currently, Maru and I are covered from head to toe with a robe and a mask.

Of course, the monsters know it’s me, but at least the hunters shouldn’t suspect my identity.

“What in the world is happening?”

I asked Maru with doubt in my voice. I had definitely ordered Maru to capture them.

Maru followed the order and charged forward, but the situation suddenly turned chaotic, leaving me puzzled.

“Tick.”

Maru spoke, moving his jawbone.

And due to my ability, I easily understood Maru’s words.

“What? Are you saying I want to dominate this world?”

What does that mean?

Thinking I might have misunderstood, I asked again.

But Maru nodded, affirming his positive response.

“Ha.”

It was even more surprising than I thought.

Where did my intention go wrong?

Now I realized.

‘I need to manage this more thoroughly from now on.’

No, I needed to give commands more precisely, at least in clear terms.

Fortunately, it seemed they didn’t ignore my words but rather acted out of excessive loyalty.

Nevertheless, the situation had unfolded.

I wanted to say something here, but the situation was not favorable.

Even if Celia and the others didn’t know, the eyes of the hunters focusing on this place were too numerous.

“Now, let’s finish up slowly.”

I couldn’t tell them to go back from here.

If I command the monsters to go back obediently now, how would it appear in their eyes?

At least a minimum level of naturalness was required.

I whispered to Arch Lich, directing my voice towards him.

“Can you explode all those ghouls?”

A skill that Arch Lich had even before evolution.

Corpse Explosion.

Despite the name, it could only explode undead monsters, but that was fine.

I formulated a plan in my mind.

Explode the ghouls one by one, diverting the opponent’s attention as much as possible, and take advantage of that gap to smoothly escape.

Arch Lich subtly nodded in response to my question.

He had been playing dead until now.

‘This guy is really immersed.’

I immediately commanded to explode the ghouls.

As soon as Arch Lich heard the command, he exploded the ghouls.

– Bang –

– Boom –

– Crash –

Deafening noises spread as the ghouls exploded one after another.

– Bang –

The ghouls exploded, creating thick dust.

Due to the dust, smoke billowed, engulfing everything in the vicinity.

When the sight was completely blocked by the smoke.

I threw Arch Lich and commanded Celia.

“Celia! Take them and go back to the dungeon now!”

Now was the opportunity, bought with the sacrifice of the ghouls.

Seeing Celia directly was the second time, following the dream from last time.

I wanted to have various conversations since we met, but I couldn’t delay any longer.

“Take them all back to the dungeon and wait!”

I would change the system as soon as this mission was completed.

At least in a direction I could control.

Celia seemed eager to say something, but there was no time for it right now.

“Understood, Master.”

Celia bowed her head and replied.

Controlling the remaining ones, she began to leave this place.

“What’s up?”

Arch Lich, who had come to my side unnoticed, was holding a thick book and writing something.

It looked like a notebook, probably.

I was curious about what he was recording, but there was no time to check.

“You, too, follow quickly.”

In response to my words, Arch Lich bent his waist at a right angle and started to follow Celia.

“?”

Was that Arch Lich’s way of greeting?

At least he was a polite one.

After Arch Lich left, I scanned the surroundings.

Now there were no monsters left in this place.

Considering Celia’s ability, they would safely return to the dungeon.

“Let’s go, Maru.”

The dense smoke was gradually thinning.

As long as Maru and I left this place before all the smoke disappeared, it would be fine.

====

***

====

The sudden explosion of ghouls.

The dust created by the explosion covered everyone’s sight.

“What the! What’s happening!”

Hunters shouted helplessly.

The dense smoke didn’t seem to settle.

Each time the ghouls exploded, the sound and even more dust spread.

“Guard the current position and stay alert!”

Han Jung-cheol shouted to the hunters.

He already was a formidable opponent with immense strength.

In such a situation, even the sight was blocked?

It was the worst.

Fortunately, before the ghouls exploded, there was a presence that showed a tremendous appearance.

Two figures in robes and masks.

Of course, their identities were unknown due to the disguise.

‘Is he a summoner?’

Maybe they were hunters working together.

Whatever they were, their abilities were truly remarkable.

A person rushed forward, and the Death Knight was pushed back.

And that’s not all.

Arch Lich was also taken care of in an instant.

‘I have to recruit him at all costs.’

Was there ever a hunter who easily dealt with A-rank monsters until now?

Even if they were a duo of hunters, their achievements were remarkable.

If he were summoner-type hunters, it could be truly sensational.

Summoned creatures by hunters are generally weak.

In theory, they have the power to control a powerful legion, but in reality, it was not so.

If a summoned creature really did something like that.

‘A new wind will blow in the hunter industry.’

This was not only Han Jung-cheol’s thought.

Kim Soo-Ho also shared the same sentiment.

However, his expression was heavily distorted.

He watched the front silently, waiting for the smoke to completely disappear.

Eventually, the smoke that had swallowed everything became faint.

Everyone raised their weapons, preparing to attack.

“……”

But there was no one there.

====

***

====

As the day brightened, news articles poured in.

Since a significant event had occurred, both broadcasts and portal sites continued to release news related to the Monster Wave.

[The Worst Monster Wave? Minimal Damage]

[“Monsters just passed by…”

Citizens Testify…]

[Hunter Association, Unaware of the Situation in Advance, is This Okay?]

[Unable to Locate the Dungeon Location, incompetence of the Government and Hunter Association Exposed]

[Not Over Yet? Expert: “This Monster Wave is Planned by Highly Intelligent Monsters”]

[Is There Someone Who Ended the Monster Wave? What Is His Identity?]

[Unknown Hero, ‘Possibly S-rank?’

Reactions…]

There were mainly two types of articles on the portal sites.

The situation of damage caused by the Monster Wave.

And curiosity about the identity of the person who appeared at the end.

Nevertheless, the overall response was that, although the worst Monster Wave had occurred, fortunately, the damage was not significant.

Of course, it meant the damage was minimal, not nonexistent.

Han Jung-cheol, who led the emergency response team of the association, had lost his vice team leader.

Rather than mourning his colleague, he was being pulled in various directions to explain the situation.

He didn’t know if there would be any disciplinary action due to the initial failure to respond.

But it didn’t matter.

Han Jung-cheol’s thoughts were focused on the person that had defeated Death Knight and Arch Lich.

If he could recruit that power, the status of the emergency response team would soar.

‘It might truly be the appearance of an S-rank.’

But rumors spread quickly.

The story of an unknown hero who ended this Monster Wave spread like wildfire.

It was a situation even covered by the media.

Other guilds might have started moving after hearing this news.

‘We must recruit them at all costs.’

Determination was evident in Han Jung-cheol’s eyes.

As expected, there was a guild that moved as Han Jung-cheol had anticipated.

Kim Soo-Ho of the Sacred Guild.

He, too, was shocked by the events of the previous night.

[So, what should we do to Lee Kang-hyun? It seems perfect to handle it in the current chaotic situation.]

To Kim Soo-Ho’s message, he just clicked his tongue, not replying separately.

In his mind, someone other than Lee Kang-hyun had taken over.

“How did he overwhelm A-rank monsters?”

The unknown person that defeated the monsters.

Of course, there were quite a few hunters who faced A-rank monsters.

But in this case, the unknown figure defeated not one but two A-rank monsters.

Moreover, with a single blow.

Kim Soo-Ho found that point very displeasing.

It was the one who faced Death Knight, whom he couldn’t defeat with his own attacks.

He was recognized not only at the Hunter Academy but also on the El Dorad Continent.

And he had to be recognized in the present and future.

The world’s attention should be solely on him, but someone had intercepted that.

Kim Soo-Ho found that extremely displeasing.

“I need to find out who it is.”

One nagging question was why this person tried to hide their existence.

In the end, even the unknown figure disappeared, not just the monsters.

‘Could they be in cahoots with the monsters?’

That thought crossed his mind for a moment, but he quickly shook his head.

Even by his own standards, it was a thought that had gone too far.

The monsters may not have expected an unexpected strong opponent to appear.

Even if the monsters were like that, why did the figure hide themselves?

With such power, they still concealed their appearance?

In other words, maybe there was a situation where revealing themselves was not an option.

In an instant, a different possibility crossed my mind.

Kim Soo-Ho grinned.

“… Perhaps he might be the villain.”

Villain.

An awakener who hadn’t officially registered as a hunter, harming others among the hunters and people.

Kim Soo-Ho immediately commanded the guild members around him.

“Bring all the data on registered villains from the association. Don’t leave out a single one.”

Of course, it didn’t matter if he wasn’t a villain.

Making him a villain would surely rekindle people’s interest.

Kim Soo-Ho’s expression turned ominously dark.

Those who were shocked by the monster wave from last night weren’t limited to them alone.

Especially elite hunter Jung Ye-rin, a member of the Phoenix Guild who faced the Goblin Lord, was no exception.

“Is that the true power of the Goblin Lord?”

The Goblin Lord that appeared in the monster wave.

She had faced the Goblin Lord.

But that presence was too powerful.

She also entered the Goblin Lord dungeon.

And at the end of a prolonged battle, she successfully subjugated the Goblin Lord.

Of course, all of this was thanks to one man.

‘Lee Kang-hyun.’

He had said this.

If you kill the goblins the Goblin Lord commands, the Goblin Lord weakens.

And that statement was accurate.

Jung Ye-rin, along with her team, bought time while killing the goblins.

And eventually, they dealt with the Goblin Lord.

So, she believed that this Goblin Lord would be easily dealt with as well.

However…. The goblins commanded by this Goblin Lord were strange.

Not only were they agile, but even their equipment was of high quality.

It was difficult to dismiss their strength as that of ordinary goblins, to the point where they couldn’t be underestimated as D-rank.

“Above all, where did they get those weapons?”

The Goblin Lord didn’t use ordinary weapons.

Mana gun.

A gun that used mana, not the conventional bullets.

It was a hunter’s weapon that could be used almost permanently as long as the user had mana.

And the Goblin Lord was using such a weapon.

Moreover, quite skillfully.

On top of that, the magic grade was high, and the firepower was powerful.

Because of that, Jung Ye-rin lost some of her team members.

“……”

While the majority of the media reported that the damage was minimal, at least it wasn’t for her.

If the Goblin Lord and its horde hadn’t suddenly left their positions, she would have suffered even greater losses.

“I need to strengthen my power.”

This incident ended here only because coincidences overlapped.

But I don’t know what will happen in the future.

In reality, powerful monsters continued to appear even now.

It was evident from the recent monster wave.

She immediately stood up from her seat.

To increase her strength, she decided to find a man named Lee Kang-hyun.

“If I knew it would be like this, I should have at least taken his number.”

Jung Ye-rin regretted slightly.

====

***

====

“Sir Death Knight.”

At Celia’s words, the Death Knight raised his head.

Celia was carrying out the will of the master as soon as she returned to the dungeon.

The master was quite angry about what Azmo had done this time.

Azmo was already trapped in the dungeon and could only come out with the master’s permission.

Moreover, the master had also moved Azmo’s dungeon location.

‘Indeed, the master’s power is remarkable.’

And the punishment to Death Knight and Arch Lich for leaving Azmo was entirely entrusted to her.

“For the time being, no outings. Stay in the dungeon and focus on maintenance until I give permission.”

The Death Knight was shocked at her words of no outings.

On top of that, she mentioned starting maintenance work on the dungeon.

The Death Knight looked as if he had lost the world, collapsing in shock.

Celia turned her head and looked at the Arch Lich.

“Sir Arch Lich…”

Arch Lich also stared at Celia.

“As a punishment, monitor the nearby dungeons for a while. If there are rumors of Sir Arch Lich misbehaving, just like Sir Death Knight, outings will be prohibited.”

“Understood!”

Arch Lich vigorously nodded.

Under Celia, there were four dungeons.

[Red-Headed Tribe]

[Village Shrouded in Mist]

[Remnants of the Abyss]

[Sticky Puddle]

There was a time when the owners of adjacent dungeons surrendered to Celia.

And the master had merged those numerous dungeons into four.

So far, she hadn’t been able to manage them properly due to a busy schedule.

The discretion of managing each dungeon was left to the owners.

But this time, sending Arch Lich to thoroughly investigate the situation in the dungeons was necessary.

Arch Lich immediately began preparing for the task under Celia’s command.

The thick notebook that Arch Lich carried was held by the skeleton on the left.

The feathered quill that Arch Lich used for writing was held by the skeleton on the right.

The ink needed for Arch Lich’s records was held by the skeleton at the back.

The skeleton at the back was newly created as a subordinate on Earth this time.

Arch Lich nodded.

All preparations were complete.

Arch Lich and the three skeletons ventured out of the dungeon.