The demonic beast hunters’ expressions stiffened.
The atmosphere was entirely different from the gratitude they had shown only moments ago.
“May I ask your name?”
“Kranol Wizar.”
“I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kranol. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am the demonic beast hunter Birg Krol.”
Birg sighed before continuing.
“We are demonic beast hunters. We are responsible for slaying demonic beasts in defense of humanity’s interests. Therefore, even though you saved our lives, Mr. Kranol, we cannot blindly obey such a request.”
“This isn’t a matter of whether we can blindly obey you. If you truly intend to hatch the Egg of Calamity, we’ll have no choice but to stop you, even at the cost of our lives.”
The attitudes of those who had expressed nothing but gratitude toward Kranol until now had changed.
Their eyes shone with a sense of duty, as though they were determined to stop him even if it meant dying.
Kranol silently observed them.
They were demonic beast hunters, the same profession as the protagonist of the original story.
They defined all demonic beasts as disasters harmful to humanity and hunted them down.
Naturally, they were bound to object.
Kranol slowly opened his mouth.
“Destroying the Egg of Calamity will cause even greater harm to the world.”
“What? But the ancient records clearly stated....”
“Who wrote those ancient records?”
Birg fell silent at Kranol’s question.
Clues and hints concerning dungeons were often preserved in old records, expedition logs, wills, and similar documents.
Most were written by knowledgeable explorers, local residents, or veteran adventurers.
However, they had no idea who had actually written the ancient records they had read.
“Those ancient records are a trap. They were left behind by a demonic beast to lure people into destroying the egg.”
“That’s impossible. You’re saying a mere demonic beast wrote something to deceive humans?”
Birg stared at him incredulously.
The demonic beasts they knew were primitive wild creatures ruled by instinct.
The idea that such creatures could leave behind human writing was absurd.
“Follow me.”
Rather than arguing, Kranol headed toward the melted steel door.
It led to the sealed chamber in which the demonic beast hunters had been trapped.
When he kicked a corner of the earthen wall on the left side of the room, something fell from the ceiling.
A blood-crusted saw blade, a hammer, rusted shackles, old nails, and a foul-smelling rope....
The hunters recoiled at the vicious array of torture instruments.
“Wh-What are these...?!”
“This room is an ‘Adventurer Torture Chamber.’ Do ordinary dungeons contain things like this?”
No one could answer.
Had the demonic beasts inhabiting the dungeon truly created a chamber specifically for torturing humans?
It was difficult to believe, yet they could not bring themselves to deny it.
They had personally spent two weeks trapped inside that very room.
“You fell into a trap. Destroying the Egg of Calamity is precisely what the demonic beast controlling this place wants.”
Originally, the demonic beast hunters would have been imprisoned and tortured to death immediately after destroying the Egg of Calamity.
Fortunately or unfortunately, they had fallen into the chamber near the dungeon’s entrance instead.
As a result, events had deviated from their intended course.
Birg asked with a horrified expression,
“How... How do you know all these secrets?”
“I have no reason to tell you.”
Kranol answered with his usual indifference.
“All you need to know is that hatching the Egg of Calamity is the path that benefits humanity.”
That was not a lie.
In the original story, ignorant adventurers had destroyed the Egg of Calamity.
The demonic energy that spilled from it had caused the surrounding nomadic tribes to die en masse.
‘The protagonist eventually comes to investigate the cause and discovers Birg’s corpse in the torture chamber by chance.’
In the original story, Birg appeared as a corpse.
More precisely, his role had been to leave behind clues about the dungeon in his will.
After reading it, the protagonist collected all of Birg’s possessions.
“Um, why do you keep looking at me? You aren’t planning to demand my equipment as additional payment for saving us, are you...?”
“No.”
In any case, Kranol had not expected their expedition schedules to overlap so perfectly.
He had saved the demonic beast hunters who were originally supposed to die while trapped in the torture chamber.
Naturally, he had not helped them solely out of goodwill.
“In any case, if you truly act in the name of justice, you must conquer the depths of this dungeon where the Egg of Calamity lies. Not to destroy it, but to ensure that it hatches safely.”
At Kranol’s words, the demonic beast hunters began whispering among themselves.
“Birg, what should we do?”
“...It is suspicious, but I don’t think we can ignore what he said. Look at those horrific torture instruments. We were trapped in there for two weeks and never even realized they were hidden.”
“Why don’t we trust him for now? If the creature inside the egg truly seems dangerous, we can kill it after it hatches.”
“That’s right. How much trouble could a newly hatched demonic beast possibly cause?”
The Egg of Calamity was the reason the hunters had come to the dungeon.
They had encountered an unexpected crisis, but they could not simply turn back now.
After finishing their discussion, Birg conveyed their collective decision.
“Very well. We will join you in conquering the dungeon, Mr. Kranol.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Ah, please wait a moment.”
Birg pointed regretfully toward one side of the torture chamber.
A corpse lay there with its face covered by a handkerchief.
“One of our companions died when we fell. We would like to bury his body here, at least. It would be difficult to recover the remains and carry them all the way outside. Would you mind waiting a little?”
“Go ahead.”
Kranol readily gave his permission.
In truth, it was rather absurd that they were seeking his approval for every little thing.
In terms of overall physical ability, the demonic beast hunters were far superior to him.
‘Then again, I suppose their misunderstanding is understandable.’
How could they possibly imagine that an SSS-grade hatchling was accompanying Kranol?
Countless demonic beast corpses lay around him, surrounded by mysterious white flames.
Anyone would mistake Kranol for an overwhelmingly powerful man.
While the hunters buried the corpse, he sat alone on a rock and rested.
“SKRREEE.”
The invisible hatchling appeared uncomfortable around the humans and whined as though asking when they would leave.
Kranol quietly soothed it.
“Be patient for a little longer.”
The demonic beast hunters buried their companion, Hokan, and offered a brief silent tribute.
After the simple funeral, they turned away.
They were accustomed to the deaths of their companions.
“Ms. Aria, how many Health Regeneration Potions do you have left?”
“Enough. I’m truly glad I saved them, even when I was dying of thirst.”
“Hahaha! Aria’s homemade potions are so salty that drinking one would only make you thirstier—Urgh!”
The demonic beast hunters replenished their water from the underground spring and packed some of the ant meat.
After drinking high-grade potions and resting their bodies, they soon began loosening up with ease.
Their physical abilities were incomparably greater than Kranol’s.
That was only natural for people capable of challenging a dungeon.
“Are you finished preparing?”
“Yes. Let’s depart.”
Kranol rose from the rock.
The hastily assembled party set out to conquer the dungeon’s depths.
***
They were descending to the next level when—
“SKRREEE.”
The hatchling quietly cried out and repeatedly prodded Kranol’s back.
Although it remained invisible, its voice sounded deeply displeased.
It seemed to be asking why he had brought along useless baggage when he already had it.
‘To be fair, the hatchling alone could probably clear this entire dungeon with ease.’
However, Kranol had a reason for accompanying the hunters.
Naturally, it was for his own benefit.
When they had nearly reached the bottom of the stairs, he suddenly stopped.
“Mr. Kranol?”
“You should fight at the front. I still need more time to recover my mana.”
“Ah, of course. You swept through all those demonic beasts alone on the upper levels, after all....”
The demonic beast hunters appeared to understand completely.
It was well known how exhausted mages became after expending large amounts of magical power.
The female demonic beast hunter named Aria instead looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry. None of the potions I made can restore mana....”
“That’s fine.”
Mana Recovery Potions were particularly rare even among high-grade goods.
Most ingredients capable of restoring mana belonged to the highest tier.
As a result, equipment and consumables that replenished mana were extraordinarily expensive, regardless of their form.
“Come on, let’s go. We’ve all been feeling miserable after being trapped in that room for so long, haven’t we?”
There were five demonic beast hunters whom Kranol had rescued.
Birg, the largest among them, took the lead.
The heavily armed hunters advanced with murderous intent in their eyes.
“SKREEEEK!”
Stronger demonic beasts began appearing on the fourth underground level.
General Ants.
These creatures were larger and more intelligent, with thick exoskeletons protruding from their heads like helmets.
Under the command of their superior, the ant demonic beasts attacked the party in an organized formation.
“A demonic beast swarm is charging! Formation B!”
They appeared to have established combat formations, as they arranged themselves almost instantly.
Once the battle began, they stopped using polite speech, unlike during ordinary conversation.
Under Birg’s leadership, the demonic beast hunters sprang into action.
They blocked with shields, struck with swords, threw Bomb Potions, and fired arrows.
Kranol, meanwhile, leisurely watched from the rear.
‘Automated hunting truly is the best.’
However, he was not merely standing idle.
He carefully observed the battle unfolding before him.
The hunters all employed the same swordsmanship while fighting the demonic beasts.
‘Swordsmanship unique to demonic beast hunters. Learning that would be useful.’
Naturally, it was not something just anyone could learn.
One ordinarily had to change professions into a demonic beast hunter first.
However, Kranol had no intention of undergoing direct training.
That would be needlessly inefficient and take far too long.
CLANG! SLASH!
Their blades struck and severed the ant demonic beasts, targeting the softer gaps in their exoskeletons and tearing through the flesh beneath.
Kranol would not have been able to perceive it before, but now he could.
He saw the consistent patterns underlying their movements.
‘It’s thanks to the trait I obtained.’
Heavenly Martial Physique (Heaven-Wrought Body).
It was the trait he had acquired after drinking the Golden Elixir.
Although it was not as extraordinary as Catastrophe Affinity, it was still an absurdly powerful trait.
It not only enhanced his physical capabilities but also allowed him to grasp the movements of living creatures.
‘In particular, I can copy most low-rank combat techniques and methods of using weapons merely by watching them.’
[The trait, Heavenly Martial Physique (Heaven-Wrought Body), has activated.]
[‘Demonic Beast Hunter Swordsmanship (Lv. 1)’ has been engraved into your mind.]
[‘Basic Shieldsmanship (Lv. 1)’ has been engraved into your mind.]
[‘Basic Archery (Lv. 1)’ has been engraved into your mind.]
Thanks to the trait, he learned new skills simply by observing their hunt.
Demonic Beast Hunter Swordsmanship was the basic swordsmanship every demonic beast hunter learned first.
It was not specialized for duels against humans, but it was highly effective when fighting demonic beasts.
Not only did it inflict additional damage, but the skill also provided assistance with reacting and counterattacking.
Basic Archery and Basic Shieldsmanship were both extremely common combat skills, but possessing them was still far better than not.
‘It’s always advantageous to absorb anything that can make me stronger.’
There was no such thing as an overall ‘level’ in this world.
In other words, there was no absolute measure of strength.
Overall stats, Exclusive Skills, equipment quality, natural talent, combat experience, innate potential, and more—
The combined accumulation of every individual aptitude and proficiency determined one’s strength.
Depending on compatibility, it was even occasionally possible to defeat an opponent who otherwise seemed impossible to overcome.
‘The more diverse abilities I train and accumulate, the better I’ll be able to respond to unexpected situations.’
Of course, there were some people in the story who trained in a single discipline until they reached its absolute pinnacle.
However, that only applied to monsters of perseverance who had transcended ordinary limitations.
In any case, any reward that could make him stronger would prove useful, no matter how insignificant it appeared.
Eventually, there would always be an opportunity to use it.
“SKREEEEK!”
“This ends now!”
Birg’s sword pierced the General Ant’s exoskeleton.
He had expertly targeted an extremely small, soft gap between the hardened plates.
The General Ant shrieked in agony, shuddered violently, and died.
“SKRREEE.”
The invisible hatchling murmured as though admitting that the humans were fairly capable.
Their hunting skills certainly justified their attempt to conquer such a dangerous dungeon.
Had they not been unlucky enough to become trapped in the torture chamber, they would likely have reached the dungeon’s depths without much difficulty.
“Well done. You didn’t even leave me an opportunity to intervene.”
“Hahaha! That’s quite all right! We can handle lowly creatures like these ourselves. There’s no need for someone as powerful as you to step in, Mr. Kranol. As long as you’ve recovered sufficiently, that is all that matters.”
After finishing the battle, the hunters collected the loot.
Then an unusual item emerged from the General Ant.
[Name: General Ant Head Carapace]
[Grade: ★]
[Effect: A special carapace harder than steel. A skilled artisan could use it as a model to craft an excellent helmet. A flawlessly completed helmet will gain a special option.]
It was another One-Star item.
The demonic beast hunters whispered among themselves.
Birg suddenly held the reward out to Kranol.
“You should take this, Mr. Kranol.”
“I didn’t fight on this level.”
“Consider this additional payment for saving our lives. However, we will make no such concessions during the battle in the Boss Room. We will divide the loot fairly according to each person’s contribution.”
Kranol stared at the General Ant Head Carapace.
In truth, it was a somewhat underwhelming item for a One-Star reward.
It could not be used or equipped immediately and was merely a crafting material.
Naturally, it would still fetch a respectable price if sold, but the hunters appeared extremely wary of displeasing Kranol.
The sudden chill in the atmosphere caused by their disagreement over the Egg of Calamity was probably a major reason.
‘In a sense, they have good judgment. They’re prioritizing the long term over immediate profit.’
During a demonic beast hunt, it was common practice to defer to the strongest person and remain in their good graces.
In cruder terms, their excessive generosity meant, ‘Please take care of us.’
They intended to concede a reasonable amount of loot to the strongest member and reinforce the party’s unity before the boss battle.
“Thank you.”
Whatever their motives, Kranol had no reason to refuse a benefit freely offered to him.
Thanks to them, he had already acquired two One-Star items.
It was a satisfying profit.
‘Being mistaken for a powerful man comes with plenty of advantages.’
The party proceeded smoothly onto the fifth underground level.
However, no demonic beasts appeared when they entered.
The only thing before them was a passage leading into an enormous chamber.
“It’s the Boss Room! This is the final level! Everyone, stay alert!”
The Boss Room.
It meant they had finally reached the deepest part of the dungeon.
The boss demonic beast ruling the dungeon would be waiting inside.
“SKRREEE....”
Perhaps the invisible hatchling had grown nervous as well, for it pressed tightly against Kranol and purred.
With everyone fully prepared for battle, they entered the Boss Room.
However, the sight awaiting them was completely unexpected.
“What?”
The corpse of an ant demonic beast lay there with its exoskeleton split apart.
It was a massive creature nearly five meters long, incomparably larger than anything they had encountered before.
A ‘Crown Mark,’ the symbol of a dungeon ruler, was branded upon its head.
The Queen Ant, the dungeon’s boss demonic beast, had already been mercilessly crushed to death.
“Why is the boss already dead...?”
“Were there adventurers who entered before us?”
“That’s impossible! No one has ever conquered this dungeon!”
Everyone was bewildered by the unexpected development.
Kranol alone reacted differently.
He watched the situation unfold with anticipation.
The fact that an unknown entity had already killed the dungeon boss meant only one thing.
Prey capable of yielding an even greater reward was lurking somewhere nearby.