Chapter 6 - Raymara's Labyrinth (2)

Mana combustion and explosion. The number of abilities derived from the same branch was two. Although he was only a D-rank hunter, his instantaneous firepower surpassed that of a C-rank hunter.

Flames surged up and struck Gollas's back. The ground shook briefly, and a cloud of dust rose thickly. The hunters remained tense as they heard a screeching sound from beyond the dust.

The monster wasn't dead yet.

"Follow-up attack incoming!"

Kim Minseok's attack wasn't over. His specialty was rapid-fire. Receiving support from the other hunters, he continued the explosions he had just initiated.

Thump, thump, thump. As indiscriminate bombardments rained down, Gollas curled its body. It covered its head to withstand the shock, but its tough scales melted away pathetically, sticking to its flesh.

"Now! Move!"

At Shin Gillim's shout, the left and right flanks, having reformed their formation, once again delved into Gollas's reach. Tankers positioned themselves to disorient Gollas's view as the explosions subsided.

'This is a C-rank dungeon.'

Han Taemin hid behind a rock, calming his breath. The hunters continued their assault even at this moment.

He whistled, seeing the reality of the dungeon that separated lower guilds from upper guilds with his own eyes.

"We shouldn't underestimate this."

Their stances were sloppy, and their way of distributing power was clumsy. But they still adhered to the basics. Yes, just the basics. That they could continue fighting while moving like that was a talent in itself.

"It's different, seeing it like this. Usually, all they did was scuffle with stray dogs."

Woo Minjun spoke with a tone of disbelief, his face showing a more specific yearning. It seemed his desire to become a hunter had deepened.

"Here, the antidote."

"So, you use it like this."

Han Taemin chuckled as he accepted Woo Minjun's offer. Cha Seokdae also seemed to understand, shaking his head.

The battle grew more intense as they chatted. The healers' hand movements becoming busier was a clear sign of that.

"There's not much time left. We need to land a critical hit!"

With those words, Bae Seongdae, who had taken position behind the monster, aimed for its spiked tail with heavy movements. The spikes had melted from the recent bombardment, so if he aimed precisely at the flesh, he could sever it in one strike.

"Did he cut it...?!"

Ignoring the tankers, Gollas suddenly turned and sprayed poison. The amount was incomparable to what had been used so far. Even combining all the poison it had sprayed since the hunt began didn't match what it released now.

Bae Seongdae, hit directly by the poison, couldn't even scream before being reduced to a poisonous puddle.

The confined space of the cave began to fill with deadly poison.

Despite sustaining deep wounds that exposed its bones, Gollas's vitality was no different from when they first encountered it.

If anything, it was spewing more poison, as if it was its only means of survival. Breaking through the dust cloud, it targeted the hunters in the rear.

It was strange no matter how one looked at it. Gollas's poison reservoir should have been 200 milliliters. In other words, it should have run out long ago.

"This is different from what we expected."

"What's going on?"

"Captain!"

"I've never seen anything like this."

"H-Help me!"

The hunters nearby were the first to fall victim. It was the price of underestimating Gollas's abilities. The sprayed poison chased the shadows of the hunters.

"You idiots! Instead of standing there dumbfounded, hit it a few more times! You can hold on if you just hold your breath!"

Shin Gillim shouted, but it was already too late. Such demands were too much for hunters who had only just reached D-rank. Their performance so far had been a miracle. They lacked not only skill but also teamwork.

And, of course—

"Ugh."

—even courage.

Most of the assault team only had experience in lower-rank dungeons.

They couldn't bear the sight of comrades they had joked with just moments ago now reduced to piles of flesh rolling on the ground.

The tankers retreated, and the close-range damage dealers scattered to avoid the poison. The hunters providing support from a distance shrank back, fearing the poison would reach them.

It was a scene of utter chaos.

Only life and death existed.

"Taemin, stick close behind me. Got it?"

"Yes."

Sensing that the situation was turning dire, Cha Seokdae pulled Han Taemin close. The scavengers, always sensitive to survival, had already retreated before the chaos erupted.

At that moment, Shin Gillim put an end to the turmoil by delivering a fatal blow to Gollas. Utilizing his ability, Instant Acceleration, he sliced the monster's head in two.

Without Kim Minseok relentlessly pressuring Gollas, even this would have been impossible. Living up to his title as the guild's ace, Shin Gillim had finally done it.

His cheek twitched from the significant amount of mana he had expended. His body bore numerous signs of strain and bruising, a testament to the excessive effort he had exerted in the hunt and the poison he had endured.

"Those damn...!"

Just as Shin Gillim was about to lash out in frustration, he quickly fell silent.

KRLERLRLRLRLLLLLLLL.

A chilling sound emanated from the far end of the tunnel.

Everyone froze in place. The sharp noise was like nails on a chalkboard. Only one creature could make such a sound within Raymara's Labyrinth.

"That's..."

A creature swiftly emerged from the tunnel, flapping its membranous wings violently, causing one hunter to stumble back in fright.

With a long beak that seemed to chant nightmares and three legs spreading calamity, the creature's tail shimmered like a heat haze, reminiscent of a pterosaur gliding through the air.

Everyone gasped.

Everyone fell silent.

The giant monster they expected to encounter at the end of the labyrinth was now right before them.

"Raymara."

Someone muttered the name, but no one denied it. The labyrinth's master had left its usual place. Everyone wanted to believe it was impossible, but the harsh reality was undeniable.

"What are you all doing? Form up! And make sure you don't touch its feathers."

Raymara didn't possess a sharp tail or deadly poison. Instead, it was like a ghost, almost intangible, with no significant physical strength to speak of.

But the black feathers that fell from its tail were different. These feathers induced confusion and disorientation.

The hunters' faces, already weary from the battle with Gollas, were etched with despair. They had no time to recover from the massive damage before being forced into another hunt. The problem wasn't just their disorganized formation.

Even if they gave it their all, it wouldn't be enough. They faced the worst opponent in the worst possible situation. Victory seemed impossible.

One hunter who touched a black feather screamed.

"We can't win against that thing!"

Though no one knew what he saw, he tore at his hair and fled, his actions clearly influenced by whatever vision the feather had shown him.

"Everyone, brace yourselves for mental attacks!"

Shin Gillim shouted, injecting himself with a short, thick syringe like a lipstick case. It was a stimulant meant to clear the mind, enough to keep him going until the hunt was over.

But his hopes were dashed most brutally. Raymara's mental attacks shredded the hunters' defenses like paper. It drew out their deepest, most hidden desires.

"I want to go home. I hate this."

"Being a hunter was a mistake. It hurts, it hurts so much!"

"Idiots, get up front and block it if you're a tanker!"

These were their true natures, concealed beneath the facade of rationality. Raymara merely floated around, but the impact was immense. The assault squad was tearing itself apart.

"This isn't a C-rank dungeon."

It was only then that Shin Gillim realized something was wrong. The research and investigations on Raymara had been thorough. The information on HunterNet, a comprehensive database for hunters, alone was as detailed as a thesis.

But nowhere had they heard of anything like this.

Thud. The thought of having no future caused Han Taemin to lose strength in one of his knees.

KRREELLLLEEL.

Black feathers began to flutter all around as Raymara shook its tail. Hunters who came into contact with the black feathers immediately revealed their true selves. Some started to beat those they disliked, while others reached out to seize someone they secretly desired.

"A-Arghhhh! Keu-uuugh."

Woo Minjun, known as the big brother among the scavengers, was no exception when he touched Raymara's tail feathers. He tore at his hair. The protective talisman he wore around his neck had long since turned to ashes.

What appeared was the true Woo Minjun, unmasked.

"Why? Why can't I become a hunter? I've tried so hard. What more do you want from me?!"

He had no skill and no talent. Even so, or perhaps because of this, he had clung to hope until he was forty. He never ignored any story on HunterNet, no matter how outlandish.

He tried everything and ate everything.

But no dramatic change ever came.

"Why, whyyy?! Tell me why?!"

His hands, which had been clawing at his cheeks, stopped.

"Yeah, I haven't tried eating a hunter yet, have I?"

Creeeeak. His head turned stiffly, like a rusted screw. It was the ultimate taboo. No one had tried doing it, so no one knew what would happen. If that was the case, then there was still hope.

His gaze landed on the closest hunter, Lee Yeri. She was directing the healers from the rear. Woo Minjun charged at her, roughly grabbing her hair.

"Give it to me, give me your power!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Are you not going to give me? Do you want to die? I can kill you right now!"

Lee Yeri, fiercely pushing away the approaching threat, swung her staff with all her strength. Despite the superhuman force crushing one side of her head, Woo Minjun didn't let go of his burning desire.

"Yes, this is it. This strength! This ability! If I become a hunter, I can have this too, right? Right? So, give it to me, now!"

Lee Yeri was horrified. She had heard that there were such twisted individuals among scavengers, but she never imagined one would be so close.

"No, get away from me!"

Ignoring her plea, Woo Minjun charged and bit her neck. He savored every bit, determined not to miss a single taste. The other scavengers, witnessing this, also began to openly display their desires.

"Yeah, I can become one too."

"Why should you hunters have all the luck?"

"I never liked you. You only became hunters because of your luck!"

"Just die!"

Amidst the chaos, as everyone tangled together in confusion, Han Taemin brushed off a black feather that had landed on his shoulder and trudged over to sit on a rock.

He picked up a black feather from the ground and waved it casually.

"Fools."