Chapter 61
So far, there have been two main ways in which Suho summoned shadow soldiers.
One is releasing the monsters he just killed on the spot and using them as soldiers.
The other is storing corpses that have been killed in advance in the Shadow Dungeon and releasing them when needed.
Now, he has got one more type of shadow soldier.
It was the ‘corrupt mummies’ that infested the pyramid of Ammut.
They were basically moving corpses, so to Suho, they were like triangular kimbap at convenience stores that he could easily take out and eat right away without having to fight.
[Shadow Mummy Lv.1]
General Class
That was how 20 shadow mummies were created.
Their stats were quite strong enough that the Scavenger Guild and Asura Guild had a hard time.
Strength, agility, and zombie-like tenacity.
Above all, the poison leaking through the gaps in their bandages constantly corrupting nearby enemies.
The corrupting poison was the reason why Suho tried to stay away from other hunters.
[Kiyaaah!]
Slash!
The shadow mummies began tearing and breaking the Woodvine’s thorny vines.
Paralysis poison of thorns?
That kind of thing didn’t work on the mummies.
Rather, it was the opposite. The thorny vines were contaminated with the shadow mummy’s poison and began to rot.
“Khiiiikk!”
The Woodvines fought back with strong force.
Even the shadow mummies couldn’t be safe.
The bandages were torn from being caught on the thorns, and their limbs that were entangled in the vines were ripped off.
But…
Swoosh!
Immediately, a new black bandage moved around.
The messengers of death, who had all their injuries restored, rose again.
Their momentum was like a demon that had risen from hell.
[Kihyaaah!]
Hunters were in great shock.
“… Goodness.”
“What are we seeing?”
“I can’t believe they are all summoned monsters…”
They began to doubt everything they knew about summoning hunters.
In particular, Gu Dongjae, who personally argued with Suho earlier.
“T-That’s crazy… What happened?”
Didn’t he just use summoned beasts to give him strength buffs?
At that point, Dongjae wasn’t even sure if it was a simple strength buff.
Beru, who Dongjae thought had been summoned from the beginning, was just watching the battle while yawning in the air.
‘Ha! Come to think of it…’
Go Dongjae suddenly realized something.
His gaze moved to the bandage still wrapped around his wrist.
“This bandage can’t be…”
The one who responded to those words was the healer of the Baekho Guild who had treated his wrist earlier.
“Ah!”
A bandage that moved and wrapped itself around his wrist and bandaged mummies fighting like demons.
“Could it be that the bandage wasn’t an item, but a summoning technique!”
It was only then that things came to fit into place.
Gu Dongjae suddenly thought of something and hurriedly began to loosen the bandage wrapped around his wrist.
“Aww! Aaaagh!”
‘No wonder he injured me then healed me as well! Something was wrong from the start! This isn’t cursed is it? Aww!’
He was afraid that because of the bandage, he would become like those black mummies.
Suho tilted his head when he saw Dongjae at a distance.
“… What’s wrong with him?”
[That’s what I’m saying. He’s only a worm-skinned scaredy fellow. Tsk tsk.]
Beru clicked his tongue and jumped to Suho.
He looked around with a serious expression.
[More than that, Young Master. The atmosphere is strange.]
“I felt it, too.”
Leaving all the battles in the hands of the mummies, Suho himself had been observing the surroundings from earlier.
Eventually, he found something strange.
Wiiiing-
There was a very slight buzzing of a fly that could be heard if he paid attention.
Suho and Beru’s gazes turned upward at the same time.
‘Bee.’
Far away in the air, extremely ordinary… a tiny bee was flying around.
It was just one bee.
But it didn’t quite make sense.
“A normal bee lives in a demon cave like this? Where there are no flowers?”
[There is no way honey will come out of those thorny vines.]
“You think so too, right?”
Suho and Beru looked at each other with confident eyes and nodded.
A-level villain Lee Minseong… and the wings of a ‘bee’ attached to his back.
‘Could he be hiding here somewhere?’
If so, what a coincidence indeed.
However, when he thought so and looked at the surroundings once again…
‘Is this a giant beehive?’
Courtyard structure with a hole in the middle.
Was it because of the vibes that the entire Times Square building looked like a beehive?
In that sense, they had already entered the beehive on their own feet.
Wiiiing-
One by one, the flying bees were increasing.
No matter how much the bees increased, it was not a threat at all to the hunters with superhuman strength.
“A wasp might be a bit dangerous, but…”
Chills!
“…!”
Suddenly, Suho’s senses stat sent a warning.
He turned his head to look around.
“Wow, my words came true.”
It was a wasp.
Wow-!
Hundreds, no, thousands of wasps were swarming all over Times Square.
“This would be a bit dangerous.”
[It’s not an ordinary wasp! Each of them have magical powers!]
[Contaminated Wasps]
[Contaminated Wasps]
What the hell was it contaminated with?
Suho didn’t know what it meant, but it was a very ominous name.
He hurriedly looked back at the hunters and shouted.
“Everyone, beware! This is not an ordinary swarm of bees!”
“…!”
The eyes of the hunters who raised their heads at those words widened.
The Baekho Guild members, who have more developed senses than normal hunters, must have noticed it sooner than that, and immediately took countermeasures.
“Don’t panic! It’s just because there are so many of them, but after all, they’re just flying insects!”
“Block the approaching ones with your defense skill!”
“Summoning hunters, intercept with flamethrowers!”
“Yes, Sir!”
Hunters grit their teeth and respond.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The flamethrowers hurriedly flew up.
“Woah! This is the first time this has happened!”
They were busy dealing with the thorny vines rushing in, but suddenly wasps appeared!
However, for Suho, who had been through all sorts of things in just two days, this wasn’t particularly surprising.
Swook.
Suho calmly took out the twin swords from his inventory.
No one thought strangely about the sword that suddenly appeared in Suho’s hand because everyone was busy.
Even if there were people who saw it, it wouldn’t be strange for a summoning hunter to summon something.
After calmly observing the situation, Suho shouted at the other summoning hunters.
“Please detonate the flamethrowers in front of them all at once!”
“Eh? What if they try to avoid it…!”
Flamethrowers take time to be resummoned. It had to be used where it was possible.
“I will do something about it!”
“Alright!”
At Suho’s confident words, they prepared to fire flamethrowers without a word.
Since they had already seen Suho’s ability, his words could not be taken lightly.
“Now!”
Numerous flamethrowers exploded in the air.
Just as the wasps were about to scatter to avoid the explosion…
[Use ‘Skill: Storm Slash’.]
Swish-!
The timely sword strike engulfed the red-hot explosions and wasps caused by the flamethrowers all at once.
[You have killed a contaminated wasp.]
[You have killed a contaminated wasp.]
[You have killed a contaminated wasp.]
…
Many of the wasps that had been coming in were turned to ashes and scattered.
“It worked!”
The hunters were delighted.
However, the Baekho Guild members were surprised at what they witnessed which was a lot different than what they knew.
‘How could a summoning hunter use such a skill?!’
The swordplay that Suho had just demonstrated was to the extent that even a mere combat-type hunter could not have done.
Even if it were his skills.
How could he have enough mana to use such a powerful skill while summoning those 20 mummies?
In particular, Gu Dongjae’s expression was hard to describe in words.
‘W-What…?! Who the hell is that person?!’
He felt like his wrists, which had received all of the treatment, were suddenly sore.
Wiiiiing-!
But not all wasps died.
Even after that, the wasps continued to flock from all sides and attacked the hunters.
Eventually, the wasps hid themselves through the cracks of the Woodvines thorny vines.
Then, the situation got even more complicated.
Every time the hunters attacked Woodvine, wasps came out silently from inside and started attacking.
Sting.
“Ack!”
Gu Dongjae, who was fighting at the forefront, was stung on the back of his hand.
At that moment, his arms stiffened, revealing the true effect of the ‘contaminated wasp’.
“Aaaacckk!”
His veins had turned green along the back of the hand and bulged as if they were going to burst.
It was suspicious just by looking at it.
He was then fed up with seeing his arm bulging as if it was going to burst at any moment.
“Healer! Healer!”
It was too far to go back to where the healer was because he had to fight in the frontline.
Eventually, those green veins ate into his arms and then to his shoulders…
Then…
Slash!
“…!”
Gu Dongjae’s entire arm was cut off
Suho suddenly appeared and mercilessly cut off his arm.
“First aid.”
“… Aaaagh!”
‘Damn it! What kind of first aid was that!’
Blood gushed out like a fountain from Dongjae’s shoulder.
Swish.
[You purchased ‘Item: Mummy Bandage’.]
[Use ‘Item: Mummy Bandage’.]
Whirl!
A white bandage flew from Suho’s hand and wrapped around Gu Dongjae’s shoulder.
Whoop!
It squeezed hard, and miraculously, the bleeding stopped quickly.
‘Item effect is amazing.’
Now, the healer would take care of the rest.
Suho could use a potion, but there was no time for that. Besides, the B-Class healer from Baekho Guild would be able to regenerate even a severed arm.
‘Also…’
Suho’s gaze quickly examined Gu Dongjae’s cut off arm.
An ominously dark green forearm.
“Explainer.”
[Yes.]
From earlier, Beru had been staring at Gu Dongjae’s forearm with an expression that seemed to know something.
[The Queen of Insects, Monarch of Plagues, had a similar ability. Perhaps… it may have something to do with her.]
Suho looked at Beru and asked.
“Didn’t you say that the Queen of Insects also died in the war?”
[Yes. The monarchs are all dead.]
“What is her name?”
[Queen of Insects, Monarch of Plagues, Querehsha.]
Beru’s eyes flashed and he answered immediately.
[A very crazily strong woman.]
“Hmm. So, what kind of ability is it?”
[It’s the ability to inject poison into one’s body and make it into a host for poisonous insects.]
“Host?”
[Parasitism. To put it nicely, it’s just a zombie infested with maggots. However, when those maggots grow, they will be born again as poisonous insects.]
“That’s horrible.”
Suho raised his head and glared at the swarms of bees that continued to fly.
He looked around again.
The worst thing was that the area was gradually becoming a maze.
Woodvines were just a small part of the brambles that covered Times Square.
As the remaining countless vines wriggled and merged with each other, they turned into a tall and complicated thorn wall that began to separate the hunters.
“It is dangerous to scatter!”
“Come over here quickly!”
The hunters move in a hurry, shocked by the thorn wall that suddenly rose from the floor.
‘The situation in the dungeon is getting more and more dire.’
Labyrinth.
A living labyrinth emerged.
The hunters would eventually get lost and scatter from each other.
They never knew when that wall of thorns would suddenly turn into Woodvines and attack them.
In that complex labyrinth, the only one free from getting lost was…
‘Those bees.’
Suho’s first thought was correct.
They have set foot in a huge beehive, the kingdom of bees.
Suho suddenly thought of the ecology of bees.
The bees were mostly workers who moved under orders.
So that means…
“There must be a main culprit behind them somewhere.”
[I think I know.]
Beru responded quickly to Suho’s muttering.
“Huh? How?”
[I could actually understand what they’re saying.]
“…!”
For some reason, Beru’s antennae had been bobbing non-stop since earlier.
Chapter 62
Currently, the members of the Baekho Guild were genuinely perplexed.
The reason they were put into that raid was to protect the C-Class hunters from any possible attack by Lee Minseong.
However, when they entered the field, an unexpected melee began.
“Wait. Wasn’t this a C-Class field?”
“There was no bee in the information about this dungeon, was there?”
In a dungeon where one didn’t know what would happen at any moment, the value of information is as important as life.
That was one of the reasons why hunters prefer large guilds.
And, of course, the Baekho Guild, one of the representative large guilds, also had a lot of data on unexplored dungeons.
In particular, field-type dungeons that existed outside the gate are free to be visited from time to time, so more detailed information such as the type of monsters that appear and the environment could be gathered.
It was the same at Times Square Field.
Because they knew in advance the information that the monsters there were Woodvine, they went on with the raid with two experienced flamethrower summoning hunters.
The flamethrower itself was not a summon that did great damage, but when it came to C-Class summoning hunters, the number of summoned objects was quite a lot. It would boast great efficiency when dealing with plant-type monsters.
In addition to that, as long as three B-Class hunters were included, they couldn’t even think of going through such trouble in a C-Class field.
‘If I had known in advance, I would have brought a mage hunter…’
If there had been a mage awakener with a flame skill, there would have been no suffering from wasps like that.
Or not…
Grumble-!
“… Skills like that are fine.”
Up ahead, the Storm Slash and flamethrower’s combined attack from Suho’s twin sword were already showing tremendous synergy.
The Baekho Guild members were at a loss for words as they saw the remains of the wasps flying around as ashes in the air.
“… What is that person really?”
He was too good at fighting to be a rookie who has only awakened for less than a month.
Suho naturally treats the summoning hunters who are much older than him as if they were his subordinates.
In addition, he was giving proper instructions to other hunters.
“Leave the bees to us! Take care of the thorns! My mummies will do the tanking, so the dealers focus only on the attack. Tanks, stay in front of the dealers!”
“Got it!”
“Alright!”
Hunters move in perfect order at Suho’s command.
The battle line, which had been disorganized for a while, was quickly put back together.
Gu Dongjae, who was the attack leader, was in an awkward position.
Suho found him just standing there.
“What are you doing here? Move out of the way and get your arm treated!”
“Y-Yes!”
Gu Dongjae hurriedly ran toward the healer, startled at Suho’s screams.
The healer of the Baekho Guild treated Gu Dongjae and looked at Suho’s dependable back with a strange expression.
“It was this team I was most worried about…”
But things were going better than he expected.
Thanks to that one rookie hunter named Sung Suho.
The only problem was that the dungeon seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Swoosh-!
Suddenly, thorny vines from the walls and floor began to entangle with each other and separate the hunters.
It was also a phenomenon that did not exist in the information book of the Baekho Guild.
“It is dangerous to scatter around!”
“Come over here quickly!”
The hunters move in a hurry, perplexed by the thorn wall that suddenly rose from the floor.
The problem was Suho.
A wall of thorns swirled in front of Suho, who had been so far away from them, completely separating him from the place where other hunters gathered.
“No…!”
The urgent cries of the hunters, who were suddenly separated from Suho, gradually drifted away.
* * *
Slash!
Suho swung his twin swords and mercilessly sliced ??the thorny wall, but the vines next to him crawled through the gap and filled it up again in an instant.
Suho muttered with an expression that he did not like it.
“Isn’t it obvious that it was only trying to get rid of me?”
[It is.]
“So what are they saying?”
Nod.
When Suho looked at Beru, he was still waving his antennae while looking at the wasps floating in the air.
[Ohh?]
[Ohhhh?]
Beru nodded as if realizing something then finally opened his mouth.
[Seems to be swearing at me saying they’re going to kill me.]
“…”
When Suho’s expression cooled down, Beru continued with a chuckle.
[Still, I overheard all the words exchanged between them.]
Beru’s narrowly opened eyes stared somewhere.
[It’s over there.]
“Let’s go.”
Suho turns around without hesitation.
He would know what was waiting for him if he met it in person.
Then, the wall of thorns spread out in front of Suho to the left and right, and a path that had not existed was created.
Suho grinned and showed his teeth fiercely.
“I guess it’s waiting for me over there, too.”
[It’s a very cheeky bug.]
Beru’s expression was much more ferocious than Suho’s.
Suho ran forward along the road without hesitation.
Thud.
“It’s an interesting one.”
Suho smirked when he saw the demon waiting for him at the end of the labyrinth.
[Contaminated Lancer]
A bizarre form that looks like a mixture of an insect and a person.
A humanoid monster armed with yellow and black armor was standing there.
“A spearman? Is that a bee sting?”
Instead of hands, long, pointed spears were sticking out as his arms.
“Krrrk! Yes. I am a lancer who serves the great queen.”
Flap.
The spearman spread his wings wide and flew up.
At that moment, Beru suddenly muttered something interesting next to Suho.
[It’s a mysterious insect. Speaking like a human.]
“…?”
[Why are you looking at me like that, Young Master?]
Suho looked at Beru in silence for a moment, then looked away again.
There’s a lot to say, but he just let it go.
Suho glared at the spearman again and asked.
“So why did you invite me?”
“Krrrk. It’s just that you’ve been a bit of a nuisance, so I’ve locked you up. You know, it’s an honor as the Queen’s lancer to have to deal with you myself.”
Swish.
The lancer crossed his pointy arms, or spears, and glared arrogantly at Suho.
Suho smiled softly.
“Lock up? Me?”
Suho’s smile grew wider, thinking it was absurd.
The more he does, the more and more his shadow spreads in all directions.
“You must be the one who’s trapped.”
[Kihiiik!]
[Kiyaaaaah!]
The shadow mummies, who had returned to the shadows of Suho before they knew it, rose up at the same time.
10 mummies at where the hunters were.
The other 10 were right there.
Even at the moment when they were separated by the labyrinth, Suho was calmly adjusting his troops according to the situation.
However, the spearman who was suddenly besieged by the shadow mummies did not look surprised at all.
On the contrary, he even laughed at Suho as if it was some kind of a joke.
“Krrrk. You’re doing well with your summoning hunter agenda. I am well aware of your weakness. I was once a hunter too.”
‘Once a hunter?’
At the last words, Suho reminded him of something.
Flap!
The lancer’s wings shook quickly, and he disappeared on the spot.
‘He’s coming!’
Swish!
[Kihyaaah!]
He was fast!
In a blink of an eye, the spearman broke through the shadow mummies and rushed straight toward Suho.
A summoning hunter’s weakness is someone of his kind.
‘He was once a hunter…’
Suho chewed on those words and twisted his body slightly to avoid the attack.
Swish!
A spear like an awl glided past Suho and pierced a huge hole in the thorn wall behind him.
Truly, a formidable attack.
‘At least C-Class or more.’
The aura Suho felt from him was C-Class.
However, his speed was comparable to that of a B-Class, and when his other skills were to be added, it was truly powerful.
“Krrrk! Pretty good! Keep struggling!”
Swish! Swish! Swish!!
Incredible attack speed.
In the blink of an eye, countless straight attacks were poured into Suho.
All of those attacks were aimed at Suho’s blind spot, and the speed was so fast that it felt like numerous enemies were attacking at the same time.
An infinite hell where space itself seems to be hacked to pieces.
At the center, Suho was silently avoiding the attacks by a narrow margin rather than counterattacking.
His eyes followed every movement.
Then all of a sudden…
“He’s a really interesting guy. I know how to deal with witchcraft.”
Suho smirked as he spoke to him.
“If you pretend to be a great one, the opponents will usually die out of recklessness, right?”
“Krrrk.”
At those words, the lancer stood still in the air.
A cruel smile crept across his lips.
“They said you were a rookie with no experience, but you’re a quick-witted one.”
Indeed, a voice came from a different direction.
Suddenly, Suho was surrounded by five spearmen.
Each one has a slightly different appearance, but all of them look like a mixture of insects and people. They were armed with full body armor and pointed spears resembling bee stings.
“Even if you notice, nothing will change.”
The spearmen flew at the same time and charged at Suho.
But in fact, Suho was also quite confident in speed battles.
“Blessing.”
[‘Pet: Gray’ blessing.]
Swoosh!
Suho’s hair turned silver.
Thud!
“…!”
Suho’s new appearance disappeared on the spot and appeared in front of the spearmen with his twin swords.
Slash-!
Behind him, a spearman stood with his head separated without any apparent death.
Blag.
[You have killed a contaminated lancer.]
“Four remaining.”
“…!”
In the eyes of the lancers who are shocked at the sight of their colleague’s head rolling on the floor in vain…
Suho’s figure disappeared again.
Slash!
Another head rolled across the floor.
[You have killed a contaminated lancer.]
“Now, three.”
“…!”
Only then did the relaxed expression of the lancers suddenly change.
A hunter evolved his body to increase his attack power?
What was that?
Suho had also been concentrating all his remaining stats obtained as rewards only on his strength.
As a result, Suho’s movement with the addition of the blessing, were not at the level of a mere flying insect.
“Don’t worry.”
Suho smiled at them.
“I’ll save one.”
Whether it was the King or Queen of Insects.
One has to take the position.
Chapter 63
“… What did you just say?”
Lim Taegyu, the guild leader of the Reaper Guild, doubted his ears.
“The guys are missing?”
“Yes, Sir. To be exact, they continue to disappear even now.”
“Are you sure they’re really missing, not just cooling down somewhere after drinking?”
“Yes, Sir. I think they were kidnapped.”
“Does it make sense that hunters are kidnapped?”
It was absurd.
It couldn’t be that all of the guild members who had been suddenly out of touch for the past few days had been kidnapped.
But, Secretary Oh’s expression was serious.
“At first, I had no idea, but I got a CCTV video from the planning office a while ago. Looking at this…”
“…”
As Lim Taegyu received the USB that Secretary Oh had given him and plugged it into his computer, his expression was already hardening.
The fact that something like a video file could be sent via e-mail or online, but it was delivered via USB means it was something very confidential.
Recently, there was only one issue within the guild.
Vice President Lee Minseong, who became a villain and went into hiding.
‘Don’t tell me…’
Now, because of that one guy, the image of the Reaper Guild in Korea has completely fallen to the ground.
No matter how much they explain saying that they didn’t know, people couldn’t believe it easily.
The Hunter Association also continued to pressure them, saying that there must be someone Lee Minseong conspired with in the guild.
“Damn it.”
When Secretary Oh played the video, Lim Taegyu’s expression hardened.
In the video, one of the Reaper Guild members was standing on the street.
Then suddenly, with a swish, someone snatched his body quickly.
Click.
Secretary Oh pressed the spacebar to pause it, but the face of the one who snatched the guild member was faintly visible.
The picture quality was a bit low, but there was no way Lim Taegyu, who had known Lee Minseong for a long time, could not recognize his face.
In an instant, a lump of mixed emotions welled up in his heart.
“Lee Minseong… this bastard is really…!”
Blag!
He slammed his fist and the desk split in two.
Surprised, Secretary Oh hurriedly stepped back.
He assisted Lim Taegyu for a considerable amount of time, but it was the first time he had seen him like that.
To the extent where Lim Taegyu was genuinely angry.
“Ha, Minseong…”
Lim Taegyu let out a deep sigh as he leaned back on the president’s chair.
The fluorescent lights on the ceiling flickered.
“Why did you really become like this…”
As President and Vice President, apart from Guild High School and Hunter High School, Lee Minseong was an old friend of his anyway.
He was a friend Lim Taegyu was proud of.
Minseong was someone who always shone ever since he was young.
At one point, Taegyu was really proud to be his friend.
Before the cataclysm.
Even when Taegyu was asked to be his driver.
The reason why he readily accepted the offer was because he enjoyed hanging out with him in the first place.
-Taegyu, be my driver.
-What? All of a sudden?
-We meet and hang out every day anyway. If you get behind the wheel, we can still play together while working, right?
-Well, that’s right. Will you pay for my salary then?
-I’ll give you more than what the manager receives. Besides, I always pay for our drinks. Might as well just keep your money and buy a house.
The reason why Lee Minseong made Lim Taegyu a driver rather than a manager was that a manager would not have time to hangout because he’d have a lot of work.
After that, everything became really fun.
He followed Lee Minseong, who was a movie star, touring the filming set, and eventually married an actress he met through Minseong’s introduction.
At that time, Lee Minseong and himself were truly close friends.
Since when did it get so twisted?
Really… What happened…
No.
‘I actually knew.’
‘I’ve been pretending not to know.’
Lim Taegyu remembered that moment clearly.
After the world suddenly changed in a cataclysm.
After he suddenly awakened as an S-Class hunter.
‘The day I bought alcohol for the first time.’
With the first money he earned after becoming a hunter.
The moment an enormous amount of money was deposited into his bank account, the first thing he did was to buy a drink to a friend he was grateful for, for buying him a drink and meal every time.
-Hey, I’ll pick up the tab today.
-… What?
-I’m sorry that I’ve been on the receiving end all the time. From now on, I will buy you meals and drinks, too.
-…
There was an awkward expression on Lee Minseong’s face at that time.
He still didn’t know what the feeling was.
But it was from that day that Lee Minseong began to change gradually.
When Lee Minseong awakened as an A-Class hunter, one level lower than himself, Minseong then really has become like a different person.
As if all of the friendships that had been built over the years were gone, he suddenly began to express a tremendous sense of inferiority.
‘Why would he when he still has a lot of things…’
They said the human heart is something you really wouldn’t understand.
Lim Taegyu had never once accepted the fact that he had become an S-Class hunter as luck.
Luck and misfortune are the reverse side of the coin.
It was supposed to be a day full of luck.
He was fortunate enough to be gifted with magic and became an S-Class awakener, but his wife, who was by his side, was enveloped in blue mist and turned into Mist Burn.
And… he attacked his only son.
The day of his awakening.
That supposedly very lucky day.
Lim Taegyu eventually had to kill his beloved wife, or something that was his “wife,” with that power.
The very day he lost everything.
At that time, the only friend who remained by the side was…
Lee Minseong.
“Haa, really, how did it come to this…”
Lim Taegyu pressed his thumb through his throbbing head and gritted his teeth.
Next to the smashed desk, on the other side of the monitor, he stared intently at Lee Minseong’s face.
His demon-like expression, clearly visible even in his hazy appearance, had no gleam like before.
“So…”
Secretary Oh shuddered at the cold voice that flowed from Lim Taegyu’s mouth.
“What do you think is the reason Lee Minseong kidnapped our guild members?”
“That, well… Could it be revenge? After the incident broke out, we lost Vice President Lee Minseong first…”
“No. If revenge was the purpose, it would be enough to just kill them, there was no reason for a kidnap.”
In fact, Lee Minseong was raiding hunters who were not members of the Reaper Guild these days, and they were all killed on the spot.
Come to think of it, there was something like insect wings attached to Lee Minseong’s back, which was filmed on CCTV.
According to experts’ analysis, its wings are most similar to those of bees among insects…
“Bee…”
Lim Taegyu thought about bees.
Bees are insects that live in groups.
“… Could it be that the purpose of the kidnapping is to increase allies? Getting the same punishment as himself?”
“What? I had never heard of such a skill before.”
Secretary Oh shakes his head wide-eyed, saying that it was nonsense.
“Who knows. That greedy guy might have bought a runestone with a mysterious skill for a large sum of money.”
“…”
Stand.
Lim Taegyu, who organized his thoughts for a moment, suddenly stood up from his seat.
“Tell the planning team. From now on, find a dungeon where bees can live.”
“D-Dungeon?”
“That’s right. After all, the only place a villain can hide in this small country is a dungeon.”
“Yes, I will immediately relay this… Huh? Where are you going all of a sudden?”
“The weapon room.”
Secretary Oh was taken aback by Lim Taegyu’s actions as he walked out of the office immediately after giving the order.
Tremendous speculation was welling as he headed toward the weapons room.
The S-Class hunter, engulfed in anger, started moving.
* * *
Meanwhile…
Suho was holding the throat of the last remaining lancer.
“Ackk!”
Fear filled the face of the lancer struggling with his leg as he clung to Suho’s hand.
“Let me ask one thing.”
Suho looked him straight in the eyes and asked.
“Where is your master?”
“Krrrk…!”
The lancer, who struggled in Suho’s hand, fiercely exposed his teeth while breathing heavily.
“If you two meet… Even you won’t be safe…”
“That’s for me to handle. Where is your master?”
“Krrrk! I don’t think I can…!”
“If you don’t want to say it, then don’t.”
Slash!
“…!”
Suho mercilessly cut his neck.
[You have killed a contaminated lancer.]
[Your level increased!]
Thud.
Suho opened his mouth to the corpse of the lancer lying on the floor.
“I can just ask your shadow.”
He looked at the black smoke that slowly rose from the corpses of the lancers lying around.
[Shadow release is possible on this target.]
[Shadow release is possible on this target.]
[Shadow release is possible on this target.]
…
Suho stretched out his hand toward the shadows of the lancer and released five shadows.
“Arise.”
Kiyaaaah-!
At that moment, screams of pain from the lancers resonated in all directions.
Soon the shadows rose.
Swook!
Their legs began to crawl out of the shadows then pulled themselves up.
Ring!
[Shadow release succeeded.]
[Shadow release succeeded.]
[Shadow release succeeded.]
…
“Great. New allies.”
Suho looked at the new shadow soldiers standing in front of him with a satisfied expression.
[Shadow Lancer Lv.1]
General Class
[Shadow Lancer Lv.1]
General Class
“Now, I’m going to ask.”
Every single thing!
The five shadow lancers knelt down with utmost respect.
“Where is your former master?”
Every single thing!
They all pointed their spears at the floor.
“Under?”
[Krrrk!]
“Hiding in the basement?”
A small smile appeared on Suho’s lips.
Right then…
Slash-!
Just in time, new lancers were flocking over Suho’s head.
There are dozens of them.
[Contaminated Lancer]
[Contaminated Lancer]
[Contaminated Lancer]
[Contaminated Lancer]
…
[Ehh! Young Master, these five guys must have been just the first soldiers!]
Beru was making a fuss, but for some reason, the corner of his mouth was going up.
“The more the better.”
Suho also smiled faintly and raised his head to look at them.
“Krrrk?!”
On the other hand, the newly arrived lancers couldn’t help but panic.
Down there, shadow lancers who looked just like them, but with black steam, stood guarding Suho.
The little ant, Beru, towering over the top of their heads…
[Welcome, my new subordinates.]
He was giggling with the most evil laughter.
Chapter 64
Wiiiiing-!
Dozens of contaminated lancers immediately launched an attack.
“Krrrk! Attack! They’re outnumbered!”
“Do not let those who dare betray the Queen live!”
They were the first to be killed by Suho’s hands. They underestimated Suho and let their guards down. However, things were now completely different.
[Shadow Lancer]
General Class
The Black Lancers were reborn as Shadow Lancers.
Five lancers who looked just like themselves, but with different colors, turned to Suho’s side, so they couldn’t be careless.
“Struggle as much as you like.”
In the center of them, Suho’s eyes shone intensely.
“I will make you betray your Queen soon.”
[Krrrk!]
The black lancers who served their new king jumped forward, crossing two spears.
Wiiing- Slash!
At the end of the labyrinth, the army of Suho and the contaminated lancers clash.
Horrible shockwaves exploded in all directions at a tremendous sense of speed.
Horrible cries of similar voices echoed through the air.
The thorny walls caught in the aftermath repeatedly collapsed and built countless times.
New thorny vines continued to surround Suho’s army.
When beings of similar powers collided, the scene was indescribably horrendous and devastating.
“Krrrk…!”
The lancers, who were born solely to attack, had no concept of defense in the first place.
They just had one spear, or rather, two spears, that pierced the enemies and slaughtered them.
A two-edged sword where if they were faster than their opponent, they’d win, but if they fell behind, they would lose their lives.
But…
Shadow lancers were different.
They evolved into extreme forms from only knowing how to attack to being able to defend as well.
To be more precise, they became immortal lancers that could be restored even if they were killed.
As long as Suho’s mana backed them up.
Swoosh!
The hole punched through the lancers was filled with a black shadow, and their head that fell off came flying back and attached again.
As the battle continued, the contaminated lancers couldn’t help but be astonished.
“W-What is this…!”
Contaminated wasps wandering over the Times Square field convey all the words and actions of the hunters entering the place to the lancers through close signals with each other.
Thanks to that, the lancers were able to grasp Suho’s moves in advance.
No, they thought they figured him out.
He had quite a bit of skill in summoning somewhat unusual allies, but even so, he was a rookie who had only been awakened for less than a month.
They thought that if he would be thrown into an unexpected situation, his limitations would soon unfold due to lack of experience, and then he would just surrender.
They were so sure about that, but…
“Krrrk!”
All day, Suho has only been told that he is a newbie who has only been an awakener for less than a month.
Little they know, he had been through more actual battles than anyone else, so he knew very well how to use his skills most effectively.
His strategy was extremely simple.
‘Take one first no matter what.’
The first five shadow lancers attacked the enemies at the same time.
Swoosh!
Since it was an attack at the expense of defense, Suho’s lancers could not be safe.
But, what they got in return was great.
[You have killed a contaminated lancer.]
“Arise.”
Swoosh!
[Shadow release succeeded.]
The sixth soldier was born and stood up in front of Suho.
“Six now.”
The six shadow soldiers again attacked at once in search of a new prey.
“Krrrk…!”
[You have killed a contaminated lancer.]
[Shadow release succeeded.]
Another one.
“Seven.”
Another one.
“Eight.”
[You have killed a contaminated lancer.]
[Shadow release succeeded.]
[You have killed a contaminated lancer.]
[Shadow release succeeded.]
…
“Krrrk! S-Stop saying ‘Arise’!”
Thud.
As they continued to increase one by one, the number of shadow lancers that Suho commanded before he knew it were…
“Fifteen.”
“Krrrk?!”
The lancers looked around and were surprised.
Suddenly, the number of black lancers surrounding them became equal to their number.
The largest and most powerful knight who was leading the contaminated lancers glared at Suho and gritted his teeth.
“Krrrk! You are one who uses strange skills.”
However, the meaning was slightly different from the first.
“How can you command bugs so easily? Could it be that you came for the relic, too?”
“Relic?”
“Krrrk! Shameless! How dare you make a fuss!”
“…?”
Suho was genuinely puzzled.
‘A relic? What relic? Oh, don’t tell me…’
At that moment, he suddenly remembered the name he had heard from Beru.
Queen of Insects, Monarch of Plagues, Querehsha.
“Are you talking about a relic of Querehsha?”
“Krrrk! If you even know her name, you must have come to know everything! Do you want to become a Queen Bee too!”
“No, why would I…”
It was just an accusation, but Suho felt a little unfair.
Also, a Queen?
Didn’t he look like a male?
Anyway, it would have been nice to use the information he got for free.
“Where is the relic of Querehsha, be it the Queen or whatever? Does your queen has it?”
“Krrrk! Of course! How dare you question that?! Other than our Queen, who else would dare to inherit the legacy of Querehsha!”
[Oh, you must have been a loyal server.]
Beru giggled.
Like most insects, bees and ants have many similarities.
A society that centered around the queen.
Like the faithful workers who gathered food at the behest of the queen, even in face of death.
But to Beru, the existence of a queen had a slightly different meaning.
Although Beru was born from a queen ant, he was born as a king rather than a worker.
He was not one of the insignificant workers loyal to the queen, but a true king of ants who could stand tall above the queen.
Although now, he has been serving his great and noble King, Sung Jinwoo.
Beru was still clearly aware of the fact that he was the king of the ants.
The worker bees who are only loyal to the queen bee couldn’t help but feel insignificant…
Or, was that so?
Beru had been floating in the air, watching and playing, even before the start of the battle.
However, none of the contaminated lancers dared to approach such a defenseless and weak presence.
The survival instinct unique to bugs made them feel like something sinister would happen if they accidentally touched Beru.
[Young Master.]
When Beru approached Suho, all the lancers suddenly trembled and stood stiff on the spot.
Beru had been stealing information from the wasps roaming around the area with his antennae.
[It seems that the hunters on the other side are in danger.]
The maximum number of soldiers Suho could extract is 20.
Half of them had been guarding the hunters from earlier.
However, since Suho extracted new soldiers on his side, the number of shadow mummies over there was decreasing one by one.
That wasn’t the only problem.
Swoosh.
Suho had also noticed from a while ago.
A hazy green mist was coming out from the thorny vines that covered the complicated labyrinth.
Paralysis poison nested in those thorns.
The poison had fused with the blue mist that permeated the entire field and was spreading all over Times Square.
Sniff.
In the end, the green mist poisoned Suho’s body as he breathed.
Ring!
A system message appeared in front of Suho.
[A harmful substance has been detected.]
[The detoxification begins with the effect of ‘Blessing: Great Spellcaster Kandiaru’s Protection’.]
[3, 2, 1… Antidote is complete.]
“The effect is good.”
It was time to say a silent prayer of gratitude to the great spellcaster Kandiaru.
However, unlike himself, the poison mist would be very lethal to other hunters.
‘I’ll have to stop there for a bit before going to the Queen Bee.’
It was fortunate that gas masks were also being sold in the shop window.
It’s not a great item, so the price was cheap.
For the gold, the corpses of the monsters there if sold would be enough.
“Krrrk?!”
The lancers were greatly taken aback by the sight of Suho still moving casually despite inhaling the poison mist.
“How did you…!”
They aimed their spears at Suho with confidence.
“What kind of relationship do you have with Quehresha, the Monarch of Plagues!”
‘We don’t know each other…’
So awkward.
Regardless of Suho’s intentions, the misunderstanding gradually deepened.
People shouldn’t be judged by their appearance, but in the first place, those people weren’t intelligent looking either.
No, they weren’t even humans.
Beru was clever enough to deliberately spurred on their misunderstanding.
[Kehehehe! So what if they are connected?! None of your deadly poison will work on Young Master anyway!]
“Y-Young Master?!”
“Did… Did you have another relic?!”
They thought that there might be other relics besides the one their Queen had.
How on earth did a mere human get hold of the Plague Monarch’s relic?
But… the human in front of them was already showing something beyond imagination.
A newbie who has only been awakened for a month?
No way!
If that’s true, they can’t be so unilaterally beaten by a C-Class summoning hunter.
The answer was simple.
He had been hiding his identity and power from the start.
The lancers came to a conclusion and glared at Suho fiercely.
They began to gather all their strength in their whole body.
“Krrrk!”
“Now that it has become this way…”
“Even at the cost of our lives, we must…”
If a human got hold of another relic, he had to be killed somehow.
If they let him live, it will be a huge stumbling block to their queen who wants to become a monarch.
“You! Even the hunters who came with you!”
“Everybody will die!”
Wiiiing-!
The lancers were more focused than ever.
They risked their lives to attack Suho.
And…
Boom!
“…!”
The lancers’ eyes widened.
Beyond the poison mist that was so terrible that they couldn’t see…
The tips of their spears, to which they had put their lives on, were blocked by a solid barrier.
‘What…!’
With unfinished thought in mind, the lancers lost consciousness.
* * *
Meanwhile, the hunters who came in with Suho were in danger.
“Cough, cough.”
“My body is starting to feel…”
There was no way to escape the poison mist.
If they had known that poison mist existed there in the first place, they would have brought a gas mask.
Everything wasn’t anticipated.
They were too careless about the situation where there were 3 B-Class hunters in a C-Class dungeon.
“Hold on! I already contacted the guild!”
Right then…
Baekho Guild’s reinforcements arrived at Times Square Field.
“… Is it here?”
Baek Miho, who looked at the situation inside, frowned with a serious expression.
Chapter 65
Throughout the entire day, Baek Miho stayed with the guild and regularly monitored the situation of the guild members.
Among field-type dungeons located in the city center, there are quite a few places where cell phones catch signals.
There were many cases where the signal could not be caught due to thick blue mist. The guild avoided opening such dungeons to the C-Class hunters today as much as possible.
“Vice President! I got a call from Times Square!”
“Is it about Lee Minseong?”
“They said it is not yet certain! However, there are occurrences that were not in the guild data…”
“Not in the data?”
Baek Miho’s expression stiffened at the employee’s report.
The information power of the Baekho Guild was unmatched.
In particular, the fields opened to the C-Class hunters today were only those that had been verified several times.
What happened that was not in the data?
On top of that it was coincidentally when a villain was on rampage.
Baek Miho’s eyes flashed sharply.
“What kind of phenomenon is it?”
“That is… poison mist and bees…”
Bees?
That one word was enough.
The appearance of Lee Minseong in the CCTV video where he changed into a form similar to a ‘bee’.
Whether it’s a skill or what, if a bee suddenly appeared in the field, it would have something to do with Lee Minseong in some way.
“Let’s start with Times Square.”
The guild members who were waiting for Baek Miho’s order stood up all at once.
They arrived at Times Square right away and held their breath the moment they entered the field.
“Haaa.”
A labyrinth of thorns covered with poison mist.
‘I never thought the poison would be this terrible.’
Hunters have much better resistance to poison than normal people.
Some kind of poison didn’t work to begin with.
Even if they were poisoned, they could be treated by healers, so they were rarely in danger due to poison.
However, if an entire field was filled with a thick poison mist, it would be a different thing.
As long as the mana of the healers is limited, it is inevitable that they will eventually reach a situation where they cannot use the detoxification skill.
“Everyone, wear a gas mask.”
Each and every one.
At Baek Miho’s instructions, they put on the gas mask the subordinate hunters had brought.
The moment when Baek Miho herself puts a gas mask on her face…
Wiiiiing-
Snatch!
Baek Miho’s hand quickly grabbed something.
It was a contaminated wasp that had hidden in the poisonous mist and approached like an assassin.
Baek Miho saw the wasp’s tail and the poisonous substance at the tip of its stinger.
It was an insect-type demon imbued with magical power.
Even in such a terrible poison mist, it was a poisonous insect that could fly around intact.
She was worried about the safety of the hunters who entered earlier.
“Vice President…”
Baekho guild members looked at Baek Miho with blurred expressions.
“Survivors… We have to find them no matter what.”
Baek Miho gritted her teeth and walked toward the labyrinth of thorns covered with thick poison mist.
‘I have to save them somehow.’
Not all good intentions come back with good results every time.
It was Baek Miho herself who drove them here.
If someone did die, it was entirely her responsibility.
‘Please… I hope it’s not too late.’
However.
“Huh?”
“Ah!”
They found them sooner than expected.
“Vice President Baek Miho?!”
“They’re alive! Here!”
“…!”
Baek Miho was a little bewildered when she found the hunters resting together in one place.
Contrary to her concerns, they looked unharmed.
Although, their appearance itself was scruffy and it showed that they had suffered quite a bit.
Thanks to the healer she sent with them, all of their injuries were treated.
Most of all, Baek Miho was surprised by the gas masks they were wearing.
“How did you manage to have a gas mask…?”
There was no information about poison in that dungeon so there was no reason to bring a gas mask.
But somehow, they were all wearing gas masks.
“Oh, this? Hunter Sung Suho brought them.”
“Sung Suho…?”
Baek Miho’s gaze moved to find Suho, but he’s nowhere to be found.
There were only 9 out of the 10 hunters that were sent there.
Everyone was safe, but only one C-Class hunter named Sung Suho was missing.
“Where is he? Don’t tell me…”
“Oh, no! Hunter Sung Suho is safe! He’ll be fine!”
When Baek Miho was about to ask if he was dead, the hunters answered urgently.
However, each of their expressions was a little strange.
Baek Miho, who noticed that, looked at the Baekho guild members.
“What the hell happened here?”
“Vice President, that’s….”
“Hunter Sung Suho saved us.”
“… What? Saved you? Who saved who?”
What does that mean?
A C-Class hunter saved a group of raiders that included three B-Class hunters?
However, when asked again, the answer remained the same.
“He disappeared after saving us. He even gave us gas masks from where he could have gotten them.”
The hunters who were gathered there just a moment ago were almost at the brink of death.
The poison mist that was scattered all over the field made their body harden.
Thorned Scarecrow Woodvine still kept coming from all directions.
Meanwhile, the contaminated wasps that appeared silently when they saw free space used bee sting.
None of them were negligible enemies, but the scariest thing was the poison sting of a wasp.
Regardless if only ones’ limbs were stung, the poison consumed the whole body in an instant, causing it to rot.
There was only one treatment method.
To cut off the poisoned part as quickly as possible, just as Suho did to Gu Dongjae.
Immediately after that, the only way to regenerate the part that was cut off was for the healer to regenerate it.
However, such treatment consumed too much of the healer’s mana, so it was impossible to use it consecutively.
Suho had been separated from them due to the suddenly rising thorn wall.
But, the thing was… Suho’s appearance…
“You said his hair was bleached?”
“Yes. In silver gray…”
Baek Miho’s expression hardened as she listened to the explanation.
As far as she knew, there were not many skills that changed hair color suddenly.
The most famous of them was the Beast Transformation skill.
If one used the Beast Transformation skill, it would be possible to change a body part or even more.
‘Could that hunter named Sung Suho also have a beast transformation skill? Ah! Come to think of it, even then…!’
‘Why did I just think of it now?’
Baek Miho suddenly recalled a memory from a while back.
She thought he looked familiar, it turns out, today wasn’t the first time she saw Suho.
‘Magok Field.’
It would not be an exaggeration to say that almost all beast hunters in the metropolitan area gathered at Magok Field.
That strange dungeon where the king of beasts was chosen.
‘Hunter Sung Suho was there too!’
Unlike the others, the hunter who gave off a strange smell and the only one who caught her eye was the Suho!
‘It was a place where only beast hunters gathered, so for sure, he also…’
It seemed certain that the Sung Suho had the Beast Transformation skill.
… But, why?
For some reason, another thought popped up in Baek Miho’s head.
Coincidentally, besides herself and her father, there was one more famous person with silver gray hair.
An unidentified hunter who is making a name for himself these days.
‘Beast King Crow.’
She didn’t know what the story was, but that person who always hides his face with a mask…!
‘Wait. Now is not the time for this.’
Baek Miho, who was lost in thought, suddenly came to her senses.
She then asked the guild members who were waiting for his orders.
“So how did the hunter disappear again? Where did he go?”
“He said he was going to the place where the Queen Bee is.”
“The Queen Bee?”
Something was going strangely wrong.
An unexpected situation happened, and the cause was not the A-Class villain Lee Minseong, but the queen bee.
That dungeon was a place where there were no boss mobs.
How come there was a new boss mob suddenly?
‘Was it by chance, Lee Minseong?’
Confirmed from the CCTV footage, he had something like insect wings attached to his back.
Regardless of what skill it was, if all of this was done by Lee Minseong, it would make sense.
A hunter, who was talking to Baek Miho, pointed to one side with his finger.
There were stairs going down to the basement.
“That was where Hunter Sung Suho went down to.”
“So that means that Queen Bee is underground.”
Baek Miho nodded with a stern expression.
It seemed that the situation would become clear only after going downstairs.
She looked back at the reinforcements she had brought and ordered them.
“Some of you evacuate these people outside, and the rest will go with me to catch the Queen Bee.”
* * *
At that time, Suho went down the stairs to the basement of Times Square.
“Is it you?”
It felt like the air around the area stopped at that cold word.
20 black lancers rose from Suho’s shadow all at once.
[Krrrk!]
The shadow lancers took a stance as if they would charge forward at any moment.
However, despite such a hideous sight, ‘she’ did not lose her composure.
She sat cross-legged in front of a table in a cafe entwined with thorns and lazily tilted her teacup.
“Would you like to sit down for a while?”
A clear and calm voice handed over an empty seat to Suho.
“Sure.”
Suho sat on the chair in front of her.
Then, in that threatening atmosphere, it became quiet.
“Would you like a cup of tea? It’s sweet honey tea. It is also a tea with special honey made by myself.”
[Ehh! How dare a flying insect offer?!!]
Beru suddenly thrust his face in and let out a ferocious roar.
Although he was still as big as a fist, the woman was genuinely surprised by that.
“Oh my goodness. Now I see that you have a great bodyguard?”
[Khm. I’m not great.]
Beru crossed his arms with an air of pride at those words.
The woman could not take her eyes off Beru’s appearance.
An ant the size of a fist whose body glows with black steam.
However, the strength of bugs is independent of their size.
Rather, it was a world where one should not be ignored the smaller and weaker it looked.
‘He is the first bug I saw next to Querehsha that has this kind of presence…’
The woman was confused.
Beru’s aura was very strange.
His presence was obviously enormous, but he could feel the instability in the energy flowing out.
“What are you guys doing? Blind date?”
Watching the two stare at each other with strange eyes, Suho smirks with a mocking expression.
The woman who came to her senses suddenly greeted Suho politely.
“Oh, sorry. My name is Arsha. May I ask your name?”
“Sung Suho.”
“Then, I will call you Mr. Suho.”
“Mr?”
“Yes. If I act arrogantly, I think I will be scolded by this ant.”
[Khem. You have a good eye when it comes to insects.]
Beru said with the most evil expression on his face.
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