Byeol POV:

The sound of a young woman crying out for help drifted through the dense forest. It was muffled but clear enough to identify her current struggle.

‘What do I do?’

No other Scout had entered this dungeon... unless they slipped past the soldiers to make a name for themselves? But that was the same as playing with fire!

‘Not good!’

Some dungeons allowed multiple Scouts to enter, and most dungeons that met that criteria were Arcane Dungeons.

“PLEASE!! I BEG YOU... PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!!”

I turned my head to the side and forced the desperate screams for help away.

“S-Scout Ex...”

The words trailed off at the realisation of how helpless they must feel. I had Minji and Uri for support, but that woman had no one.

“I-I am... Experienced Scout Byeol!”

I jumped to my feet and shot out of the dirty shack. Currents of air streamlined nimble movements that flickered through the overcrowded forest with ease. I took the safest routes, only stopping when blood soaked the dark grass.

‘I should test it.’

A faint breeze silenced the fall from above. Red trails skewed in different directions before stumbling back together, but the oxidisation of iron in the blood gave off a unique human smell; monsters couldn’t copy this.

‘So it’s not a trap... Then they really did charm the male soldiers present. Not good at all!’

I curled my fingers inward to command the air. It coated me even tighter—compressing itself till a quiet burst shook the trees, and a flicker of dust left the route I took behind it. The trail led to the 45th Floor, where it began to thin out.

Plain stone floors connected huge walls together in a maze layout. The soles of my trainers pressed against the side of the tall surface, avoiding hordes of monsters scurrying around below.

‘It’s not uncommon for monsters to not be unified in Arcane Dungeons. It’s only important if Adventurers plan on going inside. That information would prevent surprise attacks and other oddities.’

I manipulated my Wind Ki Nature to stay in the same place.

‘There’s a lot we still don’t know about the ‘Will of Independence.’ Some even speculate that Boss Monsters have access to their own version of the Dungeon System, but no one has been able to prove that theory yet.’

I bounced from wall to wall in silence. It didn’t take long for me to reach a Hidden Room, sealed off from the main Floor. Splashes of blood decorated the entrance not visible on the Map.

‘...Scout Baiting.’

The likelihood of Scouts being attacked in A Rank Dungeons was low, S Rank Dungeons was medium, and anything above that was high. By trapping a Scout in a Hidden Room, they had fewer places to hide. So the cumulative chance of a monster noticing their presence was also much higher.

Once one noticed, every other monster within a 20-metre radius did too. This was the most common way to trap Scouts, and it illustrated the brainpower some Boss Monsters had.

‘Exit Timer.’

[Time Remaining: 0:00:00]

I pressed the pendant against my lips. Whenever I did this, Gerard’s large hand would rest on my back to give me courage and support. At the same time, it tempted me to leave the dungeon right away.

‘...I-I think I’ll take some time off once we get m-married.’

The stone doors towering over the area opened, but what greeted me on the other side made my face stiffen. Large patches of blood marred the grey ground. Flesh had been sewn together into small sacks that resembled brain matter. A woman, tied to a giant pole in the middle of the circular room, convulsed.

‘Oh my...’

Her once white dress was now sticky. Dark red blotches clung to a frail body when I stepped forward. The doors slammed shut, but that was a normal mechanism of every Hidden Room.

“Excuse me...?”

“S-Stay back! This dungeon... is strange!”

Her shoulders twisted away in an effort to hide her battered face from me. I dashed forward. My heart ached at the sight of a fellow Scout, suffering alone.

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“We can escape together!”

The rope flew to the side, no longer binding the woman to the pole. I grabbed hold of her wrist when it happened.

My hand phased right through it.

My eyes swivelled down toward a head tilting upward. A black smile curved the once human mask into something else—something sadistic.

“Let’s play a game, Scout Byeol~”

***

Shun POV:

The gentle current imposed its will on the flame. It flickered. It twisted and turned in an attempt to go against the flow, but all that kept it in place—all that kept it anchored was a single metal bracket.

Light illuminated the small cave to the best of its ability. In the centre was a small hole lined with a grey ring that matched the size of the flagpole beside me.

‘...’

Vojiq was good, but he was no Zinyul. Once I killed him, an Armoured Sentri Knight took the initiative to direct me here.

“Is everyone ready?”

“...Yeah.”

“Yes.”

“Livil, be quiet! Aha. Yeah, I’m ready.”

“Tch. Yeah.”

I picked up the flagpole, and Phoebe began the countdown. Since there was no delay in the Dungeon System’s voice communication feature, synchronisation of movements was also possible through it.

“1.”

I hovered the pole above the target.

“Now!”

It shot inside until the white flag covered the hole. The sound of a switch soon echoed across the Floor, verifying the party’s success.

“Seems like it worked. Shu—“

My finger blurred. Yet there was one name it refused to silence: Katherine Brightfield. Despite the irritation, the question remained the same.

‘Why...’

The dwindling flame offered a final struggle before a gust of wind sealed its fate. Darkness swallowed me whole; it embraced my body with a tighter grip of reassurance.

‘It’s not enough.’

I left the cave and entered the tunnel. Glasses hit the table. Chairs were pulled to the side. Silence accompanied fluttering eyelashes that were unable to hide brazen desires lurking within.

‘...’

The male Sentri tilted their heads. Bright yellow irises replayed the battle they had witnessed, but that was where the problem stemmed from. Every obstruction led to their eyebrows falling till they pressed together in a desperate attempt to recreate the lost scenes.

They knew Vojiq fell, but what mattered was how he fell.

A battle consisted of information. Whether that data could be extracted and utilised depended on several factors. For example, Katherine’s fight with Portia was at such a high level I could only glimpse less than a fraction of it. It wasn’t just the speed, but the density of their movements, the usage of Ki, Elemental Ki, and dozens more.

These details mattered.

If I failed to understand anything, I wouldn’t have reached Monzen before entering this dungeon. In other words, the Sentri didn’t watch duels just for the sake of entertainment; it was another way they could improve.

“W-would you like a drink? You must be thirsty after such a thrilling battle.”

A female Sentri Knight broke the status quo and offered me the rest of its Conquering Burst. I took the glass before sitting in the same seat the monster had moved from.

‘Scan.’

[Scanning in progress...]

Vojiq’s death cemented my dominance, but ‘Dungeon Swag King’ strengthened that effect through Shinobi’s attire. The problem was...

“I-is here okay?”

This.

The Sentri Knight pointed to my lap. Its wide lips pressed together along with the closing of one eye.

“Name.”

“Kozurela.”

[The scan was successful. The results will now be displayed.]

My gaze fell to the seat opposite me, prompting another female Sentri Knight to gulp. The monster took its time moving until it accepted I had no interest in it. After receiving some words of pointless encouragement to leave a good impression, Kozurela sat down.

[Special Juice: Conquering Burst

Description: A special type of squash made from dunges, senips, kapblo, and blueberries. The method of extraction is unknown and unique to the Sentri.

Effects: For humans, all physical attributes are doubled, but effects diminish after 2 hours. For Sentri, their immune systems are permanently strengthened until the 30th drink. After which, it becomes nothing more than a refreshing drink.]

‘Interesting.’

If animals could get sick, why would monsters be any different? This proved that at least some of them took precautions to prevent disease and illness.

“Kozurela, do you know what the ‘flu’ is?”

“Yeah...”

Her upper body tilted toward me, but there was nothing flirtatious about the monster’s movements. They had their own personalities, and that often came with individual difficulties.

“It almost killed me as a child. CBs aren’t a drink to me. I... need them.”

Kozurela moved her short hair to the side before leaning back. The confidence she once displayed was peeled away with a single statement. Now, she avoided eye contact; her shoulders hunched over in an effort to protect the opening in her heart.

‘Should I use her too?’

Kozurela wasn’t the only Sentri Knight present. Many of them sat within this section of the tunnel, but those thinking of approaching me changed their minds once she stood up.

Respect.

Her peers respected the power she held, but her circumstances closed what doors she could open. Kozurela wouldn’t feel comfortable mutilating an already weak body, and why would she need to when Vojiq proved a different path was possible for her?

However, her nature was the same as the rest of the Sentri.

“Drink.”

The glass slid toward her with a paper underneath. I left the tunnel, picked up the Ninjatō, and jumped out of the pit. Phoebe wouldn’t be in a rush to check on me since she confirmed I was fine earlier, so there was no need to worry about the extra time I spent with Kozurela.

“Get out of my way.”

Dibla stood next to the entrance. She thought by being the last Sentri I interact with on this Floor, it would change how I perceived her. However, all it took was one look to bring her disgraceful self back to reality.

“Have you taught any Sentr—“

“Shut your damn mouth.”

Her thin eyebrows quivered before falling. I walked past her lowered head, unable to control the agitation probing my mind. I hadn’t improved enough. This wasn’t good enough at all.

“I think you’re weak.”

My feet came to a stop. The veins on the side of my forehead popped along with a neck that creaked back in her direction.

“Was Vojiq not the strongest?”

“You didn’t exactly overpower him with brute force but with incredible technical and mechanical control.”

A faint tint of red discoloured her bright yellow eyes. Dibla’s hands twitched. They urged her to conquer. They encouraged her to consume the prey in front of her.

“Dibla.”

This was why I never dematerialised the Ninjatō. I drew the blade from its scabbard, unsealing the benefits it gave me.

“I’ll kill you if we fight.”

Dibla raised her pulsating hand. Her fingers flexed over her flushed face. She failed to hide the wide grin forming behind it and the curve of her deranged eyes.

“You’re... so amazing!”