The archer Slayers unconsciously drop their pickaxes after hearing and seeing the strongest D-rank Beast making its terrifying roars and its stomping on huge-sized stones that were near to its feet. Even a little kid can tell the Bulgasari is territorial to anyone disturbing its resting place, which unfortunately we're inside already.

“Why…why is that thing…here!?”, one of them exclaims with a confused horrified look.

“Something’s off”, the young father/wizard Slayer says with a cautious look on his face. “The Bulgasari will never bury itself underground. It's abnormal behavior…”

“It can be capable of adapting itself,” I say my speculation out loud in a firm voice. “We shouldn't be surprised it's still an intelligent creature.”

“But still…it doesn’t make sense!”, the other archer Slayer shouts too loud that the Bulgasari makes another territorial roar at us. “Mr Seo, I hate to say this, but…”

“You Slayers will have to try killing it,” Mr Seo finishes the archer’s unfinished sentence; his voice tone sounds ruthless while saying those words.

“Mr Seo,” the wizard Slayer says to him, looking distraught as he hears those words. “What are you…and your men doing over there?”

All of us Slayers turn to see Mr Seo and his six assistants standing close to each other. We see something is glowing in his right hand. I see it's a burnt sienna-colored gem; the same color that the egg-shaped device had way back on this Labyrinth's pathway. The glow shines brighter until it forms a flame-patterned aura surrounding Mr Seo and the six Nons.

“I wish you the best of luck, brave and mighty Slayers,” Mr Seo says with a pleasant look as if he's doing us a favor. “My men and I will never forget your sacrifice for us.”

Before any of us Slayers can say anything, the burnt sienna-colored flame envelops Mr Seo and his henchmen, disappearing from our sight. All of us, except myself, can only make numbed stares. Only the sound of the agitated Bulgasari is heard across this chamber we're stuck in. Coincidentally, it sounds more aggressive right after those traitors just left us. One of the archer Slayers starts another conversation with a trembling voice.

“I can't believe…Mr Seo…betrayed…us…”

“Hey! Now's not the time to think about that traitor! We've to hide now!”

“But where, Slayer Ban? My grimoire can make a strong defensive barrier…”

“No. It's better if we can at least injure it, old man. I've only got a few arrows left so it's a good thing we've got these pickaxes.”

“Wait. Don't tell me you want to attack first…”

The Bulgasari makes another terrifying roar at us. Its scary red eyes are glaring with monstrous rage. Suddenly, the other archer Slayer picks out one of his arrows, placing it on his crossbow. Thus, he shoots the arrow at its right cheek. All of us hear the piercing sound it makes when it lands there. However, the arrow gets sucked inside the Bulgasari’s cheek, making its skin grow thicker by a meter. I don't know if he's a newly awakened Slayer, but it’s common sense that you shouldn't shoot something weak at an angry predator even if it's not a Bulgasari. Slayer Ban is looking more upset than ever that she proceeds to scold him.

“You idiot! Why did you shoot?!”

“Sorry…I panicked…”

The Bulgasari roars again. This time, it makes several stomps on the ground. All of us almost lose our balance during that rumbling duration. Then, it charges towards us, believing we're making fun of it with the panicky archer’s petty-like provocation. Said archer fires more of his last few arrows at the Bulgasari, making its metallic skin thicker than a tanker’s most expensive-made shield.

“Idiot, stop shooting!”

“Right, Slayer Ban!”

A second later, the other archer also starts to go into a fearful panic. I can see he’s in an autopilot mode where he uses the pickaxe in his hands to attack the creature’s back leg. It doesn't help that his constant warcry isn’t calming the frantic situation we're in. Then, he continuously bashes the useless weapon against its tail. It's as if he's possessed by a Dybbuk that he’s unable to think straight now.

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“You there! Do you really want to get killed!?”

This is the first time I've seen Slayer Ban shouting angry words with a panicked look. Then again, who wouldn't scold two panicky young Slayers who keep on mindlessly attacking a metal-absorbing creature? Being gentle and meek isn't gonna save everybody stuck in this Labyrinth.

The two archers stop attacking not because they listen to her, but because the Bulgasari's tail goes in one swoop in full circle. They get hit by it; their bodies slam into the wall of crystals before plopping hard onto the ground. I grab the left arm of the wizard standing next to me. Both of us duck just in time to avoid getting hit like those young men.

“That was close. Thanks, Slayer Kang.”

“Don't thank me yet. That Beast is still alive.”

“Hey…where's Slayer Ban? I don't see her.”

He's right about Slayer Ban suddenly disappearing out of our sight. However, it turns out she's grabbing on the creature's tail for dear life. It was too late for her to duck on time and when the tail made contact with her chest, she had to quickly hold on to it. And she's still holding on to it as the Bulgasari wags its tail in a raging manner. It’s astonishing for me to see Slayer Ban being able to hang on for almost a minute since I don't think any low-ranked Slayers, whatmore the men, are capable of doing the same thing as she is now.

“Slayer Ban! Are you okay!?”

“Does it look like I'm okay to you, old man?!”

“Then, it's best you let go of that tail!”

“What the… I thought the two of you were knocked out completely! Also…Wah!!! I'll die if I let go, you fools!”

And so, she keeps on holding on to that dangerous tail, but it's a matter of time she'll lose her grip very soon. Then, I see the wizard opens his grimoire, which he still carries in his left hand. Several pages flip out in a magical way as I can see a luminous teal blue aura enveloping him. I notice his brown eyes are staring intensely at Slayer Ban. I've heard what grimoires do, but I feel amazed seeing the wizard using one of the book’s spells up-close.

The moment Slayer Ban finally loses her grip from the angry Bulgasari, the grimoire’s spell activates a visible huge bluish wave, which almost looks like a flying carpet to me. It sprints towards the falling Slayer Ban who looks like she's gonna fall to her death. Miraculously, it manages to catch her on time. A moment later, I hear rocks crumbling loudly on my right. I turn to see a man-made staircase that's enveloped in the same teal-colored aura of the grimoire's spell. A second later, I see a defensive barrier surrounding the Bulgasari.

“Slayer Kang, you need to get Slayer Ban and the other two out of here. That spell from my grimoire acts like a GPS so just follow its colored aura that'll get all of you back to safety.”

My eyes widen in shock while listening to his sort of suicidal request. I try to keep a straight face while my voice sounds like I'm worried for a stranger like him.

“But…what about you?”

“Me, huh? That defensive barrier I just put up around this monster may last a minute or so.”

“Mister, that's the strongest D-rank Beast. I know you're the same rank as it is, but you can't defeat it by yourself.”

“I know, Slayer Kang. Do believe me that I'm not doing it for self-satisfaction. I just don't want to disappoint my daughter if she were to find out that I didn't give an effort in saving you all.”

So…his daughter is the reason…why he's willing to save us…

To think this family man, unlike Mrs Park, believes abandoning or betraying a teammate is not what his loved ones would want him to do, and yet I hesitate now because at the end of the day, he and the other Slayers are strangers to me. If I were to help them defeat this Bulgasari, that means my “leveling up” powers will be known to them. It'll be troubling if the Slayers Alliance finds out my hidden power from this team being incapable of lying to them.

I can just oblige to this wizard’s request. After all, it's what he wants. But…is that what… I really want to?

The moment I hear the glass-shattering sound of the Bulgasari breaking the wizard’s defensive barrier, my mind snaps out of my overthinking. I see the final Beast’s golden eyes change into a dark red. It lets out a more ferocious roar, and both of its front legs stomp with all its might just like what that Talos robot did to me almost a month ago.

Huge cracks form quickly, making part of the ground I'm standing on crush together to form unsightly patterns. A huge stalagmite takes its shape, spiking upwards suddenly between me and the wizard who falls down to his right side. He grunts painfully upon impact. His left hand loses grip on his grimoire. The magic book springs forward with a huge distance from his fallen spot.

Currently without the luck stat, I'm a bit startled that I can balance myself well on this newly-formed uneven ground. Speaking about that stat, I look to see Slayer Ban slowly standing up from her temporary unconscious state caused by her landing on the wizard's carpet-shaped spell. A moment later has her gaining a disoriented look on the current scene where the Bulgasari makes another territorial roar, which I almost thought was gonna make the mana crystals from the walls shoot at us like bullets.

“Hey!,” Slayer Ban calls out her warning words to the wizard. “Get up quick! It's running…”

She’s unable to finish her sentence the moment she stares in horror to see the Bulgasari standing in front of the wizard already. The young father is unable to react to immediately get up and run away or use a teleportation spell via contact with his grimoire. He can only paralyzed in fear and look onward to the sight of the metal-eating Beast lifting up its huge foot above his body.

He closes his eyes as he accepts his death of being killed by the strongest D-rank Beast. Alas, he's wrong in thinking he'll die today because in a “speed of light” moment, I kick the Bulgasari’s left cheek with my right foot; my kick being abnormally strong in everyone's sight here as it sends the chimeric creature flying before crashing into the chamber’s wall. Many mana crystals drop and shatter upon its landing impact, echoing the sound of ceramics and glass throughout this Labyrinth.

Now I did it. I guess it can't be helped since someone here needs to immobilize that monster as quickly as possible. Besides…

“I don't plan to be killed easily by you,” I mutter with a determined, and somewhat fearless, look at the Bulgasari who is done struggling getting its face, most likely due to its tusks, out of the wall. It's looking more angry than ever. This time, it's fully focusing on me, not caring about the voices of the archers and Slayer Ban while they run towards the wizard. They help him get back up and pick up the grimoire, giving it back to him. I listen to their comments with some of them being rhetoric questions. If it were an S-rank Slayer questioning my mana output in that kick of mine.

“Slayer Kang, how did you do that? Isn't your power that of the healer class?”

“I don't remember an F-rank Slayer of the fighter class being able to do a kick like that!”

“Are you really a healer, Ms Kang?”

“Hey, Kang Joo-yeon…what are you exactly?”

Slayer Ban’s cautious question about me has me let out a heavy sigh that indicates my reluctance in answering it. I turn around and say these vague truthful words to them before I proceed to fight the Bulgasari head-on.

“I’m a Slayer like you all.”