Chapter 40: The Butcher Strikes
Several kilometers away.
A group of hunters stood before a newly formed dungeon gate.
Their expressions were grim.
The dungeon’s mana fluctuations were growing stronger with every passing minute.
If left unattended, a monster wave could erupt at any moment.
Unfortunately, the city’s strongest hunters were already occupied with the B-rank dungeon and couldn’t move to clear this one in time.
"We can’t wait any longer."
A middle-aged hunter gritted his teeth. He was merely D-rank and had a vague intuition that he was going to die the moment he stepped into the dungeon, but he had no choice. There was no one else who could explore it.
"We’ll have to enter."
Several people exchanged nervous looks.
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Just as they were preparing themselves, a ripple suddenly appeared in space.
No, there was no ripple.
It was as though they had simply appeared out of thin air.
Everyone froze.
A masked man in a leather jacket and a robed swordsman with a similar mask covering his face emerged from nowhere.
Silence descended as the hunters stared blankly.
The mask...
Who didn’t recognize that mask in Cold Moon District?
"Butcher!" one of the hunters subconsciously called out.
Amon merely glanced at them.
Instantly, the group of hunters felt as though they had been submerged in the icy depths of hell.
Before they could utter another word, Amon and Moon stepped into the dungeon.
The entrance rippled.
Then they disappeared.
The hunters looked at each other.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Finally, someone swallowed.
"Is the Butcher really so terrifying? I could barely endure his casual glance."
"The person beside him. Isn’t that the Monarch of Death?"
The hunter from before looked toward the dungeon gate.
"So they really are from the same faction..." he muttered to himself. "We have to tell the higher-ups."
Everyone nodded unconsciously.
They had only seen the masked man for a moment.
Yet something about him made their instincts tremble.
As though they had just stood before a predator far above their level.
"But..." one of them subconsciously called out.
Lingering fear still remained beneath the Butcher’s gaze.
He knew that if the Butcher wanted to kill them, they wouldn’t even realize how they died.
"Isn’t the Butcher like a hero?" he muttered to himself. "I heard some rumors about him floating around in the higher armed organization."
As D-rank hunters, they could no longer be considered small fries, and a few of them had connections within the armed forces organization.
...
Inside the dungeon.
Amon and Moon appeared within a vast canyon.
The temperature was scorching.
Cracks spread across the blackened earth.
Rivers of magma flowed in the distance.
The moment they arrived, dozens of monsters turned toward them.
Their bodies resembled giant wolves covered in burning scales.
Their eyes glowed like molten gold.
[C-rank Magma Wolves.]
The creatures immediately charged the instant they sensed the presence of humans.
Amon took a light step forward and appeared atop a tree branch, overlooking everything with a calm, even gaze.
The Winter Frost Blade had appeared in Moon’s hand.
He wanted Moon to reach C-rank first, so he ordered him to handle the fight for now.
Moon stepped forward.
His figure flickered.
Spatial Teleportation.
One moment he stood where he and Amon had previously been.
The next, he appeared in the center of the pack.
The Heaven Extinguishing Swordsmanship erupted like a storm.
Silver sword light flashed.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Bodies exploded apart and blood scattered across the canyon floor.
Moon’s level began climbing rapidly.
Amon watched silently.
He had no intention of interfering.
Moon needed experience.
Needed battle.
Needed growth.
Only when he encountered an enemy he couldn’t handle would Amon step in.
The slaughter continued.
Minutes passed.
Then suddenly.
Danger Sense activated.
Amon’s eyes narrowed.
A powerful mana fluctuation erupted from deep within the dungeon.
The entire canyon began trembling.
Rocks collapsed and magma surged violently.
His gaze shifted into the distance.
A low growl echoed across the dungeon.
The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once.
The remaining monsters immediately dropped to the ground.
Fear filled their eyes.
Amon slowly smiled beneath the Butcher’s Mask.
Interesting.
The next moment, a colossal shadow emerged from the sea of magma.
And the pressure it released was unmistakable.
B-rank.
The sea of magma exploded.
BOOOOM!!!
Molten lava shot hundreds of meters into the sky as the creature rose from beneath the surface.
The monster was enormous.
Nearly fifteen meters tall.
Its body resembled a gigantic ape forged entirely from black volcanic stone.
Rivers of molten magma flowed through countless cracks covering its body, illuminating the canyon with an ominous crimson glow.
Every step it took caused the earth to tremble.
Its eyes burned like twin suns, and a dense pressure rolled across the battlefield.
The surviving Magma Wolves immediately lowered their heads in submission.
Not a single one dared move.
The creature was their king.
A true ruler of the dungeon.
Amon’s gaze swept across the monster.
A B-rank Dungeon Lord.
If Moon could defeat it, he’d instantly level up into C-rank.
However, Amon didn’t hold much hope for that happening.
Still, he didn’t see anything wrong with giving it a try.
He quickly ordered Moon to continue engaging the beast.
The giant ape’s burning gaze landed on Moon.
Then it moved.
BOOM!
The ground beneath its feet shattered.
Its gigantic body launched forward with impossible speed, and a sonic boom exploded through the canyon.
Moon vanished the moment the air rippled, using Spatial Teleportation.
The colossal fist crashed into empty space.
BOOOOM!!!
The canyon wall behind him exploded apart and thousands of tons of rock collapsed instantly.
Moon reappeared above the monster and the Winter Frost Blade descended.
Heaven Extinguishing Swordsmanship, Second Form.
Extinguishing Death Sword Art!
A silver arc tore through the sky.
The next instant...
Clang!
The blade struck the creature’s shoulder.
Sparks erupted.
Shockingly, the attack failed to penetrate the monster’s defense.
Amon immediately judged the result.
Its defense was exceptionally powerful, even among B-rank monsters.
The giant ape roared and its massive arm swept through the air.
Moon vanished again on instinct.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The battle erupted instantly.
Moon continuously teleported across the battlefield, executing Amon’s commands without hesitation.
The giant ape rampaged through the canyon.
Explosions echoed endlessly throughout the dungeon.
Entire cliffs collapsed.
Rivers of magma burst apart.
The battlefield rapidly descended into chaos.
Amon remained seated on the branch, calmly observing everything.
Moon was unable to gain any advantage.
The gap between D-rank and B-rank was simply too large.
If not for Spatial Teleportation and Heaven Extinguishing Swordsmanship, he would have been crushed instantly.
Several minutes passed.
Then the situation changed.
The giant ape suddenly stopped moving.
An ominous crimson glow spread through the magma flowing within its body.
Amon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The next moment, the creature opened its mouth.
ROOOOOAAAARRRR!!!
The entire canyon shook violently.
Then countless streams of magma erupted from the ground.
Moon instantly teleported away.
Unfortunately, there were simply too many.
Boom!
A pillar of magma erupted beneath him.
Moon shifted position immediately.
Yet the edge of the eruption still struck him.
His robes exploded apart.
A deep burn appeared across his side.
His body was blasted hundreds of meters away.
Crash!
Moon smashed through several massive boulders before finally coming to a stop.
The giant ape released a thunderous roar.
Amon’s expression remained unchanged.
Yet the temperature around him seemed to drop several degrees.
The giant ape suddenly froze.
Its instincts began flaring wildly.
An overwhelming sense of danger flooded its mind.
Slowly, it raised its head.
Its burning eyes met Amon’s gaze.
For a brief moment, silence descended upon the battlefield.
Then Amon stood.
The branch beneath his feet instantly froze before shattering into countless crystalline fragments.
A terrifying killing intent spread throughout the canyon.
The surviving Magma Wolves immediately collapsed to the ground.
Several even began trembling uncontrollably.
Amon took a single step.
Space folded.
The next instant, he appeared beside Moon.
His gaze swept across the burn wound.
It wasn’t fatal.
Surprisingly, it was already beginning to close, like fragments of a puzzle slowly falling back into place.
The Narlock Robes were also displaying their miraculous effects, the damaged fabric steadily knitting itself back together.
Moon could continue fighting.
However, Amon had already lost interest in letting the battle continue.
The giant ape had served its purpose.
Moon had gained enough experience.
Amon slowly turned toward the monster.
The Winter Frost Blade appeared in his hand.
An ethereal yellow radiance slowly emerged around his body.
Far away, the giant ape unconsciously took a step backward.
For the first time since its birth, fear appeared in its eyes.
A faint smile formed beneath the Butcher’s Mask.
"Congratulations."
The giant ape froze.
Amon raised his sword.
"You’ve successfully angered me."
...
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