Chapter 53
"Wait."
Park Junhyeok, who was walking at the front, suddenly raised his hand.
The entire party immediately stopped behind his large shield and went silent.
They had already passed the middle section of the gorge where the bloody battle had taken place.
Now they were beginning to enter the deeper region.
An unpleasant vibration echoed between the rough rock formations surrounding them.
Dust floated through the air and irritated their noses.
"What the hell is happening down there?"
Jo Mingyu hid behind a rock and clicked his tongue.
Down in the canyon passage ahead, a bizarre sight was unfolding.
Groups of monsters were moving together through the enclosed terrain.
The problem was the combination.
Black-Armored Wolves and Rock Lizards, creatures that would normally attack one another on sight and fight over territory, were running side by side.
Even bat-type monsters that hated bright light were flying through the open canyon.
"They aren't even paying attention to one another."
Lee Soyeon swallowed dryly.
Her staff trembled slightly.
"They're stepping on each other while running like crazy."
The monsters were pouring forward in one direction without even enough awareness left to guard against each other.
Jo Mingyu nervously touched his bowstring and peeked out.
"Maybe we're close to the boss area and they're gathering to form some kind of defensive line?"
He looked at the others.
"Looks like most of the bigger ones already moved out. Wouldn't it be better to follow behind them and push through quickly while we have the chance?"
After Chaeho had saved his life during the previous battle, there was a little more confidence in Jo Mingyu's voice.
Knowing he had reliable backup seemed to have reduced his fear.
But Lee Chaeho, who was silently watching the monsters' movement from beside the rocks, had cold eyes.
"They're not moving to build a defensive line."
The firmness in his voice made everyone turn toward him.
"Look carefully."
Chaeho lightly pushed his sword hilt upward with his thumb.
"They aren't even looking in our direction."
He continued.
"There's no formation at all. They're trampling slower monsters while running."
His eyes narrowed.
"They aren't going there to defend anything."
A short pause.
"They're running away."
"Running away? All of those crazy things?"
Jo Mingyu stared in disbelief.
Without answering, Chaeho gestured toward the deeper part of the gorge where the monsters were pouring from.
"What could make beasts panic badly enough to act like that?"
His voice remained calm.
"It means there's something deeper inside that they can't handle."
The moment he finished speaking, heavy pressure rolled through the gorge.
When they inhaled, the metallic smell of blood entered their lungs along with an energy that made their stomachs turn.
It wasn't simply a bad smell.
A massive mana wave seemed to distort the surrounding space itself.
The party members instantly turned pale.
Seo Eunbyeol unconsciously stepped backward, stepped on a small stone, and nearly lost her balance.
"Grrrrrrrr..."
Far away, behind the thick cloud of dust, a massive silhouette slowly appeared.
It was at least three times larger than the normal boss monster known to rule the gorge.
Every step it took caused the dirt and rocks to vibrate.
The tremors reached all the way to the party's feet.
The vicious killing intent coming from it made small stones on the ground tremble and roll.
"A mutated individual..."
Park Junhyeok whispered almost like a groan.
Veins rose across his thick forearm.
It was now obvious what had forcefully taken control of the deeper region and driven all the other monsters outside.
Heavy silence fell.
The fleeing monsters gradually disappeared into the distance.
Only the horrifying pressure and rough breathing from the deeper zone remained.
Park Junhyeok lowered his shield with a stiff expression and turned around.
His gaze naturally settled on Chaeho.
The man who had read the situation faster and more accurately than anyone else throughout the day.
"Hunter Lee Chaeho."
Park Junhyeok spoke carefully.
"If an unexpected mutated individual appears during a dungeon raid, we can retreat immediately without receiving any contractual penalty."
He continued.
"The Hunter Association recognizes it as an unavoidable variable."
It was true.
Nobody could criticize the party if they turned around and left right now.
But hesitation remained in Park Junhyeok's eyes.
The reward for killing a mutated boss like that could be enormous.
A rare magic stone inside its body.
Special materials used for expensive equipment.
A huge danger allowance from the Association or a guild.
It was the kind of money a B-rank hunter might spend years trying to earn.
And after seeing Chaeho's sharp skill earlier...
A thin hope had appeared inside Park Junhyeok.
Maybe they could actually do it.
He looked at Chaeho.
"What do you think?"
His voice was cautious.
"Does this look like something we could try?"
Lee Soyeon and Seo Eunbyeol also went silent and stared at Chaeho.
There was fear in their eyes.
But also a tiny trace of expectation.
Chaeho's expression remained calm.
Rather than looking toward the enormous shadow in the distance, he slowly examined the condition of his party members.
His gaze first went to Lee Soyeon's pale face and the staff she was gripping tightly.
Her breathing had remained rough ever since the battle in the middle section.
Next was Seo Eunbyeol.
Two of the mana-recovery potion bottles at her waist were already empty.
Only half of one bottle remained.
Finally, Chaeho looked at Park Junhyeok's shield arm.
The muscles in the large frontline hunter's forearm were twitching continuously.
He still hadn't recovered from directly absorbing the weight of two wolves earlier.
"It'll be difficult."
Chaeho's answer was short and sharp.
"With the mana Lee Soyeon and Seo Eunbyeol have left, how many times can you realistically maintain barriers against something that large?"
He looked toward Park Junhyeok.
"And judging from your arm, Hunter Park Junhyeok, you've built up quite a bit of fatigue after blocking those wolves."
Then he looked around the party.
