“Fuck.”
This is strange.
This day is far too strange.
“Why had I forgotten about Seo Yeongho…?”
The head count was off, and nothing was going right today.
It felt as if he had been possessed by something.
“Let’s focus for now.”
Right now, he had to pay attention to something else.
He couldn’t waste time on trivial matters.
As soon as Choi Jihoon stepped out of the tent, he shouted in a loud voice.
“Everyone, assemble right now! We’re doing another head count, so hurry!”
There was only one thought in his mind.
‘Please let it be nothing.’
He hoped it was just a minor incident as he waited for everyone to gather.
A short while later.
“Everyone has assembled, Captain Choi Jihoon!”
His adjutant’s voice rang out.
“Mm. Good.”
Choi Jihoon looked over the Hunters and quickly began the head count.
“One, two, three, four……”
The problem lay elsewhere.
“…Twenty-two.”
The total number was supposed to be twenty-one, but the actual number of people was still twenty-two.
He had desperately hoped the status board his adjutant had submitted was wrong…
But even after checking again, the number was mercilessly still twenty-two.
“Ha…”
This time, Choi Jihoon swept his eyes over every Hunter’s face.
All he had to do was find Seo Yeongho’s face anyway.
“……”
He had definitely thought so.
But Seo Yeongho was nowhere to be seen.
“Fuck! I’m losing my mind.”
The Hunters flinched in surprise at Choi Jihoon’s sudden curse.
But Choi Jihoon wasn’t about to stop there.
“Everyone, take out your Hunter IDs!”
The captain leading the patrol was Choi Jihoon.
They didn’t know what was going on, but for now, they had to obey the orders of their superior.
The Hunters each took out their Hunter IDs and held them out in front.
“Uh… Captain, I’m sorry. I forgot to bring my Hunter ID…”
Among them was someone without a Hunter ID.
Choi Jihoon looked at that person.
“State your name and rank!”
Then he quickly drew a pistol from his waist.
It was a mana-operated magic gun.
Choi Jihoon aimed the gun at the person without a Hunter ID.
When their captain suddenly pulled out a gun, everyone around them looked shocked.
“C-Captain?”
“What on earth are you doing?!”
What the hell was going on?
“I said state your name and rank!”
When Choi Jihoon shouted again, the person hurriedly opened his mouth.
“D-rank Hunter, Gang Seongu!”
But Choi Jihoon’s gun remained trained on him.
“Um… Captain…?”
Gang Seongu, who had just stated his name and rank, called out to Choi Jihoon in a trembling voice.
“Why are you really doing this…”
He was speaking in a voice close to tears.
Even so, Choi Jihoon’s muzzle showed no sign of moving away from him.
Choi Jihoon continued to stare at Gang Seongu.
“Why didn’t you bring your Hunter ID?”
Normally, a Hunter always carried something as basic as their Hunter ID.
But he didn’t have one?
In a situation like this, he was suspicious beyond belief.
“Everyone, listen carefully! There is a being among us that isn’t human!”
Were his words the starting point?
All the Hunters began glancing at one another and slowly putting distance between themselves.
In particular, everyone’s gaze turned most often toward one person: Gang Seongu, who had no Hunter ID.
“No… Why are you all doing this…”
Gang Seongu spoke in a desperate voice, but no one listened.
Choi Jihoon, in particular, slowly approached Gang Seongu.
At first, he had intended only to threaten him.
But Choi Jihoon saw it.
He saw Gang Seongu’s neck snap for an instant.
‘Huh?’
It wasn’t merely that he turned his head. His neck had literally bent in a grotesque direction.
How should he put it?
As though he wasn’t human?
It had happened in a brief instant, but Choi Jihoon did not hesitate.
Because the sight just now had chilled him to the bone.
Bang—
Blue mana erupted from the magic gun in Choi Jihoon’s hand.
Bang—
The mana fired from the gun struck Gang Seongu squarely in the head.
“Ghk!”
Gang Seongu let out a short scream and died instantly.
One of the most suspicious Hunters was gone.
But Choi Jihoon could not feel relieved.
He aimed the gun at another Hunter standing right beside him.
“Name and rank!”
Just as the other Hunter opened his mouth to say something.
Choi Jihoon saw another strange sight.
The corner of the other man’s mouth had curved up slightly.
It was a sneer.
Why was he suddenly smiling now?
And it was a smile chilling enough to make his skin crawl.
This time, there was no doubt.
That man was not a Hunter.
Bang—
Bang—
Two sharp reports rang out in rapid succession.
“Cough…”
Just like before, one Hunter vomited blood and collapsed.
The problem was that it did not end there.
Choi Jihoon aimed the gun at yet another person.
Bang—
This time, there was not even hesitation.
He simply pulled the trigger.
Then he aimed the gun at another.
Bang—
By this point, the others were shaken as well.
Bang—
“The captain’s gone mad! Everyone, stop him!”
Everyone brought out their equipment and tried to respond.
But Choi Jihoon was a B-rank Hunter.
The problem was that he wasn’t just any B-rank, but a B-rank close to A-rank.
On top of that, he was skilled enough to serve as the captain of a patrol unit.
“Just keep blocking him for now!”
Even if they joined forces, they were at best D-rank or C-rank Hunters.
There were no B-rank Hunters other than the captain.
Bang—
That was why they were barely managing to block Choi Jihoon’s attacks for the moment.
But another problem appeared.
Sensing that the magic gun would soon reach its limit, Choi Jihoon drew his sword.
“……”
It did not take long.
Choi Jihoon had continued swinging his sword.
When he came back to his senses, red blood was splattered everywhere around him.
“Ah…”
What on earth was this?
“I…”
His hands began to tremble.
His entire body began to shake.
“What have I done…”
He had suddenly acted as if he had lost his mind.
As a result, the area around the dungeon had become a sea of blood.
Choi Jihoon looked around with dazed eyes.
Then he noticed something strange.
“Huh?”
Blood was scattered everywhere, but there were hardly any corpses.
And then something alien entered his sight.
“Liquid?”
It was a liquid glowing with blue light.
The liquid moved little by little and took on a single shape.
“…A slime.”
Its identity was undoubtedly a slime.
But why was there a slime here?
Choi Jihoon stared blankly at the slime.
The blue slime approached the remaining corpses.
Then it began to absorb them.
“……”
Too many things had happened for Choi Jihoon to keep up with the situation.
All he could do was stare blankly at the slime.
Just as he stood there in utter despair, the slime noticed Choi Jihoon’s gaze and turned its body.
The slime soon began moving closer to him.
Choi Jihoon’s hand tightened around his weapon.
Ordinary slimes were not especially dangerous monsters.
But the slime before his eyes was somehow different.
Alarm bells were ringing in Choi Jihoon’s head.
“……”
However, the slime only approached to a certain distance and then remained still.
Was that at least fortunate?
Just as he was about to catch his breath for a moment.
The slime’s body began to twist.
“Uh…”
At the same time, the slime began to change shape.
It was the shape of a person.
“…Adjutant?”
Choi Jihoon called out to his adjutant.
His adjutant existed before his eyes.
To be precise, the slime had transformed into the appearance of his adjutant.
Then the slime in his adjutant’s form opened its mouth.
“Heh.”
It was a clear sneer.
“Captain Choi Jihoon? Since when did you have an adjutant?”
Huh?
What was the being before him saying?
Since when did he have an adjutant?
I’ve always had an adjutant under me…
“Huh…?”
Choi Jihoon voiced his doubt.
Now that he thought about it, something was off.
Yes, there had definitely been an adjutant assigned to him.
There had definitely been… an adjutant…
Who was the adjutant?
Why couldn’t he remember his name?
In Choi Jihoon’s head, one question seized another.
While he agonized alone.
The slime turned its head toward the dungeon and spoke.
“As expected, Administrator’s skill is truly remarkable.”
The dungeon gate, which had been closed, opened.
Ghouls began to emerge from beyond the gate.
Wiiiiiiing—
The sound of a siren rang out as monsters came forth, but there were no Hunters guarding this place.
“Haha, I have merely received the mercy of the Great One.”
And from among the horde of ghouls, one being slowly walked out.
It was the incubus Azmo.
* * *
Ghouls had begun to emerge from the dungeon.
Among the horde of ghouls stood the incubus Azmo.
His appearance was like masculine elegance and charisma, like a jewel shining even in the darkness.
The horns jutting sharply from his head displayed his strength.
He had a well-groomed appearance, and his beautiful muscles were clearly defined.
His face was sharp, with distinct features.
His eyes held intelligence as well as deep insight. It gave the impression that they contained boundless wisdom and secrets.
Wearing a slightly greasy smile, he radiated confidence and dangerous charm in every direction.
Azmo looked around outside the dungeon.
The surroundings had been transformed into a sea of blood.
It was a sweet sight.
“As expected, Administrator Azmo’s skill is truly remarkable.”
A being standing amid the sea of blood spoke to Azmo.
It was his adjutant, Beter.
He was originally a slime, but now he wore a human form.
As expected, he was worthy of being called a master of transformation.
At Beter’s words, Azmo replied.
“I have merely received the mercy of the Great One.”
Azmo smiled.
“I received Master’s mercy and obtained a new skill.”
It was none other than “Distorted Charm.”
In the past, he had taken the incubus Master had bestowed upon him.
It was his first time taking one of his own kind, so he had felt a slight sense of revulsion, but judging only by the result, he had grown stronger.
[Distorted Charm]
Now he could charm not only the opposite sex, but the same sex as well.
Of course, the effect was extremely faint compared to its effect on the opposite sex.
But like now, it was enough to grant an opponent a suitable degree of cognitive disorder and throw them into confusion.
Azmo looked down at his own hand.
He was certainly growing stronger.
So many things had happened until now.
At first, he had merely been the master leading a small incubus dungeon.
He had been an utterly ordinary master managing an ordinary dungeon.
“When was it…”
Yes, it had probably been from that day.
The day Lady Celia first descended and helped him.
Lady Celia had truly possessed extraordinary power.
With just a gesture of her hand, she had neutralized the Hunters who had invaded the dungeon.
Azmo had been freshly shocked by that sight.
I want that power too.
A primal desire rose from within his heart.
Until now, he had pursued outward beauty rather than overwhelming strength.
As an incubus, that was only natural.
But when Azmo saw Celia, a great change occurred in his thinking.
Supreme beauty.
Of course, that too was right.
However, true beauty flowed from strength.
Yes, I too want that powerful strength.
Beauty without power is merely swallowed by its surroundings.
Powerful strength is beauty itself.
Even though their races differed, he desperately wanted to enter under the great existence known as Celia.
But Lady Celia had said:
—I am merely a servant who follows the Great One.
To think there existed a being even Lady Celia, who had displayed such extraordinary power, followed.
‘Just how incredible an existence is he…?’
From that day on, Azmo’s vision opened wide.
But that was not the end of what surprised Azmo.
When he saw the beings who descended into the dungeon after Celia, he was once again swept up in shock.
A Death Knight and a Lich.
He felt awe that such powerful beings could be sent so casually.
And the surprises did not end there.
Azmo witnessed a miracle.
He saw the sight of the Lich transcending into an Arch Lich before his very eyes.
‘Ah, a miracle has occurred before me.’
In that moment, tears flowed from Azmo’s eyes.
And a single goal was born.
He too wanted to be reborn as an even more powerful existence.
To do so, he had to receive the mercy of the Great One.
To receive the mercy of the great and noble Master, one thing was necessary.
‘Lady Celia said it.’
—Act for Master, and spread Master’s will far and wide throughout the world.
If he did so, Master would one day bestow His mercy upon him.
‘Spread Master’s will throughout the world…’
It was easy to guess Master’s will.
If he pieced together what Lady Celia had said, he could arrive at one answer.
“The world will kneel before Master.”
And that beginning would start by Azmo’s own hand.
“My children!”
Azmo shouted toward the incubi.
“And you who have returned from death!”
He also shouted toward the ghouls.
“Go! Go and show them Master’s will!”
The ghouls and incubi began to move according to Azmo’s command.
Behind them.
Clatter—
Thud. Thud.
The Arch Lich and Death Knight began to follow.
It was the beginning of a monster wave.
“T-This makes no sense…”
And there was one human who had seen everything from the beginning.
It was Patrol Captain Choi Jihoon.
“Hahaha…”
A knight of death armed with black armor and a sword.
And an undead mage who had even forgotten death.
At the sight before him, Choi Jihoon could only laugh.
“There’s no answer to this…”
No, perhaps humanity had never had any hope to begin with.
Choi Jihoon aimed the sword in his hand at his own throat.
Today was truly a day when nothing went right.
Still, if one thing had gone well…
It was that at least he could decide his own end with his own hands.
Strength entered the hand gripping his sword.
Shunk—