LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 36
As the boss monster revealed itself, an undeniable tension swept through the hunters.
“…Let’s huddle together!”
Perhaps not wanting to give the monster a chance to disguise itself again, the hunters at the scene gathered at the shout of the man, forming a defensive stance.
It was indeed a sound judgment.
“That’s annoying.”
Thud.
Crack!
With a simple jolt, the boss that had been lying down with the Skeleton Masher’s weapon sprang up and instantly smashed the Masher’s skull to pieces.
‘…This isn’t going to be easy.’
The boss was definitely strong. It was understandable that the advance party of hunters couldn’t measure up.
“W-what do we do now?”
“What do you mean, what do we do? We fight!”
“But if that’s really a Doppelganger…”
Designated as a B5 rank monster, it was a special entity that could grow even more due to its unique nature.
“We’ve already lost three hunters. It’s safe to say it possesses the strength of a B rank mid-tier.”
That was indeed grim news.
No matter how promising the talents of these individuals were, they were all just C rank at best.
Facing a B rank mid-tier monster highlighted the clear level difference.
Breaking the silence, Jeon In-taek, who had joined the hunters, spoke up.
“But if it was overwhelmingly strong, it wouldn’t bother to engage in a war of attrition like this. At least, we can be certain it feels threatened by us.”
In other words, from the Doppelganger’s perspective, we posed a not-so-simple threat as well.
Hearing this, some confidence flickered on the hunters’ faces.
However, seeing our reaction, the Doppelganger chuckled.
“…These fools are even dumber than I expected.”
And then it continued.
“We instinctively seek a target to disguise ourselves as when we are born. It’s innate; there’s no will behind that action.”
Whoosh!
Crash!
The Doppelganger casually tossed the corpse of the now powerless Skeleton Masher aside and stepped forward.
“I only established my knowledge and identity five minutes ago. Do you know what my first thought was?”
“What are you talking about…?”
“It was satisfaction. The fact that there is prey all around.”
As the Doppelganger wore a grotesque smile, Yoon Sol-ah quickly chanted a spell.
“Wind Cutter!”
Swoosh!
Rustle!
However, the subsequent scene was shocking.
“I-it can’t be.”
The Doppelganger didn’t even bother to defend. It simply took it head-on with no care.
The damage it sustained was merely a scratch not even an inch long.
Everyone present was utterly deflated.
“Looks like you’re finally starting to understand.”
“What the hell? Why is this kind of thing in a C Rank dungeon…?”
After establishing dominance, the Doppelganger, appearing as an old man, turned to gaze at me.
“We still have things to discuss.”
“……”
Looking at the situation, it seemed the Debuff Totems behind wouldn’t be of any help.
Without giving me a moment to think, the Doppelganger lunged at me.
Thud.
“I’ll take your knowledge and body first.”
Whoosh!
Crack!
The sword I had thrown moments ago was now aimed at my throat by the Doppelganger.
In desperation, I charged the remaining Skeleton Masher and the corpses of the monsters I had brought along.
[Crack!]
[Hiss!]
Splat!
Despite their significant number, the Doppelganger effortlessly crushed the corpses one by one with astounding physical prowess.
‘H-hey, there’s not enough strength.’
Though there was some distance, there were just too many people around.
As all those eyes focused on me, I was utterly immobilized.
In the end, I failed to fend off the Doppelganger’s approach and took the attack.
Bam!
Crash!
Bam!
A powerful kick landed in my abdomen, sending me flying several meters with the sound of something breaking, crashing to the ground.
Thanks to the protective artifact Seo Ha had prepared, the shock was minimal, but that would be the only time. If I took another attack, I wouldn’t come out of it unscathed.
‘…This is ridiculous.’
To suffer such humiliation at the hands of a mere pseudo-intelligent being was unacceptable.
But I had no real options. Right now, my gut was churning, and my head was spinning to the point of madness.
‘Ugh. Useless bugs…’
If only I could get rid of those pointless Debuff Totems.
I desperately glanced at Kim Seung-min, hoping for some salvation.
Upon seeing my look, Kim Seung-min, wearing a confused expression, seemed to understand something and raised his shield.
“I’ll take the front! Everyone, step back!”
“What? We can’t even get out, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“There’s a way! We need to create distance from the enemy!”
It seemed our time spent playing together in the game wasn’t for nothing, as Kim Seung-min quickly assessed the situation and read my intentions.
Indeed, the judgment of a true challenger was exceptional. I nodded vigorously in approval.
“Stop doing useless things.”
Swish!
As the Doppelganger waved its arm, a massive fireball began to form above its hand. It was a skill of Park Yeong-gil, the fire mage.
Whoosh!
Boom─!
Crash!
Kim Seung-min caught the fireball with his shield, but it pushed him back, marking the ground.
“I won’t be able to hold out much longer!”
“We don’t have many options anyway! Let’s just go with it!”
“Damn it, I get it!”
Finally reaching a consensus, Yoon Sol-ah chanted a buff to increase our group’s speed.
“Breath of the Wind Fairy!”
Actions were swift. The party maintained formation and quickly distanced themselves from the Doppelganger.
“…Pathetic insects, wasting your time.”
In this scenario, Kim Seung-min was unequivocally the target. The Doppelganger rushed towards him at an almost undetectable speed, and a collision was imminent.
Boom─!
“If that’s the case, you die first.”
Swoosh!
Just as the blade was about to sink into Kim Seung-min’s nape, he shifted his gaze towards me and activated his skill.
“Counter Shock!”
Thud!
With a powerful blast, the Doppelganger was sent flying far away. From what I could see, it seemed to have reflected the damage from the fireball and this attack.
“Such a trivial technique…”
“Is that enough?”
Ignoring the Doppelganger, Kim Seung-min asked, and I stood up, nodding in affirmation.
It was then that the Doppelganger recognized us.
But it was too late.
With all the intent of death, I uttered the spell.
“Book of Death.”
Boom!
Just in time, I had the perfect minion for such a rude creature.
Having leveled up to 22 from the Plant battle and the Boss Room push, I grabbed the book and flipped to a new page.
Swoosh!
“Extraction.”
The page was the eleventh chapter.
What was inscribed there was the skull of Hans, the headless knight and undead.
“Materialization.”
Whoosh!
Swoosh.
Thud.
Black mist poured forth from the extended right hand, soon revealing the split and shattered skull of someone.
“Stop this nonsense!”
Swoosh!
Whoosh!
Sensing an ill omen, the Doppelganger swung its sword, but an undead that had appeared out of nowhere barely blocked it.
Covered in armor, the undead had an empty head—it was the Guard from earlier protecting the Plant.
At that moment, I plunged the heavy skull in my right hand onto the Guard’s neck and chanted the spell.
Whoosh.
“Undead Call.”
The Dullahan Zombie, once considered a mystery of the Teheron region, and Whom.
Boom!
His soul instantly consumed the Guard’s body.
“Th-the cycle.”
Black mist flowed out from between the many cracks in the skull, and flesh began to cover it, taking form.
Whoosh.
Swish.
Soon, the eyes that formed in the hollow sockets darted around, and the half-formed mouth quivered, signaling its existence.
What emerged was the face of a handsome figure with faded hair and pale skin.
Crack.
Finally, summoned, Hans turned to look at me, wearing a perplexed expression as if he’d witnessed something strange.
“Eh?”
“……”
I felt a surge of anger and pointed towards the front.
Only then did Hans notice the flustered Doppelganger.
“Could you remove the blade?”
Crack.
Thud!
“Grah!”
The Doppelganger screamed in pain as Hans grabbed its face, swinging its hand.
Thud!
With that strike, Hans’s arm was severed, and the Doppelganger leaped back, starting to heal its wounds.
“Damn.”
“You, who exactly…?”
“Hmm.”
Hans surveyed the Doppelganger thoughtfully and picked up the knife lodged in his waist with his remaining hand.
Swoosh!
Then, showing complete disinterest, he turned back to me.
“…Why, why?”
“Ah, your reaction makes it clear.”
“……”
A strange sense of foreboding washed over me.
Hans stepped closer, leaning down to look at me with a mocking grin.
“…My Lord, you seem to have weakened significantly?”
What the hell is this useless brat saying?
In disbelief, I rolled my eyes and told Hans.
“Stop talking nonsense and go take care of that thing.”
Ignoring my words, Hans stared into my eyes as if weighing something and then spoke.
“…Right now, I feel like I could crush that entire body with just this one hand.”
From his gaze, an aura of fear he couldn’t hide seeped out.