Chapter 175

They began to re-enter through the passage. Every step was filled with tension. As Taehyeok Sa led them through the passage, they saw the boss monster, curled up in the middle, just as before.

“Wait here.”

“…Be careful, Guild Master.”

As Taehyeok Sa approached, the Entity slowly uncurled itself. And when Taehyeok Sa stopped with only about five steps left, the Entity fully uncurled and looked down at him.

“It’s obvious what you’re thinking.”

And at that moment, the Entity grinned, its mouth tearing open. Taehyeok Sa realized his mistake. If the person at the very front moves forward alone, they cannot shield those behind them. It would be even easier for a boss monster that moves invisibly to infiltrate.

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

Taehyeok Sa shouted, looking back. But in the blink of an eye, the Entity, the boss monster, was already standing, blocking the entrance.

“This is where it ends, isn’t it?”

Despair enveloped them. The massive body spread wide. The Entity’s front legs instantly split a nearby hunter in half. Pwahaak-!

“Kyaaah!”

The upper body of a healer standing at the rear flew off. Blood gushed out, soaking the surrounding Hunters. Taehyeok Sa urgently kicked off the ground towards them. But.

“Sa, Guild Master Taehyeok Sa! Save me…!”

Crunch, crack! The Hunters soon fell to the ground, their heads pierced by the Entity’s front legs. Brain matter flowed out with the blood, and parts of the brain came away with the front leg. The corpse, which fell to the ground with a splat, convulsed briefly before going limp. By the time Taehyeok Sa reached them, the game was already over. A healer who couldn’t escape was grabbed by the waist by Cho-i Hyeon’s hand. Taehyeok Sa immediately brought up Telekinesis, but. Creak, creak- The Entity tightened its front legs, and the healer’s waist snapped, blood gushing out. The lower body dropped to the ground with a thud, and Taehyeok Sa had no choice but to be drenched in the splattering blood.

“Do you think I wouldn’t know you’re trying to call that child back?”

The Entity said in a raspy voice. Taehyeok Sa gritted his teeth.

“It’s a process you’d have to go through to kill me anyway, isn’t it?”

“Do you think I’d let that happen?”

The Entity laughed. Its mouth tore open to its jaw. It seemed to be mocking him.

“But what if that child wakes up…? Yes, what will happen to that child who regains consciousness after everyone is dead?”

“……”

“It might be better to just let them close their eyes like this.”

“…Well. That child.”

Taehyeok Sa brought up Telekinesis and bound the Entity’s limbs. However, the boss monster brushed off the Telekinesis as if it were trivial and lunged at him.

“Guild Master!”

“Taehyeok Sa!”

Gihyeon Park and Yeonhan Kim rushed towards the boss monster. Seeing them, Taehyeok Sa urgently shouted.

“Don’t come!”

And at that moment, a long, white arm snatched his neck.

“Gasp!”

It was a strong force that instantly choked him. Taehyeok Sa was dragged up and met the boss monster. Taehyeok Sa grabbed the Entity’s wrist and lifted his body with Telekinesis. But the Entity, without the slightest movement, held his neck tightly and forcibly pulled his head to meet his gaze. The whites of its eyes, rolled back, met Taehyeok Sa’s eyes in mid-air.

“Cough…”

Even with his body lifted, the grip on his neck was so strong that his vision seemed to spin. The boss monster opened its mouth.

“Nothing will change just because that child returns.”

Then, it opened its mouth wide. Its mouth tore open to its ears, revealing a gaping red maw and sharp teeth. In an instant, with a crunching sound, the Entity bit off his head. Blood splattered everywhere, and Taehyeok Sa’s body went limp. It all happened in a flash. As Suui Kim said, even if a window had appeared, there wouldn’t have been time to select anything. It was that fast. The remaining Hunters screamed and fled from the boss monster. It was a scene of utter shock. The strongest hunter, who they believed could contend with the boss monster, had died in vain.

“Damn it!”

Gihyeon Park, Jihan Kim, and Taeyang Kang activated their skills. But it was already too late. Flames engulfed the boss monster, but the Entity walked through them, emerging unscathed. In a flash, it leaped before them and tore open the closest hunter’s abdomen with its front leg.

“Gah…!”

Taehyeok Sa’s corpse was still in the Entity’s hand. The boss monster cackled, a laugh similar to Cho-i Hyeon’s. The boss monster tossed Taehyeok Sa’s corpse aside and immediately swung its front leg at the next hunter. Clang! The hunter blocked the Entity with his sword, but the Black Hand easily shattered, and he was split from shoulder to pelvis, collapsing silently. There wasn’t even a scream. Now, only Paehyeok’s Group and a few dealers remained.

“…We have to run, at least.”

“But it’s blocking the entrance.”

Jihan Kim gritted his teeth. Gihyeon Park ground his teeth and continued to unleash Flames. But the more he did, the stronger the boss monster’s stats became, and the Entity was approaching them, swatting away the Flames as if they were bothersome insects. Nara Shim’s legs were trembling, and she barely managed to keep herself from collapsing. Taehyeok Sa was dead. That meant only she was left here… It was then.

“Nara Shim hunter, get out of the way!”

Yeonhan Kim’s shout erupted. Nara Shim reacted immediately, stepping back a few paces, but the boss monster appeared before her even faster. A pale white hand snatched her by the neck.

“Why, are you also thinking of calling that child?”

At that moment, a Black Shadow abruptly blocked her path.

“Run!”

It was Zhixuan. Zhixuan urgently shouted at Nara. However, the white hand pierced through the Shadow and tightly gripped Nara Shim’s neck.

“Gah!”

“It’s useless.”

“Ugh… gack.”

The white hand squeezed Nara Shim’s neck as if to break it. She felt like she was suffocating, her eyes rolling back. She thrashed her body to survive but couldn’t easily escape its grip. The remaining Hunters used their skills to save her, but the Entity easily destroyed the skills with its six Mantis legs.

“…You go to that child’s side too.”

Then you’ll be able to see her. But it was then. Suddenly, the grip on her neck loosened, and Nara Shim fell to the floor.

“Gah, cough, cough!”

Nara Shim fell to the floor, coughing, and the Entity looked around.

“No way…”

“You must have thought I’d die that easily.”

Taehyeok Sa, whose head was still attached despite his neck being covered in blood, was staring with wide, cold eyes.

“This damned human!”

Taehyeok Sa was able to revive because he had one life left from a hidden item that Cho-i Hyeon had given him. He looked at the window floating in the air. It really was floating. That window.

[Supporter Danger Occurred!][Choose your King!][Cho-i Hyeon][Goteoseu Anbiteohheun]

A name with an unknown pronunciation appeared. He didn’t know why it was readable or what it meant, but Taehyeok Sa only looked at one name. The one he could choose.

“Cho-i Hyeon!”

The boss monster screamed. It was a deafening sound. And, something awoke within the Entity. Somewhere inside the Entity. The boss monster began to rampage. The surrounding floor and walls were shattered by its sharp forelegs. Paehyeok’s Group retreated and looked around. All that remained were Paehyeok’s party, Jihan Kim, Gihyeon Park, and Zhixuan. Hunters of lower ranks had already been killed by the boss monster.

“I will curse! I will curse!”

“Why doesn’t Cho-i Hyeon open her eyes?”

With no more hunters remaining nearby, the Entity immediately charged at Paehyeok’s Group. Dongju Kim and Yeonhan Kim stepped forward and blocked the swinging forelegs. While they held back the Entity, Gihyeon Park and Jihan Kim unleashed their skills. Flame and water intertwined, attacking the boss monster’s head.

“Not the head, the belly! We need to attack the belly!”

At that moment, Nara Shim shouted, casting buffs on the two.

“Got it!”

“Understood!”

And the boss monster, looking at them, shouted.

“Devil’s Hand!”

“Not a chance.”

Zhixuan summoned Shadows and began to suppress each Black Hand. But Cho-i Hyeon’s reason still showed no sign of returning. Then Suui Kim stepped forward and attacked the belly. But then. Crunch! The Entity’s foreleg struck Suui Kim’s shoulder as he attacked its belly. He screamed as his shoulder was pierced. Crackle. Sharp protrusions from the foreleg tore at his flesh and fell off.

“Suui Kim hunter!”

Paehyeok’s healer, and now the last remaining healer, Myeongok Shin, cast a healing skill on Suui Kim.

[Casting Full Recovery Skill!][Completely heals all wounds on the target.]

Suui Kim hurriedly retreated, and the Entity was still screaming and rampaging.

“Why isn’t her reason returning?”

“Maybe we were wrong….”

But even if Cho-i Hyeon’s reason wasn’t returning, they had to fight. After Taehyeok Sa made his choice, the boss monster, which had been rampaging wildly, quickly approached them, swinging its forelegs.

“Gah!”

Just then, Yeonhan Kim’s front leg gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. Dongju Kim rushed over, trying to swat the front leg away, but it wouldn’t budge. “Damn it,” he cursed, kicking the front leg hard. Nara Shim wondered what she could do in this chaotic situation. Just a little more, when the timing was right. Nara Shim looked around and spotted a Broken Knife left by another hunter. She picked up the Entity and shouted.

“Everyone, back away!”

She glanced at her Watch. Taehyeok Sa pulled Yeonhan Kim and Dongju Kim in with Telekinesis.

“Hunter Taeyang Kang! Can you freeze that again? Just a little bit!”

“I’ll try!”

His blizzard raged, and Nara Shim, holding the Broken Sword, charged towards the boss monster.