Chapter 13: Butler, Frankenstein
Across from where the Iron Sword Guild had gathered, a group of several people stood assembled.
A man observing Yohan stroked his chin.
“Oh ho, look at this?”
His eyes glead sharply.
At first, his interest in Yohan had been half out of coincidence.
It wasn’t easy to encounter a new survivor at this point in ti.
However, what truly drew his attention was the injury on Yohan’s body.
The direction Yohan had co from was clearly places such as the Sealed Church or the Maggot Pit, areas swarming with undead.
And yet—
‘There’s no demonic energy in the wound.’
At a glance, the injuries seed serious, but all of them were shallow.
Could it really be possible for him to have escaped that hell alone?
To call it re luck… doubtful.
As the man stared intently at Yohan, another Hunter beside him cautiously spoke.
“Is sothing wrong?”
“No, it’s just… I think I’ve found quite an interesting guy.”
He tilted his head slightly.
There, a handso young man was chewing on a potato, chatting with a woman who looked like a nurse.
At best, he looked to be in his mid-twenties.
Though his height was a little over 180 cm, his build wasn’t large—rather slim.
“Check him out. I need to know if he really ca here alone, or if soone sent him.”
He held up a discarded bandage from earlier after the first treatnt.
It was stained with Yohan’s blood.
“I’ll verify it right away.”
Even though it might have seed an overly cautious order, the Hunter did not object.
The man’s track record had been nothing short of dazzling.
He had flawlessly completed countless missions deed impossible—earning the overwhelming trust of every mber of the raid team.
When he gave an order, they followed.
In these matters, it was best to deal thoroughly with even the slightest sense of unease.
And not long after—
“Team Leader. The blood-analysis ability user from the reserve team has sent the results.”
“Did you find anything?”
“Well… nothing.”
“Nothing at all?”
“Yes.”
Nothing.
Not even a na or age could be traced—sothing even the guild’s information specialists, who had once hacked an A-rank Hunter’s records, failed to uncover.
“The analyst said it’s a type of blood he’s never seen before, even after awakening. He said he couldn’t believe it himself. However, he confird that no guild or rcenary groups seem to be connected to this individual.”
“Heh. Would you look at that? This one’s really interesting.”
The man licked his lips.
“Could it be… at this timing, that he’s an inspector or a ranker secretly sent by the Association after learning of our objective?”
“Impossible. I’ve already verified that line.”
Then—
‘That ans there won’t be any trouble if we dispose of him.’
Among the items brought from the Mystery Room was the Plague Doctor’s Syringe paired with a dical Cylinder.
It had the ability to extract and store a target’s mana.
The only problem—was that it could only extract from those of at least C-rank strength.
Finding soone unaffiliated yet stronger than C-rank was like plucking a star from the sky.
He had nearly given up—until now.
Perhaps this was his first chance to test it.
‘Mana collected directly from a living being sells for much higher than magic stones.’
He smacked his lips.
“I should first gauge his level. Can’t afford to waste a chance at so sweet profit, can we?”
“Understood. Then, I’ll proceed with the pla—huh?”
The speaker suddenly gasped, eyes wide.
He couldn’t help but be horrified.
“You’ve got to be kidding .”
“What crazy bastard—!”
[8-Star Guardian ‘Butler, Frankenstein’ is awakening!]
Just as the battlefield was nearly cleaned up—soone had detonated a bomb.
＊＊＊
The final step before reaching the Boss—the Sealing Stone.
It required a certain amount of mana or life force to open, aning multiple skilled individuals were necessary.
However, soone had awakened the Guardian not with mana, but by offering life force.
It ant there was a maniac who had steadily collected life force.
But from the raid team’s perspective, there was no way to know who it was.
[The Sealing Stone is destroyed due to ‘multiple sources of life force’!]
8-Star Defensive-type Monster.
Butler, Frankenstein.
The Guardian who protected the Withered Garden was the overseer of all matters within this dungeon.
Its raid difficulty was considered rather high, and the reason lay in the monster’s traits.
Magic Defense: 25
Physical Defense: 25
Health: 1,000
Trait: Recovers 1 point of Defense and 10 points of Health per minute.
That was the partial status he confird through the Eye of the Prophet.
There was no way an average low-rank Hunter could handle such a creature.
The general consensus was that only an experienced B-rank Hunter or an entire raid party focusing their firepower could take it down before it had ti to regenerate.
The problem was…
The raid team had just finished another battle. Naturally, there wasn’t even a mont for rest or reorganization.
“Soone tampered with the Sealing Stone! Damn it. It has to be one of us!”
“Are you serious? What kind of idiot would pull sothing like that?”
“There’s no point blaming anyone now! We have to respond imdiately! If we can’t bring that thing down within three hours, the Boss Monster will awaken too!”
Raid leaders from each guild shouted in panic.
Whoever the bastard was who started this ss—it didn’t matter now.
The priority was to prevent the 8-Star Guardian and the 12-Star Boss Monster from appearing in the sa place.
“Filthy humans. So you’ve crawled all the way here after all.”
Despite the nurous needle marks covering his pale skin, the long-haired, blond man—beautiful as a sculpture—opened his mouth.
The aura he exuded was on a completely different level from a re 4-Star Skeleton Mage.
Naturally.
Once designated as a Guardian, Frankenstein received additional buffs directly from the dungeon itself.
Though ranked as an 8-Star, his power far exceeded that classification.
[‘Frankenstein’ activates the skill ‘Fla of the Guardian’!]
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!
Green flas swept across the ground.
In an instant, the battlefield descended into chaos.
As layers upon layers of defensive skills activated, another large-scale raid began.
And watching that sight from a short distance away—were Yohan and Park Yeri.
“He’s definitely strong. But why did you want to unseal the Sealing Stone?”
“I have sowhere I need to go.”
But with so many people nearby, there was a risk of being discovered.
Treasure hunters and elite guild mbers were flocking in droves— not exactly an ideal situation for soone trying to obtain a Hidden Piece.
“Looks like you’re planning sothing huge again. Hm. You’re really mysterious, you know that? You’re definitely not just so ordinary Hunter… So what are you, exactly?”
“If you’re that curious, you can co along. I can’t promise much, but I can share a bit of the spoils.”
The place he intended to go would yield greater rewards with more mbers.
At least six people.
Eight to ten would be ideal.
However, Park Yeri shook her head as if uninterested.
“No, I’ll stay here.”
A crimson glow lingered in Park Yeri’s eyes.
“I like watching handso n kill humans.”
She wanted to see blood.
She wanted to taste it.
“And if I can be the one to kill him in the end… ha, just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine.”
The heart-devouring murderer addicted to slaughter sought nothing but screams and despair.
However—
The scene Park Yeri imagined would not co to pass.
Yohan had deliberately set the summoning area in the middle of the raid’s elite formation. There might be injuries, but no deaths.
Above all, as long as Seo Changhee was there, the worst outco would never occur.
Spirituality.
A class ranked among the strongest, not only in the early stages but also throughout the mid and late phases of the ga.
Seo Changhee might have been a fool, but his ability itself was far from useless.
So, for now—they would be safe.
At least until that one began to intervene in earnest.
“Did you bring what I asked for?”
“Here. I hope you appreciate the effort it took to sneak this out without being noticed.”
“Of course I do. That’s why you’re still breathing.”
He thought to himself again—
Park Yeri’s compliance ca only because she had t soone stronger than herself. It wasn’t because her nature had changed.
So, it was best to keep the hierarchy clear.
Unlike true madness, Park Yeri’s insanity was sothing controllable.
“D-don’t worry. I know my place. You don’t need to threaten ; I’ve got no intention of going against you.”
Park Yeri flinched as she handed him the White Fla Lighter.
Amidst the chaos, she had successfully stolen it from Seo Changhee’s chest pocket.
Good. With this, he’d added another overpowered card to his hand.
She’s a dangerous woman, but useful for now. I’ll decide how to deal with her later.
After all, the Vintage Doll she possessed could create multiple variables.
Tap.
Yohan stood up.
Before heading to where the Hidden Piece was located, there was one thing he needed to do.
Ti to recruit so temporary party mbers.
The target number—around eight.
If he tossed the right bait, soone was bound to bite.
＊＊＊
KWA-KWA-KWANG!
KWA-AANG!
The green flas continued to roar.
Frankenstein, who had been using area-of-effect skills, steadied his rough breathing.
“Persistent humans… But once He arrives, your fate will end here!”
In about two and a half hours, the master he served would awaken.
Then, he would slaughter all who had defiled the garden.
[Frankenstein summons ‘Patchwork Golems’!]
He had chosen to summon as many shields as possible.
“Grrraaa!”
“Grrraaa!”
Corpses, stitched together from countless body parts, began to rise one after another.
Between the large nails driven into their heads, blue sparks crackled and flared.
They swung massive cleavers wildly in all directions.
The deeper he went, the more it felt like an endless mountain of trouble awaited him.
Just then—amid that tense stalemate—
Tap.
Yohan arrived at the edge of the battlefield.
‘There’s no need to deal with Frankenstein myself.’
All he wanted was chaos.
If the battle ended too quickly, it would ruin everything.
Yohan gripped one of the raid’s standard-issue swords and shields.
[Trait ‘Sacred Fla’ activates!]
Fwoosh!
Pure white light flared along the blade.
The sa soft radiance coated the shield as well.
The divine power flowing through it felt both ticklish and faintly stinging.
As expected...
How effective would it be?
Yohan leapt beneath the feet of a Patchwork Golem in an instant.
[Deals 20% additional damage against undead monsters!]
He already had a 10 Attack Power boost thanks to the Knight’s Token.
Now, that power was stacking with the additional holy-type damage.
“Groooar!”
Whoosh!
He dodged the flying cleaver.
Slash!
A streak of light shot upward.
In just one strike, the golem’s arm was severed cleanly.
Before the creature could even realize its limb was gone—its entire head was sliced away.
‘Amazing.’
A trait corresponding to Episode (5)!
The exhilarating slash cut through the monster so cleanly that it sent a thrill down his spine.
Back then, he had always barely managed to join in after a full week had passed—feeling sothing like this had been impossible.
Perhaps that was why—
This result now felt even sweeter.
After all, it was the fruit he tasted for the first ti in his 1,000th round.
At the sa ti, a fierce yearning surged within his heart.
To seize more opportunities— and to grow stronger.
To finally reach the end of this damned world.
“Grooo!”
“Gwaaaah!”
Two Patchwork Golems rushed at him after witnessing their comrade’s death.
Whoosh!
Swoosh!
The sharp sound of cleavers cutting through the air echoed around him.
Each blade over a ter long, swinging vertically and horizontally.
Yet there wasn’t even a hint of tension on Yohan’s face.
‘Clumsy.’
They were re forgeries—Frankenstein’s imitations, crafted by a Baron-class Vampire—nothing like the real thing.
The true Frankenstein, created by a Count-class Vampire or higher, was terrifyingly powerful to the point of being troubleso.
Tap!
Yohan lightly leapt onto the golem’s head, placing his hand upon its crown.
Fwoooosh!
The Sacred Fla burst out through its eyes and mouth.
“Gwaaahhh!”
In the blink of an eye, only a skull remained.
The last golem collapsed as a hole blew through its heart.
Yohan shook the blood from his sword and surveyed his surroundings.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG!
KWA-AANG!
“Break through! No matter what, break through!”
“Keep the aggro off the healers and damage dealers!”
“Mages, focus your mana! We have to pierce that defense in one strike!”
The Hunters scread desperately as they fought.
‘Everyone’s too busy fighting to notice.’
Indeed, with Frankenstein standing before them like a towering wall, who would spare attention for so skirmish at the outskirts?
All the guilds were throwing everything they had into stopping the summoning of the 12-Star Boss.
This was enough.
Now— after obtaining the Knight’s Token, it was ti to claim the second Opportunity (Hidden Piece) hidden here.
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