69 – 14 – Irregular Mutation – 4

Ruthven’s marksmanship was amazing, and the bullets he fired were incredibly fast and powerful despite his race being fatally ill-suited to handling a consecrated gun.

However, Gi-jun was a spirit summoner contracted with the spirits of light and fire.

His shield, which was already sturdy, became practically invincible against firearms.

—Clang!

The bullet, deflected by the swiftly swung shield, cut through the air like a laser and pierced Ruthven’s thigh in return.

Coated in sterling silver and further enhanced by the light and fire contained within Gi-jun’s shield, the bullet instantly evaporated the vampire blood flowing inside Ruthven’s body and caused his mana circuit to stiffen.

To completely deflect the bullet with a shield and return it to its owner—although it was an application of the Flash Throwing skill, it was a truly amazing technique from the perspective of the one on the receiving end.

“Ha.”

Ruthven genuinely admired it even as he lost his balance and collapsed.

“Everything is beyond expectation, you are… The vampires have been made to look ridiculous.”

Muttering with a chuckle, Ruthven let the hand holding the pistol dangle and quietly looked up at Gi-jun.

However, seeing that Ruthven had become unable to move, Gi-jun lowered his shield as well.

“…Aren’t you going to kill me?”

“I have my own standards, you see.”

Gi-jun spoke calmly.

“I want to become a superhuman who is not swayed by external pressure, circumstances, or my own desires.”

“Ah—I felt like I could understand that a little just from the short period we explored the ruins together. *Cough*, you hear that it’s childish a lot, don’t you?”

Ruthven mocked Gi-jun even as he coughed up blackened, dead blood.

Gi-jun snorted and replied.

“It’s no use trying to provoke me. It leaves a bad aftertaste to kill an opponent who had no intention of killing me from the beginning.”

“It will get troublesome. *Cough*… Let’s say, by some chance, I survive and escape. Your information will be delivered intact to the vampires, won’t it?”

“There’s no information that would cause me trouble if it gets delivered.”

“There is one. If they eat the food you make, all vampires will be weakened—. Ah, Carmilla will probably report this on her own anyway. *Cough*, ah, Carmilla is Armilka’s real name, by the way, and she is a vampire.”

“I know.”

Realizing that Gi-jun’s attitude wouldn’t change no matter what he said, Ruthven sighed and raised his gun.

“It was like that from the beginning. I intended to test you, but I was the one being tested all along… It’s not bad, but you are too simple.”

Bang! Ruthven pulled the trigger with the last of his remaining mana.

Gi-jun realized that it wasn’t aimed at him and immediately turned around.

The first thing he saw was the belly of the giant wolf Hati’s corpse split wide open.

Next was a blue fragment of the moon bouncing into the air—Hati’s heart.

Finally, he caught sight of a black-furred werewolf looking flustered after dropping it from his hand.

“That’s why you get taken advantage of by hyenas like that, who covet the loot.”

Ruthven spoke as if mocking Gi-jun.

No, who was the one who insisted on fighting without even giving him time to loot?

Gi-jun retorted, pretending to be unfazed despite finding it absurd.

“Actually, I didn’t kill you because I knew it would turn out like this.”

“You certainly talk a good game.”

—Grrrr…

Could that really be Quinodon, who had led the other werewolves into these ruins?

Of course, he did look quite strong—but remembering how he had been on guard, thinking the guy was of Legendary rank, only made him laugh.

Moreover, seeing how shabby and already wounded the wolf looked, it occurred to him` to him that the beast might have already fought a battle with his party members.`

‘Right, Laura, In!’

Only then did Gi-jun remember his party members, and his heart grew anxious, but dealing with the werewolf right in front of him was the priority.

‘Lucy!’

—I was already preparing!

—Kieeeek!

Chains of light rising from the ground bound the werewolf in an instant.

A moment later, Ur added his power, causing the chains to burst into flames and inflict additional damage on the beast.

—With just this—!

The werewolf, Quinodon, exerted immense strength to tear off the chains binding him.

However, before he could snatch the heart floating in midair, a hand reached out from behind.

“Uh…?”

—What!

It was a speed so fast that even Gi-jun, who shared senses with Lucy, could not perceive it in that instant.

No, was it not fast, but stealthy?

In any case, that hand really did appear out of nowhere, grabbing the moon fragment without giving Quinodon any room.

Swallowed by Hati, it was the essence of the moon that had even been highly condensed after merging with the divine beast’s heart inside its body.

The greatest artifact of these ruins, which had been Quinodon’s target—

“Jun-nim.”

The werewolf holding Hati’s heart called Gi-jun’s name.

His entire body was drenched in blood that was not his own, his eyes gleamed with murderous intent, and the axe in his hand was dyed so red that one could barely tell it was originally silver-plated.

Even so, reason still remained in his voice.

“Instead of the silver imbued with moonlight, could I receive this?”

“Gin…”

Even as Gi-jun looked at him and called his name, he could not believe it.

That the kid, who had seemed to have no talent for combat at all, had fought until his weapon and body were completely drenched in blood.

—That is mine—!

“It’s not yours. It’s Jun-nim’s.”

Also that he was dodging all attacks and protecting the heart by skillfully moving his body against a werewolf easily twice his size.

—He has become a completely different being. It seems his level has risen significantly as well.

At Lucy’s words, Gi-jun also realized one thing.

Hadn’t the area been strangely quiet for a while now?

He had thought they all fled in surprise at Hati’s appearance, but what if that wasn’t the case?

What if someone had gone around killing them one by one?

And what if that was the werewolf in front of him?

If so, his rapid growth was not incomprehensible.

“As expected… *Cough*, it seems you overcame it.”

“Overcame it? You call that overcoming it?”

“If you don’t mind, won’t you… give that to the boy? At the very least, *cough*… the success rate will be higher than consuming silver imbued with moonlight.”

Ruthven spoke in a calm voice.

“Of course, he won’t be able to become human. But rather than dreaming an impossible dream… *Sigh*, wouldn’t it be better to gain the strength to resist reality?”

Gi-jun recalled what Ruthven had said earlier and closed his eyes tightly before opening them.

Ruthven had not watched Gin because he was curious about whether Gin could return to being human.

It was because he had sensed that Gin would ultimately walk the same path as him.

An undead hunter.

Hesitating as he felt the anger and hatred radiating from the werewolf who could no longer be called a boy, Gi-jun finally bit his lip.

“Gin, if you become a monster—I will kill you.”

He formally transferred his loot to Gin.

“It’s fine, Jun-nim.”

—I told you to hand it over—!

The chains created by Lucy once again grabbed Quinodon, who was rushing at Gin, unleashing his remaining energy.

In fact, the moment his attempt at snatching it was discovered by Ruthven, his intentions were as good as thwarted, and his struggling, unable to accept reality, was simply laughable now.

Gin also sneered as he looked at the beast and muttered softly.

“I’m already a monster, aren’t I? Feel free to take my life as you wish.”

Having finished speaking, Gin threw the blue heart in his hand into his mouth in one bite.

—No—! Argh!

A species mutation occurred.

First, something like a black mist crept out from Gin’s body and dissolved into the air.

Next, blue and silver lights arose simultaneously, covering Gin’s entire body. Seeing how Quinodon, who was trying to tear the chains and pounce on him while screaming, retreated powerlessly before that light, it seemed indeed to be the energy of silver.

The change was not very long, but it was dramatic.

His build, which was smaller than Quinodon’s but much larger than an ordinary human’s or demi-human’s, had shrunk noticeably, becoming similar to that of an average human male.

“Ah…?”

No, it wasn’t just his size that was similar; his overall appearance was as well.

For though he still had a silver-blue tail and wolf ears, he was like a human in every other aspect.

His hair was blue, and silver pupils were embedded in his face, which still retained a youthful feel.

As Gi-jun stroked his chest in relief, messages appeared in front of his eyes as if on cue.

—Hidden Quest Cleared! Fulfilling the desires of the poor werewolves caught in the clutches of the Vrykolakas, you have removed the yoke from the necks of the fugitives’ descendants!

—You have brilliantly solved a quest whose very existence was hidden, approaching it without prejudice against light and darkness. A highly positive modifier is added to [One Who Lifts the Veil (R)]! Due to the title’s effect, the rewards are amplified beyond the limits! You have obtained 12,000 points!

—Your level has increased by 5, reaching 50! Strength (U) has increased by 3, Dexterity (L) by 3, Endurance (U) by 5, Light Mana (L) by 2, and Spiritual Power (L) by 2!

—As a quest reward, your lowest stat [Strength (U)] has increased by 3, your next lowest stat [Endurance (U)] by 3, and additionally, Charm (L) has increased by 5!

—As a quest reward, you have obtained 1 skill point that can be used to level up any skill you want!

—Hidden Quest Cleared! Fulfilling the desires of the poor werewolves caught in the clutches of the Vrykolakas, you have removed the yoke from the necks of the fugitives’ descendants!

—You have brilliantly solved a quest whose very existence was hidden, approaching it without prejudice against light and darkness. A highly positive modifier is added to [One Who Lifts the Veil (R)]! Due to the title’s effect, the rewards are amplified beyond the limits! You have obtained 12,000 points!

—Your level has increased by 5, reaching 50! Strength (U) has increased by 3, Dexterity (L) by 3, Endurance (U) by 5, Light Mana (L) by 2, and Spiritual Power (L) by 2!

—As a quest reward, your lowest stat [Strength (U)] has increased by 3, your next lowest stat [Endurance (U)] by 3, and additionally, Charm (L) has increased by 5!

—As a quest reward, you have obtained 1 skill point that can be used to level up any skill you want!

“What… is this?”

“Congratulations on… escaping the Vrykolakas.”

Seeing Gin, who had become a muscular young man, grope his own body in confusion, Ruthven chuckled and spoke.

“Since you have gathered the true power of the moon inside your body—you will no longer be swayed by the moon in the sky.”

With a toss, he threw the pistol in his hand to Gin.

Gin caught it, though flustered.

Unlike when Ruthven held it, the Vladimir in Gin’s hand did not burn with fire.

On the contrary, it synchronized with the mana flowing inside Gin’s body, increasing its power in real-time.

“It has found its master.”

Muttering with satisfaction, Ruthven quietly raised a finger and pointed at something.

Gin, who had been staring blankly at Ruthven, followed his finger and turned his gaze, only to discover the black werewolf barely managing to pull himself together and rushing toward him.

—How dare you, someone like you—!

Although he was a bastard who had tried to stab others in the back like a hyena, his tenacity in refusing to give up and clinging to his target was indeed worthy of the name wolf.

—Bang!

Gin pulled the trigger without hesitation, lodging a silver bullet between the beast’s brows.

Watching Quinodon, who was already at his limit, lose his life and roll on the ground, Lucy spoke quietly.

—You had plenty of opportunities to finish him. You let him have it, didn’t you?

‘I just thought it would be better for him to bring it to an end himself.’

As Gi-jun replied with a sigh, Ruthven spoke to him again.

“Then, could you excuse us for a moment?”

“You asked me to kill you.”

“That’s why I found someone to do it instead, haven’t I?”

“Ha.”

If he wanted to die that badly, it was no longer any of Gi-jun’s business.

…In fact, he looked like he would die soon even if no one touched him.

For a moment, he wondered why Ruthven hadn’t received any rewards even though the quest was completed successfully, but it seemed he had been automatically excluded from the quest after leaving the party.

If Ruthven had anticipated even this…

Gi-jun snorted to hide his bitter feelings.

“Do as you wish.”

“Jun-nim…”

“I’m sorry for dumping this task on you.”

He placed his hand on the flustered Gin’s shoulder, then took it off and said quietly.

“I’m counting on you.”

“…Yes.”

Walking past him, Gi-jun discovered the corpse of the giant wolf, which still hadn’t disappeared.

Normally, when one cut away and took the parts of a monster’s corpse where mana remained densely concentrated, the rest would eventually lose its sustaining power and vanish.

Yet even after pulling out eight claws, shattering its teeth, and extracting its heart, the corpse remained perfectly intact, so this beast was quite extraordinary.

‘No, does harvesting it while it was still alive not count? If that’s the case, the Slaughter skill is even more incredible than I imagined.’

After thinking that for a moment, Gi-jun checked with Lucy.

‘Did you find In and Laura, Lucy?’

—Both are safe. In is carrying Laura on his back and walking this way. You can do what you need to do without worry.

‘Thank you.’

Now that he had confirmed his party members’ survival, he dragged the wolf’s corpse away to avoid interrupting the two’s conversation and silently butchered it.

He selected and pulled out the sharpest and sturdiest of the remaining teeth (U+), tore away the most intact and toughest parts of the hide (U+), enough to make at least two or three sets of leather armor, and marveling that the beast still hadn’t vanished, he butchered the ribs (L).

‘No—why are only the ribs of a proper Legendary grade? How annoying.’

—But why the ribs, Contractor?

‘I’ve already pulled out all the parts that can be made into equipment, so now I have to choose what to eat. Didn’t you know that monster hunting is half about eating, Lucy?’

—I love how the Contractor becomes so eloquent whenever the topic of food comes up.

—Kieeee!

Of course, Lucy and Ur had long since been contaminated by Gi-jun, so they merely drooled in anticipation of the dish Gi-jun would prepare with the ribs of Hati, the wolf of legend.

Perhaps because its size was so massive, it seemed he could easily harvest over a ton of rib meat alone, excluding the rib bones, if he took it all, but unfortunately, by the time he had secured about 300 kilograms, the rest of the wolf’s corpse vanished, enveloped in light.

‘Ah, I should have just carved out the meat instead of pulling out the rib bones.’

It was useless to regret it late.

Gi-jun put everything he obtained from the butchery into his inventory and fell into fleeting thoughts as he watched Hati’s body disappear.

It was then that he discovered a tiny coin falling in that spot.

* * *

—Phew, the sensation of a clone dissolving is truly terrible.

A fragment of the vampire Carmilla’s soul, a split soul, was flying inside the ruins.

As she told Laura, her clone was made of blood, but with that alone, it was impossible to think properly, let alone exert her power as a vampire.

Therefore, she had to temporarily separate and contain a part of her soul, but if the soul separated this way was not properly recovered, it could cause severe damage to the main body.

—If possible, I wanted to wait and see our Lau—ra awaken as a perfect vampire before moving, but since that insect Ruthven seems to have failed, it can’t be helped.

Despite being dispatched together with the mission to investigate and, if possible, kill the man who had caused tremendous damage to the vampires, he had opposed her at every turn and done strange things, which she hadn’t liked, and now he had failed like an idiot.

While she was flying through the sky, resolving that she would gladly crush him if he ever returned alive, something pitch-black suddenly blocked her path.

It was a spiritual body just like herself.

—What are you?

—Fufu…

It approached with a gloomy chuckle and quietly whispered to her.

—Did you dare to harm him and try to run away?

—A lowly evil spirit, what nonsense are you talking about now—?

—You can’t escape.

In an instant, the evil spirit swelled in size.

Her beautifully waving black hair expanded like a curtain, dyeing everything pitch-black.

Only then did Carmilla realize that the evil spirit was not an easy opponent, but by then, it was already too late.

The evil spirit, who swallowed Carmilla’s soul fragment in an instant, digested it to make it her own power, and then—fufu, letting out a laugh, returned the way she came as if nothing had happened.

Back to his side.