88 – 17 – I Am the Boss – 3

Even while Gi-jun was struggling to manage his facial expression, Lucy’s voice continued.

—Once I went deep inside the hideout, other races suddenly started appearing, you know? Humans and… vampires.

A chocolate factory, humans, vampires.

Recalling the chocolate that the vampire Carmilla had constantly kept in her mouth, Gi-jun’s complexion stiffened.

Come to think of it, she did say Carmilla had originally operated in Cor.

He should have naturally thought of the possibility that there were other vampires in Cor, or at least something to support Carmilla’s activities.

But, caught up in the thought of resolving the complexly tangled faction war, he had foolishly forgotten about it.

—Come to think of it, it makes sense that they get along so well. Vampires are monsters that suck human blood, and ‘these things’ are—monsters that devour humans.

Gi-jun bit his lip at the words Lucy calmly spoke.

Though he did not know for sure, the scene she was witnessing right now was likely not very pleasant.

‘Since they were all intertwined as one anyway, should I consider this a relief?’

No way.

The species guild union, Demander, was too massive an enemy to face head-on.

If Nabinya could just escape from there safely, they might be able to secure evidence and draw others in, but even so, he hesitated to rashly expose their identity.

Because that would instantly drag the conflict between the Light Faction and the vampires surrounding Gratia to the surface.

‘It’s not even strange. The fact that there is a year left until the invasion means they have already taken positions all over Gratia and are playing all kinds of tricks, yet I foolishly believed blindly that we had a year of grace left.’

And the same was likely true for them; they would not want to escalate the situation right now either.

To discard the species guild union that had settled in Cor, which could dare be called the heart of Gratia—

If moved properly, would it not be a waste to already discard this giant insect that could instantly throw Cor into chaos and serve as a bridgehead for the vampires’ invasion?

That must be why they were trying so desperately to kill Nabinya…

‘No, the more I think about it, the more amazing it is. These bastards must have hidden their tails thoroughly, so how on earth did you and Nabinya find them?’

—It was the result of a harmony between this kid’s tracking ability, which was better than expected, and my ability to sniff out the dark faction perfectly, allowing us to achieve such a miraculous feat. Ah, those damn vampire bastards’ blood magic—!

A huge chunk of Gi-jun’s spiritual power vanished.

And then once more.

This was because not only Lucy, but also Ur, who was fighting a fierce battle beneath the lava lake, was drawing his energy.

Fortunately, he was in the middle of unleashing Salutaris at full strength.

—I killed them. Contractor, did the experience points go through?

‘They did. I’m going to level up thanks to our Lucy.’

—Hehe.

In truth, it had not come in entirely.

He thought it was probably about half, perhaps because the distance between them was too far—and because Lucy was currently fighting alongside Nabinya, the experience points were naturally shared with her, who was treated as Gi-jun’s pet.

If Nabinya’s level rose because of that and increased her chances of survival even a little, it was actually for the best.

—I survived thanks to the contractor’s title effect applying all the way here. My spirit arts are working more powerfully than usual.

‘That’s a relief. If Nabinya makes it out alive, we can counterattack somehow, so I’m counting on you.’

—But honestly, there’s not much hope. Monsters, vampires, and humans except for the sacrifices—we are surrounded by enemies on all sides. Ah, Nabinya! Well done!

At the end of the voice that came in a low tone, the words Lucy spoke to Nabinya were mixed in.

Because the message was cut off again, it was only after waiting for a long time that he could learn what Nabinya had done well.

—She is finding and destroying the devices running the factory! Seeing how well she finds hidden things, she might have a talent for scouting… Ah, it’s that monster again. It’s completely blocking the hallway!

As soon as she finished speaking, his spiritual power and light mana were sucked out again.

As if they had coordinated, Ur also drew energy at that exact moment.

Refueling two gas-guzzling foreign cars like a busy gas station, Gi-jun kept casting Salutaris, and the skill’s level eventually rose by one.

—The level of the Salutaris (L) skill has reached 18. It seems you will be able to recover spiritual power quickly even when none is left.

—The level of the Salutaris (L) skill has reached 18. It seems you will be able to recover spiritual power quickly even when none is left.

Becoming somewhat anxious, Gi-jun opened his eyes and looked down the mountain.

Although no one was climbing the volcano yet, he could vividly read the presence of those fighting all over the ruins.

The goblins and the Sabers—these bastards probably had no idea what was happening outside right now.

They were simply acting nonchalantly as if they had not plotted beforehand, squeezing the poor trolls from both sides to reduce their numbers.

That scene was probably being broadcast as well—how plausibly were they packaging their collaboration as a mere coincidence?

‘The trolls will be wiped out before long. Then they will come up here…’

Gi-jun’s mind grew complicated as well.

He was already separated from Lucy, and now even Ur was fighting the boss of the ruins, draining his spiritual power and mana.

If he clashed with the enemies like this, it would undoubtedly be a complete defeat.

Somehow, before that happened, Ur had to finish the fight and return to him—

—Grrrr…

It was then that he heard the breathing of a monster, which he had heard so many times since entering these ruins that it had now become familiar.

Honestly, he was surprised.

No matter how much he had been doing nothing but operating his Mana Circuit while separated from his spirits, to not even perceive its approach until he could hear its breathing.

—Boom!

The secret was a tunnel.

Boldly enough, the creature had dug a tunnel and stealthily approached this volcano, where the geothermal heat was terribly high and lava flowed underground.

From a hole so small that it looked hard for even a single person to squeeze in, the creature leaped out, instantly expanding its size as it landed in front of him and growled.

—I have come…!

Its height was easily about five meters.

The circumference of its arms, packed with rugged muscles, easily surpassed that of a centuries-old tree.

The scars carved all over its body proved the history etched into its flesh. Seeing how it covered its vital parts with iron armor forged from magic metal, and even wore armaments on both fists and feet, it was clear that it was not a wild monster but belonged to a civilized race.

—You dared to toy with my kin. I will kill you myself!

Not only could it speak, but the monster also exuded an aura stronger than anyone Gi-jun had faced since entering the ruins.

If the monsters called ogres had a racial representative, he thought this guy might be it.

Of course, if ogres had established their own civilization and were summoned as summoners of the dark faction, they would have a representative.

Whether it was a representative or not would be known once he killed it.

“I guess you heard the news of your comrades’ deaths a bit late. Or were you not in these ruins yet back then?”

—You, how dare you—!

At Gi-jun’s words mocking it as if he knew everything, the ogre let out a thunderous roar, pressing down on him.

It was probably a type of battle cry that such monsters usually possessed.

—[Unfailing Body Clock (L)] strongly resists physical and mental interference.

—Resistance successful. A positive modifier is applied to [Salutaris (L)].

—[Unfailing Body Clock (L)] strongly resists physical and mental interference.

—Resistance successful. A positive modifier is applied to [Salutaris (L)].

Gi-jun had never fallen victim to such minor debuffs ever since his body clock had been of Unique rank.

Rather, thanks to the creature, the recovery rate of his spiritual power and mana through Salutaris increased noticeably, allowing him to regain enough energy to fight even while having his strength drained by the two spirits.

Slowly standing up, he equipped his two shields in combat mode and casually spoke.

“Ogres are most famous for their giant size and brute strength, but intelligent ogres are said to originally boast outstanding transformation abilities. I can tell by how small that tunnel is. You shrank your body and secretly dug a tunnel all the way here, didn’t you?”

—…!

Coincidentally, the very first time the existence of an ogre clearly made its presence known in Earth’s literature as a monster was in Charles Perrault’s fairy tale, ‘Puss in Boots.’

In that fairy tale, the ogre appeared as a man-eating monster and even possessed the ability to transform at will.

He had thought nothing of it because the ogres he encountered in the tutorial lacked transformation abilities, but that had merely been a tutorial specification.

It seemed that real ogres were indeed capable of proper transformation.

That would explain why they had even impersonated another race.

—Grrrrr—!

Although flustered upon realizing the opponent was not cowed by its roar at all, the creature erased its embarrassment with a desire for revenge for its fallen comrades, fueling its anger.

But Gi-jun was equally angry.

Not only had they plotted with the goblins to deceive him and used cowardly tactics in the faction war, but above all, they had put Nabinya and Lucy in danger.

“It will be impossible to kill you in a single blow, though.”

Light mana concentrated on the shields equipped on both of Gi-jun’s arms, rising long like fangs.

The flames blazing over them were nothing more than a coating from Flame Eyes, but perhaps because he was disguised as a Flame Human, it suited him quite plausibly.

In terms of pure power, there was no weakening greater than this—but in the current situation, it was rather for the best.

Gi-jun glanced back slightly and declared with a smile on his lips.

“I will finish this without getting hit even once.”

—Bullshit—!

The creature shouted and kicked off the ground.

Along with a roar that shook the earth, the ogre’s massive fist closed in, filling his vision in the blink of an eye.

Gi-jun did not dodge it and thrust forward his shield.

—Trying to match me in strength, I will crush you fl—

With a light clack, Gi-jun’s body bounced into the air.

He was not blown away by the fist, but had launched himself by deflectively receiving the creature’s punch with his shield.

To easily deflect a monstrous force capable of shattering a giant boulder, it went without saying that exquisite technique along with strong power was required.

—…?!

“Hup!”

As the ogre gasped in shock upon realizing the meaning, the shield thrown by Gi-jun, who was floating in midair, lodged itself into the creature’s shoulder blade while brimming with light.

—Aaaagh!

Ogres did not possess a distinct weakness to the sun like vampires, but they were clearly defined as ‘evil’ due to their ferocity, which ranked among the highest in the dark faction, and their trait of devouring both friend and foe alike.

What that meant was that not only did Gi-jun’s light mana work exceptionally well against the creature, but…!

—You are facing an evil-attribute boss-grade monster. The effect of the title [The Last Hero (L)] is activated, enhancing all stats by 30%.

—You are facing an enemy of a higher grade than yourself. The effect of the title [Limit Transcender (L)] is activated, obtaining a dramatically positive modifier.

—You are fighting an enemy much larger than yourself. The effect of the title [Giant Killer (U)] is activated, increasing all stats by 17%.

—You are facing an evil-attribute boss-grade monster. The effect of the title [The Last Hero (L)] is activated, enhancing all stats by 30%.

—You are facing an enemy of a higher grade than yourself. The effect of the title [Limit Transcender (L)] is activated, obtaining a dramatically positive modifier.

—You are fighting an enemy much larger than yourself. The effect of the title [Giant Killer (U)] is activated, increasing all stats by 17%.

This meant that his finest title, the greatest gift Biche had left behind, was taking effect!

With another 20% from the Conqueror of the Behind Dungeon title and another 20% from the Skill Creator effect added on top, Flash Throw was not just a simple check, but on the level of a finishing move.

“Hup!”

Gi-jun, who had landed on the ground, kicked off the earth just as the creature had done and charged fiercely toward it.

—Craaaaargh!

Realizing that Gi-jun’s strength was not to be underestimated, the ogre no longer let its guard down.

For an ogre, whose abilities were entirely tailored for close combat except for its transformation ability, to win a battle, it had no choice but to dodge the enemy’s attacks and plunge its fists into any openings.

It had already realized that Gi-jun’s skills were superior to its own, so in that case—

—How about this!

Both of the ogre’s fists slammed into the earth simultaneously, completely overturning the ground.

Although it was a crude technique that used its natural monstrous strength to cause an earthquake in the vicinity, its effect was extremely excellent.

The ground cracked like a spiderweb with a sharp tearing sound, vibrating violently as lava seeped out little by little from the crevices.

Unless one could run through the sky, no matter how much one had trained their lower body, this was a moment where their balance would inevitably be disrupted.

This was the moment the ogre had aimed for.

If the enemy stopped moving due to the earthquake, and the ground itself was lifted and thrown, there would surely be a chance to land a heavy blow—

—Boom!

—Kugh?!

At that moment, the ogre’s massive body was violently thrown upward.

It was a strange thing.

Clearly, the opponent should have stumbled from the earthquake it caused?

But then it soon realized.

The shield that had been lodged in its shoulder until just moments ago.

That it had blasted a fierce wind, bouncing the creature into the air.

—Wind?

“That’s right, it’s the shield’s option.”

Before it knew it, Gi-jun had jumped up and was looking down at the ogre from above.

Its back was hot.

Before it knew it, it had been sent flying all the way to the crater of the volcano.

In front of its eyes was a shield that looked exactly like the one that had just shot out wind and sent it flying.

“And I have two shields.”

Meaning the wind blows twice.

Boom! A wind shot out like a cannonball from the edge of the shield, causing the ogre to plunge vertically.

—Do you think I’ll die just from falling into lava like this—?!

“Well, the lava alone might not be enough.”

But what lay inside was not just lava.

—I’ll climb right back up and get you—!

Gi-jun smirked as he glanced at the ogre, which fell into the crater mid-scream with a splash, and gracefully spun his body in midair to land leisurely on the other side.

Immediately after, he felt terrible screams, roars, and immense heat running wild inside the crater.

Seeing as he had sent a reinforcement when Ur seemed to be struggling to settle it alone, Ur seemed to be very delighted.

—What do you think you are doing right now?!

A noisy voice rang out from the transmitter.

—I believe I told you not to utilize the boss monster of the ruins!

“Is that so? Was that ogre by any chance a summoner participating in the faction war?”

The transmitter fell silent again.

“Tell me, was it a participant in the faction war? What about the ogres that attacked me earlier?”

—That, no—

“Ah, come to think of it, the contract only stated that three races belonging to the union would participate, but it never specified exactly who would join. So it’s not a breach of contract, indeed… Then the species guild union has allied with a race of the dark faction? Even permitting them to sneak into the ruins before the faction war began?”

—There was a misunderstanding in our perception.

The surrender was swift.

—Demander has never accepted any race of the dark faction, and there was no issue with the combat just now as a method of hunting monsters.

“And here I thought I almost mistook Demander for a pack of dark faction spies. I hope there won’t be any ‘misunderstandings’ in the future.”

—Yes… we will make sure of it.

Although it might have been his imagination, he thought he heard the sound of teeth grinding on the other end, but Gi-jun merely snorted.

Retrieving both of his shields, he sat down again and resumed operating Salutaris.

Perhaps because it had received a new guest, the crater bubbled as if the volcano were about to erupt at any moment.

Naturally, a natural disaster was a phenomenon Gi-jun could not control anyway, so it would not violate the contract either.

He could not wait to see the reactions of those who would arrive afterward.

* * *

It was when Gi-jun clashed with the giant ogre that Laura detected the activation of blood magic.

Since it had been activated so secretly, she would have missed it if she had not caught the scent of blood with her nose.

‘This is the unique energy of a vampire…’

She sprang to her feet and looked around.

The people filling the viewing arena were all paying attention to the faction war taking place on the large monitor, and the same was true for her companions.

They had heard an explanation when entering the viewing arena.

That a type of focus-enhancing magic was cast on the monitor to draw the spectators’ attention.

But looking at it now, she felt the magic cast on the monitor might be at a slightly dangerous level—

“Miss Laura, what is the matter?”

“Lady Unika, I felt blood magic just now. A vampire might be hiding here.”

“Since Cor is where Carmilla operated, there is definitely a possibility. But why at this timing… Ah.”

Nodding at Laura’s whisper, Unika, who was looking back at the group, let out a low sigh.

Laura also soon realized the reason.

Scintilla’s figure had disappeared from her seat.

It was only right after that she realized the identity of the blood magic that had just been activated was illusion magic.