Outside the barrier, monsters roamed freely, their glowing eyes locked onto the humans.
The people inside the shelter trembled in fear.
"M-Monsters… so many…"
Some fell to their knees, praying. Others held their weapons tightly, hands shaking. Sir Choi grabbed the Guildmaster's shoulder, shaking his head.
"Let them go. There's no saving them now."
The Guildmaster clenched his fists but stayed silent. Some awakeners hesitated but ultimately followed the Venom Party, lured by greed.
The Venom Party leader laughed, looking back at those inside the barrier.
"See that? Nothing happened! You cowards can hide in your little cage while we get stronger!"
One of his men smirked—
"Yeah! When this wave is over, we'll be the ones ranking up, not you losers."
"The global system didn't warn us because this wave isn't dangerous! That nobody beast doctor tricked you all!"
They walked further away, weapons ready.
A massive dungeon gate suddenly appeared beside them. The black and red portal twisted violently, releasing a horrific aura.
The Venom Party leader grinned—
"Perfect timing! Let's clear this gate first before anyone else!"
His men cheered, preparing to enter. Those inside the barrier watched in horror.
"That's an A rank Dungeon!"
"They're crazy… They don't even know what kind of gate that is!"
A deep, chilling growl echoed from the gate. The air turned heavy. The smell of death spread.
A massive claw ripped through the portal. Two bladed arms, longer than a human, twitched as if sharpening themselves. Its legs were bent like a predatory insect, its clawed feet digging into the ground with each step.
A long, spiked tail slithered behind it, dripping with black liquid that sizzled as it touched the ground. Its head was elongated, like a mantis, but instead of insect eyes, it had two glowing red orbs— Eyes burning with hunger.
The Venom Party didn't flinch. They smirked, standing tall.
"Tch, it's just one monster?" one of them scoffed.
The global system's automatic appraisal activated.
[Death Reaver – A Rank]
[Attack Power: ERROR]
"Why is everything 'ERROR'?"
The Venom Party leader chuckled.
"Probably just a system bug. It happens with weaker monsters sometimes."
They gripped their weapons confidently.
"Let's kill it before anyone else arrives."
Swords swung down. Magic exploded forward. Arrows shot through the air.
They didn't see what happened next.
A head rolled across the ground.
A Venom Party member collapsed, lifeless.
Their weapons were still raised. They hadn't even realized their comrade had died.
Deep, searing pain. Their bodies fell apart, torn before they could react.
The Venom Party leader's grin froze.
His eyes widened in horror.
The others froze, eyes wide with horror.
Another flash. Another scream.
"RUN! IT'S TOO STRONG!"
The leader's cocky grin vanished.
His eyes filled with terror.
"NO—NO—NO—STAY BACK—"
But the Death Reaver lunged.
Its claws crushed his body like paper. His screams were cut off. Inside the barrier, people watched in horror, their faces pale.
"Help! Please, help us!"
The survivors who had managed to escape the Death Reaver's attack ran desperately toward the barrier. Their faces were pale, eyes filled with terror. Behind them, the ground was painted red with the blood of their fallen comrades.
"Hurry! Don't look back, just run!" someone shouted.
But it was too late for many.
A head flew into the air. More bodies collapsed, lifeless.
From inside the barrier, awakeners rushed forward, trying to help— But they couldn't do anything. The Death Reaver was too fast.
"No… No…" Dahlia whispered, covering her mouth in horror.
"Rio?! What are you doing?!"
Dahlia's eyes widened as she saw Rio, another Beast Doctor outside the barrier trying to help them.
He was carrying another survivor on his back, struggling to move.
"You idiot! Run!" someone screamed.
Rio gritted his teeth.
"I won't leave him behind!"
The Death Reaver turned its glowing red eyes toward them.
Rio stumbled, unable to move fast enough. The Death Reaver raised its massive claw, about to cut them both down—
Something massive landed between them. A black exoskeleton gleamed under the moonlight. Six powerful legs stomped against the ground.
Huge mandibles clicked together aggressively.
A giant Ant Beast had appeared.
The Death Reaver hesitated, sensing a new threat.
Taking the chance, Rio and the injured man hurried toward the barrier. Guild members pulled them inside.
And More Ant Beasts appeared. Hundreds of them. They swarmed the battlefield, engaging the monsters that tried to enter the village.
Inside the barrier, everyone stood in shock.
"Why are Ant Beasts helping us?!"
"Are they… on our side?!"
Whispers of confusion spread through the shelter.
"L-Look! In the sky!"
A loud voice made everyone turn their heads upward.
What they saw shocked them.
A figure stood mid-air, moving gracefully between the falling monsters.
"Wait… Isn't that Ji Hoon?!"
Gasps echoed in the shelter.
The Beast Doctor they had mocked before… was fighting.
And he wasn't losing.
Wind swirled around him, his attacks swift and deadly.
Every move crushed the monsters around him.
Some people rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"H-He's really strong?"
Then, another voice called out—
"Wait! Look over there!"
On the other side of the battlefield—
Something strange was happening.
A wave of monsters was being pushed back… by slimes.
"Slimes?! Why are slimes fighting?!"
Everyone was speechless.
They weren't just any slimes—
These slimes moved with intelligence, attacking monsters with perfect coordination.
Among them, one stood out.
A massive dark slime, far larger than the others, was leading them.
Dahlia's eyes widened. She recognized that slime.
"That… that looks like Ji Hoon's familiar but larger."
She swallowed hard, a thought forming in her mind.
"Just… who are they?"