"I didn't realize regeneration could be this fast—and this… isn't even your Ability?"
Yvonne immediately flicked Hax on the forehead, irritation clear in her expression. "Could you try being a little more polite?"
While Elise focused on wrapping fresh bandages around the area near Fiona's shoulder, Solari stood nearby with his hands on his hips, scratching his head. "Miss Fiona, are you sure we don't need to withdraw for now?"
"That would only give them time to regenerate. When we come back, there will be another monster swarm waiting, and I may be occupied with something else by then. Unless you have a reliable method of taking this enemy down on your own."
All five of them turned to look at the half-rat, half-rabbit monster, now reduced to a grotesque, mangled mass. Its body had been torn apart in several places, and it reeked of rot and decay.
Ragdoll. An A-Rank monster infamous for possessing terrifying speed despite its massive frame.
Even if Fiona's tone sounded dismissive, they had no choice but to admit she was right. Without her intervention, they likely wouldn't have been able to overcome this creature—at least not without suffering casualties.
Fiona picked up Flint's katana and handed it back to him. "Here. It's a good sword. It didn't break when I used it."
It was a simple remark, nothing more. But coming from Fiona—and directed at Flint—it might as well have been the highest praise imaginable. The taciturn assassin flushed slightly and replied in a soft, half-stammered voice, "T-thank you."
"But this still isn't the Boss, is it? I… I'm starting to feel a little scared." Elise spoke up, her voice trembling slightly now that she had finished her work.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Hax scoffed. "We've got Miss Fiona with us—there's nothing to worry about."
This time, it was Solari who interrupted him. "Miss Fiona is only here as an invited guest, okay? We even asked her not to interfere too much, remember? Besides, weren't you the one who panicked the most about the Contribution Table when you heard an S-Rank would be joining us?"
"W-well, that's…" Hax scratched the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. "A-anyway, we still have a few days to explore this place and search for the Boss Room. So let's use that time to hunt weaker monsters and strengthen our—"
"About that."
Everyone froze when Flint—normally a man of very few words—suddenly spoke up. "I think I found something that resembles a Boss Room while you were treating Miss Fiona."
***
Before them now stood a dark gray pyramid stretching hundreds of meters wide. Countless gaps lined its base, resembling doors—perhaps hundreds of them. Yet only one stood open, as though it had been prepared specifically for their arrival.
"M-maybe it's a trap—"
"No!" Fiona snapped sharply. "I can feel its Ether pressure. Out of everything in this place, that structure is emitting the strongest one."
The color drained from Hax's face. "B-but wouldn't it be better if we waited a bit? I mean, Miss Fiona just recovered and—"
"The sooner we deal with it, the better, right?" Solari drew his sword and raised his shield once more. "Besides, Miss Fiona probably has other matters to attend to. The faster we finish this, the sooner we can return."
"You don't need to worry about my recovery—or the Contribution Table."
Solari stared in disbelief as Fiona stepped forward and stretched casually, as though she were perfectly fine. "M-Miss Fiona, but you were just—"
"I'll strike several critical points and incapacitate it. After that, each of you will deliver the finishing blow to its vital point."
The five party members exchanged looks. Hax hesitated, only to be met with a mocking smile from Yvonne.
Hax clicked his tongue. "W-what?"
"I don't know," Yvonne said lightly. "I thought an A-Rank—especially a young one—would have more courage. But I guess that's not the case for everyone."
"I-I do have courage!" Hax protested, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Still, to prove his resolve, he moved to the front beside Fiona and took the lead. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
"Tch, such a show-off."
"Hey, Hax, don't rush in alone—that's dangerous, you know."
As Fiona watched the party advance, an… unsettling premonition crept into her mind.
She hadn't lied when she said the strongest source of Ether pressure was here—but it wasn't the kind emitted by a monster.
It felt more orderly. Controlled. Calm.
It resembled the Ether pressure of a human… or a demon.
But that was impossible.
All captured demon officers had either been subdued to the point of losing their sanity or executed on the spot.
And the only one who could reach that level—no, perhaps even surpass it—was Cain. And he was far, far away.
The six of them entered cautiously. The lantern light still reached inside, illuminating the entire interior.
Rather than an ancient ruin, the space resembled a modern hall. Long benches were neatly arranged in rows. Small furnaces occupied the corners, seemingly designed to hold torches or fire. At the front stood a podium with a classical-style desk, its surface painted a dull crimson. Nearby was a large altar surrounded by unlit candles.
Something lying between the altar and the podium made them all stop.
Its body was an enormous mass of muscle, easily weighing several hundred kilograms. If it stood upright, it would likely reach nearly three meters in height. Its black horns were broken in an unnatural way. Thick, black blood dripped from two empty sockets where its eyes should have been.
"That…"
"Ssh!"
Hax lowered his voice. "Is that… what I think it is?"
"I don't think that can be the Boss," Solari said cautiously.
"But earlier, Miss Fiona said—" Elise began.
"What if it's just sleeping?" Yvonne suggested.
"Sleeping with its body torn apart and its eyes gouged out? Sure," Hax replied, though he desperately hoped she was right.
"Someone has to check," Fiona said calmly.
"Someone who claimed to be the bravest earlier, perhaps," Yvonne added pointedly, directing her gaze at Hax.
And Hax immediately caught on. "Huh? Courage isn't the same as stupidity—wait, Flint?"
The assassin had already approached close enough to examine the body. As Flint crouched down, it felt as though the other four had collectively stopped breathing.
"It's dead," he said flatly, prodding the corpse with the tip of his katana—prompting Solari to yelp in protest before stopping himself.
Solari was also the first to step closer. Unlike Flint, he acted decisively, planting his foot on the monster's chest and driving the tip of his greatsword straight into its heart.
Then he waited.
They all did.
Hax swallowed hard before finally asking, "Well?"
Solari's brows twitched, caught between confusion and a creeping sense of dread. "It's really dead. Its Soul Core isn't reacting."
The remaining four exchanged glances and moved closer.
Unlike ordinary monsters, a Boss had only one life. It would not regenerate after being defeated or when Hunters left the area. Its Soul Core would assimilate into the surrounding Ether and automatically close the Gate.
If Hunters were still inside at that moment, they would be transported back to the real world, and the Contribution Table would immediately begin calculating and distributing rewards based on their performance.
Because of that, a deeply unsettling question surfaced.
"If it's the Boss… why are we still inside?" Hax frowned.
That question caused even Fiona to hesitate. Had her perception been wrong? But misjudging a situation like this was something she almost never did.
As they struggled to make sense of the anomaly, Elise suddenly gasped, having glanced behind them. "Guys… did any of you close the entrance earlier?"
Solari frowned. "The entrance? I don't think so—"
And then he saw it. They all did.
Where the open doorway had once been was now a solid wall, seamlessly fused with the surrounding structure—as though the entrance had never existed at all.