A cold, piercing wind brushed past my skin.
Without the enhancement serum, it would've flayed me alive. But as I was now, it felt no harsher than a passing breeze.
'…Hmph.'
The landscape came into view.
Flying through the dark veil of night had its own sort of charm—if only it weren't in this wretched world.
["Ugh… Something feels off."]
"It's not just your imagination."
["Huh?"]
[You've entered the Swamplands of Opacum.]
Opacum of the Rotting Body.
The master of the swamp—and one of the region bosses—Opacum was notoriously known in The Defense community as the "noob-slayer."
A giant wall that greeted all new players head-on.
「"How the hell do you beat this thing?"」
Even I had felt the sting of despair the first time I faced Opacum. That alone said everything about its difficulty.
The tenth stage—the boss stage—was no joke. Going in unprepared usually spelled disaster.
Even if someone did manage to survive it, the toll it took on Ark afterward often left the city too damaged to survive the following stage.
But like all things, even Opacum had a weakness.
A proper strategy.
And that was why I had come here.
'Let's begin…'
Guiding Horus to the heart of the swamp, I descended slowly.
[Kihit?]
[Kihehehehehet!]
The moment I neared the ground; The swamp's resident beasts began growling.
They weren't charging just yet—probably due to Horus's overwhelming presence—but I could feel them circling, closing in.
Their strength ranged from Grade-6 to Grade-10.
'As expected, they know how to handle a strong opponent.'
It made sense, considering this was Opacum's domain. The beasts here were well aware of the rules of power.
Still, I couldn't let my guard down.
One slip, and they'd tear into me without hesitation.
'Let's find it.'
I flicked on my binding light—an attachment used for illuminating protection gear—and scanned the surroundings.
[Grrr…]
[Kyarrrrk!]
The beasts flinched at the light but didn't retreat—watchful, cautious.
["What are you looking for?"]
"A spot."
["A spot? What kind of spot?"]
"You'll see."
Opacum slumbered deep beneath the swamp.
It was practically impossible to reach it directly—not only because of the sheer depth, but also because waking it prematurely could cause…
…a catastrophic impromptu Wave.
And given Ark's current state of recovery, such a wave could mean utter devastation.
Hence, the importance of positioning the explosives just right.
'Shouldn't be too hard.'
Opacum's movement path upon awakening was well-documented in community guides.
As long as I laid the traps along that route, it would be textbook.
Simple in theory—not so much in execution.
'Simple doesn't mean easy.'
Especially not here.
[Kiiiii…]
[Kak! Kaak!]
The beasts were inching closer.
With a sharp cry, Horus let loose a threatening screech.
[Kihehehehehet—!]
Some of the beasts hesitated and pulled back, but it wasn't enough—they weren't going to back off entirely.
Even Horus, a monster nearing Grade- 1 classification, couldn't fully deter them.
This fight was inevitable.
And honestly, I needed to clear the area anyway.
If they messed with the explosives during setup, everything would go up in smoke—literally.
I switched the Ark-34 to assault rifle mode.
Clack—
Loaded with standard rounds. Less power than the A-985 explosive rounds, but perfect for a quiet takedown.
The last thing I needed was to stir up even more monsters with loud gunfire.
I toggled to silencer mode.
Whirr… click, click—
'Here goes.'
I scanned the beasts circling in the dark, waiting.
I wasn't about to let them strike first.
Preemptive strikes win fights. I knew that better than most.
Click—
I pulled the trigger.
SHWAAANG—!
A high-pitched crack ripped through the air as the head of an 8th-grade beast exploded like a melon.
[KAAAAAAH—!]
The signal had been fired.
All the surrounding beasts charged.
[KAAAH—!]
[Grrrrr!]
They came from all sides.
Even with infinite ammo, the terrain made this a tight spot.
If I were alone, that is.
[Grrrr…]
Horus rumbled low—and unleashed his bony tendrils in every direction.
PFFT!
PFT-PFT-PFT!
[KAAAHHH!]
[KEEK! KEEEK!]
Even so, the monsters didn't stop.
I matched their fury with a barrage from the Ark-34.
Shing—!
SHING-SHSHSHSHING!!!
The sonic bursts echoed like blades ripping through the sky.
And beasts fell, one by one.
[You have slain Grade-8 Beast-Type: Mutated Scale Serpent.]
[Damage to Mutated Scale Serpent increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-10 Insect-Type: Giant Gnat.]
[Damage to Giant Gnat increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-6 Insect-Type: Red-Eyed Dragonfly.]
[Damage to Red-Eyed Dragonfly increases by 0.05%.]
.
.
.
[You have slain Grade-7 Arachnid: Venom Fang Spider.]
[Damage to Venom Fang Spider increases by 0.05%.]
Flashes of crimson and spurts of green blood lit up the swamp around us.
But I didn't stop. I kept pulling the trigger.
["Master! Behind you!"]
Esther's urgent shout rang out just as a beast lunged at my back.
But of course, I wasn't alone.
[GIGIT!]
Janus's bone tendrils slithered out behind me, instantly piercing the charging monster's neck.
THUNK!
FWOOOOSH—!
[KRAGH!]
[Khak…!]
Esther cheered.
["Nice one, Boney!"]
As always, Janus began devouring the corpse greedily.
Slurp, slurp—
The fight continued.
But the number of monsters swarming from all directions was dwindling.
The end of this long, hellish battle was finally in sight.
Then it happened—a streak of venom shot out from my blind spot.
It sizzled on impact—but it had been blocked by Janus's bone armor.
SSSSSS…
The armor corroded slightly but quickly regenerated, restored by Janus's own healing abilities.
Just another testament to how far Janus had come.
'I've raised you well.'
Had I not had him, a direct hit from that venom could've been fatal—enhancement serum or not.
Even with all the augmentations I'd undergone, a hit like that wouldn't have ended well.
'The swamp's toxins are thickening.'
I swapped out the filter on my gas mask.
I had plenty in reserve, thankfully, but that didn't mean I planned to waste them.
'Time to wrap this up.'
Heavy weapons were out of the question.
No, it's not that I couldn't use them—I just didn't want to risk drawing attention.
'That means…'
What needed to be done hadn't changed.
Pull the trigger. Kill the beasts.
That was my job here.
Click—
SHWAAAAANG—!
I gripped the Ark-34 in my right hand and drew Ankelenth's Spear with my left.
With monsters charging from all sides, I needed to be ready for close quarters.
SHRAAAANG—!
Every swing of Ankelenth's Spear, sharper and deadlier than any plasma blade, cleaved through monsters like butter.
My fully refined ether.
Reinforced physique.
Multiple enhancement serums—including the Alpha type.
And a slew of specialized traits.
All of it culminated in this moment.
[KYEEEEEHH…]
THUNK—!
[KEEK!]
Blood sprayed across my gas mask—green, red, thick and acrid.
'Tch.'
Even through the mask, I could feel the poison in the air.
Thankfully, Ark-made masks lived up to their reputation—my breathing remained unaffected.
But the exposed skin Janus hadn't shielded stung like hell.
'This really isn't a place you want to stick around.'
The Swamplands of Opacum.
Located dangerously close to Ark, I'd be returning here often in the future for one reason or another.
'After Opacum's gone, some other monster will just take its place… but that's a problem for later.'
The wilderness outside Ark was organic.
Someone leaves a seat empty, and something else always moves in to claim it.
'By then, it won't be Opacum's Swamp anymore, anyway.'
But for now…
I slowly scanned the area.
Beasts and monsters lay scattered all around—crimson and green blood painting the mud.
'Almost done.'
There were still a few stragglers lurking in the swamp, but not many.
More importantly, none of them dared bare their fangs at me anymore.
'They finally get it.'
They'd learned the difference in power.
It had been a tedious, frustrating process.
Still, I'd gained something for my trouble—my [Beast Hunter] trait had strengthened, and Janus had grown too.
I considered using Ankelenth's Domain to flush out the last of them—but that might risk waking Opacum.
And that, I couldn't afford.
'Time to begin.'
I looked toward the trees growing directly above Opacum's resting place.
The real reason I avoided heavy weaponry.
A single misfire could've destroyed those trees—critical landmarks for my trap placement.
I had to be patient, had to use only basic ammo.
Those trees were vital.
['Rift Space' has been activated.]
I opened the rift.
One by one, I pulled out the explosives I'd stored.
Each was to be placed precisely along the route Opacum would take once awakened.
I mentally recalled the path.
Where it would rise.
Where it would move.
I saw it all clearly.
'First—the head.'
Three TW-742 thermobaric bombs. Enough to rattle Opacum the moment it wakes.
'Next—the eyes.'
NA-44 Napalm Bombs and Model-88 Incendiaries—so the first thing it sees after centuries of sleep is a burning inferno.
'Here—the torso.'
TOLMAN-15. A heavy concussive payload.
'And the legs…'
Large volumes of RDX-14 and TNT-778 to cripple its mobility.
'And next…'
I continued the work.