— Third Person —
Adel was stationed far from prying eyes in the dungeon, waiting while sitting on a block of stone, his back relaxed and face bored. He didn't look like someone about to face a Grade 2 monster, but rather someone wondering what he'd cook for dinner.
One by one, the "companions" he had carefully chosen for the mission arrived. Two Grade 1s, Dorian and a certain Malek with a gaunt face and an ever-acid tone, and three Grade 0s that Adel had been eyeing for some time.
"Gentlemen, I see you're punctual, a trait I truly appreciate." Adel greeted them with a smile.
"You got here early," Dorian said, approaching with his usual air of confidence, as if every situation belonged to him.
Adel barely looked up. "As guide and leader of this mission, I thought I should set a good example."
Dorian laughed. "Too bad you were born in the archipelago. With that diplomatic tongue of yours, you'd have climbed the social ladder quickly on the continent."
Adel just shrugged, as if there was nothing he could do about it.
Malek cut in sharply. "Enough wasting time with useless talk. Let's get to the real issue. How do we split the prize, since there are so many of us?"
One of the Grade 0s, a boy with a sword clearly too big for him, nodded eagerly. "Yeah. If we sell that artifact, we'll make a nice sum."
Dorian glared at them like they had just uttered blasphemy. "You're joking, right? That artifact's mine."
"Oh, and what do we get out of it?" Malek replied venomously.
Adel calmly stood up, cutting in.
"My dear sirs, you're too focused on the present. Why not invest… for a better future?" At his words, all eyes turned to him.
"Invest in who?" Malek asked.
"Obviously, in the next general," Adel said grandly, pointing at Dorian. "Having a favor from him will be worth more than whatever we could get from splitting the artifact's profit."
His words fell like stones in a well. Even the Grade 0s, who were ready to protest, fell silent, because it was true. If Dorian really climbed the ranks thanks to that artifact, a favor from him would be worth more than any coin.
Dorian smiled with satisfaction, but a cold glint lit up in his eyes.
Dorian was an opportunistic bastard who, for some reason, thought he was above everyone else, which was exactly why the idea of owing favors disgusted him. So he had devised a simple plan: after killing the Grade 2 monster and getting the artifact, he would eliminate the others since they would no longer be useful.
What poor Dorian didn't know was that Adel was well aware of his intentions.
The others, too, seemed to harbor similar plans.
That was precisely why Adel had carefully chosen each member of the group, making sure none of them spoke about what they would do… because on that day, none of them would return.
When they reached the cave, the air changed. The metallic stench of blood and rot was so strong it made some wrinkle their noses. From inside came screeches and the disgusting sound of mandibles grinding flesh.
"Here we are," Adel said, pointing to the corridor leading to the main cavern. "The monster is inside. I'll act as bait and draw out as many lesser monsters as possible. You get in, isolate the Grade 2 monster, and take it down. Simple, right?"
"Simple… as long as you're not the one risking your neck," muttered one of the Grade 0s.
"...I'll literally be chased by a horde of monsters even though I'm not awakened. If I had any real combat value, I'd gladly trade places."
No one protested at that. In fact, having one less person to share the loot with sounded even better.
"Then I'm off. Good luck." Adel smiled, a smile no one could quite read.
He moved quickly and silently. A thrown rock and a sharp whistle were enough to lure the lesser monsters out of the cave. Several Grade 0 creatures and a couple of Grade 1s chased him like starving dogs, allowing the rest of the group to slip inside. Adel watched them vanish into the darkness, then picked up speed, leading the monsters away from the cavern's heart.
Once far enough, he turned to face them. Using Razor Claws and Quick Step together, combined with the strength boost from his new ability, he dispatched them far faster than expected.
"Let's see how the clowns are doing."
With a predatory grin, he headed back toward the cave.
****
Inside the cavern, tension exploded instantly. The Grade 2 monster was awake and restless, and as soon as it sensed intruders, it shrieked, making the walls vibrate. The sound made the Grade 0s' blood run cold; they nearly dropped their weapons.
The creature advanced, and its jagged mandibles grated the air with a nauseating sound.
"Spread out!" Dorian shouted, trying to take command. Malek charged from one side while the Grade 0s formed a shaky line. The beast moved far too fast for its size, and with one swing of its arms, it smashed two Grade 0s against the wall like rag dolls.
"Damn it! It's way stronger than we thought!" Malek yelled, slashing with his sword, which bounced off the carapace without leaving a mark.
Dorian tried to strike at its sides, aiming for the gaps between the plates, but the creature lashed out with its wings, knocking him back.
"Hold it still! Aim for the joints!" Dorian shouted as he struggled to get up.
The fight quickly turned into a massacre. The third Grade 0 was skewered by one of its gnarled arms, lifted like a banner, then hurled lifeless across the cavern. Malek managed to stab deep under its armpit, but the monster punched him with such force that his arm snapped like a twig.
Then, before their horrified eyes, its wounds began closing.
"What the hell is this thing?!" Dorian screamed.
They kept attacking, managing to wound it, but unlike them, the monster wasn't tiring.
That's when Adel appeared, his face darkened by the situation.
He had made two miscalculations. First, assuming those people had enough strength. Second, underestimating the monster itself.
Though he'd wanted to wait until the fight was over so he could just pick up the loot, he had no choice but to step in.
"You… what the hell…?" Dorian stammered, but didn't have time to finish.
Adel moved. In a flash, he closed the distance, rolled under the monster's arms, and sliced cleanly at a joint with his dagger, making black blood spurt out. The creature roared, lashing blindly, but Adel dodged with the precision of someone who had memorized its every move.
"He's… he's actually fighting?!" gasped one of the surviving Grade 0s.
Adel didn't answer. He leapt onto the monster's back, slipping past its spreading wings, and drove his dagger between two keratin plates, one of the softest points.
"Strike now!" he shouted, and for a moment Dorian and Malek, despite their surprise, obeyed.
The monster writhed, unleashing a terrible scream. Malek, using his good arm, drove his blade into the open wound while Dorian charged with all his strength, aiming for its heart.
The combined blow didn't kill the monster; it managed to deflect the fatal strike, but still suffered deep wounds.
"I doubt the inside's as tough as the outside."
Grinning wildly, Adel thrust his hand into one of its wounds and triggered one of the two runes engraved on his body — Water Bomb.
The creature's body swelled grotesquely, black blood spraying everywhere, yet it still clung to life… but not for long.
Dorian landed the finishing blow, driving his sword between the monster's mandibles and through its head.
Adel moved fast, ripping the artifact bracelet free even before the beast's corpse hit the ground. Silence followed, broken only by the ragged breathing of the survivors.
"Finally…" Dorian said, walking toward Adel with a smile that left no room for doubt. "Hand it over. You're not seriously planning to keep it, are you?"
Adel tilted his head, looking puzzled. "Oh, of course."
Dorian stayed on full alert, after all, he had just learned this boy was an awakened and unusually strong. But against all expectations, Adel handed the bracelet over calmly.
"Oh…" Still surprised, Dorian examined the artifact, confirming it was Grade 2. His grin widened. "Seems you really know how to survive in this world."
As he turned to pick up his sword, using the corner of his eye, he saw Adel just behind him, and chuckled coldly.
"Too bad you'll die today!"
With a yank, he swung his sword at Adel, but the boy was waiting, sneering. His arm was suddenly covered in scales, his fingers lengthening into claws that clamped down hard on the blade.
Dorian's and everyone else's eyes widened so far they nearly popped out of their sockets.
"A little lesson: if you want to kill someone, just do it, don't waste time talking."
With that whisper, light and cold as if from the depths of hell, Dorian's body jolted. Slowly, he looked down at his chest, where Adel's entire arm had pierced through.
"M-Monster…"
Dorian managed to utter before collapsing as Adel withdrew his arm.
Then Adel turned to the others, whose faces went pale as they realized that no one would be going home that day.