Location: Inside the Glitchy Gate (The Primeval Forest - The Apex Den)
Date & Time: Day 7 (Unknown External Time)
The headless, colossal frame of the B-Rank Boss slammed into the earth, sending a tremor through the clearing. As life left the beast, a violent golden fluctuation erupted in the air, rippling through the fog like a shockwave.
Directly behind the carcass, the fabric of space tore open. A glowing, azure Exit Gate manifested—a swirling portal of light. The fundamental law of the dungeon had been satisfied: the Apex Predator was dead, and the path back to the world was now open.
Rudra descended from the eighty-foot canopy in a single, fluid motion. He landed silently, his boots barely disturbing the blood-soaked mud. The dark hood of his Scavenger's Skin and his featureless mask concealed everything but his eyes—cold, detached, and unblinking.
The Leader's breathing was heavy, his mana reserves completely hollowed out. Yet, his gaze was fixed on the hooded figure that had emerged from the void of the trees. He wiped a streak of blood from his face and let out a faint, weary smile. There was a profound respect in his eyes.
"So, my suspicion was correct," the Leader said, his voice raspy with exhaustion. "You've been shadowing us since the beginning. In seven days, not a single monster managed to strike our rear-guard. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
Rudra remained silent. He gave a single, slow nod. No emotion, no pride—just a confirmation of a tactical fact.
The Leader, a seasoned B-Ranker, began to piece the logic together himself. "An ordinary D-Ranker doesn't possess that level of stealth. You're an unregistered C-Ranker, aren't you? Someone who slipped through the cracks of the recruitment line. And this..." The Leader looked down at the Blood Crescent in his hand, which still hummed with the remnants of his blue lightning mana. "This is a C+ Grade dagger, likely sourced from the Black Market. It's the only way to carry that kind of power without a formal registration."
Rudra analyzed the theory in microseconds. It was a perfect cover—a logical explanation provided by the witness himself. Rudra offered another silent nod, allowing the Leader to accept his own conclusion.
At that moment, the four C-Rankers reached the clearing. They were battered and drained, but the sight of the dead Boss brought a surge of relief. One of them, the same man who had questioned Rudra at the gate, stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"You..." the C-Ranker muttered, his brow furrowed in realization. "I knew something was off. When every other Dunger was paralyzed by the unstable pressure of the gate, you stood there like stone. A D-Ranker doesn't have that kind of mental fortitude. You were playing us the whole time."
Rudra ignored the remark, his stillness absolute.
A second C-Ranker approached the bear's massive head. Using his fractured blade, he cut into the skull and chest, extracting three distinct items: a massive, deep-blue B-Rank Mana Core, a glowing Boss Fragment, and a high-density B-Rank Essence Stone. The combined value of these items in the outside world was astronomical—easily worth hundreds of millions.
The Leader took the three items and the Blood Crescent. He walked toward Rudra, stopping a few feet away. Despite his higher rank, his posture was one of humility. He extended his hands, offering the Core, the Fragment, the Stone, and the Dagger.
"If you hadn't intervened—if you hadn't risked your own weapon to arm me—this Boss would have buried us all here," the Leader said with raw honesty. "We would never have seen the sun again. This is the price of my life and the lives of my fifty-four men. This harvest belongs to you by right."
Rudra felt no greed. To him, this was a logical transaction: he had risked his equipment to ensure the survival of the only variable capable of killing the Boss. Now, he was collecting his dividends. He reached out and transferred all four items into his inventory.
Suddenly, the sound of frantic footsteps and shouting echoed from the forest. The fifty D-Rank Dungers burst into the clearing. They saw the decapitated Apex Predator and the glowing blue Exit Gate. They knew nothing of the rear-guard struggle, the C+ dagger, or the phantom in the shadows. They only saw their Leader and the end of their nightmare.
"The Boss is dead!" a Dunger screamed in joy. "The Leader did it! We're going home!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and tears of relief. The suffocating tension of the last seven days broke instantly. They raised their weapons, chanting the Leader's name, their eyes fixed on the portal that led back to their families.
In the midst of the noise, the celebration, and the emotional chaos, Rudra slipped away. Without drawing a single eye, he moved behind the celebrating crowd and stepped into the azure abyss of the Exit Gate. His work in the Glitchy Gate was finished.
Chapter Summary
The Exit: The B-Rank Boss's death triggers the opening of the Exit Gate.
The Cover Story: The B-Rank Leader assumes Rudra is an Unregistered C-Ranker using a Black Market weapon. Rudra accepts this perfect cover.
The Loot: Rudra receives the ultimate reward for saving the squad:
B-Rank Mana Core
Boss Fragment
B-Rank Essence Stone
Blood Crescent (Returned).
The Departure: While the D-Rankers celebrate the Leader as a hero, Rudra slips through the Exit Gate undetected.
Current Status:
MP: 43,820 (Peak C-Rank)
Inventory: B-Rank Core & Fragment, High-density Stones, C+ Dagger.
Mental State: Cold and focused.