-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Monster
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Did someone beat us to the punch?"
"Mm, looks like it."
The noble family's mansion was shrouded in silence. Scattered around were clear signs of an external raid—anyone could see that.
"Can you believe it? They said not a single person survived, but those bastards were just talking out their asses. No survivors? Yeah, right. Everything's been smashed to pieces."
Listening to Shin Seo-yeon's grumbling, I scanned the floor's traces before peering into the fountain.
'Hit by some pretty powerful force.'
At the bottom of the fountain, fragments that looked like they'd been torn from bodies were tumbling and clumping together in the water's current.
Hard to say blades were used. The chunks of flesh ripped off, crushed, and shredded pointed more to some primal force than a weapon.
I turned away from the fountain.
"Huh? Dickhead, where you going?"
"It's wide open here. No point lingering in a spot like this. Let's move."
"What about the treasure?"
"Of course we'll grab it."
I quickened my pace toward a specific building. Among the 14 structures in this residence, the largest one screamed "main house"—tall floors, massive footprint.
"How do you know where to go?"
"I don't, but wouldn't they stash valuables in a big place like that?"
Of course, it was a 50-50 shot. This world was so damn twisted. Common sense often flew out the window.
'If the soldiers were alive, I could've figured it out easy.'
Focus on the most heavily guarded spots, and you'd hit paydirt more often than not. No point wasting manpower on nothing important.
But with everyone gone now, this was the most logical approach. We cautiously opened the door and checked inside the biggest mansion.
Creeeak. For some reason, the shattered door let out a low groan as it swung open.
"Looks like everyone inside got hit too."
Broken dishes, smashed furniture, candle wax scorched and stuck to the floor, scraps of torn clothing, and a suffocating quiet.
We checked both sides of the hallway, confirmed it was empty, and stepped inside.
"Pretty exotic style."
"Yeah, wild."
A medieval European manor unfolded before us.
The windows were huge, numerous, and spotless—probably to let in max sunlight.
The interior felt a bit crude and monotonous, but the corridors were spacious enough for ten people to walk single file.
Creeak. Creeak.
We scanned left and right, then headed left first. We checked each sporadic door along the hallway.
"Strike."
"This one's a bust too."
After exhausting the left corridor, we did the right, then headed up to the second floor.
Shin Seo-yeon grumbled.
"This'll take forever at this rate. Not sure we'll find it before dawn."
"No choice. Got no better leads."
At Han So-hee's words, Shin Seo-yeon—who'd been tagging along with a dissatisfied frown—grabbed my shoulder.
"Can't we skip the wandering and cut straight to the chase?"
"?"
"Come on. Every time things get stuck, you pull some genius fix out of nowhere. Stop dragging it out and give us the solution already. Or you finally out of tricks?"
...What a drama queen. I shrugged and kept moving.
"Hey, Dickhead! You listening to me?"
"Seo-yeon, Min-jun's human too. He's bound to hit walls sometimes."
"Nah, that's not it. He's hiding something."
Seems the Crimson Flame Witch had sky-high expectations of me. Ignoring her near-certain whining, I flung open another door.
'...Not here either?'
Truth be told, I had no real plan. How do you find hidden treasure in this massive estate?
Nothing better than what we were doing.
'Let's see, nothing here either.'
A servant's dim room. Another dud. As I went to close the door—
Creeak.
"Ah, that Dickhead's definitely up to something."
"Found it."
"Huh? Found what?"
I darted inside and zeroed in on one spot—the place where the wooden floor had creaked faintly moments ago. Sure enough, a silhouette shifted in the shadows.
"Come out."
"..."
"Don't, and I'll kill you."
"W-Wait! Spare me! Please, just let me live!"
A resident half-hid behind the room's curtain, begging desperately.
"Hah? Who's this guy?"
Turns out, he was a servant here. Hid during the chaos while working.
"I-If you spare me, I'll do anything! Please, have mercy..."
"Yeah, no need. Too annoying to drag around, so I'll just burn you?"
Shin Seo-yeon fiddled with her fire as he paled. I quickly stopped her.
"Hold up."
"?"
"He's useful."
"How?"
"He'll handle our legwork from now on. Right?"
The servant nodded frantically.
"O-Of course! Anything you ask! Just spare my life! I beg you!"
Only then did Shin Seo-yeon snuff her flame with a huff and eye me slyly.
"See, sis? Told you Dickhead wouldn't just wander aimlessly. He wasn't hunting treasure—he was hunting survivors."
"Oppa, for real?"
"A-Amazing, Min-jun."
Yi Sera and the Saintess gawked at me. So-hee looked shocked too, even if she didn't say it.
'...Damn, her instincts are sharp.'
I'd tried to play it cool, but fooling the Crimson Flame Witch was tough.
Then again, after years together, it'd be weirder if she didn't know me.
I brushed off their stares and focused on the servant.
"We want the location of this family's treasure vault."
"T-That..."
"Guide us right, and we'll take you out with us when we leave. All the way to the soldiers."
"R-Really?"
I nodded.
Judging it worth the deal, he accepted. The truth: the vault wasn't in this main house, but the building next door.
Glancing through a window by the stairs, it was a tiny structure—a decoy, with the real vault hidden underground in the shabbiest one.
'Would've taken ages if we'd searched here.'
This place's difficulty was insane.
"Eek."
"God, this guy's such a scaredy-cat. Chill out. You freeze up every time you see blood on the floor?"
"B-But..."
"Keep it up, and we leave you."
"N-No!"
The first-floor hallway was bloody. Lots of residents massacred here. Han So-hee, trembling, asked the servant as he trailed us.
"So who did this?"
"A-A monster."
"Monster?"
The group turned to me. Only one monster on Haran.
'Minotaur.'
An ancient beast. Lived on this island since before the kingdom—back in the [Era of Magic and Demons], before mages settled.
Legends said the kingdom's founders unearthed ruins and found it sealed under the mountain.
They woke it as a weapon. That started the tragedy.
"What'd it look like exactly?"
At Han So-hee's question, he stammered.
"H-Huge... Made the hallway walls feel narrow. Soldiers chased it out to hunt it, but no one came back... So..."
Outside, he trailed off at the blood pools. I snorted, tucked him under my arm, and strode to the next building.
"How long since it came and went?"
"A-About four hours..."
...Gotta loot fast and bounce.
The gluttonous Minotaur probably wasn't still here, but better safe.
Soldiers might swarm once they noticed the incident.
'No idea why this family pissed off the king enough to become squad chow, but grab the goods and rabbit ASAP.'
No upside to getting tangled. Blood had dried, so I set him down and led.
"H-Here it is."
We burst into the alleged vault building. A 300-pyeong space with oak barrels lining both sides.
Nice smell—wine cellar.
"Treasure?"
"O-Over there."
He found and pulled a hidden lever in a shadowy corner.
Rumble rumble rumble.
The ground shook, a hole opened in the floor. Stairs descended into faint light.
"Jackpot."
Down the stairs: piles of loot.
No joke—stacked like the Lair of Evil Spirits boss room. Unlike the priests' stash, mostly glittering goodies over clothes.
"Whoa."
"W-Wow, so much."
"This is it! Let's grab a ton!"
Dash!
The crew bolted for the treasure.
Nothing beats farming time.
"B-But do we have time for this?"
The servant fretted.
"What if that monster comes back..."
"Don't worry. It's been four hours? It's either gone or sleeping off its feast somewhere."
Plenty of time.
"Dickhead, what're you doing? Hurry over here! No slacking!"
I waved okay at Shin Seo-yeon bouncing on gold coins, then joined, quickly scanning. Conclusion:
'Tch, figures.'
Nothing worth taking.
Early Selection Process—lots of shine meant lots of junk.
Like dumping most gems from Lair of Evil Spirits.
'Hmm, some Epic and Legendary gear, but options suck.'
That's why sorting dragged—tons of treasure, all mid.
"Hey, this ain't working. Pile all Epic+ in one spot?"
"Not bad. Let's filter the good stuff first."
"Got it. Epic and up, right?"
They rolled up sleeves for sorting. Love how proactive they are now—no orders needed. Heartwarming.
I was about to praise them when—
"Hahaha, you idiots!"
"?"
Our servant stood at the stairs, laughing.
"Threaten to kill me Castor, then steal my wealth and think you'll escape? Wait! I'll bring my soldiers and hunt you beasts myself!"
He sealed the entrance and fled alone... the homeowner.
"Hah? He was the owner?"
"Unbelievable. I bought the servant act."
"No dignity at all... Hard to believe he's nobility."
As they gaped, the Saintess spoke cautiously.
"So... we're trapped?"
"Sharp, big-tits sis."
"Ugh, don't tease, Sera."
I tapped the entrance wall. Solid, heavy—two meters thick.
"Don't worry, guys. Dickhead's got it."
"Y-Yeah?"
"If no plan, he'd have bolted through the closing door solo. He stayed, so he's got one."
"Ooh."
Shin Seo-yeon posed like she knew everything. I quipped back.
"Sorry, no plan this time."
"Hah, Dickhead. Fool someone else. I know you too well."
"..."
"Hurry up and fix it! Go!"
I scratched my cheek. Her grin faded as she watched.
"Joking, right?"
"Dead serious."
"...For real?"
"Yup."
I'd baited their reactions on purpose.
I knew the noble fashion, wondered if he was a real servant or bluffing.
Looks like real noble.
'Vault's legit then.'
Worst case, grab him and ask.
"Hey!"
Shin Seo-yeon yelled.
"You crazy? Then don't just stand there! What were you doing, arms crossed?!"
She ranted, smooshing against me like her boobs would crush my heart.
To calm her, I reached for her butt—big mistake. She guarded it desperately, still yapping.
Overkill much? Then the Saintess approached from the other side.
"So no way out?"
"Nah, we can."
Shin Seo-yeon shoved her face in mine, scowling mid-rant.
"You said no plan!"
"Didn't before. Just thought of one."
Crack.
Two-meter wall. Han So-hee's [Giant Slayer] could smash it easy. Shin Seo-yeon's [Primordial Flame] could melt it.
'Ten minutes to punch through, maybe less.'
Flame-wrapped sword? One minute.
"So-hee."
As I turned to borrow her sword—
Rumble rumble boom.
Huh? The door started opening on its own.
"He bring troops already?"
"This fast?"
We gripped weapons, alert. But even fully open, no presence on the stairs.
I grabbed a random sword from the littered vault and peeked up.
"..."
Dead quiet. No soldiers, not even a mouse.
Instead, blood trails from entrance to outside. Fresh pools—owner obvious.
"Why'd the door open auto then?"
"Dunno, bad luck?"
"What kinda nonsense is that?"
A severed arm dangled from the lever. Trapped us, then opened for help—got killed.
Faint presences tickled from outside. I waved the group back.
"Everyone down. I'll scout. Keep sorting."
"Solo? Dangerous."
"Nah, solo's fine. Real trouble, I'll summon with the envelope."
Better alone.
Minotaur's thirty meters tall. Dangerous in open space.
'Labyrinth limits it 'cause tunnels barely fit its body.'
Penalty there.
But wide open? Full speed for its size.
'Targets weak first. Eats corpses to heal fast.'
Bad to bump into group now.
Scout solo, fight and chase if needed. No bodies, it'll hunt elsewhere.
"Dickhead, don't push it. Hurt, and you're dead meat."
"Yeah yeah."
I closed the vault with the lever and stepped outside. A breeze carried thick blood scent and stealthy presences to my ear.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Read 285 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!
https://noveldex.io/series/ive-been-preying-on-s-tier-women-since-i-was-a-newbie
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━