Whoosh! Boom!
Each time the Queen extended her legs, the air trembled as if a bomb had exploded.
If even a single brush of her leg touched a human body, a child's frail frame would be effortlessly crushed.
Yet, this human had not allowed that to happen—not even once.
Though he occasionally bled, defended, and rolled pathetically across the ground, he had yet to suffer a fatal injury.
"How is this even possible…?"
She was bewildered.
She was strong.
From the moment she was born, the Queen had recognized her own uniqueness.
Absorbing the thoughts of countless Inmyeonju, she became aware of her power and existence the moment she opened her eyes. She knew just how formidable she was in this world.
She was, of course, superior to the frail humans, stronger than the Inmyeonju, and perhaps even more exceptional than some monstrous beings.
And yet—
Why?
Why couldn't she kill this tiny creature that flitted around like a mere insect?
"Hoo—"
The human, having dodged a series of attacks, let out an exhilarated breath.
Boom!
The Queen lunged once more, but the human once again wielded his ever-shifting weapon, either blocking or evading every strike.
—Die!
"Kugh!"
Despite the overwhelming difference in mass, and though his defenses were not flawless, he always managed to avoid fatal wounds.
The Queen was undoubtedly overpowering the human.
He was merely fleeing, while she continued her assault without significant harm.
And yet, something unpleasant clouded her mind.
"…What is this feeling?"
She did not realize that what she was experiencing was frustration—a deeply human emotion that most monsters would never possess.
Boom!
At that moment, another explosion erupted from the distant forest, tearing through her thoughts.
Instinctively, the Queen sensed the severing of a connection with one of her adult kin.
—Kiiiieeek! My forest! My child!
These insane invaders were setting her forest ablaze, burning her children.
Though not her direct offspring, she was connected to all Inmyeonju in the forest.
"…I won't waste any more time."
Boom!
The Queen slammed her legs into the ground.
A burst of acceleration from her many limbs.
Once again, the human evaded with inhuman speed.
Boom! Boom!
Amid the relentless exchanges, the Queen used her numerous eyes to read the trajectory of the human's weapon.
And at that moment, the human swung his blade in defense.
A feeble strike, one she could easily deflect with the slightest shift of her legs.
Yet—
The Queen dodged instead.
"…!"
Slash!
The weapon plunged deep into the Queen's abdomen, slicing through her flesh.
The human's bewildered eyes reflected the glint of the Queen's multifaceted ones.
—Got you.
With a sudden contraction of her abdominal muscles, she clenched down on the weapon, trapping it.
"Tch!"
The human swiftly shrank his weapon and managed to pull it free, but by then, the Queen's legs were already in motion.
—Die!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
She mercilessly stomped down with her legs.
Each impact shattered the ground, shaking the earth to its core.
Crunch!
The Queen felt something breaking beneath her foot.
—Kiiiiieeeek! I'll devour your corpse! I'll feed your kin to my children and—
The Queen halted.
As the dust settled, the human child was gone.
Only shattered rock fragments remained.
A dark silhouette slowly rose from the dust cloud.
His body was covered in wounds, yet he had not fallen.
Again.
He had survived it all again.
The Queen's compound eyes scrutinized the human.
And then—she noticed something.
—Those eyes!
A bubbling rage surged within her as she bared her fangs.
Eyes that shimmered with a soft, sunset-like glow.
—Those eyes! What are they seeing?!
The Queen roared in fury.
***
A special power slumbered within the bloodline of Sungmuiga: Ineung.
Despite his young age, the eldest brother, who already stood shoulder to shoulder with the established warriors of his generation, had awakened an extraordinary Ineung befitting his talent in both magic and martial arts—
A magic-specialized ability known as "Two Hearts."
The eighth, befitting the owner of the Holy Sword, acquired the ability of 'Regeneration.'
The eldest brother's ability was an extremely rare one, having appeared only twice in the family's entire history. In contrast, the eighth's ability was a relatively common trait, but it was still considered immensely powerful and useful.
However, what I had obtained was unprecedented.
The moment my father saw my eyes, he spoke.
—People call such eyes "Mystic Eyes."
There were records of ancestors who had managed to acquire a form of 'Clairvoyance' after much effort. However, there was no precedent of an ancestor gaining such special 'eyes' as an innate ability.
That was how rare Mystic Eyes were, even on a global scale.
Eyes of Foresight, Eyes of Enchantment, Eyes of Death, Eyes of Flame and Gold…
Such 'eyes' had always had a significant impact on the world.
And my Mystic Eyes would be no different.
I wasn't particularly surprised that I had obtained them.
That bursting sensation in my eyes during the naming ceremony—it had been an omen.
My eyes had begun to see what others could not.
Hidden things, concealed presences, the countless complex and eerie flows of power that filled the world.
I wasn't yet accustomed to it, so I could only glimpse fragments or involuntarily perceive an overwhelming amount of information.
But abilities, like magic, develop over time. No one knew how far my Mystic Eyes would grow.
—It is a dangerous power. I have seen those who lost control of their eyes and destroyed themselves. If you have not yet fully awakened them, it is not too late. If you wish, I can seal them for you.
My father had never shown such concern for any of his children before.
That was why Lee Seo-hyun, who was present, was visibly shocked.
But I had no intention of being sealed.
"A seal is unnecessary. If this power was given to me, then no matter how dangerous it is, I will conquer it and make it my own."
Amid the billowing dust, I faced the Inmyeonju.
Mystic Eyes see the unseen.
Before the Queen's body could move, I had already read the flow of her mana, allowing me to dodge and defend half a beat ahead.
But the difference in power was too great—I couldn't evade everything unscathed.
'Left arm bone, ribs, internal injuries…'
Cough—
Blood mixed with my cough.
My eyes had read the attacks, but my underdeveloped body couldn't fully keep up.
Still, I had to be grateful that I managed to hold out this long.
Click!
I aimed Mujin at the Queen, pouring one potion over my arm while drinking another.
It was only emergency treatment, but for now, it would have to suffice.
Whooosh—
The sand and dust, stirred by the explosive force of the incendiary rounds echoing through the forest, began to settle.
'I've lasted long enough.'
I reinforced my limp left arm with mana and raised Mujin.
Now that the Queen had recognized my Mystic Eyes, I could no longer afford to be on the defensive.
It was time to switch to an offensive strategy!
'She just woke up and still can't fully control her body—this is my chance.'
Fwsh!
Sweeping away the lingering dust, I closed the distance between me and the Queen.
—A mere insect of a human!
Acidic liquid sprayed from the Queen's body.
'There's only one chance!'
My Mystic Eyes read the path.
Following the vision they provided, Mujin extended forward.
Not a sophisticated technique or martial art like a demon-slaying form—just a method of wielding Mujin with utmost efficiency.
Manbyun, Basic Form.
At the tip of my blade, an aura as dark as obsidian flickered.
With the momentum of my charge, I swung my curved blade.
Endless creation of variables.
Diversity in attack and defense.
My Mystic Eyes found the path, and Mujin carved the way.
To walk that path, I seamlessly incorporated the techniques stored in Mujin's memories, executing Manbyun with exceptional combat instincts.
—Kieeek! How?!
Slash! Boom!
My weapon constantly shifted in response to the situation, and my movements changed accordingly without pause.
The Queen realized she was falling behind.
This human child was slower, smaller, and weaker than her—yet somehow, he was always one step ahead.
'Minor attacks won't be enough.'
Throb—
Feeling the rising pressure behind my eyes, a dull pain pulling at them, I decided to reveal another hidden card.
A technique I had yet to fully master.
Amplifying mana and refining it into aura.
A lost fragment of ancient magic, extracted from Mujin's memories.
Through that fragment, my aunt and I had finally completed the next stage of our magic.
It was the manifestation of an Aura Skill.
Aura Art—Lightning.
Crackle—
The black aura enveloping my raised weapon sparked like electricity.
Mujin, reshaped into a greatsword larger than my body, traced the path of a demon-slaying blade.
—"Another strange trick…!"
The Queen lunged at me head-on.
In response, I swung my greatsword down upon her.
BOOOOM!
A blinding flash of light erupted, darkening even the glow that filled the forest.
***
Sizzle—Tap!
Thick smoke rose heavily within the Forest of Human-Faced Spiders.
From within that smoke, the Queen staggered to her feet.
—"Aaargh…!"
A groan filled with pain escaped her lips.
I clicked my tongue as my entire body ached from the aftereffects of the Aura Skill.
'It was too shallow.'
Two legs and a deep gash across her torso.
Emerald blood dripped from the wounds that marred the Queen's body.
For a mere adolescent warrior to inflict such injuries on a rank-5 monster was astonishing, yet failing to finish the job was inevitable.
—"You wretched insect…!"
The Queen swayed unsteadily, unable to balance her legs, exuding a heavy, menacing aura.
'As expected, I couldn't cut through that thick hide.'
There was only one reason my attack had been shallow.
I had yet to fully grow.
My Transformation Arts, Aura Skills, Mystic Eye—
If only my body had matured just a little more to endure them, I might have succeeded.
—"I will make you my kin… extract what lies within you… and use it to restore myself. Do not think you can simply die. I will make you suffer for eternity!"
The Queen raised her hand toward me.
From her fingertips, clusters of webbing shot forth like a net.
'Tch!'
I threw myself aside to dodge, but the webs reached me far faster than I could move.
Swish!
In the end, the webbing touched my head.
I tried to swing Mujin to shake it off.
—"Submit."
Buzz—
The moment her thoughts echoed in my mind, my vision wavered.
It felt as if an iron spike had been driven into my skull.
"Argh!"
I couldn't help but scream from the sheer pain.
Submit.
Submit.
The eerie voice was relentless.
And then—
A surge!
I felt something burst out from within me.
—"Hahaha! That arrogant face of yours… what? What is this?! A-Aaaagh!"
Suddenly, the Queen began screaming.
—"KIEEEEEK!"
She convulsed violently and lunged at me.
Watching her, I let out a long sigh and spoke.
"…Too late."
Those words weren't meant for her.
BOOM!
The Queen's attack was deflected by something unseen.
"Apologies. We were delayed breaking through the mature ones."
Through the smoke and the debris, several cadets emerged.
I had never come here alone to begin with.
I was merely a key point in the overall plan.
"Why did you take so long?"
"We came as fast as we could. Even with incendiary rounds, avoiding the monsters—"
"You were still late. We'll need extra training when we return."
"Ugh, even in this situation, you say that… really."
Leading them was Kim Han, the first squad.
Six cadets surrounded me.
—"Immediately… retreat…! The dungeon is collapsing…!"
Through the radio, distorted by magical interference, Lee Jung-ho's voice came through.
I saw it in the Queen's multifaceted eyes—the emotion known as rage.
—"No! You cannot escape!"
Her earsplitting shriek reverberated.
"Ugh, what kind of monster screams like that…?"
Kim Han grimaced, covering his ears.
Fwoooosh!
At that moment, waves of flame surged toward us once again.
"Young master! We'll withdraw immediately. Hold on tight!"
Boom!
The Queen's incoming strike lacked the weight it had before.
The cadets, sensing her weakened state, blocked her attack while Kim Han helped me to my feet.
And finally—
The first squad hurled all remaining incendiary rounds at the Queen.
BOOOOM!
—"KIEEEEEK!"
The Queen, engulfed in flames, shrieked in agony.
It wouldn't be enough to kill her, but it would buy us the time we needed to escape.
—"I curse you! I curse you aaaaall!"
BOOM!
Explosions and the sounds of the dungeon collapsing continued.
Hearing the Queen's furious howls from the crumbling ground behind us, we made our retreat.
"That sound… it's like nails on a chalkboard. Absolutely dreadful."
Kim Han scowled.
"A scream? That sounded like a scream to you?"
"Huh? Then what did you hear, young master?"
I paused briefly.
"…I knew you wouldn't hear it."
"Sorry?"
"Nothing. Let's move."
"O-okay…"
Kim Han nodded, and another cadet shouted from behind.
"We just got a report from the base camp! The mature ones that were spread throughout the forest have suddenly stopped fighting and are rushing back to the nest!"
I clicked my tongue.
Their target was likely us.
'A last desperate struggle, huh.'
Escape wouldn't be easy, but I wasn't too worried.
This operation was all but over.
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