Chapter 42: Archon Conquest (4)

[Lv 73 / Rookie]

Recon Unit Rookie.

Of course I knew who she was.

If you explored the Elemental Zone long enough, Rookie was a guaranteed encounter—practically an <event> in and of herself.

But this timeline… it was seriously twisted.

I’ve encountered Rookie more times than I can count while playing the game, but not once had she ever become a field boss.

And there’s a reason for that.

Rookie, like all unique monsters, has her own unique skill.

That’s how she moves between dungeon floors without needing any gates.

That’s also why she earned the nickname Recon Unit.

Unique monsters are, by definition, singular entities.

Their existence is validated by the system itself.

‘What the hell is going on here?’

Something was off.

So I decided to talk to her—partly to bluff, partly to stall for time.

But her reaction went far beyond anything I’d expected.

“I greet the Great One!”

“…?”

That… was definitely directed at me, right?

Her eyes were locked on mine…

“I’m Rookie! I-I’ll do anything—just please spare my life…!”

“What?”

“Yes?”

The Great One?

Who the hell did she think I was?

No way…

Rune Detonation is a spell only usable by dragons.

Well—technically, I’m the exception. I’m a player.

But from Rookie’s perspective, it must’ve looked like a human casting dragon-exclusive magic.

Which means there’s only one conclusion she could draw.

She thinks I’m a dragon.

“Heh.”

I let out a dry laugh—and her face immediately went pale.

‘What am I supposed to do with this?’

To be honest, this situation is perfectly in my favor.

Rookie is a textbook example of strength-worship and weakness-despising.

If she truly believes I’m a dragon, she’ll probably obey just about any command I give her.

Most importantly—if I have Rookie, I won’t need to clear each floor one by one.

Her unique skill lets her skip straight to the fifth floor.

The calculation was complete.

Yeah, my conscience pricked a little. But even if I tried to correct her, she’d never believe me.

And besides, why take the long way when I’ve got a shortcut right here?

Speedrun is always the optimal strategy.

“Hey.”

“…Hiiik!”

“Where’s that bastard Arcon right now?”

“A-Arcon, sir…?”

Rookie tilted her head slightly.

“He’s on the fifth floor right now.”

“Still on the fifth, huh.”

“…?”

“You can open a gate, right?”

“O-of course! Where would you like to go?”

Smirk—

Where else?

I’m going straight to kick Arcon’s ass.

“The fifth floor.”

“Understood! I’ll prepare it right away!!”

“Wait.”

I stopped her just as she was about to open the gate without a second thought.

Charging into Arcon’s lair with an empty mana pool? Suicide.

I at least need to recharge before we head in.

“Let’s eat first.”

“……Excuse me?!”

“What? Got a problem?”

“N-not at all!!”

Rookie mumbled, drenched in nervous sweat.

“I’d heard dragons were all crazy, but still…”

I heard everything.

But I didn’t show it.
After all, dragons really are out of their minds.

So, with the monster respawns halted, I set up camp on the second floor.

Preparation wasn’t difficult.

I already had all the gear stored in Subspace for this very purpose.

Sssss—

High-grade bulgogi, marinated in a special sauce, sizzled and browned perfectly on the brazier.

Rookie stared blankly, practically drooling.

Honestly, it felt like a waste to share something like this with a monster, but… I still needed her help.
A little investment was warranted.

I handed her a perfectly grilled piece of bulgogi.

“Delicious!!!”

Clutching her face with both hands, Rookie squealed in delight.

Well, of course it was good—I cooked it.

“Good, huh?”

“The chewy monster meat… it just melts in my mouth! This is… this is the culinary culture of the dragons…!”

“Oh, please.”

Now she’s just making things up.

I smirked and kept grilling.
Rookie kept nervously glancing at me as she devoured each new batch the moment it was done.
So did I.

[Mana: 7,100 / 12,050]

Maybe it was the full stomach or the warm fire, but…

My depleted mana was rapidly recovering.

Time passed.

And at last—it was time for the Arcon raid.

Vwooooom—

A strange pulse of mana began radiating outward from Rookie.

The space around her distorted.

Violet mana flickered and shimmered as a gate formed before us.

“……”

Gulp—

So this is where Arcon is?

<Authority: Illegal Modification>

A demon who’s awakened an Authority like that isn’t something you can just brush off.

Of course, how powerful he is depends on how far along his army is.

If it’s already fully formed…?

Just thinking about it makes me sick.

Once Arcon completes his army, I’m done.
I wouldn’t stand a chance.

That’s how overwhelming a fully-realized Arcon is.

I’d asked Rookie a few questions to try and scout ahead—

But the only answer she could give me was:

“A crazy guy mumbling to himself while using suspicious powers.”

“U-um… the gate’s open…”

“……”

F*ck.

I’ll be honest—I’m a little scared.

But what can I do?

The moment I stepped into this dungeon, this outcome was inevitable.

I mean, who the hell could’ve predicted the future would get this derailed?

Not my fault.

Blame the damn devs of this f*cked up game.

“Let’s go.”

“Yessir!”

The Arcon Raid begins.

The scenery on the other side of the gate—

It was just like I remembered it.

An azure artificial sun filling the sky.

Endless emerald waterfalls raining down.

Ancient traces of a lost civilization carved into every wall.

Blood-clotted souls plastered like flypaper across the stone.

It was, in a word, divine.

Elemental Zone – Fifth Floor: Nether Abyss

A myth made manifest before my eyes.

“……”

Damn, it’s oppressively majestic.

Even the air was so thick I could barely breathe.

I had to layer mana over my respiratory system before it felt manageable.

“Uh… huh…?”

Rookie suddenly began scanning the area with wide eyes.

“What is it?”

“It’s just… too quiet…”

It was as if no one was here.

Rookie swallowed the rest of her words.

Because in truth—there was nothing on the fifth floor.

“Hmm…”

This is seriously weird.

Where the hell did everyone go?

Normally, the moment you set foot on the fifth floor, Arcon and his army are supposed to leap out and welcome you with a bloodbath.

But now? Not even a single insect in sight.

Did they leave the dungeon?

I shook my head.

If Arcon had exited the dungeon, there’s no way I would’ve been able to enter the Elemental Zone at all.

He’s still here. Somewhere.

SHHAAAA—

The roar of the massive waterfall echoed across the empty underground, filling my ears.

The musty, stale stench that clung to the deep subterranean air tickled the tip of my nose.

Still as revolting as ever.

[4-Star Magic: Detect]

A bluish glow of mana flickered in my eyes.

And in the same moment, I saw the residual fragments of scattered mana on the dirt floor.

Dark crimson traces.

Without question…

Arcon…

With a trail this strong, tracking him would be simple.

All I had to do was follow it.

“Follow me.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

I walked.

Endlessly, through the foggy mist that blanketed the underground, casting the whole place in a dark, eerie pall.

Strange sounds echoed now and then—unidentifiable, shapeless.

In the damp air, the occasional heat brushed past, carried by cold wind.

I tried to shake off the tension coiling around my heart like a vice.

Even Rookie, who never shut up before, was now dead silent.

If she was this tense in what’s basically her own backyard…
Then something was very wrong.

“……”

The deeper I went, the denser the lingering mana became.

I’d never wandered the Nether Abyss this long before.

In the game, you were thrust straight into battle the moment you entered.
You never got a chance to explore the interior like this.

It was new.
But also terrifying.

Exploring the unknown.

In a game, it would’ve been called discovery.

But for me, it’s a matter of life or death.

‘It’s fine.’

Yeah. It’s fine.

I’m a veteran.

I repeated that to myself, suppressing the fear crawling up my spine.

And then—

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—

A groaning wail echoed through the cavern. Distant, unplaceable, and impossible to describe.

“Hoo…”

I kept walking.

Without stopping.

As if I had no choice but forward.

As if possessed.

Eventually, I reached the destination.

But—

“O-Oh Great One…!”

“……”

“What in the world is…!”

“…Shut up.”

Gargoyles clinging to the ceiling.
Twisted, modified monsters with blood-red eyes glowing across the ground.

And—

---

[……]

---

Dozens of human heads impaled on jagged iron stakes.

A towering structure, symbolic of royal authority.

A throne, carved from rough, raw metal—crafted with disturbing precision.

And seated upon that throne—

---

[Behold]

---

Clotted, brown-red hair soaked in dried blood.

A massive scar crossing his face.

Dented, blue-tinged rusted armor.

---

[The King’s Legion]

---

Arcon.

The King’s Legion had descended upon the earth.