Talent Awakening! Every Legendary Summon Grants Me Assassin Attributes-Chapter 38: The Hunt offer 2! The disaster within Darkness.

Chapter 38: The Hunt offer 2! The disaster within Darkness.

[mass release 5/8]

Monsters were ranked from E-rank to S-rank, just like Awakeners.

However, when it came to S-ranked monsters, there was another category they were placed in, since the power of all S-rank monsters differed greatly depending on their threat level.

The Dreamless Spawn, if categorized, would be a Tyrant.

While the monster Bai Mina had insisted they hunt was a Disaster-ranked monster. Just a rank below that of the Dreamless Spawn.

Oliver would have never thought he would be facing one so early in the game. And even with his current strength and abilities, he was unsure he would be able to take one down.

Especially without dying about ten times, recalling how the Dreamless Spawn had almost drained him completely of his life force.

However, with the help of Bai Mina...

This shouldn’t be an impossible win.

Oliver imagined pushing away a large branch that blocked his path, the leaves brushing faintly against his armor as he stepped through the dense forest.

"Why are we going alone?" Oliver asked, his question directed at Bai Mina, who pranced beside him. She acted carelessly, fully aware she was far above any creature that would dare attack them in this part of the forest.

"Taking people would just be a waste of resources. Two Rankers can very much handle the situation, don’t you think?" she taunted lightly.

Oliver rolled his eyes. By that, she meant letting him take on every single beast that planned to ambush them without her chipping in at all.

[C Rank Direwolf Core 8]

’At least now I have more materials to sell to Jarvis when I return,’ he thought.

"How does your life look, Crow? I’m curious," she asked.

Oliver said nothing, only letting out a tired groan to show he wasn’t in the mood. One thing he was sure of now—Bai Mina loved to talk.

"Well, in that case, I’ll speak first," she said hurriedly.

"Life is kind of shitty, especially for us Players. Awakeners can work a normal job back on Earth with large guilds and get good pay and all, but we Players have to work our asses off. And even though we are paid well, there isn’t simply a way to balance being a monster murderer and a rich foodie," she explained.

"Are you trying to justify why Players are on edge?" Oliver asked, mildly curious.

"Yes and no," she replied immediately. "I believe we Players should receive more credit than we do, especially from the guilds that hire us."

"So... you want more money."

"No... I mean yes... but I’m talking about a reason for Players to quit and still feel the entire journey was worth it," she stressed the last part, her usual cheerful demeanor cracking for a brief second before snapping back into place.

Oliver nodded, understanding the full picture behind her words. While she spoke a lot of sense, this belief stemmed from something deeply personal.

From one of Oliver’s fleeting meetings with Bai Mina in his first life, he had learned about her father who was one of the great Players of the previous era.

However, things happened... and he died in his mid-thirties, unable to see his young girl grow into the beautiful, hardworking woman Bai Mina had become.

Still...

Despite how great her father had been, he was easily forgotten by the Association... by the entire world. His feats became nothing more than fading whispers after a mere year.

She had worked genuinely hard to reach the position of a Ranker, and now she was testing Oliver. Making sure he upheld the strength and honor of that title.

Or more appropriately, she was chasing the fantasy of what her father had described a true Player to be.

"Yes... it would be nice if Players could have a museum, where their feats are recorded—their weapons, their battles—preserved in history to be remembered for all time," Oliver replied.

At that, Bai Mina’s face lit up. "Really?!"

Oliver stayed silent.

"I knew you would get me. We are alike you and I, Mr. Crow," she said, visibly elated.

The two continued their journey until they reached the edge of the Alkarya Forest, the border between them and Balrum.

There it was...

In a massive clearing where no trees or bushes grew, only a stretch of eerily trimmed grass, it stood.

A strange, massive red boulder, embedded into the ground at the very center of the clearing.

That... was their S-rank Disaster.

Oliver turned to Bai Mina, silently questioning if that strange-looking rock was truly their target.

"I only received reports from one of my men that they encountered a Disaster at this clearing. They saw the system notification... and then they were killed and respawned back at base," she explained.

However, Oliver doubted the strange-looking rock had killed anyone. At most, if it was a monster, it would be a golem—and golems weren’t built for speed. The way they described their deaths felt... too fast. Too instant.

So it had to be something else.

Oliver considered summoning the Dark Crow to scout the area, but stopped himself. Sending it into the sky could be dangerous. He didn’t even know if the monster was airborne.

It could strike the Crow mid-flight... injure it... and worse, give away their location, stripping them of any element of surprise.

So Oliver stayed silent. Patient.

From the way Bai Mina remained quiet as well, she too was waiting.

Time stretched.

Then finally...

A large Horned Python slithered through the short grass, its massive body gliding silently toward the red boulder, drawing both their attention.

The Horned Python was enormous—unnaturally long, its metallic scales glistening under the dim moonlight like polished steel. It radiated power... overwhelming, suffocating power.

Which left them with the question...

Was it the Disaster?

If only the range of their system’s identify skill reached that far, they would know.

They waited.

And after a long moment of tense silence and silent speculation, they finally decided to act.

Oliver led the—

SPLURT!

It happened in an instant.

Oliver froze, his body locking in place, not moving an inch from the bush he hid within. Bai Mina was the same, her expression twisting in shock at the horrifying sight that had just unfolded in the clearing.

The bizarre red rock shuddered.

Its massive frame trembled violently, like something inside it had just awakened.

Then—

CRACK!

It split open like an egg.

From within, a grotesque, jagged tendril shot out with terrifying speed, piercing straight through the Horned Python’s skull.

A sickening crunch echoed across the clearing.

The massive serpent’s body went limp instantly, its life extinguished in a fraction of a second... as if it had never existed.

It was dead.

And the author of its death remained hidden within the darkness of the red, shimmering shell. The crack was the only opening and when Oliver stared into it...

All he saw was pure, suffocating darkness.

Alive.

Watching.

Hungry.

Soon enough, the tendril began to retract, dragging the corpse of the Horned Python into the gnawing void within the shell.

Then—

WHAM!

The shell slammed shut.

The cracks vanished, sealing completely as though they had never existed in the first place.

Silence returned to the clearing.

Heavy. Oppressive.

Alive.

Oliver grunted quietly.

’What a monster...’

To think he had believed two Rankers could take this thing on so easily...

No.

After witnessing that display, he knew—

He had been sorely wrong.