The Animagus: From Hunter to Monster-Chapter 63: Flesh Warden

Buji rose from where he sat and stretched his eyes to look into the dungeon ahead which was lit with darkness. He wondered what it is he was going to meet in there.

His breathing was short grasped. His Slayer felt heavier in his hands, he was really tired from the clash with the Hellhounds.

He calmed himself, trying his best to steady his heartbeat as well as gripping the hilt of his Slayer tighter. It was impossible for him to get out of the dungeon until he completed the quest required.

Even if it was possible, the thought...the thought of heading back to meet worse creatures. He had come too far to restart what he started.

The screen hovered before him at the instant, blinking with its usual blue glow, reminding him of ticking timer:

[Time Remaining: 14:22:47]

Buji sighed at the notification and took a deep breath. At the same time, he trekked forward into the dungeon, with brisk steps to avoid echo in the silence.

In one of the books he read in the library, he had come across a passage where it was written that hunters are very brave. According to the passage, there were dungeons which existed—dark, eerie areas that tested not only strength but also the will of those who dared to enter.

That explains everything. If only the author of that book had been from the Yin family. He didn’t know much though, so, he decided to make the book his second distraction.

Exactly how these kind of dungeons were described in that book, he’s seeing similarities with them here in this God forsaken dungeon. The whispers he now heard from the walls and a continuous drip of water from a distance all made the pathway more fiery and dangerous.

He came to the spot where he studied everything. The air was colder, and the stone wall became slick with unidentifiable black liquid that clung to his shoes.

The odour that wafted through the air was choking, like rotten flesh mixed with sulphur. The pathway narrowed, forcing Buji to stoop slightly.

Buji trembled. He heard the sound of a low growl that echoes from the distance, somewhere ahead.

His eyes darted toward the direction of the sound. With instinct, his hand tightened around the hilt of the Slayer.

"Calm down. Calm down," he whispered to himself, trying to suppress the gnawing fear that seemed to be creeping into his mind.

"Don’t lose your cool, bro," he still muttered to himself.

The growling stopped as quickly as it has begun. He cautiously took a step forward, but his foot sank slightly into the floor. Glancing at the floor, he realized he had stepped his leg into a viscous, reddish substance.

’Blood!’ Buji thought in desperation. Raising his head to look into the distance ahead.

Panic set in, threatening to overtake him. The sudden realization struck him.

The dungeon was just no dungeon that contained Hellhounds, it was no place for any kind of hesitation. Anything can happen at anytime.

He wiped his shoe on the dungeon stone by one side and pressed on.

As he approached a bend, the air felt oppressive in a heavy atmosphere. It made it harder for any living being to inhale breath of life.

In his front, the pathway opened into a vast space. Buji paused in his tracks and observed.

The walls of the chamber were lined with skeletal remains. No, not skeletal remains. They were lined with bodies that appeared more like clothes. Loose bodies, as though they were made of embodiments that had all being sapped out.

Buji tried to ignore the sight, but it seemed their hollow eye sockets seemed to follow his every movement.

In his front, at the center of the room stood a grotesque creature. Its body was misshapen and still, writhed as though it’s flesh was alive. It was a towering amalgamation of limbs, eyes, and mouths. A structure that represented a creature of abomination straight from a nightmare.

Ding!

[Warning: Elite Beast Detected!]

The screen materialized before him again.

[Beast Name: Flesh Warden]

[Level: 24]

[EXP: 400]

"Wonderful," Buji muttered in sarcasm. "...because fighting those fuckin’ Hellhounds wasn’t enough."

Once again, his eyes movements changed from the sapped bodies with bulgy eyes that hung on the wall, to the structure in his front. Then, he realized, just when the structure seemed to move a hand, that it was really alive.

’Is that the Flesh Warden?’

The structure moved again, and again, and now seemed to keep its body in relaxation. It fixed it’s eyes on Buji, and before Buji knew it, it dashes at him with surprising speed.

’I guess it is.’ Buji thought, barely dodging the first strike of the Flesh Warden. The ground trembled as the massive arm of the creature slammed onto the spot where he had just been standing.

What came into his thought at the moment was to activate one of his skills, and he thought the Phantom Step will be best.

He activated Phantom Step, creating an afterimage to confuse the beast and circled around it.

"Let’s see if you are as tough as your appearance," Buji growled and lunges at it with his Slayer.

His strike was precise and accurate as the blade sank into the creature’s side, but instead of blood, a black, viscous liquid oozed from the wound.

The Flesh Warden let out an ear-splitting scream, whipping one of its many limbs toward Buji.

The strike caught him off guard, sending him crashing into the chamber wall. He landed back to the ground, spitting blood from his mouth.

With his left hand, he wiped his mouth clean and uttered. "Not good."

There, he imagined if there was another way to get himself recover apart from calling on his healing ability, or summoning D.E.M.O.N.S. The truth was that his initial fight with the Hellhounds has cost him most of his healing score points, and he doubted the possibility of having enough to heal himself now.

Just in good time, the screen appeared in his front.

[Shop: Buy Healing Potion | Price: MON1,000]

"Well..." Buji hissed. "Buy!"

A small vial substance materialized in his hands as the screen vanished. He drank the potion in one gulp, feeling his energy was elated.

The potion was meant to naturally heal him of any subsequent injuries🤕 he might face later. It was only going to last for a shorter period of time.

Feeling fulfilled and rejuvenated, he faced the Flesh Warden again.

"Time to end you," Buji said, pointing his Slayer at the Warden. But a thought came to his mind, and he looked at the Slayer. "No, not yet."

If he was going to finish this so-called Flesh Warden, it will be with this Slayer and not Aetherfang. To him, Aetherfang was too precious and holy to be used on the disgusting creature.

"Jumper!" Buji activated his long jumping skill and leaped into the air, darting toward the Warden.

"Activate title—Rookie Slayer!" He still commanded in mid-air, descending diagonally towards the Flesh Warden.

[Title... Rookie Slayer Activated!]

Buji pointed his Slayer sword toward the creature as he approached closer. The intent in his eyes clearly stated, ’murder!’ He wanted to end everything at that instant.

Just Buji his sword reached for the creature, he shouted. "Burst Strike! Activate!"

Acting with impulse from the two abilities he had activated, plus his intense intent to kill, his movements became blur. His landing showed impact, as he launched a relentless assault against the creature. His sword struck and struck, again and again. Each strike aimed at the creature’s numerous eyes.

The Flesh Warden howled in sorrow and agony, its limbs flailing wildly as it tried to fend off the onslaught. But Buji was acting faster than even he, expected.

He saw his chance—the creature’s core.

A pulsating orb of dark energy resonated immediately below the creatures second hand.

"Exposed!" Buji said, his eyes widened.

With a final, powerful strike, he drove his Slayer into the core, tilting the sword roughly to be sure it leaves an everlasting effect on the creature.

The effect that will cause its immediate death.

The Flesh Warden let out a final, pitiful scream before collapsing into a heal. Its body disintegrated into ashes, leaving behind a shimmering crystal.

"Phew," Buji sighed. "Seems like all creatures in this dungeon were made from ashes."

The screen materialized in front of him once again:

<Ding!>

[You have slain the Flesh Warden!]

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[EXP: +400]

[New Item Acquired: Warden’s Core]

He slid the sweat on his forehead off, dragging his Slayer on the ground as he made his movements. He was weak.

He went to where the crystal has fallen, and picked it up. He tossed it into the system that was still in his front, and it disappeared with the item.

He glanced at the timer.

[07:37:19 counting down]

"Phew," he sighed again in exhaustion. There was no time and he still didn’t know what more he was going to face in this damn dungeon.

He wondered how an S-Rank equivalent of this dungeon will be if he has reached that stage.

In the Hunter’s world, he was an S-Rank awakener, but in this world, he’s merely a Class 1 awakener. And just... but just if this was how the dungeon from the world he came from were...?

Just the thought seemed disentangling, so he shoved it off. ’I’d better face what’s facing me.’

But before he could realize himself, and realize that he had been walking deeper down into this domain, he saw them.

"Are these not... Lycans!!"