Sinner System

Point-of-View: Cleo Nova 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

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"Hurry up, stop dragging your feet!"

"Why is she even still here? Thought she’d have dropped out ages ago."

Tch, assholes. If it wasn’t for my social anxiety, I’d come up with something witty to say. But I’m way too introverted and non-confrontational for that, so instead, I keep quiet and stare down at my feet.

Today’s the 28th of December, 2170, and I was currently in the middle of my final Practical Training exam, a raid in a Mid Level Dungeon.

It’s my second Mid Level raid, the first four were all Low Levels, last month’s was Mid Level, and so is this one.

My role is to guard the back line and carry all the Cores. The latter part, I have no complaints about, since it lets me use Assimilation pretty conveniently.

But I really want to get into some action already, but at the same time, I don’t want to reveal my powers to everyone yet.

Thanks to Kai and Ariella, my path as a Hunter is pretty much set once I graduate, which is only a few days away, but even so, I can’t help but feel impatient and frustrated.

And this Dungeon isn’t helping with that frustration. It’s been full of Caimanoids so far, Mid Level Monsters. And since they’re Monsters that only use physical attacks, they don’t have any abilities I can acquire as Skills.

I have gained a few points to increase my stats, but since my growth has slowed down significantly now, these meagre gains don’t feel worth it.

Well, it’s fine, I just need to get through this raid, and in a few days, I’ll be a part of the Sinners Guild, the strongest Guild in the world...yeah, it’s the perfect stage for my rise to becoming the strongest myself.

I’m super grateful to Kai and Ariella, I like and respect them a great deal, but that isn’t going to stop me from striving to surpass them.

Alright, time to focus up.

The raid’s almost over, the party just cleared the penultimate floor, and all that’s left now is the Boss Room.

Since we’ve only encountered Caimanoids, the Dungeon Boss is probably going to be a Two-Headed Alligator, a High Level Threat.

I just want this to be over and done with so I can go home...the fact that I’m not in a position to fight in this raids is a real bummer.

And the conditions in this Dungeon are a pain too. The terrain isn’t so bad, it’s a cave-like structure, but it’s really warm and humid in here, I’m soaked with sweat. I feel so gross and uncomfortable.

I let our a quiet sigh as I followed after the others through the tunnel leading up to the Boss Room, the Detector speaking up and confirming the Dungeon Boss’s presence.

We’ve got two pro Hunters escorting us on this raid, a K-Ranked Saber and a K-Ranked Water Mage, both Freelance Hunters working directly for the Hunters Union.

Even including them, I’m the most powerful person in this raid, but of course, everyone thinks I’m the weakest.

Anyway, as the other end of the tunnel came into sight, the front line entered the Boss Room, the mid line following after them, before I headed in with the back line, the escorts bringing up the rear.

The entranced sealed shut as we entered the Boss Room, a cavernous space with a small lake at the back.

The Dungeon Boss must be lurking underwater...

"Heh, this should be easy! [Lightning Arrow]!" Exclaimed one of the mid line party members, a Lightning Mage, unleashing a rapid projectile of lightning towards the lake.

As the attack began to close in on the water, a loud splash suddenly rang out as a figure burst out of the lake, leaping out onto the ground right as the lightning struck the lake, several electric sparks erupting upon impact.

My eyes widened in surprise, the others shrinking back slightly as the Monster lifted its gaze and narrowed its eyes at them...

"W-Wait, that’s a Cull Crocodile, a-a Critical Level!"

"I-I thought we’d run into a Two-Headed Alligator, not this!"

"Sh-Shit, what do we do?!"

"Fall back. We’ll take care of this," Spoke up one of the escorts, the Saber, as he drew out his sword and stepped forward, the Water Mage following after him.

"Yeah, there’s no need to worry, we can handle this," Added the Water Mage with a smile.

They’re trying to reassure us, but based on their grim expressions, they aren’t particularly convinced by their own words...Critical Level Monsters are on par with Aces, I think Cull Crocodiles are supposed to be around mid Ace Level.

Its Aura is pretty imposing, I’m pretty sure it’s more intense than mine is.

As the others began to move back, the Monster suddenly shot towards us, one of the front liners, a Lancer, letting out a panicked yell and stumbling back, before losing his balance and falling.

The Monster lunged at him as it swung its jaws open, right as the Saber quickly pushed the Lancer out of the way and swung his blade across at the Cull Crocodile.

He inflicted a shallow graze across its left arm before gasping sharply in pain as it snapped its jaws shut around his forearm.

It suddenly dropped down onto all fours, pulling him down with it and rapidly spinning across in a death roll, a loud crunch ringing out as the Saber howled in pain, his arm snapping like a twig before the Monster flung him away with a sharp snap of its head, ripping his forearm off and sending him hurtling across to the right of the space.

He lost consciousness as he crashed onto the wall to that side, a dazed groan ringing out as his eyes fluttered shut and he collapsed onto the ground with a thud, losing consciousness.

The rest of us watching in horror as the Cull Crocodile wolfed down his severed arm and turned its attention to us with a low, threatening growl, blood smeared around its jaws...