I also recalled that even the zombies, the decayed remains of the dead, emitted a faint red aura. I was left confused about the criteria used for classification.
Nevertheless, the being in front of me was undeniably the target I had been searching for. As I took a step closer, a rough and stammering voice rang out from within the shadows.
“W-Wait!”
I stared, unable to hide my surprise.
“Do you still possess your reason?”
The man who had escaped from the dungeon claimed that this Gourmet Glutton had helped him flee. When I first heard that, I had dismissed it as nonsense.
After all, the Gourmet Glutton was a species I was already familiar with. The last one I encountered was the leader of a band of plunderers. But despite that leadership, he exhibited no wisdom or leadership skills whatsoever; he ruled his group solely through brute strength.
It was power alone that enabled him to stand above others. His strength was monstrous, and his ability to communicate and overall intelligence barely reached that of a kindergarten child. He resembled more of a beast than anything human. The more he consumed humans and monsters alike, the more power he gained and the more he seemed to lose his reason.
The eradication of that plunderer group was quite some time ago. And now, the creature before me had devoured even more monsters than that previous leader had. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had eaten a great deal. Yet, here it was, still holding onto its sanity. I could only arrive at one conclusion:
“…This one must possess an extraordinarily strong will.”
The human part of it. The difference in mental fortitude. I knew only a bit about the individual from what Chang-soo had shared. Still, the fact that it retained its reason this far means it likely possessed a strong spirit.
“Get away…!”
It continued to speak with a labored tone.
“I… I’m not hungry right now. So you can leave.”
“…?”
“Just… go back!”
Clearly, this creature didn’t seem to welcome my presence. I began to have another thought about this being that addressed me. “Perhaps this creature could engage in conversation.”
Without waiting for its reply, I stepped forward, determined.
“I have a few questions I want to ask.”
“…If you want to live, leave me be!”
“I’ve heard you helped people escape from the dungeon. If you answer my questions truthfully, I will leave without further argument.”
As a chef—one who could easily become the foe of a Gourmet Glutton—I thought that reaching out for dialogue could ensure a clearer definition backing my role.
“…I said no…!”
There was an awkward growl of a sound intermingled with a bestial growl.
“I wasn’t hungry… I could have held on…”
“…?”
“Please, just go back… I don’t want to hurt any more humans!”
What could I say? This was indeed a remarkable creature. “Gourmet Gluttons… they lose their reason as they consume more beings.” It was astounding that, despite the mental strain, this creature was able to resist attacking me. There was something almost reverential about it—though I had no idea what it felt like to be in such a state.
Despite that, the idea of “don’t let me eat you, just go away” felt more like undue consideration than anything. I let out a small laugh.
“Who in their right mind would willingly submit themselves to being eaten?”
“…You’ve asked for this.”
I could feel a massive shape stirring from within the shadows, the oppressive creature moving against the confines around it. There were many questions I wished to pose, yet it seemed difficult to get more than superficial responses at the moment.
“I think it’s time to calm things down.”
I set my flashlight down on the ground. The light cast a long shadow. Gently tapping my foot on the shadow, it began to ripple. Dozens of outlines emerged from the elongated darkness.
“To our master’s master!”
“We pledge our loyalty!”
It seemed they were not in a state to converse just yet, but I was not worried. “After all, it’s said that a stick is a remedy since ancient times.” Perhaps, after a little confrontation, they’d be in a more communicative state.
Memories of what Cheol-wook had said about the Gourmet Glutton returned to me.
“There were reports of it consuming both monsters and humans… the outcomes were far from good.”
After conquering the dungeon, I had probed deeper into those accounts.
“It highlights how much he hated monsters; he even rejected the rations we provided, opting instead to chew on monster flesh.”
“Huh.”
“Fortunately, it didn’t end there. The more he bit into the monster flesh, the more his demeanor began to change… He had once been quite affable, but gradually he became irritable. The changes manifested physically, and when that occurred, he left our group.”
It was some time later before the Gourmet Glutton re-emerged, amidst conflicts among humans regarding food supply issues.
“When they failed to hoard supplies, they began to turn on one another, and war ensued. This resulted in the emergence of large-scale plunderers.”
However, while the term ‘plunderer’ suggests aggression, it was essentially about those who were trying to protect themselves versus those trying to take from others. The scales were about even, or the plunderers slightly ahead in number. But it was the plunderers who ultimately faced defeat.