This was not due to brilliant strategies from the defending side;
“He returned having become a monster.”
There was a visible fear in Chang-soo’s eyes as he recounted this.
“What he did to the plunderers still sends chills.”
He appeared suddenly, starting to hunt those who stood with the plunderers. The fighting in the dungeon ended with the plunderers’ defeat.
Regardless of their level, he executed and massacred hundreds of humans.
“…Be careful. If he is still alive, given the time and the monsters he has consumed since, he must have become a monster that you cannot handle.”
I couldn’t help but agree.
“The intimidation was palpable.”
—————!!!
“Graaah!”
With a roar, the Gourmet Glutton swung its hand, and a vampire leaped out from the shadows, propelled away by the impact.
“….”
The vampire slammed into the wall, knocked unconscious. The previous Gourmet Glutton I had encountered was strong in its own right; even when the squad assaulted together, it had managed to hold its ground and even gain the upper hand.
Yet this one—this one was certainly on a different level.
[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]
[Lee Hyun-jin]
[Primate Human Species – Gourmet Glutton]
The creature bore little resemblance to the one I had faced before. The former, a plunderer leader, had been merely a bloated mass of flesh. This one, however, seemed to retain almost no traces of humanity.
“What is that? Scales?”
The most distinctive characteristics were the scales covering its skin, resembling fish scales. Although the vampires attempted to strike, most of the impact was absorbed by those scales.
“Those scales… they smell just like those of the stinking fishmen.”
“Hmm.”
The previous plunderer leader had achieved size by consuming humans, while this creature seemed to prey primarily on monsters. “That must mean its body adapted under the influence of those monsters.”
But the scales weren’t all there was. Long claws—large horn-like protrusions adorned its head. A grotesque fusion of various monsters. Compared to regular flesh, it would clearly be more troublesome to engage with. Nevertheless, my own forces were not lacking.
“Let’s go, brothers!”
“Follow the command of our master’s master!”
Now, the shadows hid a swarm of vampires prepared to battle this creature. They were plunderers, criminals… trash compared to other humans, repurposed through Ariella’s power. But it’s not as if being repurposed meant they were weak.
“Guh…”
“Brother!”
The Gourmet Glutton grabbed one of the vampires with its enormous hand.
“How delicious…”
The captured vampire seemed about to become a meal for the Gourmet Glutton, but—
“Emergency Evacuation!!!”
[Obscuration]
“Grr…?
The vampire caught in the Gourmet Glutton’s grip transformed into a swirling red mist.
[Mist Transformation]
The long cooldown was an issue, but this ability allowed him to escape danger by becoming physically untouchable fog.
‘It’s an overpowered ability.’
Unless faced with a holy power or similar attack methods, it was akin to having an extra life.
There were restrictions, of course, like its vulnerability to sunlight and the ambiguity of showing up to my comrades because of his monstrous nature.
However, given the penalties, vampires were undeniably stronger than regular awakened beings.
“Do you really think a pitiful pig like you can win against the nobility of the night?”
As her subordinates sprang into action, Ariella muttered triumphantly.
‘She’s excited, isn’t she?’
It felt a bit cringe-worthy, but I chose to overlook it since they were indeed demonstrating incredible prowess.
‘In a time when we had no equipment, they were at a comparable level to our soldiers.’
Now fully outfitted in our guild’s official gear and having consumed my prophetic dish, the vampires were far beyond the average level of our troops.
But that wasn’t all.
BANG!
-GRRRRROOOO!
-How irritating…!
The sounds of battle shattered various metals and fragments all around.
These were the prey of the [Mac].
Consuming all kinds of debris, the creature known as Mac—had transformed into a wolf-like form—struck a powerful blow to the Gourmet Glutton’s face.
If it had had an even slightly worse temperament, that monster could have obliterated our guild long ago.
-CRUNCH…!
Despite being an esteemed Gourmet Glutton, it wasn’t without its wounds.
“NOW I GET IT.”
This was already significant power in itself.
The creature seemed aware of my strength, growling in response.
-…So, you came here to kill me.
However, I countered,
“This still isn’t enough.”
Ariella and Mac, despite their earlier strength, had significantly weakened since their prime.
Thanks to the affinity of [Mist Transformation], we could pressure the Gourmet Glutton to this extent, but there was no guarantee we would win if the fight continued.
Thus,
‘We may need to bring in our final strength.’
[You have encountered one of the Nemesis of the Chef, the Gourmet Glutton]
[Profession Quest – The Slaying of the Nemesis has been reactivated]
[Slay the Nemesis]
This was an overwhelming type of matchup, far beyond the simple [Mist Transformation].
[All actions against the Nemesis will gain bonuses]
The Chef was stepping forward.
A tremendous roar reverberated through the underground chamber of the city.
The ground shook, and several massive pillars shattered from the violent conflict.
After a prolonged fierce battle,
-I’m… hungry…
THUD…
It was clear who was kneeling now as the behemoth collapsed weakly to the ground.