n

n

nThe moment I reached just a few inches away from the door, I felt an intense killing intent towards me.

n

"Damn!

" I saw a fast move of one tail before I jumped inside to evade it. However, that bastard didn't use the three tails at once. It released the other two at me, forcing me to roll on the ground to evade this fierce attack.

nI knew if I got a single hit from one tail then I'd be done for.

n

"Crack!

"

nJust the moment I stabilized myself on the inside of this big room, I heard a faint clicking sound coming from my feet.

"Egg shell?!!

" I touched the ground reflexively to feel the unique surface of an egg shell. I looked around for an instant before jumping off again to avoid the incoming tails.

n

"Roar!

"

nIt roared as it was insulted by my evasion. However at this moment I wasn't thinking at all about the incoming tails or that mighty roar. That egg shell I just found meant only one thing.

n

"A monster born from an egg… a hybrid monster for god sake!

" I was shocked, and I had all the right to be. After all egg monsters was a term called on the disasters happening after the fifth quest.

nWas this the reason why this group never made it alive past quest five?

nA hybrid monster was a terrifying being that was born from the mate of two different species of monsters. Monsters regularly act like mammalian animals, holding their offsprings inside their bellies like humans.

nBut this hybrid monster was different. As it held a greater power than its parents, it had to be incubated in an egg while absorbing mana from the world around.

nAnd such a terrifying monster was just here at the first quest. You gotta be kidding me!

n

"But if you are a hybrid monster, that means you are in a weakened state right now,

" I kept jumping around while realizing this. The speed of the monster's attacks was barely on par with mine. This wasn't normal as this monster stats should be at least five folds my current stats.

n

"Should I use it now?

" I considered adding more power to myself but I hesitated. After all that hybrid monster was still a baby and in such a weakened state. Plus the weakness I knew about, I had a chance to kill it here.

n

"How many coins will you give me then?

" I knew these monsters were considered elite grades and even higher. The higher the rank of the monster the more coins I could get.

nBut I had to kill it first.

n

"Roar!

"

nThat monster had a big head of a cat with a body covered in blue fur. However I could see a few scattered small scales around his body.

nIt must have a relation to those scaled monsters, hopefully it wouldn't be a dragon or something terrifying like it.

n

"Angelica…

" as I decided to kill it, and I knew how, I had to ask for the help from those standing outside watching. After all, my current gears wouldn't help at all.

n

"Anything,

" Angelica seemed to be much calmer than most of the youths around her. She understood that I needed her help even without asking.

n

"Any archer at the group,

" I jumped again and kept my distance away from that hybrid monster,

"or any magician with long range attacks.

"

n

"...

"

nHowever for the next minute all I got was only silence. That monster kept reading and adapting to my moves and started to corner me more effectively than before.

nThat was one of the terrifying aspects of the hybrid monsters; they were sane monsters with enough intelligence to cause headache to anyone.

nEspecially when the fighting place was in such a narrow space. If we were outside in the open, I could have run around in circles to buy some time.

n

"Don't tell me she only brought swordsmen with her… What was she thinking?!

" I mumbled when I realized from all this silence that she didn't have anyone with such ability in her elite squad.

nShe must have sent someone to fetch archers and magicians. However the people outside were all weaker than the elite group around her. So they couldn't help me at all.

n

"If plan A fails, then it's time for plan B,

" I said to myself while jumping and barely avoiding the three spear-like tails by just a few inches.

nIf I delayed or stopped for even one second, I would get my head rolling on the ground like that youth from before. Another problem arose, which was my stamina.

nI knew I would never compete with that monster in an attrition fight thanks to my low stamina. I had to finish it when I got the chance to.

n

"A shield,

" I instantly shifted to plan B,

"throw me a shield now!

"

n

"Got it,

" she instantly answered before I evaded another attack, rolled on the ground before looking at the direction of the door.

n

"No! Don't enter here!

"

nAngelica seemed to want to come here and deliver it to me. C'mon, I clearly said throw it to me. However, just before she could stop her advance, she entered the room.

n

"Damn! Throw it! Now!

" just as she did, that hybrid monster turned towards her. It was obvious what it was going to do.

nAnd I had to improvise to distract him. Angelica threw the shield towards me, and it took a nice arch in the air bypassing that big body of the monster.

nThen she started to retreat. However she was too late to do so.

n

"Hey, look over here,

" I knew Angelica was special, but she wasn't as experienced as me. She would react towards this hybrid monster like what she used to do at the normal monsters we faced so far.

nAnd that wasn't even close enough to make her keep her life intact, not to mention getting out of here unscathed.

nI didn't hesitate to put all the force I had in my legs before kicking the ground and jumping high in the air. With one hand I raised my sword in preparation to hit the monster's head. With another I was ready to grab the shield coming fast towards me.

n

"Roar!

"

nHowever, unlike what I knew about the arrogant nature of these hybrid monsters, that monster totally ignored me and started to move fast towards angelica.

nIt was the first time for it to step outside the room, and needless to say a massacre erupted.

nThe moment Angelica's team of swordsmen saw that monster coming at them like a giant black shadow from within the room, they moved fast forward to intercept it.

nAnyone standing in front of its path was killed with no exception. The three tails acted like a killing machine, and in no time almost half of the group were killed before he grabbed Angelica.

nI was hitting its back fiercely with my sword while slamming with all my weight using the shield I took. This monster's main weakness was the fragile defense against blunt objects.

nUnlike its superb defense against any sharp weapons, it was so vulnerable to anything without sharp edges. It was against any common sense, and that made such monsters terrifying existences to begin with.

nI tried to reach its core as fast as possible, however that body shone brightly in strange blue light.

n

"Is it using a skill now?

" I couldn't believe it was able to use a skill when it was in such a weakened state.

nI started to have a bad foreboding. I didn't stop my shield from hitting the monster and I was about to cut through the tough skin. But the brilliance of the light coming from the body of the monster became more intensified while I was doing that.

n

"Clang!

"

n

"Clang!

"

nI could already hear Angelica hitting her sword towards the monster in an attempt to free herself. However no matter what she did, she couldn't even budge that monster.

nIt was expected. How could she free herself using a sharp sword against that hybrid monster.

n

"Buzz!

"

nJust as I finally cracked the skin, I heard a loud buzz that made me feel dizzy.

n

"No way! A teleportation skill!!!

" In front of my eyes, layers of circles made of golden and silver light overlapped over each other.

nI recognized this from first glance. That wasn't good! I instantly threw my shield away while shouting with all my might:

n

"Try to get away from it! Now!

"

n

"I can't!

" Angelica screamed in distress and I couldn't feel any better. this whole thing came out of my expectations. Who would believe such high end skill would be used here? And on no one but Angelica?

nThat meant she was more important, far dangerous than me to those damn angels. Who was she exactly?

nI didn't have time to waste. To crush that teleportation skill I needed power I didn't have. So the other option now was for me to kill that hybrid monster before the skill became fully activated.

nI stabbed my sword till the hilt inside the gap I created. Then I twisted it with both hands. I used all my strength to move it inside that monster, hoping to reach that core before the skill finished.

n

"Roar!

"

nThe monster roared in deep pain and that told me I already reached its core.

"Die you bastard!

" I didn't hesitate to pull the sword out and stab it again. And again. And again. I kept stabbing it for numerous times without realizing what happened.

n

"Thud!

"

nThe monster fell on the ground, releasing a small storm of dust. I painted while standing beside it. My sword was still in there but there was no sign of Angelica at all.

n

"Dammit! I was slightly late,

" I gnashed my teeth while feeling exhausted out of my stress. That fight wasn't one we could win, one I could win. Not with my current state.

n

"Let me think…

" I took deep breaths and calmed down my mind.

"She must be someone precious to kill, or else those angels won't spend all this blessing over her.

"

nI now realized why the angels hesitated when they issued me the subquest. They seemed to run low on blessing power, and had to risk losing much more than they could replenish during the upcoming events.

nBut that didn't make me feel any better. A girl with much potential and many secrets were snatched like this in front of my eyes.

n

"That monster was a baby,

" I suddenly saw the dead big corpse of the hybrid monster and realized this.

"It won't be able to send her to the designated place. Plus we crashed in here, away from their calculations.

"

nIt was obvious they didn't plan on killing her right now. If I didn't bring the group in here, no one would have discovered this monster until the fifth stage.

nThat meant one thing, the place Angelica was moved to wasn't ready yet. The enemies were now scattered all over the park and even might be outside it.

n

"If I think it this way…

" I raised my body up while pulling the sword out,

"then I still have a chance to save her.

"

nBefore I go out, I started my work over this dead corpse of the hybrid monster. It was a baby version of the real terrifying hybrid monster, but it still had valuable things.

n

"I can't use the market for now, but I can store them for later,

" I took out the three cores of this monster, the sharp tails and claws, plus the few scales over its body. I even went to take a few organs that looked slightly different in contour and also the egg shells didn't escape my reach.

n

"I still got a handsome reward from killing it,

" I looked at the message the system sent to me after killing this monster and grinned in satisfaction.

nYou killed lord rank tier three hybrid monster: Gorlaf. The monster wasn't fully awakened and was in a weakened state. You got thirty thousand coins

n

"That's not bad,

" I took the shield, the sword Angelica left behind when she was forcibly transported and stored them in my inventory.

n

"Make sure no one dies here,

" I said to the remaining seven members of the initial twenty elite guards of Angelica.

n

"Wait… Where are you going?

" one of them finally got the courage to speak.

n

"Where else? I'll go and save Angelica from their clutches,

" I said in a firm tone while walking in steady steps towards the outside..

"And this time I'll make sure to hear her full story,

" I muttered to myself as I stood in the open watching the ongoing fights with determination.

n