Chapter 105: Evolved Anomaly

Reiji’s crimson eyes never left the monstrous creature.

The suffocating pressure pouring from its body continued spreading throughout the chamber like an invisible tide.

"...Stand back."

His voice was calm.

Aoi blinked.

"What?"

"I said stand back."

"...No."

She stepped forward instead.

"I’m not leaving you here alone."

Reiji remained silent for a moment before sighing.

"...That wasn’t a request."

Without waiting for her response, his hand slowly reached toward the Long Bone Sword resting inside his Inventory.

His fingers wrapped around the handle.

SHING!

The black blade slid free.

Black-and-amber mana quietly wrapped itself around its edge.

His eyes narrowed.

’Kill it before it gets the chance to...’

The Anomaly vanished.

BOOM!

The floor exploded beneath where it had been standing.

"So fast!"

Aoi’s pupils shrank.

The creature reappeared directly in front of the Chimera.

The giant beast barely had enough time to raise its massive claws.

SLASH!!

A crimson arc flashed across the chamber.

The Chimera froze.

Its burning golden eyes slowly widened.

Then...

Its enormous body split cleanly into two.

BOOOOM!!

Both halves crashed heavily onto the stone floor.

’What the...’

Neither Reiji nor Aoi moved.

The Chimera had just been killed in one strike.

Before the blue particles had even finished dispersing, two crystals rolled across the stone floor.

A Monster Core.

A Dungeon Core.

The Anomaly’s crimson eyes immediately locked onto them.

"...No."

Reiji’s expression changed.

The creature lunged forward.

Crunch.

The Monster Core disappeared inside its mouth.

Crunch.

The Dungeon Core followed immediately after.

Silence.

For one brief second, nothing happened.

Then...

CRACK!!

The creature’s body suddenly trembled violently.

Its bones cracked one after another.

Its muscles rapidly expanded.

Black veins spread beneath its skin.

Its claws lengthened.

Its crimson eyes became brighter.

An overwhelming wave of mana exploded from its body.

BOOOOOOM!!

The entire chamber shook violently.

Ancient pillars cracked.

Chunks of stone rained from above.

Aoi instinctively shielded her face.

"W-What..."

Reiji frowned.

’It evolved...?’

This wasn’t assimilation.

It hadn’t fused with another creature.

It hadn’t absorbed mana.

It had simply become stronger by devouring the cores.

Ding!

[Labyrinth Anomaly - Derat Thorn (A+)]

"..."

Reiji slowly tightened his grip around the Bone Sword.

This fight...

Wouldn’t be easy.

The evolved creature slowly lowered its body.

Then...

It smiled.

A grin that looked far too human.

"...Stand back."

Reiji repeated.

This time Aoi didn’t argue.

The pressure alone was enough to tell her.

If she stayed, she would only become a burden.

Even then, Reiji wasn’t taking chances.

"Verdant Growth."

Massive emerald vines burst from the stone beneath Aoi’s feet.

"What are you—"

The vines wrapped around her before she could finish speaking.

Layer after layer.

Within seconds, a gigantic sphere woven entirely from reinforced vines surrounded her completely.

"Mana Manipulation."

Invisible mana flowed into every vine.

The already thick shell became even tougher.

"Reiji!"

BOOM!!

With a swing of his arm, the massive vine sphere shot backward like a cannonball.

It smashed through the corridor leading back toward the staircase.

Crash!

Crash!!

Crash!!!

Walls shattered one after another before the enormous sphere finally rolled to a stop several corridors away.

Inside, Aoi stomped angrily.

"...That idiot..."

She immediately tried forcing the vines apart.

Nothing happened.

"...Seriously?"

Just then...

ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!!!

The Anomaly released a deafening roar.

The terrifying pressure swept through the corridors.

Even inside the reinforced sphere, Aoi’s face immediately turned pale.

She slowly sat down.

"...Never mind."

Maybe staying here wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

***

Back inside the chamber, Reiji slowly rolled his shoulders.

His gaze never left the Anomaly.

’Blood Rage.’

Crimson aura silently flowed around his body.

His muscles tightened.

His heartbeat accelerated.

His senses sharpened.

Yet he frowned.

’The Mana Suppression Weights...’

Heavy pressure still wrapped around both wrists and ankles.

The daily quest was still active.

Twenty-four hours meant twenty-four hours.

Removing them now would immediately fail the quest.

"...Tch."

His expression hardened.

’Then I’ll kill you while wearing them.’

There was no point holding anything back anymore.

His grip around the Long Bone Sword tightened until the handle groaned softly beneath the pressure.

The evolved Anomaly remained perfectly still, yet every instinct Reiji possessed screamed that the creature was studying him just as carefully.

It wasn’t rushing.

It wasn’t blinded by bloodlust.

It was waiting.

Testing.

The crimson eyes staring back at him carried a frightening level of intelligence, far beyond that of any monster he had encountered inside the Labyrinth.

A faint growl rumbled from its throat as its elongated claws slowly scraped against the fractured stone floor.

CRRRRK...

Thin grooves were carved into the ancient rock with almost no effort.

Reiji’s gaze briefly swept across the chamber.

The Chimera’s corpse had already dissolved into countless blue particles, leaving behind only cracks, shattered pillars, and the lingering scent of scorched mana.

Even the ambient mana throughout the room had become unstable, swirling violently around the evolved creature as though acknowledging it as the new apex predator of the floor.

"...You’re dangerous."

The words escaped Reiji’s lips almost unconsciously.

The Anomaly’s lips curled even higher.

Almost as if it understood the compliment.

For a brief instant, the creature tilted its head, the movement eerily human, before its muscles coiled tighter beneath its skin.

It wasn’t merely preparing to attack.

It was preparing to hunt.

A chilling sensation crept down Reiji’s spine.

The monster before him wasn’t acting on instinct anymore.

It was thinking. Calculating. Learning.

That realization alone made it far more terrifying than the Chimera it had effortlessly butchered.

’Demonic Essence.’

Black-and-amber mana quietly surged through his body before flowing into the Long Bone Sword.

The blade released a faint hum.

’Hardening.’

His skin instantly became far tougher, ready to withstand attacks that would normally tear through flesh.

Without another thought, Reiji opened his Status.

His eyes immediately landed on one number.

Free Stat Points.

180.

’No point saving them now.’

He immediately distributed all one hundred and eighty points across his attributes.

Warmth spread throughout his entire body.

His muscles grew denser.

His breathing became steadier.

Even while wearing the Mana Suppression Weights, he could clearly feel the increase in strength.

Behind him, five dark magic circles quietly appeared.

One after another...

Five skeletal warriors climbed out from within them.

Each carried a weathered bone weapon.

Each silently took its place behind Reiji.

Their empty eye sockets burned with pale soul flames.

They stood like loyal guards awaiting their master’s command.

"Soul Torture Flame."

Amber flames slowly ignited around the Bone Sword.

Unlike before...

The flames didn’t spread wildly.

Instead, they quietly clung to the blade, making the surrounding air ripple from the intense heat.

"Mana Manipulation."

Invisible currents of mana spread throughout the chamber.

Everything...

Was ready.

The crimson aura surrounding Reiji slowly intensified.

Amber flames danced across the Bone Sword.

Five skeletal warriors stood silently behind him.

Opposite him...

The evolved Anomaly slowly lowered its massive body.

Its claws dug into the stone floor.

CRRRR...

Its crimson eyes never blinked.

Neither did Reiji’s.

The chamber became deathly silent.

One...

Was an evolved monster born from an unknown world.

The other...

Was the last man alive.

Neither moved.

Neither attacked.

Both simply waited...

For whoever made the first move.