Chapter 6: Trapped Hunter Rank F?
1059 Words
The corpse of the Venom Emperor lay split apart on the stone floor.
Its massive body—once a terrifying fusion of scales, fangs, and venom sacs—was now nothing more than twitching flesh slowly dissolving into particles of light. Purple mist leaked from the wounds Shidō had carved into it, evaporating into the air like the monster’s final breath.
Shidō Kagenori stood over it, katana dripping with blackened blood.
His breathing was calm.
Too calm for someone who had just slaughtered a boss monster without mercy.
A familiar sound echoed before him.
DING.
A translucent blue screen appeared in the air.
[Boss Defeated: Venom Emperor]
[Experience Acquired]
[Level Up!]
[Level Increased x3]
Shidō glanced at it only briefly.
“Acceptable.”
He wiped the blade clean against the dissolving corpse and sheathed it with a soft click. His eyes shifted toward the massive door behind the fallen boss—a towering slab of black stone engraved with glowing runes.
The door trembled.
Slowly, it opened.
Beyond it awaited Floor 4.
Shidō stepped forward without hesitation.
Floor 4 – The Ork Goblin Nest
The moment he crossed the threshold, the air changed.
It reeked of filth.
Rotting meat. Stale blood. Sweat. Smoke.
The floor was vast—an open cavern-like hall supported by thick stone pillars rising toward a ceiling lost in darkness. Crude torches burned along the walls, casting flickering shadows that danced unnaturally, as if alive.
Then—
Growls.
Dozens.
No—hundreds.
Shidō’s eyes narrowed.
From the darkness emerged figures—short but muscular, hunched bodies covered in greenish skin scarred with old wounds. Their tusked mouths dripped saliva, yellow eyes gleaming with hunger and malice.
Ork Goblins.
Crude weapons were clutched in their hands: rusted axes, spiked clubs, jagged swords barely holding together.
A blue screen appeared again.
[Floor 4 Objective]
Eliminate all hostile entities
Enemy Count: 100
Shidō exhaled slowly.
“A swarm.”
The ork goblins roared.
The sound was deafening—raw, savage, filled with bloodlust. They charged as one, feet pounding the stone floor, weapons raised high.
Shidō didn’t move.
Not yet.
The first wave reached him.
And then—
He vanished.
The nearest goblin’s head separated from its body before it realized it was dead. Blood sprayed across the stone as Shidō reappeared behind it, blade already mid-swing.
Another fell.
Then another.
His movements were precise, efficient—no wasted energy. He slipped between attacks, twisted his body just enough to avoid a club, then drove his katana through a goblin’s throat.
A roar came from his left.
He ducked.
An axe whistled above his head. Shidō stepped inside the goblin’s reach and smashed his elbow into its jaw, cracking bone before slashing upward.
Bodies fell.
Yet they kept coming.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Shidō’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes were sharp, calculating.
“Too many to end quickly.”
He extended his hand.
Blue symbols flared around his fingers.
Fire Magic.
A compressed flame exploded from his palm, incinerating a cluster of goblins instantly. Screams echoed as bodies burned, the smell of charred flesh filling the air.
Still, more rushed forward, climbing over the dead.
Shidō clicked his tongue.
“Tiresome.”
He moved again—this time faster.
A goblin lunged from behind.
Shidō didn’t turn.
His blade pierced backward through its skull.
Another tried to grab him.
He broke its arm and sliced its legs out from under it.
Blood soaked the floor.
Minutes passed.
The pile of corpses grew.
And then—
Shidō felt it.
A presence.
Different.
Weaker.
Human.
His eyes flicked toward one of the stone pillars near the far side of the hall.
There—half-hidden in the shadows—someone was crouched low, body trembling.
A man.
Human.
He wore worn leather armor, cracked and stained. A sword—cheap and chipped—was clutched tightly in his shaking hands. His face was pale, eyes wide with terror, sweat pouring down his forehead.
A hunter.
And judging by the way he struggled just to stand—
“Rank F,” Shidō muttered.
The man’s gaze met his.
Fear flooded it instantly.
The ork goblins noticed too.
A group peeled away from Shidō, their attention locking onto the helpless prey hiding behind the pillar.
They grinned.
Shidō cursed internally.
“…Annoying.”
He could leave.
There was no rule forcing him to help.
Yet—
If the man died, the goblins would scatter again, making the cleanup inefficient.
And inefficient things irritated him.
Shidō changed direction.
In a blink, he was between the goblins and the trembling hunter.
The first ork goblin didn’t even see him move.
Its head flew.
The others hesitated—just for a moment.
It was enough.
Shidō slaughtered them.
One by one.
Quick.
Brutal.
When the last goblin fell, silence returned to the hall.
Blood pooled around Shidō’s feet.
The man behind the pillar stared in disbelief.
“T-thank you…” he whispered hoarsely.
Shidō didn’t answer.
He turned away and resumed exterminating the remaining goblins without sparing another glance.
The hunter watched him.
Watched how easily he killed.
Watched how monsters died without even touching him.
Fear slowly turned into awe.
After the Slaughter
The final ork goblin screamed before being silenced forever.
A blue notification appeared.
[Floor 4 Cleared]
[Experience Acquired]
[Level Up!]
Shidō wiped his blade and walked toward the exit door.
“W-wait!”
The voice cracked.
Shidō stopped—but didn’t turn.
The hunter stepped forward, legs weak.
“P-please… don’t leave me.”
Shidō glanced over his shoulder.
Cold.
Emotionless.
“…You’ll slow me down.”
The man swallowed.
“I know! I know I’m weak! I’m just a Rank F hunter! But—I don’t want to die in here!”
His grip tightened on his sword.
“I’ll do anything. I’ll carry supplies, scout, anything. Just… let me follow you.”
Shidō studied him.
Shaking hands.
Uneven breathing.
Fear written all over his face.
Useless in combat.
Yet—
Not dead.
He looked away.
“If you become a burden, I’ll abandon you.”
The man’s eyes widened.
Then—
Hope.
“Yes! I understand! I swear I won’t get in your way!”
Shidō turned and walked toward the door.
“Keep up.”
The hunter followed.
Unaware—
That following Shidō Kagenori meant walking beside death itself.
- Writer
