Chapter 160

“What, you were here already?”

“… Yes.”

As we entered the inn in Laderam where we were supposed to meet, I could see Ha Yu-ri already sitting there.

“Why are you so early? We came early too…”

“… It’s about my younger sibling.”

Hearing Ha Yu-ri’s words, I immediately understood.

Ha Yu-ri glanced at Charis beside me and asked me a question.

“So… is this woman the former comrade of that old monster?”

Her gaze wasn’t friendly. Charis also noticed Ha Yu-ri looking at her with unfriendly eyes and her face twisted.

“… Ha, can’t you open your eyes nicely?”

‘Damn, why are you guys like this.’

“Eyes? You talk just like a dark sorceress.”

‘Hey, I use dark magic too…’

I felt like I got splash damage too.

“Bitch? Ha… look at how you talk.”

“Wait. You guys… do you know this is an inn?”

At my words, Charis and Ha Yu-ri, who were raising their voices, looked around.

The other people in the inn were glancing at the two beauties arguing.

Even though soundproofing magic was in place, so no sound would be heard.

Ha Yu-ri, being quite famous, had changed her hair color and some minor features, but her looks were still the same.

Ruska, who had been watching the situation quietly, spoke up.

“This is ridiculous. How dare you raise your voice in front of your master as a slave? Both of you need more discipline.”

Charis shouted in disbelief.

“Who is this woman?!”

‘… This feels like déjà vu.’

“… I explained on the way.”

“What do you want me to do! I’m annoyed! Why do I have to be involved in this!”

I was getting annoyed too. Stuck between these three women, I didn’t know what to do.

I started to wonder what kind of wealth and glory I was seeking to put up with this nonsense.

“Damn it, can everyone just be quiet, okay? What are we trying to do if we start like this?”

“…..”

“Ha Yu-ri, don’t you want revenge? Don’t you want to find your sibling?”

At my words, Ha Yu-ri’s face turned pale.

“Charis, let’s keep it down. I get that you’re upset, but why are you yelling at me? I told you on the way. Things like this might happen, so just bear with it.”

“… I’m sorry.”

It was my fault for assembling the team like this.

‘… Why do I miss Wi Ho-yeon so much?’

She listens well, is loyal, quiet, strong, beautiful, and has an amazing body…

“… Anyway, let’s calm down first. Ha Yu-ri, control your emotions. I understand, but I told you beforehand that Charis has nothing to do with this, right?”

“… Yes, I’m sorry.”

The atmosphere seemed to have calmed down a bit, so I signaled to Charis.

With a face like she had eaten something bitter, she spoke.

“First, let me explain about the old man… no, Rekalux.”

Everyone focused on Charis’s words.

“Rekalux is a chimera sorcerer. Similar to that guy over there. Although the difference in skill is like heaven and earth…”

‘Damn, no need to compare me with him.’

“Rekalux pursues two directions in chimeras. One is a complete monster form chimera. A chimera that retains no human form.”

Ha Yu-ri’s complexion turned bad as she listened to Charis.

If her sibling was used in such experiments, it would be horrifying for her.

“The other is a human form chimera. This one is ambiguous to call a chimera, as the goal is to create humans with explosive magical power. For example, coating a person’s magical circuits with special substances or transplanting a dragon’s heart.”

Ha Yu-ri asked with a trembling voice.

“Then… what about my sibling…”

“… If Rekalux used them as an experimental subject as he said, we should hope for the latter. The former would be a monster without reason.”

“That’s…”

“And there’s something I need to tell everyone. If Rekalux, that old man, is in this city, he must have a separate residence.”

It’s practically the habit of dark sorcerers.

“Fighting in a dark sorcerer’s, especially a chimera sorcerer’s, home ground means the battle becomes twice as difficult. So he’s not an opponent to take lightly.”

“… Even with three ranker-level strong people, it’s not enough?”

At my question, Charis shook her head.

“No. Our strength is sufficient. No matter how strong Rekalux is, even with home ground advantage, he can’t beat this force. But what I’m saying is not to underestimate him.”

I understood. After all, it’s a characteristic of this continent that you can die in an instant if you let your guard down.

“Especially you, your strength is at an ant level, so you need to be careful.”

“Ant level is too much…”

“It’s compared to Rekalux, that old man.”

… Well, I understand why they look down on me.

‘But I haven’t been idle either.’

My magical capacity has increased, I’ve obtained new materials, so of course, I wouldn’t just sit still.

Naturally, I’ve also succeeded in stepping into a new realm.

‘Though I’m still far behind them.’

Not long ago, my job level increased. My current job status is like this.

[Mutant Chimera Sorcerer (Legend Grade)]

‘The chimera I made this time exceeded expectations.’

Even though I only have two chimeras in total now, the one I made this time is my first combat-type chimera.

******

“Here?”

“Yes, Master.”

I was dumbfounded. Because…

‘What the hell, he’s running a potion shop right in the middle of the city?’

The others had the same reaction as me. Except for Charis.

“Given the old man’s personality, it’s possible. He’s quite bold. Just like we didn’t expect him to be right in the middle of the city, he probably anticipated that.”

“… Let’s go in first.”

Hiding my tension, I entered the shop.

Ding –

“Welcome.”

Instantly, the shop owner’s greeting was heard, and the sound echoed.





I turned my head towards the direction of the sound, and a beautiful woman came into view.

‘What the…?’

Rekalux is an old man.

‘Why is there a woman…’

In that moment, I wondered if I had stepped on a trap or something. Various thoughts crossed my mind.

Charis spoke up loud enough for everyone to hear.

“…It’s the old man’s chimera. A humanoid chimera.”

Right after Charis finished speaking, the female employee’s eyes changed, and she spoke in a strange voice.

“Intruders confirmed. Exploding.”

‘What?’

Immediately, the woman’s body began to swell unnaturally.

BOOM!

A shop in the middle of the city exploded.

“Ugh…”

Luckily, Ha Yu-ri had encased us in ice just in time, so we were unharmed.

“Ha, so it was a suicide chimera?”

Suddenly, I found myself smirking in this situation.

As a fellow chimera craftsman, I was intrigued by Rekalux’s work.

However, Charis looked fed up.

“That old man, he made something weird again.”

“Did we just let that old monster get away?”

Ha Yu-ri had a desperate expression. For her, letting the old monster escape was unimaginable, so her reaction was understandable.

If we let Rekalux escape here, he would go even deeper into hiding, and we might never catch him.

“No, I know the old man’s methods. He’s probably running away right now. Right below us.”

After Charis finished speaking, she touched a relatively intact bookshelf among the debris.

Click.

I don’t know how it works, but as soon as Charis touched the bookshelf, it rotated, revealing a passage leading underground.

“That old man, that’s his style. Make the opponent think they’ve lost him, then either escape or strike from behind.”

“…So, he might be preparing to strike from behind.”

“No. He’s probably desperately running away. He must have seen our faces through the chimera’s eyes just now.”

It seems Charis knows Rekalux quite well.

“He probably has a rough idea of our level. That old man is sharp when it comes to sensing danger. He wouldn’t miss the fact that he has no chance against us.”

“Then let’s hurry and chase him.”

We immediately went underground, revealing a laboratory-like space and an artificially made cave.

It looked more like a tunnel than a cave.

‘Is this a passage leading somewhere?’

Since there was no sign of anyone in the laboratory, we quickly started running through the tunnel.

We had been running for quite a while when…

“Wait.”

Ruska stopped us in the middle of our run.

“What’s wrong?”

“Master, something is approaching from ahead.”

“What?”

Ha Yu-ri and Charis seemed to have sensed something too.

“It’s big. We need to prepare for battle, Master.”

‘Big, you say?’

I soon understood what Ruska meant.

Rumble—

With a tremendous vibration, something appeared that looked like a giant caterpillar with only a massive mouth.

The creepy part was that its surface was pitch black and smooth, but its sides were covered with tiny mouths.

“Ha, it’s the old man’s prized chimera. I didn’t expect him to bring this out… He must be desperate to escape.”

Ha Yu-ri spoke with a frantic expression.

“We can’t afford to waste time here…”

“Ha Yu-ri, take Ruska and go ahead.”

“Huh?”

They both looked confused.

“What are you saying, Master? What are you going to do…!”

Charis could probably defeat the chimera on her own given time, but fighting while protecting me is a different story.

That’s why Ha Yu-ri and Ruska were reacting like this.

“I’ll go alone. You guys stay with the others…”

“I’m not that much of a burden anymore.”

“Huh?”

While everyone was stunned, I pulled out a seed from my pocket.

‘I guess I’ll have to use this now.’

I immediately threw the seed to the ground.

Everyone was looking at me with confusion, but it didn’t take long for their expressions to turn to shock.

As soon as the seed hit the ground, black and white flesh began to form and merge.

“This is from the Swamp of Oblivion…”

Everyone’s reaction amused me. I was always considered the weakest, so this kind of response was new to me.

‘This is thrilling.’

Even though I’m still the weakest among us, it’s not because I’m weak—it’s because they’re ridiculously strong.

The chimera soon fully revealed itself.

Everyone else was gaping in shock.

It was unbelievable that I, who had always been considered useless in combat, had created such a chimera.

“Master… When did you make this?”

From Ruska’s reaction, it seemed I hadn’t created something like this in the first round.

Although my chimera was smaller than the one in front of us, it was still overwhelmingly large.

A four-legged monster, with a face resembling an anglerfish, a bulky body, half white and half black in appearance.

It also had a tail, but the tail was made of flesh strands emitted by the cocoon of creation.

It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

[Mutant Devourer: Regiratus (Legend Grade)]

This was my new chimera.