It was fine at first when they entered the cave.
Though the cave had the typical musty smell, it actually seemed easier to deal with monsters here than out in the open where they could be surrounded.
“I was sure there’d be monsters inside…”
Kim Chan, who had discovered the cave first, anxiously scanned the area.
He waved his torch around in all directions, but there wasn’t even a shadow of a monster to be seen.
Feeling the urgency of the situation, he started to feel guilty—like he’d just wasted his teammates’ precious time.
“I think they’re probably a bit further in. So please, don’t worry.”
“I think I hear something deeper inside. Everyone, get ready for battle.”
“Yes!”
The only sounds echoing in the cave were the drip of water falling from the ceiling, the team’s footsteps, and their quiet exchanges.
Then a foreign sound tickled Minho’s ears. It sounded like wind—or maybe the scurrying of some kind of rodent.
Just as the rest of the team began sensing the shift in the cave’s atmosphere, another sound crept into their midst.
Crunch.
“I think… I just stepped on something…”
Soohyun’s voice trembled as he spoke.
Something beneath his shoe felt distinctly wrong.
Kim Chan brought his torch closer to illuminate the area around Soohyun’s feet.
When the light hit, they saw a strange shape stuck to the floor.
Soohyun slowly lifted his foot.
Something sticky clung to the sole and stretched like glue.
“Uh… over there…”
Eunhyu, who had also been holding a torch, pointed toward the ceiling.
The team members turned their heads—and each of them let out a quiet gasp.
Dozens of monsters were hanging upside down from the ceiling, staring directly at the intruders.
A suffocating bloodlust filled the cave, so heavy it was hard to believe they hadn’t noticed it before.
Cold sweat trickled down everyone’s backs.
“On the count of three, we turn around and run. Got it?”
Minho made a quick decision.
Their levels had gone up somewhat, but fighting off dozens of Black bats was next to impossible.
Kim Chan swallowed dryly.
He trembled, worried that even the sound of his own gulp might provoke the creatures.
“One, two—”
Screech!
Screech! Kree! Kree!
Before Minho could even count to three, the Black bats unfurled their massive wings and dropped from the ceiling in unison.
Even when folded, the creatures had been huge.
Now, with their wings fully spread—each one many times larger than their own bodies—the cave plunged into complete chaos.
It was as if darkness itself had fallen upon them.
Kim Chan and the others ran frantically out of the cave.
Whatever Soohyun had stepped on remained a mystery, but the Black bats pursued them relentlessly.
By the time they finally encountered Roy’s team, even the usually calm Minho had to grit his teeth to hold back a wave of emotion.
***
“That’s what happened,” Kim Chan explained briefly but clearly.
Roy patted Kim Chan’s shoulder without a word.
He knew how fragile Kim Chan could be—and this mission had been especially brutal.
The only small relief was that they hadn’t encountered any human-like monsters, like the one Jian had been disguised as.
If they had, Roy might have fainted again.
“Even though we’re from different teams, I think we should take care of the Black bats together.”
“I agree.”
Roy and Minho, both acting as leaders for their teams, quickly reached a consensus.
Ber’s flame attacks had managed to momentarily slow the Black bats.
But Ber’s fire couldn’t burn endlessly.
If he were in his true form, the flames would have kept burning until the Black bats turned to ash—but Roy’s current mana reserves were far too low for that.
Beep… (Contractor, I’m… losing strength…)
“Come here, Ber.”
Ber’s wings flapped weakly as he flew unsteadily into Roy’s arms.
Roy quickly pulled him close, tucking the tiny spirit into his coat.
Ber curled up against Roy’s chest, exhausted.
While Roy comforted the worn-out Ber, the others prepared for combat.
“Chan, I really missed you.”
“Me too.”
Kim Chan and Hajun had a brief reunion.
They wanted to catch up on everything that had happened while they were apart, but now wasn’t the time.
Sensing that Ber had withdrawn, the Black bats began to stir again—as if they’d been waiting for this exact moment.
“Roy, you should rest a bit. You look really pale.”
“No. I can still help.”
Roy tried to rush into the fight, but Hajun blocked him with a concerned look.
Ber had already done most of the heavy lifting, and Roy—who was pale to begin with—now looked completely drained.
Still holding his torch, Roy swung it through the air.
If they wanted to rest properly, all their teammates needed to reach level 10 first.
“Hajun, I’ll lure the Black bats this way. You take them down one by one, got it?”
“Got it!”
Hajun couldn’t stop Roy anymore.
Roy raised the torch and brought it close to one of the Black bat’s claws, trying to draw its attention.
“Screeeech!”
The Black Bat let out a piercing ultrasonic scream and recoiled its claws, reacting to the heat.
After locating Roy’s position, it flew straight toward him. Beneath its rolling eyes, sharp fangs gleamed menacingly.
“Now!”
At Roy’s signal, Lee Hajun raised his weapon and sliced through the Black Bat’s wing joint.
“Skreee…”
With one wing severed, the Black Bat couldn’t resist the pull of gravity and crashed to the ground, its momentum adding to the impact.
“Skreee! Skreee!”
Roy pressed a torch against the wound, and the Black Bat went berserk.
Just as Hajun approached to deliver the final blow, it happened.
“Sorry, I was in a bit of a rush.”
A large figure suddenly dashed past Hajun.
“Skreee…”
The creature turned to ash as a blade sliced through its neck.
Hajun froze in place, hand outstretched, eyes wide.
Sometimes a situation is so ridiculous that a person can’t even get angry.
This was exactly one of those times.
“Looks like you pulled yourself together.”
“Thanks to someone.”
The one who finished off the Black Bat that Roy and Hajun had nearly defeated together was Lee Chulhun.
Earlier, he had been raging like a storm, but now he looked as if that anger had been buried deep inside.
The usual sleazy smile on his face made him even more irritating.
“Leveled up. I’ll hit level 10 soon at this rate.”
Chulhun bounced lightly on the spot, like he was showing off how much lighter his body felt.
Roy decided to ignore him completely.
“Hajun, come here.”
“…Okay.”
Hajun had already realized long ago that Lee Chulhun wasn’t someone you could hold a normal conversation with.
You don’t avoid poop because you’re scared—it’s because it’s dirty.
“What’s this? Are you guys avoiding me?”
But Lee Chulhun wasn’t just any poop.
He was the kind of mess that didn’t even realize he was a mess.
“Chulhun, let’s go take care of the Black Bat over there.”
“Let go of me.”
So much for calming down—clearly, he’d come over just to pick a fight with Roy.
Roy suppressed a sigh and gently ruffled Hajun’s hair.
He felt bad seeing the younger boy caught in this mess because of him, especially when Chulhun didn’t seem to have any particular issue with Hajun.
“We’re on the same team. Shouldn’t we be working together to level up?”
Lee Chulhun ran his fingers through his singed bangs, his tone deliberately mocking.
Roy spoke to Ber in his mind.
‘Ber.’
[…]
“(Contractor, what is it?)”
‘Beeeeep…’
‘I don’t mind fainting. Use all the mana you can scrape up.’
“Beeep…” (Is this because of that guy?)
‘Yeah. I’m going to make him bald.’
Chulhun ground his teeth at the faint beeping sound from Ber, completely unaware of Roy’s telepathic conversation.
“Aren’t spirit users supposed to have their spirits fight alongside them?”
Anyone could tell from the sound of Ber’s beeps that he was exhausted.
Even Chulhun, who had finally calmed down, had seen Ber in action earlier.
Toward the end, Ber had flown toward Roy like a mosquito drained of all energy.
“Yes, we will.”
“Roy…”
Ber climbed up from Roy’s chest and perched on his shoulder, grooming his feathers.
He looked pitiful.
Hajun gazed at Roy with a sympathetic expression.
Deep down, he wanted to confront Chulhun, but with the cameras rolling, that wasn’t something he could do easily.
“Ber, hang in there a little longer.”
“Beeep…!” (I’ve gotta see that jerk go bald.)
Ber glared at Chulhun with burning resolve.
Seeing his contractor exhausted and disrespected had ignited his fighting spirit.
Roy had given him permission to push his mana to the limit—so that’s exactly what he intended to do.
Ever since regaining consciousness in this world, Ber had been dealing with constant stress.
Not only had he lost his original majestic form, but his powers had also been sealed.
He hadn’t seen the other Spirit Kings he once fought beside, nor could he return to the Spirit Realm.
Earth was far more barren than the As continent when it came to spirits.
Due to environmental pollution, naturally formed spirits were nearly extinct.
It was no wonder Ber was stressed out.
“Look, another Black Bat is coming this way.”
Roy pointed to the sky, where a Black Bat had begun circling before heading in their direction.
“You going to try and steal the final blow again?”
“What do you take me for?”
Despite his words, Chulhun waited for Roy to make the first move.
“Ber.”
“Beeep!”
Ber soared through the air and landed on the Black Bat’s head, pecking at its ear with his tiny beak.
The Black Bat, which relied on its inner ear to sense its surroundings instead of sight, reeled from the sudden attack.
“Die!”
Chulhun didn’t miss the opportunity and charged forward.
At that moment, Ber’s black eyes sparkled.