Chapter 107
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Thistle slowly rose from the ruins of the collapsed building.
He casually brushed the dust and broken stone from his clothes, then snapped his gaze toward Haruto.
The confusion, pain, resentment, and struggle that had filled his eyes moments earlier were gone.
All that remained was pure, merciless killing intent.
Haruto’s fingers tightened slightly, his expression turning grave.
Something was wrong with Thistle—very wrong.
Even his presence had changed drastically.
Haruto’s gaze briefly swept across the spellbook in Thistle’s hand.
There was no doubt that the Winged Lion sealed inside it had taken advantage of Thistle’s mental collapse and interfered again.
It would almost certainly continue meddling in the battle.
The thought immediately dampened most of Haruto’s fighting spirit.
The Winged Lion might be unable to devour his appetite, but that did not make it harmless.
Worse still, if the battle continued to escalate, it could seize the opportunity to consume Thistle’s desires, greatly increasing its own power.
Maintaining the current balance was far safer.
Haruto weighed the risks in an instant and made his decision.
He could not win this fight.
More importantly, he should not continue it.
Time to leave.
"Laios, take everyone and go ahead."
Haruto kept his eyes fixed warily on Thistle as he called out.
"I’ll find my own way out. Don’t wait for me."
He had already decided to flee.
With the Winged Lion helping him, Thistle had exceeded what Haruto could currently handle.
All Haruto could do now was buy Laios’s party enough time to escape.
Whether they ultimately made it out of the dungeon would depend on their own luck.
"But Haruto, you’ll be alone—"
Laios tightened his grip on his sword until his knuckles went white.
He wanted to stay and fight beside him, but after witnessing Haruto’s speed and strength, Laios understood that they were not even qualified to interfere.
"Let’s go."
Chilchuck tugged on Laios’s sleeve and sighed helplessly.
"If we stay, we’ll only become a burden and make it harder for Haruto to escape."
Senshi nodded firmly.
"He’s right. Our presence will only restrict him. Trust Haruto—he can get away on his own."
Laios gritted his teeth.
He looked at Falin, whose face remained pale and strained, then glanced at the others.
In the end, he clenched his sword one last time before turning away and leading the group toward another passage connecting the fourth and third floors.
Thistle did not even glance at them as they fled.
At that moment, Haruto was the only person in his eyes.
Neither of them noticed the strange ripple that briefly passed through the spellbook in Thistle’s hand.
It vanished as quickly as a ring spreading across still water.
Once Laios’s party had disappeared, Haruto drew a deep breath and cleared every distracting thought from his mind.
He had already decided to leave, but there was no reason to go empty-handed.
His gaze shifted toward the Giant Walking Mushroom.
Earlier, he had avoided storing it to conserve Nen. Now that he was about to leave, there was no reason to let it go.
A Walking Mushroom that large had to be tender and juicy.
Would it taste better grilled, or simmered into soup?
Haruto moved the moment the thought crossed his mind.
He shot forward, his longsword slicing through the air with a sharp whistle as he charged the Giant Walking Mushroom.
The monster roared and swung its massive stalks toward him while spraying clouds of spores.
Haruto was faster.
In the next instant, he leaped above its cap and drove his sword straight toward the creature’s core.
The blade tore effortlessly through its soft fungal flesh.
The Giant Walking Mushroom convulsed violently before crashing to the ground, completely lifeless.
Haruto landed and looked back toward Thistle.
He intended to throw out one final taunt, store the mushroom, and leave.
Instead, he saw Thistle raising his spellbook.
"Thief, you have truly angered me."
The pages turned at a furious pace, releasing waves of mana powerful enough to make Haruto’s heart tighten.
"Now I will show you the miserable fate awaiting those who deceive me."
The moment his words fell, enormous figures began appearing around him.
A deafening chorus of dragon roars swept across the fourth floor, the shockwaves sending great waves rolling across the lake.
One dragon.
Then two.
Then three.
More than a dozen dragons of wildly different forms had been summoned.
There were Red Dragons covered in blazing crimson scales, thick-bodied Green Dragons, Ice Dragons hidden beneath dense white fur, long and slick Dragon Serpents, and with flowing whiskers, towering horns, and lightning coiling around their bodies.
Smaller Wyverns circled overhead in packs, shrieking as they waited for an opportunity to dive.
Haruto looked up at the gathered dragons.
His pupils contracted—and then unmistakable delight flashed through his eyes.
"Seriously? You’re going this far?"
The dragons varied greatly in appearance and aura, but every one of them was undoubtedly a top-class monster.
Haruto felt no fear.
Instead, an almost uncontrollable appetite surged within him.
He had already tasted Red Dragon, and it had been every bit as delicious as expected.
But he had never eaten any of the others.
Would Green Dragon ribs be especially tender?
An Eastern Dragon’s tendons had to be wonderfully chewy.
Those Wyvern wings looked excellent too...
Every dragon before him was a top-quality ingredient.
Then Haruto’s excitement rapidly faded.
The dragons were far too large.
Storing every one of them inside Gourmet Restaurant would require far more Nen than he possessed.
He also needed to reserve enough aura to deal with any unexpected danger.
At most, he could take one or two.
Standing before a mountain of treasure and only being able to choose a pair of prizes was maddening.
Haruto wanted nothing more than to pack every dragon away, but there was simply nothing he could do.
The Giant Walking Mushroom he had planned to take had already been forgotten.
Thistle had no idea what was going through his mind.
Seeing Haruto’s expression shift from excitement to frustration, he assumed the overwhelming pressure of the dragon horde had finally broken his courage.
A cold, deranged smile spread across his face.
"Kill him."
Thistle waved his hand and issued the command.
The dragons erupted into motion.
The Red Dragon attacked first, raising its head and unleashing a massive stream of fire. The Green Dragon followed immediately with flames of its own.
The Eastern Dragon lifted its head, summoning a storm of lightning that crashed down toward Haruto.
The Dragon Serpent stayed low to the ground and released a thick cloud of black poison.
The Ice Dragon was still venting heat from its body and needed time before it could unleash its breath.
The Wyverns remained overhead, unwilling to approach while so many larger dragons were attacking at once.
Before the various breaths could reach Haruto, they collided.
The fire from the Red and Green Dragons ignited the Dragon Serpent’s poison cloud, triggering a violent explosion.
Fortunately, Haruto had moved the moment the attack began.
Even so, the blast wave nearly knocked him from his feet.
The Wyverns immediately swooped down.
Haruto adjusted his stance and raised his longsword, deflecting a set of razor-sharp talons. Sparks burst from the collision.
Even as he fought, his mind raced through his options.
The Red Dragon was eliminated first.
He already had one stored inside Gourmet Restaurant.
The Dragon Serpent could breathe poison, which meant its flesh might also be toxic.
Preparing it would undoubtedly be troublesome, making it a poor choice.
The Eastern Dragon remained high in the air, making it difficult to approach. Killing and storing it quickly would be far too risky and could delay his escape.
That left the Green Dragon, Ice Dragon, and Wyverns.
Considering his limited Nen, he would need to choose one of the smaller Wyverns.
As for the larger dragon...
The Ice Dragon appeared enormous because of its thick fur, but its actual meat yield was probably disappointing.
The Green Dragon, however, had a broad, heavily muscled body. Beneath its scales, the flesh was likely tender and abundant, with no unnecessary bulk.
It would be excellent roasted, stewed, or cured.
Its value clearly exceeded that of the Ice Dragon.
That settled it.
Haruto stopped hesitating.
He wrapped a large amount of Nen around his longsword and cleanly cut down the Wyvern charging toward him.
Then he pushed his speed to the limit and rushed straight for the Green Dragon.
The Green Dragon noticed him and roared, swinging one massive claw.
Haruto had already predicted the attack.
He dropped low and slid across the ground beneath it, avoiding the talons and reaching the space directly below the dragon’s neck.
Nen surged into his feet.
Haruto launched himself upward and drove his sword into the reverse scale beneath the Green Dragon’s head.
The blade pierced through without resistance.
The Green Dragon’s entire body shuddered.
The light vanished from its eyes, and its enormous frame crashed to the ground.
Thistle showed no reaction to its death.
Every dragon’s soul was bound to the dungeon. Even if one was killed, he could simply resurrect it later.
To him, Haruto was only struggling before his inevitable death.
Killing a single dragon changed nothing.
Then Thistle’s expression transformed.
Haruto placed one hand against the Green Dragon’s cold scales.
Under Thistle’s disbelieving stare, the entire corpse vanished without a trace—along with its soul.
Without a soul, the Green Dragon could never be resurrected.
"You—"
Thistle’s fury exploded, his murderous intent almost becoming tangible.
Before he could act, Haruto raced back to the Wyvern he had killed and stored that as well.
He then raised his head, waved toward Thistle, and gave him a satisfied smile.
"Goodbye, master of the dungeon."
"I’ll gladly take these ingredients off your hands."
As the dragons roared and Thistle screamed in fury, Haruto’s figure trembled like a reflection on water.
Then he vanished completely.