Takashi Family (4)

Takashi, Lemon, and Mokomichi all had more than ten constellation contracts without question, and their constellations also appeared specialized for each of their classes.

In the end, he thought that constellation contracts, too, followed the principle of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

A hunter who met good constellations and blossomed in various abilities would naturally receive the attention of even more constellations.

But in a case where one met a constellation from the start that did not suit them well or was not greatly useful……

They would fall behind in growth or ability development to that extent, so even constellations that had been interested in them were highly likely to leave.

In other words, the saying that a dragon could rise from a humble stream was not something easy in the world of constellations and contractors.

‘Of course, it’s possible for me since I can plunder. I’m already a case of a dragon rising from a humble stream.’

Kang-hoo made a pleased expression while looking at the information in the constellation windows continuously flowing down.

His constellation contracts would continue to increase going forward too. Because guys who deserved to die would keep appearing without end.

‘First, should I do some scouting around? Since those guys are opening the path, I should look at some other side paths.’

Kang-hoo, who had been catching his breath briefly, moved diligently.

It seemed he was more the type who felt comfortable rolling his body around on-site than being a spectator.

Should he say that directly seeing with his own eyes and carving out the path felt much more refreshing and comfortable?

Perhaps he felt that way even more because he had always seen, felt, and solved things alone.

Tap! Tap!

Kang-hoo quickly changed positions and examined other branches.

Naturally, his companions’ gazes turned toward him.

Meanwhile, the three people’s raid, which had entered a stable phase, had now reached the stage where they could afford to relax.

They had already experienced the first floor of the labyrinth several times before, and thanks to Kang-hoo opening a shortcut, they had more than enough stamina saved up.

If it had been their existing raid, they would have rested before reaching this point, or by now they would have felt their stamina running out.

But thanks to passing through all the tricky sections with Kang-hoo’s summoning, they were as fresh as when they had started.

Thanks to that, they also had plenty of time to turn their attention to Kang-hoo’s movements.

As though they had promised, the three people watched Kang-hoo’s back as he moved unpredictably.

“How is he at the start?”

Takashi asked Lemon and Mokomichi. He was asking how they viewed Kang-hoo in the early stage of the raid.

At that, Lemon poked Takashi hard in the side.

If he had been a person, a groan of “Ugh!” would have come out, but sadly, the clone only looked at her with a sullen expression.

“We’ve only seen two skills now, so what do you mean how is he? We need to see more to get a proper feel. Can you know a dish just by smelling it?”

“There’s that soul…… or something you feel from Kang-hoo right from the start, isn’t there?”

“You’re completely smitten, really. I was holding back because I thought you’d get excited if I got stirred up too.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get stirred up!”

“If I evaluate him just as he is, I think the answer comes out. There’s no consistency in his skill branching, is there?”

“Right. ……Is that an insult?”

“Listen to the end.”

“Ah, yes, ma’am.”

“If I met Shin Kang-hoo and had to fight him under the same level conditions, I think I would have lost for sure.”

“Because he’s hard to predict?”

“That’s right. If you remove the perception of class, honestly, isn’t it confusing whether assassin is his main or his sub?”

Everyone nodded as though they had agreed in advance.

Saying Kang-hoo had no consistency in his skill branching was absolutely not a bad thing. It meant he was that unpredictable.

Even Lemon, who had high pride in her own skills, momentarily felt emotions of envy and jealousy toward Kang-hoo.

Especially when she saw not only an aerial movement skill, which was extremely rare even for the mage class……

But even a summoning skill that was a far superior concept to conditional spatial movement, she nearly fainted.

So she became very interested and hoped the labyrinth raid would proceed as long as possible.

Because then she would be able to see more of Kang-hoo’s skills. The depth of her understanding of him would also deepen.

Mokomichi expressed his surprise toward Kang-hoo with a plain assessment.

“It feels like there’s no wall to the expandability of his skills. Wherever he goes becomes a path. Usually, cases like this are called mutants. They’re arbitrary.”

“Right. Shin Kang-hoo is like that.”

At Mokomichi’s words, Takashi nodded.

He had not become interested in Kang-hoo simply because Kang-hoo liked adventure and challenges like he did.

From the beginning, Kang-hoo had something unexpected that lightly broke common sense. And often, and a lot of it.

Lemon smiled faintly and spoke.

“Takashi. This is the second time, I think, that someone as picky as you has been this enthusiastic about someone. I sincerely hope this friend lasts a long time.”

Although she said it lightly with a laugh, Lemon’s words contained concern for Takashi.

She knew.

That Takashi had fallen for the charm of a Korean hunter named “Jang Si-hwan” and had tried to actively work together with him.

However, as Jang Si-hwan gradually lost his purity and became absorbed only in power struggles, seizing profits, and subjugating hostile forces, Takashi had been greatly disappointed.

At some point, he had felt that Jang Si-hwan had begun to treat him not as an equal companion, but only as a chess piece to use when needed.

Lemon, who had interacted with him the most, knew well how discouraged Takashi had been at the time.

Even his close friends named Emilia and Yu Cheonghwa probably did not know about Takashi’s tears.

Lemon was also the only person in the Takashi Family who had seen him directly.

Perhaps Takashi felt something from Lemon’s deeply considerate words, because he bit his lip tightly and continued speaking.

“This time, my thinking has changed. Rather than only hoping that he will approach me, I’m thinking of approaching him more closely myself. I feel like that guy will open the door to his heart if I do. Like you in the past.”

“Randomly summoning the past is a little scary, isn’t it? Hoho.”

The process by which Lemon and Takashi had become close was similar to Kang-hoo and Takashi’s current state.

Takashi had always been able to read Kang-hoo’s restrained conversation and expressions, and the warmth hidden behind them.

A guy who was always fun to be with and made him think about many things.

If it was Shin Kang-hoo, even if he foolishly believed one more time, as he had with Jang Si-hwan…… it seemed he would have no regrets.

Even though they had come to this labyrinth and were only just experiencing the first floor, had it not been one surprise after another?

If he was a guy with far more to show in the future than what Takashi had seen so far!

He seemed likely to become truly great stimulation.

Perhaps that was why.

He wished there was no end to this labyrinth, of which they had not even gone half of half the way. Because then they could continue being together.

Thanks to using Blue-Position Exchange Formation, it took exactly one hour to arrive at the spiral staircase leading to the second basement floor of the labyrinth.

When following the existing movement route, it had apparently taken six hours on average, so the time had been drastically shortened.

Takashi could newly understand why tunnels were dug through mountains, as well as the efficiency and logic of it.

The tunnel Kang-hoo had opened—namely, the shortcut using summoning—had shortened the time absurdly, had it not?

Being able to easily narrow an infinitely long land route through aerial movement was a great appeal.

Especially considering the structure of a labyrinth with many canyons, fault lines, and winding paths, Kang-hoo was truly custom-made for it.

Kang-hoo pointed at the decayed monster corpse scattered in front of the stairs and asked.

“This one seems to have been the existing boss monster. It’s a middle boss monster, right? Since the main boss monster would be at the very end.”

“Right. But aside from here, there is another middle boss we’ve identified on the first floor. Want to try catching it?”

Takashi slyly brought it up.

His voice was filled with excitement.

Because he thought Kang-hoo would readily bite the bait.

“Let’s go. What do the other two think?”

“Before, we had to focus on opening the path, so we ignored cleaning up the surroundings. But now, there’s no real reason to do that, is there?”

“I agree too.”

At Kang-hoo’s suggestion, Lemon and Mokomichi nodded.

During their movement, they had also finished agreeing to speak casually to one another, so the formal honorifics were now gone.

Since he had not come to the labyrinth just to demonstrate skills, Kang-hoo coveted the middle boss’s skill.

He had already experienced through the “Cross-Dress” skill that once he plundered any skill, there would definitely come a time to use it.

Moreover, if it was one of the boss monsters guarding the labyrinth, it would surely have a skill that would be helpful.

“It’s coming right on time.”

When Kang-hoo turned his gaze toward the sharp killing intent stabbing in from somewhere, an uninvited guest revealed itself.

Until just now, a sandstorm had been blowing quite a bit, so its appearance had not been visible, but now it was becoming clear.

“Tera.”

Kang-hoo repeated the name of the middle boss monster written in the information window.

It felt as though he were facing a king from ancient times. It was wearing clothing with the distinctive features of that era.

Looking closely, its appearance brought to mind an Egyptian pharaoh. It would not be strange to call it a reference model.

At that moment.

Shiiik!

When Tera stirred up a sandstorm and gestured with its hand.

Kugugugu. Kugu. Kugugu.

The ground, which had seemed to be a quiet sand layer, began to stir, and soon, “servants” based on sand began being created en masse.

They were one consistent army, each taking the form of cavalry, spearmen, archers, and infantry.

As the sand clumped together and formed their outer appearances, Dark Energy covered them, and they soon hardened like solid stone.

In an instant, over several hundred such servants were created.

And they continued being created as though a factory were running.

Since sand to serve as nutrients was overflowing, he felt certain there would be no limit to their production.

At that moment.

“Do you need scouting?”

At Takashi’s tactful question, Kang-hoo answered with a faint smile.

“Yeah. I think I can find a shortcut here too.”

“Scouting battle, long-term battle! They’re all our family’s specialty, so watch us. Just don’t overdo it.”

“Good.”

It might seem like a trivial conversation.

But it felt strange because it meant Takashi knew his tendencies or the way he established strategies well.

Should he say it felt as though Takashi watched his thoughts even better than Kang-hoo himself did?

Takashi’s perceptiveness was truly fast.

The scouting battle began immediately.

Takashi’s sword wind and Lemon’s magic were all blocked by the “sand soldiers” raising walls.

Of course, while receiving the sword wind and magic, they were helplessly smashed apart and scattered, but they faithfully carried out the role of shields.

It was the same with Mokomichi’s servants.

They were helplessly collapsed by Tera’s human-wave tactics, which continued generating sand soldiers no matter how many were killed.

Everyone, including Kang-hoo, felt it.

That there was absolutely no meaning in being pressed down by the intimidation of the sand soldiers and expending strength to destroy them.

In the end, the fate of servants ended for whatever reason when their master met death.

They realized anew that “Tera” must not be missing from the process of attacking Tera.

That instant.

Paat!

Kang-hoo, who had finished his calculation, charged forward without even a moment of hesitation and deployed two skills.

A feast of red fiery rain perfectly suited to disrupting Tera’s vision.

And the reuse of Blue-Position Exchange Formation, which had shown great effect earlier.

Just before moving away from the group, Kang-hoo did not forget to tell the three people.

“I’ll pull you in when you’re ready.”

An instruction to take position.

It meant that they would soon leap over countless sand soldiers and be pulled(?) to the place where the boss monster was.