Chapter 32: Chapter 32 : Betrayal

Isabella’s arms trembled as the strength behind the strike surged through her blade and into her body.

Then—

She was launched backward.

Her body flew through the air.

Dust and debris spiraled around her as she twisted mid-flight.

She flipped once.

Twice.

Then forced her body into balance.

She landed hard.

Her feet skidded across the stone floor, leaving long grooves behind her.

She slid nearly ten meters before stopping.

Her arms vibrated faintly from the impact.

She lifted her head slowly.

A smirk appeared.

“That won’t be enough to take me down,” she said calmly.

She rolled her shoulders once.

“Let’s see how you handle this.”

Her sword began to glow.

Brilliant silver light radiated from the blade, mana condensing along its edge in dense layers.

The air around her vibrated as she prepared another technique.

But suddenly—

Her vision blurred.

Just for a second.

Her head felt light.

Dizzy.

’What…?’

Before she could process it—

The wolf vanished from her sight.

A blur.

Then—

BOOM!

A massive paw slammed into her torso.

Her body shot backward like a cannonball.

She smashed into the basement wall with bone-shaking force.

Concrete cracked outward in a spiderweb pattern around her.

Dust exploded into the air.

The wolf did not pause.

It lunged again immediately, jaws wide.

Isabella forced herself upright just in time, rolling aside as the beast’s claws carved deep trenches into the wall where her head had been moments earlier.

She gritted her teeth.

“Jordy! A little healing magic here would be nice!”

Silence.

No response.

She dodged another sweeping claw strike, barely escaping as the tip grazed her shoulder.

Her heart skipped.

She turned her head sharply.

Jordan was gone.

Gone.

Her eyes widened slightly.

“I knew it,” she thought coldly. “That coward was a weakling and reeked of something unsettling from the very beginning.”

The wolf attacked again.

This time she barely blocked in time.

Her arms felt heavier.

Her movements slightly slower.

———–

Outside the building—

The strange red liquid Jordan had poured earlier had begun to spread its scent.

Low growls echoed through the surrounding streets.

From alleyways.

From rooftops.

From broken windows.

Monsters emerged.

Drawn by the pheromonal lure.

One.

Then five.

Then dozens.

Their eyes burned red as the scent triggered something primal within them.

They moved toward the building in a growing horde.

Inside—

The wolf’s veins glowed brighter.

Its breathing became more aggressive.

Its movements more frenzied.

The berserk state was taking hold.

Far away—

Arthur stood at a distance, watching the building from the shadow of a collapsed structure.

The ground trembled faintly as more monsters entered.

He tilted his head slightly.

“Looks like Isabella is going to enjoy herself a lot,” he muttered calmly.

A faint frown appeared on his face.

“That is… if she’s able to keep herself alive.”

————

On the other hand—

Jordan moved quietly through the upper floors of the ruined building.

His footsteps were light.

Measured.

Controlled.

From time to time, he uncorked another small vial and let several drops of the thick red liquid fall onto the cracked concrete.

The strange scent spread slowly through the corridors.

Seeping.

Crawling.

“No matter how powerful you are, Isabella…” he muttered softly.

His lips curled faintly.

“You are not invincible.”

He dropped another line of the Bloodmoon Frenzy Extract near a broken ventilation shaft.

“And with this smell making you lose focus… making you dazed… you won’t be able to fight for long.”

He raised his hand.

Mana gathered.

“Dissolution.”

His body shimmered faintly—

Then vanished.

His physical presence dissolved into thin air, leaving only faint ripples where he had stood.

Invisible.

Hidden.

He moved silently through the shadows.

From shattered windows and collapsed stairwells, monsters began pouring into the building.

Drawn by the scent.

Eyes glowing.

Breathing ragged.

They rushed deeper inside.

Toward the basement.

Toward Isabella.

Jordan watched from invisibility as wave after wave descended the stairs.

His excitement grew.

“This is perfect,” he whispered.

His pulse quickened.

“But I cannot let her die…”

His expression sharpened.

“If she dies, the quest won’t be completed.”

He exhaled slowly.

“I just need her to exhaust her strength.”

His tongue slid across his lips.

“Breaking her can come after that…”

His eyes darkened.

“And I’m going to thoroughly enjoy it.”

He took another step—

Then suddenly stopped.

His expression shifted.

“Oh.”

He blinked once.

“I almost forgot… about that F-ranker Arthur.”

He scoffed lightly.

“He must’ve died by now at the hands of Marco, Arlo, and Atlas.”

A faint annoyance crossed his face.

“I just hope they didn’t make too much of a mess this time like their previous killings.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“I’m the one who always has to clean up after them.”

He lifted his wrist.

Wrapped around it was a sleek metallic bracelet etched with faint blue runes.

It pulsed gently with mana.

A communication artifact.

One that functioned even inside dungeon gates.

Jordan had given identical bracelets to his three lackeys.

He tapped it lightly.

“Marco. Status report.”

Silence.

He frowned.

“Arlo.”

Nothing.

“Atlas.”

Still nothing.

He tapped it again.

And again.

And again.

No response.

“What the hell are these idiots doing?” he muttered irritably. “Why aren’t they picking up?”

Then—

A horrifying realization crept into his mind.

His breathing slowed.

“It can’t be…”

His throat felt slightly dry.

“They didn’t get killed… right?”

Several thoughts exploded inside his head.

’Did another party interfere?’

’Did they fail to handle an F-ranker?’

’Was that guy really pretending?’

His blood ran cold.

’Was he not an F-rank at all?’

For the first time—

A flicker of unease appeared in Jordan’s eyes.

Then—

A thunderous crash echoed from below.

The building shook violently.

A monstrous roar reverberated upward through the floors.

Jordan’s expression shifted again.

“I’ll worry about him later.”

His lips curved slowly.

“And it looks like Isabella is reaching her limits.”

Still invisible—

He sprinted toward the basement staircase.

As he descended—

The air grew heavier.

The scent of blood was thick.

He reached the final step.

And what he saw—

Made his heart skip.

Shock.

Disbelief.

For a moment—

Jordan couldn’t believe his eyes.

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