Chapter 206: [AERTH-LIKE CREATURES]

’Way to be put on the spot.’

Eli stood there like the floor had suddenly forgotten how to support him.

Every muscle locked at once.

His palms were sweating so badly he could feel it soak into the cuffs of his glittery sweater. A thick, stubborn lump crawled up his throat, refusing to go away no matter how many times he swallowed.

Twenty-five S-Class hunters.

Guild leaders.

Vice-captains.

The founder of the Hunter Association himself.

All staring at him.

Not judging.

Not yet.

Just watching.

Waiting.

Each blink felt too loud. Each breath came out wrong—too fast, too shallow. Every instinct screamed at him to turn around and bolt for the exit like a coward.

But—

He wasn’t being asked to do anything impossible.

All he had to do was report what happened in the SS-Class dungeon.

That was it.

Still—

’I can’t do this.’

He was too awkward for this many people. Talking to a few hunters at a time was hard enough—but an entire room full of S-Class elites?

The urge to run nearly won.

Then he noticed Midas again.

Still looking at him.

Calm.

Expectant.

The most powerful man in the Association had called on him specifically.

Saying no didn’t feel like an option—not with this many eyes on him, not with the silent pressure of Korenea weighing down the room.

And at its core…

It really wasn’t impossible.

Again—

All he had to do was tell the truth about the dungeon.

No lies.

No confessions.

No system secrets.

Just what he saw.

Just what happened.

Eli clenched his trembling fists at his sides.

’I can do this.’

One step.

He moved forward.

The noise in the room shifted—not into whispers, not into words—just into that heavy hush that came when attention focused all at once.

Every head turned as Eli started toward the podium.

His footsteps sounded too loud against the polished floor.

Too slow.

Like his body hadn’t quite decided it wanted to obey yet.

He felt Caelen’s smirk burning into the side of his face even without looking. The blond menace stood there completely relaxed, like Eli’s anxiety was nothing more than free entertainment.

And then there was Kairo—

When Eli dared to glance over, he found Kairo watching him.

Not cold.

Not hostile.

Just… strange.

His dark gaze was steady and unreadable, the kind that didn’t look at him, but through him—like he was trying to see something deeper beneath the surface.

That unsettled Eli far more than Caelen ever could.

It twisted something nervous in his stomach.

When he reached the podium, he realized Kairie was standing beside Midas.

She met his eyes and offered a small, gentle smile.

Not commanding.

Not judgmental.

Just encouraging.

The simple gesture grounded him more than he expected. In a building full of power and pressure, Kairie had always been the kindest person he’d spoken to.

Midas stepped slightly aside, giving Eli room without ceremony.

“Elione will share anything he noticed within the SS-Class dungeon,” Midas addressed the room again. “Any irregularities, anomalies, or details that may be of use.”

Eli nodded stiffly and moved fully behind the podium.

The microphone waited at mouth level like a silent challenge.

He reached up to adjust it—

REEEEEKKK—!

The sudden feedback shriek ripped through the speakers.

Eli nearly leapt out of his skin.

“Oh—! I—I’m sorry!” he blurted instantly, fumbling with the mic. “S-Sorry—! I didn’t mean to—”

Heat rushed to his face as the screech died down.

A few S-Class hunters snorted quietly.

Someone—who sounded suspiciously like Arman—let out a soft chuckle.

Caelen’s smirk widened.

Eli clenched his jaw.

’Focus.’

He straightened.

Hands braced against the podium—still trembling, but steadier than before—Eli lifted his gaze toward the sea of powerful figures watching him.

His voice came out small—

…but it didn’t falter.

“…I’ll… I’ll just explain everything in the order I remember it happening.”

He drew in a careful breath.

And began.

The noise in the room deepened—not into whispers or chatter, but into a dense, expectant hush as every scrap of attention shifted onto him.

Eli felt it like weight pressing down on his chest.

Every head followed his movement as he made the slow, awkward walk toward the podium.

His shoes sounded absurdly loud against the polished floor.

Too loud.

Too slow—especially with how uncertain his legs felt beneath him.

He could practically feel Caelen’s smirk burning into the side of his face from where the blond menace stood—completely relaxed, posture loose, like Eli’s anxiety was nothing more than a private show arranged for his entertainment.

And then there was Kairo—

When Eli dared a sideways glance, he caught Kairo watching him.

Not cold.

Not hostile.

Just… strange.

Watchful.

Those dark eyes didn’t seem to be looking at him, but through him—like Kairo was trying to peel something back, trying to see what was hidden underneath the surface.

That stare twisted Eli’s stomach far worse than Caelen’s teasing ever could.

At the podium, Kairie stood beside Midas.

She noticed him immediately and offered a small smile.

Not commanding.

Not judgmental.

Just quietly encouraging.

The tension in Eli’s shoulders eased a fraction. Somehow, that simple expression grounded him more than he expected. In a building full of power and pressure, Kairie had always been the kindest person he’d spoken to—and seeing that familiar gentleness now felt like an anchor.

Eli finally reached the podium.

Midas stepped aside without ceremony, effortlessly giving him the space.

“Elione will share anything he noticed within the SS-Class dungeon,” Midas reiterated for the room. “Any irregularities, anomalies, or details that may be of use.”

Eli nodded stiffly.

He moved fully into place behind the podium.

The microphone waited at mouth-level like a challenge daring him to fail.

He raised a shaking hand to adjust it—

REEEEEKKK—!

The brutal feedback screech tore through the speakers.

Eli nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Oh—! I—I’m sorry!” he blurted, scrambling to fix the mic. “S-Sorry—! I didn’t mean to—”

Heat rushed up his neck and bloomed across his face as the noise finally died.

A couple of S-Class hunters snorted softly.

Someone—who sounded suspiciously like Arman—chuckled under their breath.

Caelen’s smirk stretched wider.

Eli clenched his jaw.

’Focus.’

He straightened.

His hands rested on the podium—still trembling, but steadier than before—as he finally lifted his gaze toward the sea of powerful figures waiting for him.

His voice came out small…

…but it didn’t waver.

“…I’ll… I’ll just explain everything in the order I remember it happening.”

He drew in a slow breath—

And began.

Eli started with the basics—the broad strokes—before letting himself drift into the heavier details.

He told them everything, from the very beginning.

The eerie silence when they first entered the gate.

The creeping realization that they weren’t just trapped—they were sealed inside.

The moment they recognized the dungeon had mutated.

The leeches.

The phantoms slithering through the darkness like half-formed ghosts.

The monstrous octopus tearing through their formation.

And then—

…the SS-Class boss.

Every word felt heavier than the last as he laid it out. He described how each creature possessed abilities that hadn’t been cataloged before—powers far beyond anything previously recorded. These monsters weren’t just stronger.

They were different.

’Too different…’

When he finally finished the rough timeline, his throat felt dry.

He paused.

“Any questions so far?” Eli asked quietly, glancing between the crowd and Midas.

The response was immediate.

Hands shot up across the room.

But before anyone could speak, Midas stepped closer to the microphone—his presence effortlessly commanding silence.

“What did you notice throughout the dungeon raid?” he asked.

Of course.

’Straight to the real question…’

Eli swallowed. He’d prepared for this.

“One of the things that stood out most to me,” he said carefully, “was that the dungeon had more… Aerth-like creatures.”

Midas lifted a brow. “Aerth-like creatures?”

“Yes, sir.” Eli nodded slowly, gathering his thoughts. “So far, monsters we encounter are usually entirely unique—almost fully mystical in nature. Even elves or demi-humans don’t resemble true people from Aerth. But in that dungeon…”

He exhaled softly.

“There were leeches. Phantoms shaped like distorted fish… or what looked like dead sirens. A massive octopus. And a giant serpent–eel hybrid.”

The words felt unreal even as he said them.

Eli instinctively glanced at Kairo.

“The octopus—the S-Class monster especially,” he continued, “was the clearest example. Minus its size and the mind-control ability, it behaved exactly like a real octopus. It concealed itself, squirted ink, had three hearts… everything lined up with known Aerth biology.”

A chill crawled up his spine.

“It almost felt like they weren’t new monsters at all,” he finished quietly.

“Just… mutated Aerth animals.”

A ripple of whispers exploded across the room the moment Eli’s words sank in.

“Mutated Aerth animals?”

“What does that mean?”

“Are they saying monsters were originally from Aerth…?”

The air shifted. Curiosity sharpened into unease.

Midas reacted as well, straightening slightly. “What are you implying, Elione?” he asked calmly. There was no accusation in his tone—only careful interest. “It sounds as though you’re trying to connect this observation to something.”

Eli swallowed.

’Here we go…’

“Well,” he began slowly, choosing each word with care, “I think the fact that these creatures resemble modified Aerth animals… might be related to how Caelen and his team were able to enter the dungeon.”

Several heads turned.

“As many of you already know,” Eli continued, “a gate opened specifically for them. Not a natural reactivation—something closer to… an intervention.”

Midas’s gaze sharpened. “Yes,” he said quietly. “That was another anomaly.”

Eli nodded. “But that isn’t the only anomaly I noticed.”

A subtle shift rippled through the room.

Eli hesitated, then drew in a steady breath.

“I didn’t say this earlier… but while we were fighting the serpent boss…” His voice tightened slightly. “It took me somewhere—just before it died.”

The previously rising murmurs fell into sudden silence.

“Where did it take you?” someone called from the crowd.

Eli lifted his eyes, his expression set—serious now, no trace of his earlier nerves.

“It took me to an abandoned laboratory,” he said.

Every muscle in his body tensed.

“A lab… made by a human.”

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