Chapter 16: Chapter 16 – Caught Red-Handed

[04:59…]

The numbers in the corner of my vision were decreasing rapidly. I didn’t have a single millisecond to waste. Stumbling hurriedly, I dashed towards the Goblin King, frozen in a kneeling position. His broad, muscular chest was right before my eyes, suspended in stillness.

I gripped my daggers so tightly my knuckles turned white. I have to make this work! I thought, swinging my right dagger towards the king’s abdomen.

Thunk!

His flesh was incredibly tough, like stabbing thick rubber. My first strike barely left a mark. Panic rising, I stabbed repeatedly at the same spot until finally his skin tore and thick, dark blood began to flow. But this wasn’t enough—a monster of the Goblin King’s caliber wouldn’t die from a stomach wound. If he was still alive when time resumed and Hammer Maiden finished him off, all my effort would be for nothing.

His neck! I needed to target his neck and behead him, but his neck was too high and I lacked the strength to sever it. So the more efficient target was…

His heart… I had to go for his heart!

I moved my dagger upwards, searching for a gap between his sturdy ribs. My peripheral vision showed the dwindling time: [03:45…]

Crack! This time, there was a different sensation—my dagger had successfully penetrated his chest cavity. Fresh blood spurted out, drenching my face, hands, and uniform. I kept slashing and stabbing relentlessly, tearing through muscle and internal organs until I finally felt something pulsing weakly at the tip of my blade.

This is it!

Without a second thought, I hammered and shattered that black heart over and over. Blood flooded my hands, but I didn’t care. I had to make sure this monster was truly dead.

[02:48…]

Certain the Goblin King was no longer breathing, I let out a sigh of relief. There was still enough time left to escape. I caught a glimpse of Hammer Maiden, still frozen with a relaxed expression, her hammer raised mid-air. I had to go—now!

I turned and ran as fast as I could, navigating the dark cave tunnels. My feet nearly slipped in puddles of blood and mud. Finally, I found a narrow crevice behind a large rock formation. I hid my body there just as the countdown reached zero.

[Time Stop Has Ended]

The world returned to normal. For a moment, the cave remained silent, save for the sound of dripping water. But not long after…

[Successfully killed Goblin King]

[Received 50 EXP]

Yes! I clenched my fist, suppressing a surge of elation. I did it! I actually killed a Rank C monster! Even if I had to use my cheat skill, who cares? The important thing was I passed this quest.

However, the surprises weren’t over. Another notification appeared:

[You Have Leveled Up to Level 10]

[You Have Received 5 Stat Points]

[Time Stop skill has been upgraded]

I grinned like an idiot. But suddenly—

BRROOOM!

The cave shook violently. Large rocks fell from the ceiling, thick dust filled the air making it hard to breathe. The cave walls cracked with terrifying sounds, and the tunnels began collapsing one by one. This dungeon was truly about to collapse!

But I didn’t panic. From my old academy lessons, I knew that every dungeon had a core connected to its boss. Once the dungeon boss was defeated, the entire dimensional structure of the dungeon would collapse, and everyone inside would be ejected randomly within a radius of about a hundred meters from the entrance. Usually, Hunters would rush out through the main gate before this ejection effect occurred, to avoid landing in an undesirable location.

However, I chose to stay inside. Exiting through the main gate meant running into Hammermaiden’s team, which would inevitably lead to difficult questions. It was better to risk being thrown to a random location.

I waited calmly, hiding behind a large rock as the entire dungeon shook increasingly harder. Cracks of light began appearing in the air, a sign the dungeon’s dimension was collapsing. About eight minutes later, the ground beneath my feet suddenly vanished, and I fell into emptiness.

The feeling of freefall was terrifying. My head spun, and my whole body felt like it was being churned. When the space around me finally stabilized, I landed hard in a narrow alley. Unable to hold back, I ran to a corner and vomited near a trash can. Apparently, being ejected from a dungeon was far more unpleasant than I had imagined.

Suddenly, a gentle hand patted my back. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” asked a concerned female voice.

With my vision still blurry, I shook my head. “No… I’m not okay…”

Then I froze. I didn’t recognize that voice at all. Slowly, I turned my head, and for a split second my heart stopped—standing beside me was Ruth Anvilhart, the Hammer Maiden herself, with a face full of interest.

Shit! Of all the possible places, why did I have to be ejected near her?!

A series of notifications instantly appeared before my eyes, but I couldn’t find any joy in them.

[Hunter Quest Successfully Completed]

[You Have Received a reward of 1000 EXP]

[Received Item: <Slave’s Collar>]

[Received New Skill: <Mind Control>]

Just from the names, it was clear these were items and skills for pleasure again. Would I never get a cool combat skill?! Other notifications then flooded my vision.

[You Have Leveled Up to Level 11]

[You Have Received 5 Stat Points]

[You Have Leveled Up to Level 12]

[…]

[You Have Leveled Up to Level 14]

[You Have Received 5 Stat Points]

This level jump that should have been incredibly satisfying now felt hollow. My mind raced. Standing before me was a hunter whose prey I had just stolen, while I was still dizzy from being forcibly ejected from the dungeon and covered in the dried blood of the Goblin King.

I observed Hammer Maiden up close; from this distance, I could finally see how beautiful her face was. She had shiny dark blue hair falling wildly, partly covering her cheeks, making her sharp gaze even more captivating. Her facial features were delicate, with a small chin and thin red lips that seemed like they had just uttered a sarcastic remark.

Her body was clearly not that of a fragile girl. Her curves were voluptuous and full, tightly wrapped in a black leather jacket that outlined a dangerous silhouette. Her slender waist flared into solid hips, accentuated by the tight jeans she wore. Every detail of her body screamed both strength and sensuality, a deadly blend of beauty and threat.

I am truly screwed! Of all the possible places, why did I get ejected right near Hammer Maiden? Did she intentionally wait to be forcibly expelled from the dungeon like I did? With my Time Stop skill on cooldown, escaping from her was impossible.

Ruth looked at me with a piercing gaze, a sarcastic smile spreading across her lips. “Well, look at this… What’s with your disheveled appearance, Guild Master?” she said in a mocking tone. “Shouldn’t a guild leader maintain his composure?”

My mind spun rapidly. I was still using Iron Knight’s form! In the deepest voice I could remember from video recordings, I answered: “There was an emergency incident. A Rank B dungeon appeared suddenly nearby. I had to handle it personally.”

Ruth was about to ask another question, but I quickly cut her off: “And you? Shouldn’t you be handling a Rank D dungeon in this area?”

She narrowed her eyes, her gaze growing even sharper. “Exactly. I just ’finished it’,” she said with a strange emphasis.

“But there’s something very disturbing…” Her voice was low, full of suspicion. “That Goblin King died in a horrific state right before my eyes. Just seconds before, he was still rampaging. His heart was shattered to pieces, as if stabbed repeatedly.”

She paused for a moment, her eyes fixed on me. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you, Guild Master?”

My heart hammered against my ribs, but I tried to stay calm. “How could a dungeon boss die suddenly like that? There must be a logical explanation. Was there anything else unusual around you?”

Ruth shook her head slowly, her gaze still locked on me. “Nothing. That’s what makes me curious. Everything was normal, or perhaps… someone used a special skill that couldn’t be detected by ordinary senses?”

She knew something. Or at least suspected something. I needed to change the subject quickly or find a way out of this situation before her questions became too dangerous.

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