Sss level Talent :The Infinite Hivecurse

Thanks to Anti-Bone Boy's brutal "Crushing Bite" skill, nearly every monster in the dungeon had bled out in horrifying fashion.

Pools of dark red blood soaked the sand, and the air—once dry and crisp like a typical desert—now carried the thick, metallic stench of gore.

The four-person party that had entered the dungeon stood stunned by the sight.

"No way… There's no way a rookie could've cleared this dungeon!" the leader growled.

Without hesitation, he sprinted forward.

Tens of meters in one go. No resistance. No monsters.

Not a single Sandworm in sight.

His face turned pale.

A creeping fear started to rise in his gut.

"Keep up!" he barked at his companions.

They chased after him, struggling to match his pace.

No wild monsters appeared along the way.

Just blood. Just destruction.

The dungeon had been completely cleared.

The leader's heart pounded harder. Could that calm, well-dressed guy really have solo-cleared this entire place?

He had assumed the guy was just young-looking, maybe even a frugal elite who preferred buses over teleportation.

Now he wasn't so sure.

This dungeon had once been his secret grind spot. Months ago, it had reliably dropped green-tier skill books.

At first, it was every two weeks, then once a month, and lately… nothing.

He had a strong feeling that today's run was the one where a skill book would drop again.

But if someone else had already triggered that drop…

"No, no. Even if he killed the mobs, he couldn't take out the boss."

He clung to the thought like a lifeline. "There's no way a kid could solo the boss!"

He charged ahead, hoping, praying that the boss was still alive.

---

The other three finally caught up—panting, sweating, exhausted.

They found their leader standing in silence, staring at the battlefield before them.

Bang!

His silver long knife slipped from his fingers, hitting the ground.

The three looked around—and gasped.

The boss room was a blood-soaked nightmare.

Viscera, sand, and cracked stone were scattered everywhere.

Chunks of the Desert Dragon's organs were plastered across the terrain.

It was clear what had happened:

The boss was dead.

---

Ava, the team's healer, bent over, gasping for air.

Even in her exhaustion, she could see the signs.

This was no ordinary kill.

It wasn't surgical. It wasn't clean.

It was primal. Brutal. Savage.

She blinked, recalling Ethan's quiet, elegant appearance just moments ago.

"Could it really have been him?" she whispered. "He seemed so calm... so gentle."

Her comment shook the leader from his haze.

He'd already been trying to rationalize things in his mind—blaming her earlier distraction with Ethan, blaming bad luck.

But now Ava herself was beginning to doubt… and he needed to regain control.

> "No. Someone else must've cleared it. Ethan probably just walked through after it was done."

> "There's no way a rookie could have done all this."

He tried to stay firm, but even he didn't sound convinced anymore.

> "Let's just head back. If the skill book didn't drop this time, we'll come back next week."

Just then, one of the younger teammates suddenly clapped his head.

"Wait—wait, boss! That kid's long knife—it looked just like yours!"

The group froze.

"What?"

They had all dismissed Ethan's weapon as cheap or common, barely giving it a glance earlier.

But now that he mentioned it…

Yes. It did look familiar. Too familiar.

The leader looked down at his own silver long knife.

His expression darkened.

> "This weapon only drops from the boss in this dungeon."

Which meant...

The kid didn't just stumble in. He killed the boss.

The silence grew thick.

> "B-Boss… should we try to take his sword?" the nervous teammate asked. "I mean… maybe it's worth something…"

SLAP!

The leader backhanded him hard across the head.

> "Are you stupid? That guy cleared the entire dungeon alone!"

> "You think someone like us can afford to pick a fight with him?"

> "He's strong enough to use a silver-tier sword as a damn walking stick!"

The stunned teammate rubbed his face. "But… but he took the bus…"

The leader's eyes narrowed.

> "And what have I told you about powerful people?"

> "They're always a little… weird."

He turned to the others.

> "None of us are to mention this again. Got it?"

The team nodded vigorously.

The leader turned to Ava.

> "I promised you a gold-tier staff, right? Don't worry. I'll find another way."

His words snapped Ava back to reality.

She lowered her gaze, finally accepting the truth.

That gentle-looking stranger… might be a monster in disguise.

She forced a smile, trying to bury her earlier excitement.

The man in front of her might not be strong, but at least he was loyal.

Better to be realistic than fall for dangerous fantasies.

---

Outside the dungeon, Ethan had no idea about the chaos he left behind.

He'd stepped out, surprised to see a group entering right as he exited.

But when he saw that it took four people to attempt a run, he didn't pay them any mind.

The long silver sword he held?

Not for show.

It had served two purposes in the dungeon: tapping the ground to sense movement, and now, waiting for the bus.

The blade's length was just right for leaning on.

The ride back passed by the outskirts of yesterday's trading town. He planned to offload all the day's loot for materials.

He had no idea a small misunderstanding inside the dungeon had just earned him legendary status in a group of strangers' minds.

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