◈ REAPER SCANS ◈

Translator: Regressed Translator

Editor: leef

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◈ Return of the Disaster-Class Young Lord ◈

Chapter 40 | Strategy (1)

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A spot far from Devil’s Tree Manor.

On an especially thick, massive branch, dew had collected, forming a small spring—a mirror of water reflecting the distant image of Devil’s Tree Manor.

Before it stood a gigantic monkey, nearly five meters tall.

Cunning Stone Monkey ‘Moru’ was deep in thought.

What foolish prey.

This labyrinth was their hunting ground.

So-called intelligent species were nothing more than a meal. Yet, instead of fleeing in a panic, they clung to a nest where they couldn’t even move.

Even a monster knew how reckless that was.

Though it might not possess true sentience, Moru, imbued with cunning intellect through contaminated mana, understood it all the more.

Well, considering the power that had obliterated the other bosses, perhaps those prey had reason for their confidence. 

But Moru only smiled to itself.

All the better.

Had the bosses demolished the intelligent species’ nest, Moru would have been forced to share that precious prey. 

To a monster, there was no finer meal than a living elixir that granted even greater power:

A divine beast.

Hence Moru’s delight in having that delicacy all to itself.

It had already grown stronger by absorbing the massive influx of contaminated mana during the dungeon break. And if it could devour a divine beast on top of that?

It might surpass the King of Hunters “Rashanta” to become the labyrinth’s ruler—perhaps even achieve something beyond that. 

I will be the one to make that kill.

An instinctive greed.

A rational ambition.

Moru’s eyes burned with that merged desire.

With a light wave of its hand...

The Ancient Tree Monkeys, each about three meters tall, who had been hovering around Moru, rushed off in a single huddle. Moments later, they dragged over a large boar with a horn protruding from its head.

It was a 3-star monster known as the Charge-horn Boar.

The powerful magic concentrated in its horn made its frontal charge strong enough to smash boulders the size of houses.

Yet its low intelligence made it easy to trap.

The Ancient Tree Monkeys laid the struggling creature down in the center of their gathering.

Then, they began to move.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Screee, screee—

They clapped their hands.

They cried out.

They beat sticks against the wood.

Dozens of Ancient Tree Monkeys spun in circles around the Charge-horn Boar, dancing.

A ceremony, though primitive as any monster’s ritual might be, clearly served a purpose.

Once it reached its climax...

Moru grabbed hold of the boar’s head with both hands.

And—

Crack!

『Primitive Shamanism has been activated.』

『Sacrificial Offering’s special effect is activating.』

『The worth of the sacrifice and the ritual’s caliber will amplify all spells.』

The moment the Charge-horn Boar’s neck snapped, its faint life force seeped into the watery mirror at Moru’s feet.

A pungent odor quickly spread from the center of Devil’s Tree Manor, reflected on the surface of the water.

Blood, flesh, and mana, too.

Already potent, those scents now spread even further, luring monsters from every dark corner of the labyrinth.

In the distance, they began to creep closer.

Moru let out a shrill cackle.

Perfect.

Had it used far-sight magic from up close, the effects might have been even better.

But a true hunter never took unnecessary risks.

If the foolish monsters drawn in by that scent started battling the intelligent species, both sides would wear each other down. Once the nest was empty, Moru could invade and devour the divine beast at its leisure.

Just as it had manipulated seven boss monsters into attacking all at once to seize the advantage out of nowhere.

The only concern was that Moru couldn’t locate that small intelligent species—the one that had vanished so quickly from Devil’s Tree Manor after subduing the bosses.

Yet Moru sneered.

As a fellow spellcaster, it knew such a feat was possible only because they had poured out extensive preparations and spells all at once.

No matter how strong they were, an intelligent species bereft of the labyrinth’s blessings was ultimately just prey.

Satisfied, Moru split the body of the boar in half with a riiip. Tossing the remaining half to the Ancient Tree Monkeys, it spoke.

“Eat.”

Ukkikii!

As though waiting for that very command, the troop of Ancient Tree Monkeys swarmed the Charge-horn Boar, tearing into the flesh, each fighting to get even one more bite.

Contempt flashed across Moru’s face at the disgusting spectacle. Even so, it dug in as well, ripping mouthfuls of boar meat with its teeth.

The intelligent species could hold out for only half a day at best.

It needed to fill its belly and stock up on energy to avoid missing the perfect moment to strike.

There was a chance it might have to compete against the Serpent, the Queen, or the King for that prey.

And so, by the time Moru and its underlings finished devouring the boar—

Kieeek?!

Kieek! Kieeek!

The Ancient Tree Monkeys began shrieking in sudden panic.

Their pitiful display made Moru’s face twist in anger. It was just about to rage at them …when those Ancient Tree Monkeys suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed.

Then came the real shock.

Boiling blood.

Melting organs.

Spinning vision.

A tingling numbness in the limbs.

And a chill that sank right into the bones.

A nightmare of pain and confusion. Moru spat up black blood.

It was poison.

Who? When? How?

Caught in deeper bewilderment and agony, Moru grimaced.

That was when a voice came.

“Such a pity.”

Thwack!

A sharp sting bit into Moru’s neck. Reflexively, it swung an arm in response, but the figure simply flipped in midair, evading effortlessly, and landed on a branch. 

A boy in a white half-mask grinned.

“You’re not the only hunter who knows how to lure and torment prey.”

◈ REAPER SCANS ◈

Translator: Regressed Translator

Editor: leef

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『Cunning Stone Monkey ‘Moru’ ★☆☆
Title: Moru
Specialty: Cunning
Species: Stone Monkey
Traits:
Sacrificial Offering (R),
Primitive Shamanism (R),
Rock Durability (R),
Large (Un),
Command (Un),
Throwing (N),
Tree Climbing (N),
Cleverness (N)

Status: Far-sight linked

Weaknesses: Agility, Status Ailments

—A mere ape endowed only with toughness yet cursed by abundance to gain cunning wiles.
Using the entire forest as a trap and everything else as a tool, it’s the craftiest hunter around.

Sssrrrk.

A swarm of 1-star Poison Centipedes crawled along the branches.

Each one was only as thick as an adult’s forearm, but their sheer numbers—well over a hundred—made them a brutal force.

Even a high-level awakened could be devoured alive if they were careless.

Creee, creee…

Yet the boy in the half-mask calmly slipped past them.

Thanks to the class trait Stealth from his 2-star class Bandit, his figure and presence were blurred.

Of course, there was another factor at play.

Even so, wandering aimlessly through the labyrinth would eventually invite discovery…

But Dion was not wandering blindly.

Hmm, maybe this way.

By reading the traces left on branches with his 1-star class Hunter and its class trait Observation, Dion gave a little chuckle.

The devastation of Devil’s Tree Manor…

It had been unfortunate when the perimeter collapsed under the sudden boss rush.

Had seven boss monsters not converged all at once, they wouldn’t have been so thoroughly overrun—even if they had been caught off guard.

Precisely because of that, Dion knew this was no simple stroke of bad luck.

That first Named monster is pretty cunning, huh?

Recalling the hidden hand that had assisted the boss monsters’ raid on Devil’s Tree Manor, Dion smiled to himself.

He felt certain, thanks to the class trait Deduction of Detective…

But even without traits or classes, it was easy enough to figure out.

The presence of Ancient Tree Monkeys among the boss swarm.

And all the bosses, who usually roamed separately, attacked at once.

All of it hinted at the involvement of a named boss.

Found it.

And in less than a few hours, Dion spotted the giant ape.

Cunning Stone Monkey "Moru" stood high above on a branch, peering into a water mirror, surrounded by dozens of 2-star Ancient Tree Monkeys.

Dion narrowed his eyes.

Fighting them head-on might be a bit of a pain.

He had no regrets about the missing bosses.

Typically, going one-on-one against a labyrinth boss—especially a Named Boss loaded with all sorts of traits—was a gamble.

For a Named Boss, multiple parties would usually join forces in a raid numbering dozens.

…At least, that’s how it would be for most people.

Defense is its strength. Agility and status ailments are its weaknesses...

This’ll be easy.

Shaaak.

With a small cut of his dagger across his wrist, a droplet of bright red blood trickled down Dion’s pale skin into a tiny glass bottle.

Gradually, the liquid turned black.

By infusing his stolen trait, Low-rank Poison Secretion, into his own blood, he gave it toxic properties.

It was just a low-grade poison—enough to harm an ordinary person.

But a large monster? Probably not enough.

『Using the special effect of Class Changer to dismantle a class.』

『Using the special effect of Class Changer to replace an active class with one from storage.』

『【Liar】☆ + 【Detective】☆ → 【Freak】☆☆』

『【Herbalist】☆ + 【Hunter】☆ → 【Poisoner】☆☆』

A new class specialized in poison creation—Poisoner.

A new class specialized in stealth and inflicting status ailments—Freak.

Using the abilities of these two classes, Dion’s blood poison, once a dark red, turned thick and viscous, becoming so black it appeared pitch-dark.

But Dion did not stop there.

He pulled a small piece of flesh from his bag, dropped it into the glass bottle, and murmured a low chant.

“diD Ad iiD, hauL.”

Thanks to Dark Mage, which grew stronger through sacrificial offerings, the moment he used the Plague Woodpecker’s salivary gland as a catalyst, the melted lump of flesh mixed with his blood... and turned transparent, surpassing mere blackness.

It was worth using now.

A poison that concealed its deadly nature—rendering it invisible to the eye—but all the more lethal for it: Cursed Mid-rank Blood Poison.

Dion swirled the bottle, pleased.

Of course, possessing a strong poison didn’t automatically mean he could poison the enemy. Especially not a foe like Moru, the stone ape, whose Rock Durability trait repelled most blades.

But Dion wasn’t concerned.

Quietly moving to a thin branch far above Moru and its Ancient Tree Monkeys, he hung himself upside down.

Then, something shifted about the black glove on his hand.

Fsshhh...

Silently and swiftly, a single strand of spider silk extended from the tip of the glove. It was so thin and transparent that it was nearly invisible yet stronger than steel. Dion lowered it further and further, letting it dangle directly above the Charge-horn Boar.

Removing the lid from the bottle, he poured the Cursed Mid-rank Blood Poison down the spider thread as though sliding it along a wire.

Drops of that cursed, toxic blood seeped into the boar’s flesh in absolute silence.

And once Moru and the Ancient Tree Monkeys devoured the meat, the poison seeped into their bodies as well.

After that, the rest was simple.

All Dion had to do was wait.

Wait until the poison took hold.

Like letting meat slowly cook over a fire.

And at the perfect moment—once the poison had spread—Dion murmured a small incantation.

“—jaIN.”

Kieek?!

Kieek! Kieeek!

The Ancient Tree Monkeys convulsed, coughing up blood as they collapsed in droves.

Since this was no ordinary poison but one laced with dark magic, the monkeys seized up, their limbs twitching violently.

Right then, Dion made his move.

He released his legs from the branch and dropped straight down, landing on the giant stone ape’s nape.

"Such a pity."

Thwack!

Flesh splitting.

Blood spraying.

Even with all the momentum of his fall and a whirling motion for extra centrifugal force, his blade only managed a small cut before bouncing away.

But Dion wasn’t disappointed.

Using the rebound, he flipped midair to evade Moru’s frenzied punch and landed lightly on a branch.

"You’re not the only hunter who knows how to secretly bait and torment prey."

Kiiiiii…!

Cunning Stone Monkey, Moru.

A towering creature that stood five meters tall. Its body was as sturdy as a boulder.

Though primitive, it wielded powerful shamanic magic.

Above all, it was cunning enough to avoid direct confrontation, choosing instead to manipulate underlings.

In every way, Moru was one of the most fearsome Named Bosses in Hunter’s Forest.

It roared savagely.

But the underlings who would have howled alongside it?

They lay on the ground, writhing in agony, vomiting blood.

Thwack!

“You shouldn’t leave yourself open like that.”

Ukkik!

Taking advantage of Moru’s distraction, Dion slashed at its ankle.

He didn’t cut the Achilles tendon outright. He just severed a few muscles and a blood vessel before his blade bounced off the stony hide.

Yet Moru howled, its voice laced with delirium.

For good reason.

Thanks to Rock Durability, it had likely never suffered a serious wound from an ordinary blade.

Not until now. 

The Cursed Mid-rank Blood Poison had softened its once-impenetrable flesh.

Hence, Dion’s smirk.

Shrrrk!

Cutting arteries.

Severing muscle.

Aiming for vulnerable spots.

Each wound wasn’t fatal on its own, but together, they spelled Moru’s slow demise.

The stone ape desperately tried to fight back.

But its massive body, already heavy from its own bulk, now felt leaden with poison. Its fists swung at empty air.

Dion wove in and out of range, his dagger slashing with precision.

With every cut, the poison seeped deeper.

Kiii! Kiiiii!

"I can see you want to call your underlings, but I doubt they’re in any shape to help."

Dion chuckled as Moru’s face twisted even further.

A direct battle against this monster—endowed with Rock Durability and reinforced by Primitive Shamanism buffs—would have been a bloody, drawn-out struggle.

Even more so if the Ancient Tree Monkeys had been strengthened and obeying Moru’s commands.

But right now?

The Ancient Tree Monkeys were already incapacitated.

Moru’s body was choking on blood; its flesh was weakened, and its magic was useless.

All because of one poison that changed everything.

Some might call it cowardly.

Yet, in the labyrinth, there was no such thing.

Only the law of the jungle.

Survival of the fittest.

It wasn’t that the strong survived. Rather, those who survived were strong.

That was the absolute law of every labyrinth and the Centuriate Cities for both monsters and intelligent species alike.

“I’d normally toy with you a bit longer… but I’ll end this quickly, just this once.”

Watching Moru’s eyes roll frantically, searching for an escape, Dion raised his sword and grinned.

“You see, I’m on my honeymoon.”

『Achievement: If Two Eat, Two Die』

『Achievement: Cunning Hunter』

『Achievement: Poisoning a Boss』

『Bloodslayer’s special effect is activating.』

『【Dark Mage】☆☆☆ Lv4 → Lv5』

『【Murder Fiend】☆☆ Lv9 → Lv10』

『【Bandit】☆☆ Lv7 → Lv8』

『【Freak】☆☆ Lv1 → Lv3』

『【Poisoner】☆☆ Lv1 → Lv3』

『You have obtained the unique trait Sacrificial Offering (R).』

『By achieving Lv10 with Murder Fiend, the class’s imprint is engraved upon your soul.』

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