Unwelcomed Guest

I forgot about the monster horde!

Before I can even think, my feet are moving. Dashing, I quickly ran out of the path of these hordes of monsters.

Four-legged, giant bodies about twice as tall as me with heads that looked like those of those herbivore dinosaurs that I used to read about were coming in group after group.

Phew, I bet I would have been squashed if I stayed there any longer.

The monsters continued to come without end for the next five days, during which I came down and collected as much aura as possible.

What intrigues me is that none of the monsters were above the rare rank. I knew there must be a reason for it. Either way, it has made collecting auras much easier. I don't have to go out hunting for uncommon monsters and put myself at risk, and I get free food squashed and ready to serve.

Yum.

The wide variety of creatures I saw during the past few days made me realize that this dungeon is much larger than I imagined it to be.

As I finished collecting the aura of another monster, I could see how much more I needed to collect.

[Required aura left: 98]

It's just amazing how many monsters lost their lives in just a few days. That too was killed because they happened to be in the way of a stronger and larger monster.

Survival of the fittest at its best

The horde of monsters slowly stopped arriving, as if it were the end. It seems like it's finally time for me to find out where they are going.

My right arm has almost finished regenerating. It was supposed to take fourteen days, but due to my training my aura, which somehow boosted my regeneration, the system informed me that it would only take seven days. That's half of what it originally was, which is quite surprising, honestly.

Still, I haven't progressed at all in the field of aura. I guessed it was something that would take much more time to learn and use.

It seems like the current horde coming in now is the last one since I don't see any others following behind it.

Moving with extreme caution, I follow the herd, using the dungeon's terrain to my advantage. I look like easy prey to some of the monsters. For safety, stealth is my only option. The skill can level up anytime now, after all the time I've used it.

By operating as a scavenger and picking up rewards when others had done the work, I had amassed most of the aura I needed, but now it's finally time for some action.

As I moved in the general direction of the horde, an opening appeared from the rugged, dark terrain of the dungeon—a huge opening that could easily fit all the monsters that arrived.

Finding a tall tree, I climb up to scout since I arrived with the last group and there is a long queue in front.

This place felt refreshing, even with all the monsters sharing it.

There was something at the center of this place. So I have to somehow get there without starting any fights with the monsters.

Eventually, climbing tree after tree, I came close enough to see what was at the center.

A single blood-colored plant radiating some sort of light once every few seconds can be seen floating. Yes, it was floating without the help of any external forces, as if it could fly.

All the monsters gathered near it, leaving some space between the plant and themselves and forming a circle with the plant in the middle.

As I came nearer and nearer, even using bigger monsters as steps, I noticed that for some reason not a single monster was fighting and killing each other; all of them were too busy with something else.

So I took a gamble and used the bigger monster as a step; nothing happened, and they completely ignored my existence. I wonder if I could kill them while they are occupied, but it is not likely.

I finally found out the reason why the monster went through all the trouble to come here, with many losing their lives in the process.

As soon as I reached about a hundred meters away from the plant, I could feel my aura, which I couldn't even properly activate before coming out as if someone had given it new life.

Without wasting time, I sat on a horse like a monster and began training my aura.

There was progress instantly. I could now cover a small part of my hands with aura; the effect of the plants was too effective. But before long, I found a problem. There were too many monsters utilizing the abilities of the plant, and the effects were spread out and weakened.

Analyze!

[Aura Fire: Rare rank]

An aura catalyst that appears once every three months increases the effects of aura manipulation on monsters of rare rank and below within a certain radius.

Consuming it will directly increase the rank of Aura by one level. Can only be consumed by a monster below rare rank.

What?!

This is a treasure! and I want it!

But the system said consuming is way better than using its energy to increase its aura. So why don't any of the monsters try to eat it?

"!!!"

Consuming it will only help monsters below Rare rank!

Now I get it. Hehe

Since monsters of rare rank cannot consume it, they have to use its aura field to increase their aura, while uncommon monsters won't dare try taking it for themselves. After all, what's the point of consuming the plant if you won't even live to benefit from it?

But I am no ordinary monster.

Fighting and taking on the anger of these many monsters may be impossible, but I was confident in my ability to escape safely after stealing the plant. After all, I have already found a clean and easy way to escape.

That is, climb up the roof.

There are no monsters capable of flight, which I don't know why, but that works exactly in my favor. What can these monsters do? No matter how big they are, they can never reach the roof.

Wait, some could climb like me. Hmm, I didn't think of this possibility. I haven't seen any monsters climbing or lurking on the roof and walls of the dungeon; that's why I didn't think of it before.

But they can obviously climb, can't they?

But before I could formulate a plan, someone else decided to start a slaughter party.

I could make out some shapes making their way over the thick trees at what seemed to be another opening different from where I came from.

It wasn't anything to be surprised about if, after all, the dungeon has many pathways and some monsters could use a different path than the rest.

But.

They aren't monsters!

Without a second thought, I dived into the thick forest and started dashing away from the aura fire, and I didn't stop until I reached a place that I assumed was safe enough.

What are these humans doing here?

I knew they were humans, not monsters.

I struggled because a part of me wanted to look into it while another part of me just wanted to leave.

[Guide Quest requirements achieved]

Guide Quest: Evolve to Rare rank

Reward: 1 System Box Spin

Why do strange things keep happening today?

A quest out of nowhere? Where were you all this time? All this time, I had no real goal or reason to become strong, but for my survival, I had been hoping for something like this for so long!

Without warning, balls of fire started raining down on the hordes of monsters. I don't have to wonder what happened. Immediately, there was a huge explosion that lit up the area and caused the ground to shake.

The roars and screams of the monster immediately filled the air. There must have been many injured or even killed by the explosion. Five humans are now clearly visible brandishing weapons as they start to move toward the center, mowing down anything that gets in their way.

It seems only two of them can make those fireballs, while the other three fight with swords and shields. Two of them must be the so-called mages, and the rest must be warriors or knights of some kind.

The tranquil atmosphere was disturbed the moment these people entered the area, which makes it feel strange.

There is nothing to be surprised by because I am familiar with human nature, whether it be in this world or the one I came from. They love to monopolize everything they can get their hands on.

The monsters here in this place are very foolish. They don't even consider taking and exercising control over the resource known as the aura fire. From a human standpoint, it's a waste.

What is a monster to humans, anyway? If I were born a human, I bet I would be doing just what this group of humans is doing. Taking the aura fire for myself and making sure that I get the best of it.

but that wasn't the case.

I wasn't born a human in this world.

but a monster.

I can't explain why seeing these people makes me angry.

My time on Earth is still vividly in my memory. I was just a college student trying my hardest to find employment once I finished my studies. I wasn't particularly skilled in anything, and I lacked any unique qualities or abilities that would have distinguished me from the crowd.

I had a lot of money that didn't belong to me, and that was the only positive aspect.

That money belonged to the people called parents who would call me once or twice a year.

How do I say it? I was ordinary. The only thing I could do pretty well was play games. That is about it.

Although, for some reason, I cannot recall my name, I guess that's better in some way.

I am now a monster, and naturally, humans are my enemies.