Chapter 163. Reflection

He found Helen chatting with Hoduin and Martel as Gonk quietly listened in on their conversation.

The four people initially smiled upon seeing him, but their faces instantly morphed into shock after noticing the condition of his equipment.

Especially Helen, since she knew that most of his items were of Legendary grade.

Seeing how wrecked they were, she could imagine what sort of horrible tribulation he went through.

"You don't mind if I sit with you, right?"

Jokingly, he sat beside them, and Helen helped him remove his equipment, leaving behind his inner clothes.

Hoduin gestured to Raskya, who nodded and went into the kitchen, only to return a couple of minutes later with many plates filled with food. Hoduin also used some assortment of spices and pushed the dishes in front of the Necromancer after he finished changing.

[Eat first. Your body is severely weakened after over-healing itself.](Hoduin)

[Tsk! Brat... what in the Burning Hells did you get yourself into to reach this state? Even with your Preferential Treatment, there shouldn't be anything to pose that much of a risk...](Martel)

[*Sigh* I can't remember the last time I was in a similar state... Was it after my first Stronghold?](Gonk)

[You went to the Stronghold in Malnok!?](Helen)

Seeing the panicked and angry look on the tigress, Michael glared at Gonk, who looked away awkwardly.

Even with his body screaming at him to devour the food, the Necromancer first placated his girlfriend and even shared his MAP to show that the Stronghold Event was still active.

Then, under the confused glances of the group, he only said four words as he was wolfing down food.

"I met the Butcher."

Gonk was shocked as his mouth mimicked that of a fish, opening and closing repeatedly. Helen and Hoduin looked horrified, while Martel was pale and visibly trembled.

Judging from their reactions, Michael sighed and knew it wouldn't be the last time he would meet the creature.

'After I finally managed to kill it, it didn't turn into ash like the rest of the monsters, but a red portal engulfed its corpse and brought it away. Shit... the thought of having to face that fucker again in the future is terrifying...'

Giving everyone enough time to mentally recover from that statement as he was devouring the food on the plates, Michael looked strangely at Hoduin. He could feel his body recover from the lethargic feeling caused by the healing.

Seeing the young man's curious gaze, Hoduin gathered his bearings and explained.

[Some herbs with good properties. Every Druid has them, so you could buy some later on. They can replenish your body's energy reserves quicker through consuming them.](Hoduin)

The others held themselves back, drinking cup after cup while the young man ate. Much to their dissatisfaction, Raskya even went as far as hurrying the remaining customers to their rooms and kicking out those who didn't plan to sleep at the Inn.

Fortunately, they all understood something was going on. Judging by the worried expression of the big shots sitting around the newbie, it was a serious matter, so they simply stood up and left. Some information was better left unknown, as it could negatively affect their lives.

Raskya's husband, Allen, also joined the group after bringing a strange smoothie and placing it before Michael. Coupled with Hoduin's 'spices,' the Necromancer finally felt alive again, and his body stopped shaking.

Martel was the first one to open his mouth.

[Did you really meet the Butcher?](Martel)

[[WHAT!?]]

The Raskya and Allen couple didn't hear when the newbie mentioned the creature before, so they were just as shaken as the rest of the group by the sudden reveal.

Furthermore, seeing Michael nod calmly, they started questioning their knowledge of what's normal and what's not.

Martel took a deep breath and tried calming himself down as Hoduin patted his shoulder. Judging from the pitting gaze the Druid was giving him, Martel and the Butcher had some history together.

[Don't get me wrong, brat, but how in the High Heavens are you alive? Didn't you go Dungeon clearing alone?](Martel)

"Mhm. I encountered it in the Forsaken Quarry."

[H-How did you make it out alive?](Martel)

"Honestly... I don't know. I barely managed to kill it after half an hour of running and fighting at the same time."

Judging by the pairs of eyes opened widely enough to make them pop out of their sockets, killing the Butcher wasn't an easy feat. And Michael agreed 100%.

He would've died if it weren't for his crowd-control and immunity skills, such as Blood Mist and the Legendary Bubble Aspect. Furthermore, if he had met the Butcher in a different environment where he couldn't generate as many Corpses by killing other types of creatures, he wouldn't have lasted more than five to ten minutes tops.

Feeling Helen's hand hold onto his own, he smiled warmly and explained the entire process.

How he rescued the villagers, how he encountered the Butcher, the attacks it used, how he defended himself, the guerrilla-style combat type he adopted, how he planned around the timers of his Bubble Aspect and used the invulnerability to pile up tons of damage, then run like the devil himself was on his trail every time the Corpses would be used up to the next room.

He hesitated for a while, but in the end, he mentioned how he was battered enough that he had to bathe in the Healing Well to recover enough to clear the Boss and return home.

Beyond his expectations, Helen was slightly sad and worried but looked more proud than anything. His confusion intensified as Gonk laughed madly and downed four cups of ale consecutively.

Raskya and Allen looked thoroughly impressed, while Hoduin and Martel rested with their full body weight on the chairs under their asses as if they were the ones to go through that fight. Overall, everyone had strange reactions.

"What's going on?"

[*Sigh* This brat... your common sense is just as lacking as during the first day we met you...](Martel)

[Haha! You can't blame him. Meeting the Butcher and escaping with your life is a feat you can brag about for your entire life. Actually killing that ridiculous monster is a different matter altogether.](Hoduin)

[Mhm! Except for my tribe chief, I don't know of anyone who has managed to do that in recent years. That's how he rose to that position.](Gonk)

[It's no surprise. Dual-wielding weapons, unreasonable strength, speed, and even a skill that cleanses negative statuses. Any Wanderer capable of killing it becomes a legend in the community.](Helen)

Hearing Helen's words and seeing the glint in her eyes, the Necromance was more terrified than when he had to face the Butcher. 

Did he have to 'fight' the tigress next after dealing with such a fearsome opponent today!?

[And for a good reason. Back when I met him myself, I barely managed to escape with my life intact. Fortunately, I was scouting a Dungeon alone, otherwise... I have no doubt that my party members would've died.](Martel)

"That doesn't sound right... You're much more skilled than I am, and I am sure there are tons of other Wanderers to whom I can't hold a candle. Surely, there are plenty of them who killed it before."

[*Sigh* If only it would be that easy. The Butcher is a strange demon that appears randomly in Dungeons and Cellars.](Hoduin)

'Shit! Cellars as well!? I'm not fucking entering one ever again!'

[The main issue is how its roar inflicts a fear debuff on those fighting against it. Not only does it affect the mind, but it also decreases the damage you can inflict on it.](Hoduin)

"That explains why I could barely deal half of my usual damage to it..."

[Mhm. Also, it's a strange demon. It's true that many killed it in the past, but it keeps reviving and invading random Dungeons.](Hoduin)

"Invading!? It's not a monster belonging to a specific Dungeon?"

[No... that's the strange part. According to what we know, he invades Dungeons randomly and kills everything inside. From common Minions to Elites and even the Boss. Wanderers unlucky enough to find themselves in the middle of its slaughter usually perish along with the rest of the Dungeon's inhabitants.](Hoduin)

[The Horadrim also studied the strange bastard and concluded it was an independent demon. What they can't understand is how it keeps reviving. According to them, every time it enters a Dungeon, it does so with its real body and soul, albeit slightly affected by the Sanctuary's restrictions. That's also the reason why he's so damned strong.](Martel)

"Huh!? Then why don't the devils of the Burning Hells do something about him? He's messing with their resources after all, right?"

[It's not like they didn't try. Belial himself once said that the Butcher doesn't reside in the Burning Hells but rather only travels through dimensions and stops there from time to time to kill demons. It would probably do the same in the Sanctuary if it hadn't restricted the entrance to the world to be in the Dungeons to avoid possible invasions.](Helen)

"Wait... Belial? Is that who I think it is?"

[Mhm. The Lord of Lies. One of the seven Prime Evils.](Helen)

Pausing to drink, Michael wondered if it was a good idea to believe in the words of someone coined 'Lord of Lies.'

[He doesn't have a reason to lie, brat. Furthermore, the Butcher is strong but is not strong enough to fight head-on against the Prime Evils in their domains. So, it can only ambush the weaker opponents. Over the years, it probably caused just as much destruction and loss in the ranks of demons as the entire Sanctuary did.](Martel)

"The bottom line is that I was lucky to escape with my life, huh?"

[More or less. You did much better than I did. I could only run the fastest I could while dodging its hooks all the way to the Dungeon's entrance. Then, I jumped through it without a second thought.](Martel)

"What about now? If you were to meet it, could you kill it at your current level?"

[Hell no! At my level, that damned monster has even fewer restrictions on it. I don't have either enough burst damage nor sufficient crowd-control skills to deal with it. Furthermore, I don't think I could outrun it this time around, either... I can only pray I don't encounter it.](Martel)

[Fortunately, if a Dungeon is in the process of being 'cleared' by the Butcher, the Sanctuary closes it from the inside out, so no Wanderers can walk in on it. As for those unfortunate enough to have the Butcher walk in on them instead... Their lives are up to luck and skills.](Hoduin)

The conversation continued with Michael retelling the fighting process and asking for the veteran's opinions on how he could've done better.

While even those with Preferential Treatment wouldn't encounter this savage creature since the Sanctuary wouldn't want to kill them, Michael knew he would definitely meet the bastard again at some later point. 

That's why it was better to mentally prepare himself and figure out how to kill it easier.

The conversation ended around 11 PM when everyone retreated to their rooms, and Michael had to 'defeat' the tigress in bed. Seeing how excited she was, the 'fight' lasted over two hours until the Necromancer had to throw in the towel. He could only live to fight another night!

With the woman cozying in his embrace, the events of the day kept replaying in his mind.

[What are you thinking about?](Helen)

"Hmm... I was thinking that I got too arrogant."

[Huh!? How so?](Helen)

"Well... I was already quite tired by the time I fought the Butcher. If I had met him in the Dead Man's Dredge instead... Actually, if I hadn't fought the Woodsman first this morning, I might've suffered less."

[What!? You fought the Woodsman!?](Helen)

"Eh? Oh... right. Well... it was the Side Quest I did in the morning. That bastard was nine meters tall. I dealt with it much easier than with the Butcher. I didn't even get hurt once during the fight. But with that and another two Dungeons added on top, my body and mental reactions decreased significantly. After I cleared Immortal Emanation, I realized that, but my arrogance told me I could easily clear it just using my minions..."

Helen paused and looked at him seriously for a while, after which she nodded in approval.

[It's good that you realized it this early. I know you're in a rush to level up, but there's no point to it if you die halfway.](Helen)

"Mhm. There's a problem that I realized, though..."

[What?](Helen)

"With Anica's Claim and Kor Valar's Rampants, there's only one Dungeon left to reach my goal of 25 solo clears before Level 50."

[Which one?](Helen)

"Rimscar's Cavern..."

The couple fell silent. The implications of the statement were clear. If he wanted to upgrade his Codex of Power to the second level, he would have to deal with the Stronghold Event the Bear Tribe tasked him with.

Alone!