Chapter 42: Infinite Proliferation (4)

“Screeeeech!”

“Kieeeek!”

The two hornets roared at length.

[Due to the Hive’s ability, the ‘Fear Resistance’ effect has been activated!]

Jinhyuk’s ‘Gap’ stat allowed him to either bridge or widen the essential gap with a target.

‘Fear Resistance’ numbed part of the senses, causing the enemy to be bitten until death—a rather annoying ability.

Especially against one that wouldn’t die and continued to proliferate.

Buzzzzz!

The hornets began to fly from the left and right.

They sought an opportunity to dive from the air, just like before.

‘Now’s the time.’

Jinhyuk pulled out an item he had purchased from the ‘Coin Exchange’ before.

[Growth Pill (C)]

A special item with the effect of increasing a target’s size up to 10 times.

It was the trump card he had been saving for this very moment.

“Fool! Did you think that by increasing your size, you’d survive the poison?” Anubis burst into insane laughter.

The hornet’s poison, enhanced by the Hive, could kill even giants resistant to poison.

A mere Growth Pill, even if consumed by the hundreds, would be futile.

But Jinhyuk did not ingest it.

“Who said it’s for me?”

Instead, he threw it toward the oncoming hornet’s mouth.

On a straight trajectory.

Gulp!

The pill traveled down the hornet’s throat.

“Screeech?”

“What…what have you done…!” Anubis let out an empty breath, but Jinhyuk did not reply.

Instead, he kicked off the ground and dashed forward.

‘The pill has to be fully absorbed before I finish this.’

About one minute.

There was a small window of time before the growth would begin.

He closed the distance in an instant. Jinhyuk approached the hornet that had swallowed the pill.

The hornet reflexively moved its stinger.

Dripping with venom, the stinger aimed for Jinhyuk’s neck.

‘As expected, aiming for the carotid artery.’

It was their instinct to target vital points.

Jinhyuk slightly moved his neck to avoid the sting and simultaneously leaped, riding on the back of the hornet.

The movement was fluid as water.

“Sceeee!”

The hornet twisted its body in protest.

“Woah, woah!”

Stop thrashing around.

You’ll make me seasick.

Jinhyuk firmly grasped the hornet’s wing joints from the back.

Then he pressed a spot where the nerves were concentrated.

Immediately…

“Kiiee…”

The hornet’s movements noticeably calmed down.

Stimulating the central nervous system would naturally do that.

Now, he could control not only the direction and the speed, but also its aggression.

‘Remind me of the time I raced on insects. Those experiences help even the oddest of situations.’

That’s the usefulness of even the strangest experiences.

Of course, back then, there were more memories of crashing than flying.

Buzzzzz!

Jinhyuk took to the air on the hornet, heading toward the Hive.

“What are you doing! Kill him! Kill that man now!”

Anubis commanded the other hornets.

“Kieeeek!”

The ordered hornet gave chase after Jinhyuk’s tail.

Only 30 seconds remained.

He needed to move faster…

Just a little bit more!

The air pressure made it hard for him to open his eyes, but instead, Jinhyuk increased his speed.

20 seconds, 19 seconds… and finally, when the countdown reached 10 seconds.

[You have used an Unknown Cube (D).]

Jinhyuk used another item he had obtained from the Coin Exchange.

Woosh!

A translucent cube about 2 meters in size encompassed the entire Hive.

Of course, Jinhyuk had already escaped just before one side of the cube completely closed.

Leaving behind the hornet he was controlling and the one that was chasing him.

‘It’s time to finish this.’

[You have synthesized 4 items to enhance the ‘Unknown Cube’!]

[Ability Stimulant (D)]

[Sticky Glue (F) ×4]

[Webbing of the Caltris Forest (F)]

[Twin-Headed Ogre’s Snot 100mg (F)]

As he used the remaining items, the translucent barrier was engraved with a spider web pattern.

“Screeeeech!”

“Screech!”

Boom!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The hornets slammed into the wall with their body, but not even a single crack formed.

For something hastily assembled within the limit of his coins, it boasted a remarkable performance.

Good.

The stage for the final act was set.

“Shouldn’t the opening ceremony always start with fireworks?”

He decided to skip the lengthy opening remarks due to the lack of time.

Jinhyuk snapped his index and thumb finger together.

[Lv4 ‘Element of Fire’ has been activated!]

Just as the growth was about to commence.

Inside the cube, the fire that had been left with the hornets, reacted.

Pop, pop, boom!

A massive blaze ignited.

The explosion in an enclosed space was unimaginably powerful.

The hornets were completely turned into charred remains.

Yet, as if nothing happened, the finely shattered pieces writhed.

Proliferation and regeneration were happening simultaneously.

“Kieee…”

“Screech!”

“Sceee!”

With each shattered fragment, hundreds of new hornets were born.

The number was staggering.

An overwhelming number indeed, but the problem was—

The space within the cube was limited.

Crack! Crunch!

Unable to contain the numbers, the outer skin of the hornets was crushed.

Eventually, unable to bear the pressure, their exoskeletons started to shatter.

[Growth Pill (C) has been dropped.]

[Your level has increased!]

The Growth Pills, not fully absorbed by the dead hornets, fell clinking to the ground.

‘Exactly as expected.’

The corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth curled upwards.

This was why he had been so keen to ensure the one-minute duration.

By feeding the hornets that were infinitely proliferating the Growth Pill and then killing them before the effects occurred…

The pills would also proliferate infinitely when dropped.

Of course, other items could be massively secured in the same way, but choosing the Growth Pill had its own reason.

To assault the fourth floor, he needed as many pills as possible, given that items with a high rank or large volume could not be fed easily.

‘It’s already a 2-level rise, huh?’

He accrued experience at a crazed pace, akin to mass extermination comparable to a guild hunt.

How shall I put it?

It’s like having refreshing ice-cold beer on a hot summer night, then pairing it with freshly fried chicken—a blissful combination offering dual rewards that intoxicates the soul.

‘That’s why I can’t give up on the first floor of the dungeon.’

Crawling into a dank, moist hole to fight disgusting bugs is an unpleasant affair.

But it was the reward at the end of toil that kept him smiling through it all.

“Screeeeech!”

“Kieek!”

The hornets died, were reborn, and died again.

A cycle, much like a Möbius strip.

All he had to do was cross his arms and watch.

Even without lifting a finger, items and experience came pouring in.

[Growth Pill (C) has been dropped.]

[Your level has increased!]

[Growth Pill (C) has been dropped.]

[Your level has increased!]

[Growth…….]

[Level……!]

Watching the deluge of alerts, Jinhyuk thought to himself.

By now… Anubis must be utterly falling to pieces inside, watching this happen.

＊＊＊

“What on earth…!”

Anubis’s eyes bulged with fury.

It had been a decidedly fatal plan.

Even the strongest warriors had shivered and fled from the infinitely proliferating insects.

Yet, here was a way to dismantle the very foundation of the Hive, beyond imagination.

‘Could it be that from the start, he provoked me only to lay this trap?’

Considering the items he had prepared for synthesis, there was no doubt.

It was all a ruse.

Crack!

Anubis’s molars made a dangerous sound.

The thought of becoming a puppet dancing on a palm, losing all control, filled him with rage and threatened to shatter his sanity.

However, right now, he didn’t even have the time to seethe with anger.

Enraged and gazing upon Jinhyuk who was leveling up madly, he needed to make a decision.

And fast.

“Damn it all.”

The only way to stop this catastrophe.

Was…

Anubis spread his palm wide open.

Then, moments later, he clenched his fist, closing his eyes tightly.

[Anubis has destroyed the ‘Hive!’]

Boom!

The Hive inside the cube exploded.

＊＊＊

“So this is how it ends up.”

Jinhyuk clicked his tongue regretfully, caught up in the throes of leveling up.

He knew such sweet moments couldn’t last forever, but still, the end came with a tinge of disappointment.

“You fool!”

Anubis bared his teeth.

Nice set of choppers.

So white and strong, getting bitten would surely separate flesh from bone.

But no reason to be afraid.

With the Hive destroyed, the battle was essentially over.

“Angry? Relax that face a bit. Throwing a tantrum after a defeat is the ugliest spectacle, didn’t you know?”

“Do you think you’ll be safe after all this?”

“Yup.”

Safe and sound.

Threats were futile; he planned to live healthy, growing old to a ripe age and pass away peacefully at about 100. Premature deaths and abrupt ends didn’t appear in his dictionary.

“Raaaaaargh!”

Anubis, unable to control his fury at Jinhyuk’s nonchalant attitude, stomped on the ground.

Boom! Crash! Boom!

Cracks spread across the floor.

He was furious, desperate to kill the man before him.

Yet, he couldn’t do a thing.

“Hear me, human. Climb up alive. When that time comes, I shall rip your head and spine out with my own hands.”

“You don’t have to tell me; that was the plan. Oh! Of course, I plan to keep my head right where it is. I don’t want to mess with it, doesn’t look nice aesthetically—you know, not visually pleasing.”

“…….”

Anubis was at a loss for words.

Engaging in conversation only heightened his stress levels.

Standing there, even for a minute or a second, only compounded his humiliation and anger.

Finally.

“Your face. I’ll remember it well.”

With a brief warning, Anubis shattered his own spirit-imbued statue.

Crackling!

[Anubis’s vessel is destroyed!]

As the shards crumbled,

Simultaneously.

[Conditions met!]

[Judgment of Anubis]

Acquisition Difficulty: Over-Rank

Description: Ask the target three questions; If the target answers all three, the condition is satisfied. Reduce the target’s stats by 50% and restrict the activation of skills and unique abilities for 1 minute.]

[However, this ability can only be used once on the same target and excessive use may incur the wrath of the Egyptian deities.]

He acquired a new ability—an over-ranked power infused with the might of the gods.

‘Feels like I’ve received a Christmas gift too early.’

Just with a question-and-answer, the target’s stats could be drastically reduced.

It’s utterly overpowered.

There were conditions to its use, but with timely usage, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Just then.

[Egyptian gods take notice of your existence.]

[Some of them exhibit strong hostility!]

A red alert popped up.

It seemed Anubis couldn’t bear it and had already run to his peers to vent.

‘As always, gods sure are quick with their words.’

Tsk, tsk.

Jinhyuk clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Let’s think about the upper floors of the tower later. I should allocate these stat points first.’

His immediate priority wasn’t the Egyptian gods whom he might or might not meet face to face later.

It was about his current growth and the boss on the third floor that lay ahead.

He had gained a total of 18 levels since his arrival here.

And he had 54 stat points accumulated.

Crazy growth rates.

Inevitable, considering how a major guild with generous support for a ranker might just manage to hit 20 levels after a full month of exclusive dungeon hunting.

Imagine achieving that alone in just one day—would anyone believe it?

‘I may need a moment of delightful contemplation about where to invest these stats.’

Right when Jinhyuk was about to bring up the stat screen,

Woosh!

A request for communication popped up.

“Who is this?”

Jinhyuk’s brows narrowed.

The name displayed was…

A rather unexpected person.