Humanoid monsters, no matter how high their intelligence was, had never healed a human, much less a hunter!

Not to mention to use an incredibly rare healing-type monster on them...

Something is seriously wrong!

Lucien tilted his head at the hunter’s sudden silence.

"What? Too tired to move? But we still have many strays to clean up."

"A-ah! Yes!"

The hunters jolted awake from their thoughts and quickly walked away.

They had just stepped forward when new thumpers came pouring in, shaking the ground.

Thump. Thump.

Strangely, all the thumpers pointed their heads towards Lucien, their mouths opened and closed.

"Hisssss."

The thumpers swayed their bodies and slammed down— towards Lucien.

Slam!

Lucien walked away from the thumper’s body, his step leisure, but inside, he was screaming,

Ahhhh! Don’t come here! Fck!

Lucien’s eyes quickly searched for the expedition team and the team who felt Lucien’s gaze immediately bolted towards the thumpers, shouting with a shaky voice.

"Hyah! D-die!"

Slash! Slash! Slash!

But no matter how many times the hunters killed the thumpers, the thumpers rushed to them like crazy—

No. Towards Lucien.

Damn it.

That humanoid monster...is it luring all the worms?

Realizing this fact, the hunters subconsciously stayed away from Lucien, creating a vacuum zone around him.

Who wanted to stay close to the eye of the storm?

Lucien, who wanted to hide behind the hunters: ....

Why are you guys avoiding him??

Is it because the thumpers kept targeting him??

Lucien quickly walked closer to a hunter and that hunter instinctively tried to run away!

Lucien frowned, his voice dropping.

"Am I a nuisance?"

Lucien’s inner soul was sobbing, eyes watery.

Do you guys hate me because I don’t do anything, only attracting more monsters?

Hearing that cold, emotionless voice dripping with sarcasm, the hunters collectively flinched, sweat dripped down their foreheads.

He is mad.

That monster is mad!!

Silence fell and the hunters felt like standing on pins and needles.

Just when the air was getting heavier...a thumper appeared, alone.

Thump.

In that instant, the hunters’ eyes instantly teared up, eyes shining.

"W-we will clean up the worms!"

"Huh? What— "

Before Lucien could speak—

The hunters collectively bolted towards the thumper.

Their backs looked so excited, as if the thumper was their lover!

Seeing so many hunters rushing to hunt just one thumper, Lucien shook his head.

"It’s just one thumper..."

The hunters immediately pushed each other, faces red.

"Get away! This thumper is mine!"

"No! It’s mine!"

"Ah, fck! Just find another thumper!!"

True to the words, the hunters started to search for thumpers like mad.

"Come out!"

"There are two here!"

"I got one!"

The hunters scrambled to the thumpers, eyes spilling with joy.

Finally!!

They didn’t have to talk to that humanoid monster!!

Lucien saw the hunters’ proactive attitude and nodded with a cool face.

Ah. As expected of the expedition team.

They were really energetic about cleaning the dungeon!

As the hunters poured 200% of their usual efforts, the thumpers around slowly fell down, some still breathing while others motionless, without a breath.

Aside from thumpers, the hunters met a few more diggers but this time, they were on full alert.

They fought like madmen, slaughtering the diggers that they previously feared more than their lives!

What could be more fearful than that humanoid monster at the back...who was in a bad mood?

Diggers disappeared in his house and thumpers became his dog!!

"Haaa. Haaa."

The hunters clutched their chests and plopped to their knees as they wiped their sweat, their faces flushed red from the heat.

In less than thirty minutes, they had crossed half of the dungeon and killed several thumpers and diggers!

The captain gritted his teeth and spoke in the voice channel,

"Since when did you guys become so strong, huh?"

If the team had this kind of efficiency, they wouldn’t have lost almost twenty members and could have claimed the Death Zone by half already!

The hunters also gritted their teeth, eyes glancing back at Lucien, who was walking leisurely, kicking and poking thumpers and diggers everywhere.

At this rate, they could clean the dungeon soon.

The hunters were about to stand up and continue towards the end of the land when—

Thump. Thump.

Hummmm. Hummm.

Thumping noises and humming sounds suddenly echoed from the path forward.

Everyone’s faces changed.

"Here we go!"

Another group of thumpers and diggers!

Grrkkkk.

The ground shook.

Black dust rose at the horizon, rapidly approaching.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Hummmm. Hummmm.

The noises became closer and closer.

A hunter with a sensitive hearing rubbed her ears and frowned, her heart beating fast.

"Is it just me or is the noise...too loud?"

It was as if there were many, many thumpers and diggers.

Thump! Thump!

Hummmmm.

The black cloud was only a hundred meters away.

"Hissss!!"

The thumpers shrieked to the sky.

The diggers swam underground, the soil undulating like a wave, so fast that everyone almost couldn’t see the movement.

Fifty meters.

The vision guy shared his sharp vision with the hunters and everyone finally saw what was in front of them.

Everyone’s faces turned pale.

Ten thumpers.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Diggers...

Couldn’t count. Couldn’t see.

It wasn’t a group of thumpers and diggers.

It was...

"A horde??" The captain raised his voice and the hunters quickly stuck close together, even briefly forgetting that Lucien was right among them.

"W-why is there a worm horde here??"

20 meters.

Thump.

Everyone could clearly see the thumpers shaking, slamming their bodies to crawl forward as fast as possible.

Hummm.

The diggers moved so fast that the wave-like ground was only a few meters away from the hunters!

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the moving ground, thinking about the diggers that were about to burst out to attack them—

But no.

Hummmmm.

The moving ground actually passed by them without stopping even a second.

The humming noise gradually became fainter— until it disappeared behind them.

...what?

"Is the digger trying to attack us from behind?" Someone turned back and anxiously stared at the ground, but...

Nothing.

The diggers didn’t burst out from behind.

Thump. Thump.

The thumpers finally caught up with the diggers, their bodies only several meters away from the hunters.

"Hey! Focus on the thumpers! They’re here!"

The captain shouted and everyone put aside the subtle, lingering anxiety, ready to attack the aggressive thumpers.

But...

Thump.

The thumpers passed by their group, not a single head turned towards them.

Not even towards Lucien.

Everyone’s hearts sank.

Something is wrong.