"Move! Move!"

The captain shouted and everyone ran as far as possible from the thumpers, but they were still close, so close that they could feel the wind slapping their faces—

The thumpers moved way too fast.

Grrkkk.

Dust rose, slightly clouding everyone’s vision.

The ground didn’t stop shaking and the thumping noise sounded everywhere.

This didn’t look like the thumpers were aggressively moving.

The Vision Hunter’s eyesight pierced through the dust cloud, his eyes squinted.

The thumpers...

"Are they running away?"

The vision hunter mumbled and he looked farther behind the group of thumpers.

And there.

He saw it.

Grrrkkkk.

Behind the thumpers, a vast area had turned into a sinkhole.

The thumpers’ bodies slowly sank.

They thrashed around, neck stretched taut, head flailing.

Thump. Thump.

The thumper desperately tried to climb up, but the ground sank even deeper.

In a blink of an eye, only their heads were visible, shrieking to the sky.

"Hissss!!"

Grrkkk.

The sinking ground swept the thumpers’ heads, leaving nothing behind.

Everyone who shared the same vision felt their hearts dropping to their stomachs.

What...the?

But, worse—

The sinking ground was still moving rapidly—

Towards them.

Everyone’s faces instantly turned pale.

"R-run! Run!!"

The captain bolted away and the other hunters hurriedly ran after him.

Oh, sht!

Even Lucien finally stopped acting cool and broke into a quick jog.

With the +10% agility buff, Lucien’s legs turned into a blur, on par with the sprinting hunters.

Grrrkkkk!

Dust billowed, chasing after the sinking ground that swept towards the hunters like a wave.

Thump. Thump.

The hunters ran dangerously close with the thumpers ahead, almost skin to skin.

Grrrkk.

"Hissss!!"

The thumpers behind had already fallen, their cries cutting through the air.

"Fck. Fck. Fck. Is the dungeon collapsing??" The captain cursed, eyes kept glancing back.

The sinking ground was only several meters behind.

Too close!

"Hey! Anyone with a group agility skill or something??"

"I-I have a wind skill! B-but carrying thirty people— "

It’s too much even for an E-rank hunter!

"Earth! Earth skill! Stop the sinking ground from moving!"

A sand guy quickly used his skill and aimed at the quickly moving ground.

Shrkkkk.

As the light enveloped the sinking ground, its movement slowed down.

Five meters.

"Hisss!"

The thumpers next to the hunters fell, their bodies sliding down helplessly.

Four meters.

More and more thumpers fell.

Their huge bodies almost smashed at the hunters.

Three meters.

Only the hunters were left.

The moving ground slowed down.

But those at the back could feel their feet slowly sinking, their movement became heavier.

Two meters!

The soft ground swallowed the hunters’ ankles, rapidly climbing to their knees.

"Ahhh!!"

Those at the back roared.

Some immediately used their skills and others used their pure brute strength to pull their legs out of the sinking ground.

One meter!

The sinking ground only moved inches by inches.

The earth guy’s face brightened.

"It’s stopping! It’s stopping!"

Those at the front slowed down, they looked back and then—

The ground under everyone’s feet suddenly undulated like a wave.

"Ah!"

Everyone’s legs staggered, their bodies swayed.

Shhhkk.

Something passed beneath their feet rapidly before disappearing in the direction of the diggers.

The sinking ground completely stopped spreading inches away from the hunters at the back, but everyone whipped their heads to the front, faces turning blue and white.

"D-did something...something..."

The words hadn’t fallen when the ground several meters in front of the hunters suddenly exploded.

Burst!

Soil splattered.

Dust billowed.

"What!"

Everyone subconsciously raised their heads while covering their eyes.

The harsh sunlight pierced their eyes.

A black silhouette was thrown into the air, its body forming an arch.

The hunters were stunned, but Lucien immediately noticed the familiar shape.

Isn’t that—

A digger?

The digger was still in the air when—

A huge silhouette burst out from the cracked ground.

Swoosh!

The sky darkened.

A figure loomed over everyone’s head.

Petal-like mouths glinted under the sunlight. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Then—

Chomp.

The digger vanished.

Splat.

Blood splattered.

Flesh exploded.

Red and white rained down on the hunters, their faces immediately felt the heat.

The hunters’ eyes widened when the wind blew hard.

Swoosh!

The silhouette dived down into the ground.

Ssrrkkkk.

Its black shell brushed past the hunters at the front.

Thump.

A loud thud noise sounded.

The ground hummed, softening like the sinkhole behind.

Shhhhh...

Dust rose.

Everyone’s vision blurred for a few seconds until the vision hunter’s eyesight pierced through the thick dust.

Then...

Gone.

There’s nothing.

The vast barren land fell silent.

Only the wind blew, like the sound of weeping.

Everyone’s breath hitched.

Lucien’s heart beat like a drum, about to burst out.

Beads of sweat formed, sliding down his eyes, stinging him, yet Lucien froze, only his eyes blinked.

What...

Was that?

The hunters stood like a mannequin. Their legs rooted to the ground.

The smell of blood hung heavy in the air, clinging to everyone’s clothes.

The silence lingered until Lucien opened his mouth, his voice slightly somber.

"Wake up."

"Haaa!"

The hunters collectively gasped, air pouring into their lungs.

"Haaa...haa..."

Everyone’s chest went up and down, sweat trickled down their chins.

"T-that...that..."

Lucien frowned, as if displeased.

"A big stray."

Inside, his soul kicked the blanket repeatedly, face even paler than the ghost.

Ahhh! What stray!

Lucien’s inner soul grabbed the mini dungeon boss and shook him hard.

Hey, hey, that— that must be the dungeon boss, right??

Right??

The miniature dungeon boss slapped Lucien’s inner soul away with the tail, eyes gleaming.

—Big...food.

Ahhh!! You bastard!!

As Lucien’s inner soul yanked his hair in stress, the hunters looked at each other, their legs trembling.

"A-a big stray?"

"A dungeon boss." Lucien clicked his tongue and "considerately" corrected his speech for the hunters, his eyes looking down at the ground.

The other hunters subconsciously followed his movement and everyone swallowed.

The ground...

There’s no humming noise.

It’s not shaking either.

A thought came to everyone’s mind, including Lucien’s.

Is the boss...

Gone?

But Lucien’s mini dungeon boss in his mind snorted, his eyes fixed on a certain point underground.

—It is...

Still here.