"W-What are you doing, Mr. Sung?!" Kyuhwan cried, stumbling back. His face went pale. He'd seen S-rank hunters before—but never one like this.
"We can't fight him! He's an S-rank!"
Jinwoo's voice was quiet, but laced with killing intent. "Wiping you out."
From his coat, something slithered.
A snake unfurled itself from his pocket in a coil of purple and pink, scales shimmering like velvet under the mana crystals' glow.
"Get them, Medusa."
Medusa uncoiled, her serpentine form growing in an instant, expanding until she towered over them all, easily as long as a city bus. Her eyes burned with hunger.
"Hisssss…" she tasted the air, her fangs gleaming. "A proper meal, finally."
"A p-proper meal…?" one of Hwang Dongsuk's men repeated, trembling.
Before he could run, Medusa lunged.
CHOMP.
His scream was cut off mid-breath as her jaws snapped shut around him, his body vanishing down her gullet in a single gulp.
"G-GYAAAAH!"
"RUN!"
Chaos exploded. The men scattered, weapons flailing, but Medusa was faster—so much faster. With terrifying grace, she slithered across the chamber, her massive body cutting off escape. Another man screamed as she crushed him beneath her coils. Another vanished into her jaws.
"J-Jinwoo…" Choi Yoora clung tightly to his arm, trembling, her breath shaky as she saw the monster devour them one after another. "She's… eating them…"
Jinho's face had gone ghost white. "M-Mr. Sung… are you sure you can keep under control that thing…?"
"Don't worry, Jinho." Jinwoo smiled, not even flinching as a man was dragged into the shadows, screams echoing. "Medusa's quite obedient."
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
'Letting Medusa level up for me really is efficient,' Jinwoo thought, his gaze fixed on the carnage. 'She grows stronger… and I reap the benefits.'
Kyuhwan was the last to fall, his light magic flaring desperately—blinding beams flying across the chamber—but Medusa's scales were too thick. She closed in and with one final shriek, he too was gone.
Silence fell. Blood stained the crystals.
Only Hwang Dongsuk remained, barely conscious, still sprawled on the mana-covered ground, face broken and jaw slack.
"Come here, Medusa," Jinwoo said calmly.
The massive serpent slithered back to his side, coiling protectively around him. Her fangs were stained red. Jinwoo reached out and patted her on the head.
"Good girl."
"D-Do you want to pat her too, Yoora?" he asked casually, turning to the trembling girl at his side.
Yoora hesitated, eyes fixed on Medusa's bloodied mouth. Her hand hovered.
She had just watched the snake eat seven men like snacks—and now she was being invited to pet it?
"I-I… I don't know…"
"Can I?" Jinho asked timidly, hand half-raised.
"Sure," Jinwoo replied, smiling. "Unless she bites your hand off. I'm the only male she lets touch her."
Jinho froze. "I-I'll pass…"
With a gentle gesture, Jinwoo took Yoora's hand and pressed it to Medusa's head.
Medusa narrowed her glowing eyes in irritation. She didn't move—but it was clear she didn't enjoy this. She wanted to be treated like a woman—not a pet. Especially not by anyone but her master.
"I… don't think she likes me very much…" Yoora murmured, her hand slowing, now more a cautious caress than a pat.
And then—
SKREEEEEEEEE!
A high-pitched, bone-rattling screech echoed from the depths of the dungeon.
The entire chamber trembled.
Jinwoo's eyes narrowed. He turned toward the tunnel, gaze sharpening.
"…Looks like the boss just arrived."
A heavy creak echoed through the dungeon ceiling. From the shadows above, a massive white spider with glowing red eyes slowly descended, its long, hairy legs gripping the stone as it lowered itself on a thick strand of silk.
Jinwoo looked up with interest, a grin tugging at his lips. "Oh... a spider?"
He glanced back at the others. "Medusa, stay here and protect them," he ordered, his voice firm. "That spider… it's mine."
Medusa let out a quiet, dissatisfied hiss. "Be careful, master…" she said in a low voice, her slit pupils narrowing. She was still clearly frustrated by how casually he treated her in front of others—like a pet, not a woman.
Jinwoo surged forward, his hands summoning Kasaka's Fang into his right and a regular dagger into his left.
"Let's try this!" he shouted, and in an instant, both blades erupted with brilliant purple Hell Flames.
Twin Blades activated, boosting his damage by 50% while dual-wielding. Dagger Master kicked in as well, increasing his attack power by another 50%. Combined with the burning, destructive nature of the Hell Flames, Jinwoo's next strike crashed into the spider's abdomen with explosive force.
BOOM!
The spider let out an otherworldly screech as its massive body was hurled back, legs flailing. It crashed against the cavern wall, sizzling where the flames burned deep into its carapace.
Jinwoo stood confidently, twirling his daggers once before dismissing them back into his inventory. "Tch. Still not strong enough… It was just a C-rank boss, right?"
The spider twitched weakly, smoke rising from its wounded body. Jinwoo raised his hand, crackling with purple lightning. He stepped forward, ready to end it with a clean blast of magic.
But just before he could act—
[The White Spider, Shiraori, is a suitable target for the Lust Familiar skill.]
[Would you like to make it your Lust Familiar?]
Jinwoo blinked. "Another Lust Familiar?" he muttered. "Another one like Medusa will be a pain to manage… but it might help my image as the strongest summoner."
He hesitated just a second, then confirmed the prompt.
The spider's massive body began to glow, pulsing with a deep pink energy. It lifted off the ground, suspended by the transforming force of the Lust System. The glow intensified, its limbs retracting, body reshaping—
Jinwoo narrowed his eyes. "Oh fuck…" he muttered. "Is the system making them all human so that I can fuck them?" He slapped his forehead in disbelief. He knew this damn system too well now...
The spider's monstrous form continued to warp, taking on distinctly feminine proportions. Its carapace thinned, became skin, the glow growing more radiant—
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
A scream ripped through the air.
"Yoora!" Jinwoo instantly turned toward the sound, abandoning the transforming spider behind him.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
Hwang Dongsuk was holding Choi Yoora by the throat, his eyes glowing an eerie green. He no longer looked like a broken man clinging to life—he stood tall, energized, even brimming with power.
Beside him, Jinho and Medusa were on the ground. Jinho's sword lay beside him, broken. Blood seeped from his mouth as he struggled to remain conscious. Medusa, too, was weakened, her body bruised and snake-scales scattered around. They had both tried to protect Yoora—and failed.
"You bastard!!" Jinwoo roared. Lightning surged around his body as he launched himself forward, a bolt of wrath and vengeance.
But Hwang Dongsuk didn't even flinch.
As Jinwoo's fist neared, he calmly reached out and caught it with his free hand—while still gripping Choi Yoora in the other.
Jinwoo's eyes widened. "What?!"
Before he could react, Hwang Dongsuk smirked—and with unnatural strength, flung Jinwoo backward like a ragdoll.
CRASH!
Jinwoo slammed into the pile of mana crystals he had thrown Hwang Dongsuk into earlier. The impact shook the room. Dust rose. Blood spilled from Jinwoo's lips.
'When did he get… so strong?' Jinwoo thought, coughing violently, his eyes barely managing to focus on the enemy's twisted smile.
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liked it?
Also, liked the plot twist? I wanted to give a little bit more challenges to Jinwoo, he's way too strong.