-The Specter Guardian(1)-

The sudden uncalled explosion happened so suddenly that both Kenshin and Maria stumbled in their steps while rushing at each other.

“What the fu**!?”

“Thank’s god!”

As the fight has been interrupted; both showed different opinions about it. As someone who was very unwilling to fight from the get-go, Kenshin was very thankful towards the explosion. While on the other side of the spectrum was Maria’s emotional status.

Eyes red while face pulled in a vicious frown, she looked like she would slaughter the person responsible for the explosion if it appears in front of her.

But private feelings aside, both were very curious about the origin of such a big explosion. Coming to a tacit understanding; they nodded at each other and then started inspecting their surroundings.

Not long after; they found the source. To the far east from where they are standing, there was a place where a cloud of smoke had formed. Dungeons were in a separate place from reality. Their only relation to reality is via a portal, that appears randomly. As such, nothing from outside could damage it as it was not in that plane of existence in the first place.

The only way to damage a dungeon is from the inside.

The first floor of this particular dungeon was not that big; only about a small hall. Besides, there were only two entrances; one was the main entrance while the other one was the teleportation gate that leads to higher floors.

Since they were standing near the teleportation gate, nobody had come from here. That left the entrance only. But they both are on high alert just now so it was impossible that someone would slip past their vigilance.

If both of this possibilities were to be ruled out, that leaves only one.

The monsters.

Nodding at each other, Kenshin and Maria formed a temporary party silently and slowly inched towards the smoking corner. As they got near, they were surprised to find a silhouette of something standing inside the smoke cloud.

Looking closer, they found that this silhouette belonged to something that had a humanoid shape and height. The shadow was wearing a robe that covers it from head to toe, concealing it entirely.

It didn’t move and was simply standing there like a stationary object. Both Maria and Kenshin increased their alert levels as they stopped in their tracks.

At that time suddenly Kenshin heard a beep as a notification window popped in front of him.

[Ding* Quest 6: Kill the Specter Guardian Lv 30]

[Rewards]

3000 G X10 EXP Specter Guardian’s Scythe 10 Skill points

[Accept/Decline]

Kenshin face changed to that of horror when he read the contents of the notification. He immediately grabbed Maria who was curiously looking at the shadow and jumped back using his astronomical strength and agility.

“What?” Maria, who was about to shout out in indignation and anger, stopped herself after seeing a boney crescent something, impaling the very ground she was standing a bit earlier. Seeing the sweaty and fearful look on Kenshin’s face, a trace of softness as well as appreciation flashed in her eyes.

“Thank you!” she said softly.

“Your welcome” Kenshin replied as he put her down and fixed his eyes on the shadowed figure that was still not moving.

Seeing that Kenshin was ignoring her doesn’t anger Maria as she understood the gravity of the situation. She was a mature woman who understood her priority. She also vigilantly looked at the shadowed figure. Just now she would have died if it was not for Kenshin saving her in the last second.

Kenshin looked at the shadowed figure and inspected its status.

[Specter Guardian Lv 30]

[Description: one of the two guardians that guard the dungeon core]

[HP 2000/2000]

[ATK: 200; DEF: 50]

[Skills]

Summon Minions Lv 5[Summons 2 minions with half of its stats to aid itself in a fight] Death Glare Lv 5[Stuns a target for 10 seconds] Death Devour Lv 5[Devours a deceased soul to strengthen itself] Whirlwind of Death Lv5[Deals 400 damage to all target within 50-meter radius for 5 seconds]

Kenshin sucked in a cold breath of air as he skims through the information related to the Specter Guardian. It was the strongest monster he had ever faced in his life. Looking at the monstrous ATK, Kenshin couldn't help but be worried about his pitiful life.

“That was a Specter Guardian!” Suddenly Maria screamed. Seems like the dust cloud covering the monster had finally settled down. From within, revealed a ghastly figure wearing a midnight black ragged robe that looks like it could suck in the light itself. It held a giant boney white scythe in its right boney hand. The ghastly figure was emitting a huge amount of death aura.

“You know about this monster?” Kenshin asked.

“Yeah! It’s a monster that appears in a level 4 or higher dungeons and that too in its higher floors” Maria answers as she checks out the Specter Guardian while holding a pocket watch like device.

Unlike Kenshin who had a system to identify the monsters’ strength and level, others simply don’t have that kind of luxury. Instead, they carry a device issued by the WDCB that can read the radiations coming off a monster and label them according to radiation levels.

What Maria was holding now is exactly that device.

“What!? Level 4 dungeon? But this is a level 2 dungeon!” Kenshin asked in wonder. Although he was a hunter for a few years; he had never gone to a dungeon higher than level 2. That one time when he dared to enter a level 3 dungeon resulted in a life-changing affair. As such, he had never seen a monster that appears on higher level dungeons.

“That’s why I am very surprised. I have never seen such case happening ever. How can this possible for a level 4 dungeon’s monster to appear in a level 2 dungeon?” as Maria ranted to herself, Kenshin managed to fish out some details about the situation.

In short, he found nothing and neither did she.

The specter guardian began to sway as if it couldn’t stand still. Then it lifted the scythe to air and slowly walked towards Kenshin and co.

“It's coming!” Kenshin softly reminded Maria.

“Yeah! Let’s kill it together! I am taking the rear” Maria formulated a battle strategy the moment she saw the monster coming closer. Though she doesn’t know about the strength and weakness of Kenshin, from their earlier near-bout and the shredded corpse of the zombies, she could conform to the fact that he was a close combat expert.

Knowing that she was experienced in dealing with such monsters, Kenshin didn’t question her about her strategy and obediently followed through his role as a vanguard.

It was his first time partying with a magic skill user; Kenshin was full of anticipation. He wanted to experience how these so-called magic Skill users fight.