Rosaline and Zenis flung their lassos, ensnaring the civilians whose bodies were being overrun by sprouting flowers.
"Urgh!" Zenis's face contorted, his grip tightening as the person at the other end of the rope fought back. The strength radiating from the civilian was far beyond human—a raw, unnatural power that even a High-Rank Hunter like him struggled to restrain.
"AAAGH!" the man screamed, a sound of pure agony.
"Careful! They're civilians!" Rosaline warned, her own rope binding an office worker. Is this really human strength? And why are there civilians here? The evacuation report said the area was clear!
As she grappled with the thought, blood began to seep from the woman's eyes. She unleashed a feral, bone-chilling shriek, no different from the first man. "SCREECH—!!"
Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Zenis let go of the rope and summoned his weapon.
"[Attack Skill: Knight's Soul]," Zenis muttered. A spectral knight's sword appeared in his hand, nearly translucent, wreathed in the same mysterious purple soul-fire as his eyes.
"Zenis! Don't go in!" Rosaline shouted.
"Trust me!" he yelled back. He lunged forward, swinging the hilt of his sword with precise force against the back of the man's neck.
PHOOM!
"Zenis!" Rosaline screamed as the hilt struck the man. But instead of the blow landing true, the flowers clustered around the man's neck absorbed the impact. A cloud of golden-yellow pollen erupted, blasting directly into Zenis's face.
The unfortunate victim collapsed, falling unconscious.
"Cough... hack..." Zenis coughed violently, covering his mouth. Almost instantly, sharp pain flared across his skin. Glowing white flowers began to tear through his pores, blooming across his body at an alarming rate.
"Zenis! You idiot!" Rosaline scrambled to cast a purification skill, desperate for anything to work.
At that moment, a status window flashed before Zenis's eyes.
[Resistance Skill: Unbreakable (Passive) – Activated. The system has detected massive foreign contaminants in respiratory tract and dermis. Commencing elimination.]
The white flowers blooming on Zenis's skin suddenly withered and fell away like dead leaves. He didn't miss a beat, rushing to the woman Rosaline had restrained and striking her down with the hilt of his sword as well.
Fresh flowers bloomed on him again, only to shrivel and vanish as his passive skill worked overtime.
"Are you... alright?" Rosaline asked, her voice trembling despite her effort to remain calm.
"Someone's actually worried about me," Zenis smirked, using his hand—shimmering with violet-red soul fire—to brush the remaining petals off his armor. "But now isn't the time for that."
He cast [Skill: Sleep] on the two civilians, ensuring they would remain unconscious for at least a day, before dragging them to a nearby tree and securing them.
"That should keep them still," Zenis said. He pointed toward the myriad of glowing lights moving in the distance. "But we have a lot more people to put under."
"Why are there still people here? Why did Drake report zero casualties?" Rosaline was reeling. She had checked for stragglers along the way and found nothing. "Were they unconscious this whole time...?"
"If Ivan finishes his analysis and cross-references the dungeon history, we'll have our answer soon," Zenis said. He activated another skill: "[Attack Skill: Knight of the Warhorse]."
The spectral form of a white steed manifested, wreathed in violet and crimson flames. It let out a phantom whinny, rearing up on its hind legs. Zenis stroked its mane before leaping into the saddle. He extended a hand to Rosaline. "Just like the old days, eh?"
Rosaline slapped his hand away and activated her shadow-flicker skill, darting forward at high speed.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Zenis laughed, digging his heels into the spectral horse as it surged forward to match her pace.
Rosaline moved like a blur toward the nearest victim. She materialized behind a stout man and delivered a swift strike to his neck. As he collapsed, she vanished again just as the pollen burst from his body.
Zenis followed suit, using the edge of his hand instead of his blade. No matter how many times the pollen hit his face or flowers sprouted on his skin, he remained unfazed.
[Congratulations! Skill: Unbreakable has leveled up! Lv. 79 ➔ 80]
"It better level up! These flowers are a real pain!" Zenis cursed. He watched Rosaline's decisive movements. "Seems I'm not the only one who's gotten sharper."
Once the last civilian was subdued, Rosaline immediately called Drake to report the situation while Zenis moved the unconscious bodies to a central location.
[We are certain the evacuation was complete,] Drake insisted over the line. [Every agency confirmed the headcount when they entered the shelters...]
"So you're saying... they walked back out?" Rosaline asked.
[That's the only logical explanation,] Drake replied.
"Hermit, Ivan's on the line," Zenis said, tossing his phone to her. "Let's make this a conference call."
Rosaline merged the calls and switched to speakerphone.
[I... I have a very disturbing report regarding the flowers,] Ivan said, his voice shaky. [The structure is similar to Earth flora, but the chemical compounds are highly specific. I'll summarize it as simply as I can.]
[First, as Ms. Hermit noted, these are exclusively male stamen. They secrete a mucus that traps nutrients and water, much like our flowers. But here's the catch: the mucus contains potent enzymes. If it stays on the skin too long, it begins to... dissolve... fats and muscle tissue. It's like marinating beef in honey. There are also stimulants mixed in.]
A collective chill ran through the group. If Ivan was right, these civilians were being digested alive while being hyper-stimulated to keep moving.
"How do we stop it?" Rosaline asked.
[Clean water helps dilute the enzymes. My analysis shows these flowers only grow when in contact with living tissue. Water doesn't trigger growth; in fact, it's their primary weakness.]
"Like a sundew plant," Rosaline noted.
[Exactly. Second, their scent is unique. Usually, flowers use scent to attract insects. These blooms have massive 'scent glands' that can mix fluids to create entirely new odors. They can change their scent profile at will. It's almost as if... they are selecting specific 'insects' to pollinate them.]
Drake's voice grew tense. [How far can the scent travel?]
[I... I'm not sure, but a rough estimate would be... ten to twenty kilometers.] Ivan answered.
[That far?!] Drake gasped.
Everything clicked into place for Rosaline.
"The humans and animals in this area... we are the insects." Rosaline thought back to the pigeon. She looked toward the giant central flower. "...The pollination is beginning. No... it has already started!"
Zenis looked up at the sky. Tiny white specks of light were drifting through the air, all heading toward the giant flower.
[What does that mean?] Drake asked.
"Activate the barrier now if it's ready!" Rosaline urged. "The birds are already heading for the center. We can't stop the 'Dungeon Break' anymore."
A 'Dungeon Break' occurred when a boss, usually dormant within its own space, was triggered to manifest in the real world, causing widespread destruction. While the loot and artifacts from a Break were legendary, the cost was often an entire city.
Drake barked orders. [Raise the barrier immediately! Send in reinforcements! Tell the ground teams to intercept any civilians trying to enter the zone!]
"If you're sending reinforcements, send hunters with Resistance skills," Rosaline added. "Hunter bodies are tough, but without resistance, they'll end up just like the civilians."
[Understood,] Drake replied. [...The only one with that level of resistance who can get there in time is Regen.]
Rosaline bit her lip at the mention of the name.
[Wait... I have one more crucial piece of data,] Ivan interrupted hesitantly. [The reason for separating the male and female parts—the female being the giant flower—is to avoid Inbreeding Depression. It ensures genetic strength. This boss... it's going to be exceptionally powerful.]
"So, this boss is going to be a nightmare," Zenis summarized, crossing his arms.
"Can a shield skill block the pollen? What about purification?" Rosaline asked.
[A high-level shield might hold, but mine shattered instantly,] Ivan admitted. [I don't have purification data, so I can't say for sure.]
"I can handle purification," Rosaline nodded. "Commander, is there really no one else but Regen?"
[Resistance is a rare trait for natural-born hunters,] Drake said. [The 'Star of Chaos' is powerful... even if he can't use his full strength, he should be enough to take it down.]
"Calibarn..." Rosaline whispered.
Suddenly, the air changed. The cloying sweet scent was replaced by a soft, intoxicating fragrance.
[Sir! Emergency!] An operator's voice cut in on Drake's end. [The civilians at the shelters... they're rioting! They're trying to break out and run toward the zone!]
[What?!] Drake roared.
"Let's go. The enemy is making its move. We can't waste any more time," Zenis said, extending his hand to Rosaline once more from atop his spectral steed.
"Graham, stay on the line and support us with data. Report any anomalies to Commander Drake."
[Understood, Mr. Zenis, Ms. Hermit.] Ivan hung up.
"Is my horse too dirty for you?" Zenis teased as Rosaline hesitated.
"Hardly." She stepped into the stirrup, and Zenis pulled her up behind him.
"Hold on tight," Zenis commanded. They surged forward, racing toward the gargantuan bloom at the heart of the park.