Despite all of that talk, Eun-ho knew it wouldn't be easy. Even the level 6 Min Yoo-bin failed this raid, barely escaping with her life, yet having to retire early due to injuries she could never heal from.
Even when powerful healers started appearing, by then, it was too late.
From all the information he could gather as his time as a human and the ones inherited from this body, he could conclude a few things.
—1. The [Dungeon Master] was definitely very intelligent. More so than a normal one.
—2. They had a phenomenal growth rate. Just judging by how strong it could get within two months of a [Surge], it was definitely using humans as a means for evolution.
But even so, a newborn is still a newborn.
Many masters start with nothing. They aren't intelligent and they only have instincts at the beginning. Then, through outside stimulation such as the formation of a [Dungeon], the system awakens and that's when they become full fledged [Dungeon Masters].
In a continuous cycle, the system helps increase their intelligence and they adapt fast.
The master of this [Dungeon], compared to the 35 years Eun-ho spent alive as a human, 15 years as a player, combined with his inherited memories, was far inferior in terms of both wisdom and smarts.
Unlike the humans who were in a similar situation, blubbering about in a new reality that suddenly forced itself upon them, Eun-ho could truly be called an expert.
Dami stood on the side lines, standing in front of the human male.
Eun-ho watched the ongoing battle through her eyes calmly.
He wasn't sure why she saved the human as a monster, but he wasn't complaining. He rather liked her actions.
In an ideal world, he would've intervened before any casualties occurred, but that was simple naivety, not heroism. It hurt, but the more he regretted it, the more hypocritical it would be.
Suddenly, the giant centipede roared in a fit of rage, using its long body to sweep at his units. Most managed to get out of the way in time. All of his summons were nimble after all.
Some others weren't so lucky, dying on the spot or becoming severely injured.
Eun-ho pursed his nonexistent lips, tensing. This wasn't the time to be hung up on deaths right now. Death was a part of life even if that didn't make it any easier to handle.
Only the strong could lead, and he was determined to come out on top.
A few of his shadow assassins and husk warriors managed to get in a few nice cuts, giving it, in game terms, a bleeding status effect.
Obviously, they weren't done. The injured summons pulled out potions while the shamans finally prepared their own attack, shooting a glowing ball of purple mana—a combined magic missile.
The centipede's eyes reflected the light of the magic as it hit. The entire cavern blacked out for a moment before their silhouettes blazed and everything returned to normal.
Dami was blinded by the flash, slowly opening her eyes. The giant centipede roared again.
"Fuck.." Eun-ho knew it would be strong, but this was…honestly, what did he expect? He wanted to conserve Dami's strength, but now wasn't the time to do so.
The hound soon leapt off the ledge they were on, howling.
The gathered soldiers below looked up to watch her as her jaw cracked open into a painfully wide angle before snapping like a crusher machine, taking a huge chunk of flesh.
The centipede let out a pained screech, locking onto her.
As she fought nimbly, the others also began to do their part, motivated by her actions. The husks sliced, the shamans gathered, and the assassins cut.
To be honest, when this first started, he had never thought these monsters he summoned would be so…human-like.
They didn't speak, nor did they express themselves very much—besides a few exceptions—but their actions were everything.
Soon enough, the centipede fell, marking their breakthrough into step 2.
Hyun-jin was dumbfounded, amazed really. This was the first time he had seen a monster save him, the first time weaker monsters of diverse species came together to take down a bigger creature despite being weaker…a first time for a lot of things.
Looking at them made him think..'Wow..humans really are weak…' and his perspective flipped 180 degrees.
Dami was soon back on the ledge, tongue sticking out. She looked like a normal dog just then and for a moment, he felt the inexplicable urge to pet her.
Yet the fear of his hand being bitten off made him stop in his tracks.
Before he could think much of it, her body began to glow. This was…signs of evolution.
Hyun-jin felt reminded of a certain series at this very moment.
Dami embraced the warmth of evolution, her body visibly growing. Eun-ho was shocked. Very few monsters went through evolution, yet she was going through one right now.
The light peaked for several seconds and then dissipated, revealing her new form. Before them stood a majestic doberman with a shiny fur coat, much fluffier than before.
Half of her body was white while the other was black; one eye remained red and the other gold.
There was one other…more obvious change, and that was her size. She was now as tall as a small to mid-sized oak tree (15 meters).
Maybe it was because of the chunk of meat she had eaten during the initial phase of the battle but she was huge.
Whatever the case, Eun-ho welcomed it. Dami, now a level 5, howled again. The summons kneeled as she did, thus solidifying herself as the vice-leader of this merry band.
But still, the battle wasn't over yet.
"Dami, tell one of the soldiers to come back. Then go save the rest of the humans with the others."
She barked, tail wagging. Her majestic aura was immediately gone, replaced with something more cute.
This was his chance to be a part of the battle. Soon enough at least.
After finishing her task, Dami grabbed the near forgotten human man and rushed off to the sounds of battle nearby.
One of the [Shadow Fur Assassin units] moved in the opposite direction, directly exiting the [Dungeon].
Behind, a sleek, shadowed figure followed.
To be continued…
Additional Information:
>Evolution is a rare phenomenon for monsters who have gained enlightenment. The monsters of Eun-ho's dungeon are special because of his origin point. As stated before, "[Evolving Dungeons] take after their masters."