I stretched out the dead Graf’s body and it was nearly nine feet long. However, it was still deemed an infant by the System. When it became an adult, it made the whole ground shake whenever it crawled around as if an earthquake had occurred.

“Despite the way they look, Grafs can think as they have brains like us instead of ganglions,” I said.

Woo Yeon-Hee’s frown was full of disgust. The monster groaned a little bit as I peeled off the shell on its head, and I found a brain smaller than a fist.

“However, their important peripheral nerves are concentrated on the antennae, so they can’t function well without them. You won’t be able to pull them off with your current Strength, so cut them off with the dagger,” I added.

Then, I cut off its leg and sticky red blood oozed out from where my blade had sliced it.

I explained, “These aren’t centipedes on Earth that have gotten bigger. These are completely different species. As you can see, the legs are long, flexible and sharp. Can you see the poison glands at the end?”

I continued dissecting it. They didn’t have genitalia like conventional arthropods as they didn’t breed through mating. They came into the world from Queens who walked on two feet. Their internal organs surrounding the mana bag were large, and the odor was repellant.

“Don’t forget the location of the poison glands. There are more than just legs and chin,” I said.

She asked, “The only ways to decipher are using skills and insignias, right?”

“Yes,” I replied.

Woo Yeon-Hee’s face became rigid as she realized we didn’t have such things.

“Their poison is horrendous and it causes such severe pain to the extent that people wish they would just die. However, you don’t need to worry too much since it gets detoxified on its own within a few days,” I explained.

We both hoped to obtain detoxification skills, but the possibility of getting one was remarkably low. Then, I heard a faint noise that Woo Yeon-Hee didn't seem to have noticed. Something was hidden behind a column that connected the ceiling to the ground and it was scattering debris. Then, I saw a Graf spring up from the ground. Its eyes and antennae quickly scanned through the decapitated and dissected body of its fellow, and it turned towards us. It seemed to bolt back to where it had come from, and everything happened in less than a few seconds.

Woo Yeon-Hee was waiting for my signal, but I shook my head. All I could see were its shells on the back and head, so it was difficult to kill it immediately with anything in our arsenal. Even the F-class Devi’s Sword wouldn’t be able to thrust the shell, and the Graf would run away as soon as we rushed in.

I had two choices: the Medal of Restraints and the Ruler’s Ring.

[You have used the Ruler’s Ring.]

[Target: Infant Graf]

Energy poured out of the ring, and it transcended the domain I perceived. It soon wrapped around the Graf’s entire body and swallowed it in a moment.

[You have successfully captured an Infant Graf.]

The ring sucked the target into itself instantly, so the dungeon was the best place to use it. Using the item in a B-class dungeon meant I had secured a decently powerful monster to fight for me. I was able to quicken my pace in conquering B and lower class dungeons with the ring.

However, that was possible only in my dreams. I could only use the ring when there was just one monster as I would be swarmed and killed in seconds if there were others. In addition, entering the dungeon without a B-class Escape Insignia meant committing suicide. Unfortunately, the effects of the ring ended here.

“...It disappeared,” Woo Yeon-Hee muttered in surprise.

Again, she couldn’t clearly see what had happened, and I explained briefly about the situation. She looked at the ring with bright eyes.

***

We walked for an hour, and the distance we travelled was pretty short. We were moving as slowly as we did on the day the typhoon swept the village. I focused all my senses on my ears, and Woo Yeon-Hee breathed as quietly as possible. This was a familiar role to me as I had acted as a scout in my previous life since my Sense was higher than others. She raised her dagger when I stopped, and her reflexes were great.

Crack!

A Graf’s huge chin skittered out from where Woo Yeon-Hee removed her leg. She must have aimed for one of its antennae as she had succeeded in grasping it with one hand. However, its gigantic head surged out before she slit the antennae with another hand. She flew in the air but managed to land safely by making a somersault. Then, the Graf targeted me.

This idiot had to be after Woo Yeon-Hee. The moment it turned towards me and exposed its softer underbelly was when it signed its death warrant. It would have wanted to touch me with its slashing leg, but I beheaded it with a blade. This blade I bought from Namdaemun broke into two as it couldn’t handle the combination of the monster’s hard shell and my Strength.

“It’s not over. Others are coming in,” I said.

The subtle screeching sounds of dozens of legs wriggling came from all directions. In the Hwasung dungeon, it was enough for me to fight in the front while Woo Yeon-Hee healed me in the back. However, things were different here as monsters appeared everywhere.

[You have activated the Ruler’s Ring.]

[A captured object: Infant Graf]

[Target: Woo Yeon-Hee]

The Graf I summoned stood in front of Woo Yeon-Hee, and she reflexively widened her distance from it. Then, she noticed what I had done from the Graf’s defensive posture. The giant centipede-looking monster was just moving its antennae without rushing towards her or me. Then, soil sprang up from all corners at once.

Pop! Pop!

Grafs appeared, surrounding us as if a broken fountain had burst. I saw the captured Graf moving to protect Woo Yeon-Hee.

[You have activated Gaia’s Will.]

Gaia’s Will absorbed the physical shockwaves and also caught the eyes of monsters in the lower classes. It was an effective tanking skill. Those who were aiming for Woo Yeon-Hee now turned their attention to me, and Woo Yeon-Hee sprinted through them. I saw a few turning their bodies towards her, but I didn’t know how many actually chased after her. That was her problem to deal with on her own as three Grafs attacked me from various directions. One tried to rip me apart, another tried to wrap me up and stab me with its poisoned stinger, and the other swung its tentacle legs.

[You have used the skill Earthquake.]

Thud! Ground shattering quakes exploded from me in all directions, and the monsters jumping on me collapsed. Even those who wriggled their disgusting trunks lost their balance. I used Devi’s Sword then. The curved, distorted crescent-shaped energy didn’t necessarily emerge in a straight line. I had practiced controlling the attack trajectories of the invisible blade of the S-class skill like Odin's Wrath, and now I could use it to thrust through the Graf’s antennas. The only objects I could see in the air through the thick dust were their antennae, and I quickly swept Devi’s Sword around.

Screechhhhh-

Their tongues clacked in their jaws and they made weird high pitched noises with their legs. Since dozens of them were making the sound at the same time, it was so loud that covering my ears didn’t help at all. It was then I felt the entire ground crumble under my feet. I tasted dirt and felt a sharp pain on my nose.

[Woo Yeon-Hee has used Physical Healing.]

Good job, Woo Yeon-Hee. Great timing.

I saw hundreds of legs in the air thrashing around when I stood up. Some were straightening their joints while others were turned upside down. Each Graf had forty-two legs, so the sight was extremely repugnant as their legs were long and flexible. Anyone would want to turn their head away from this as modern humans had an instinctive hatred and fear of big insects. Maybe Grafs looked like this because they knew that humans were repulsed by their appearance. Now I had to cut off their heads one by one!

[Graf Extermination: Killing Graf 3/30]

…

[Graf Extermination: Killing Graf 20/30]

The number also indicated how many times the Clown’s Dagger stabbed their necks, and fortunately, the random debuff effect happened reliably after I had reinforced the weapon. I turned my head and saw Woo Yeon-Hee lying down awkwardly. She was also covered in disgusting blood like me but was out of balance due to her heavy backpack. I took it off from her and helped her stand up.

“Thank you. That was a terrible sound, and I feel like my eardrums burst deep inside.”

She was well aware of her condition.

“Did you get stabbed or bitten?” I asked.

“It protected me.”

She looked at the dead Graf that I had captured. Woo Yeon-Hee had killed three Grafs including the captured one, which impressed me. She seemed to have the potential in dealing with monsters as she was uninjured after those kills. Well, nothing could prevent her eardrums from bursting.

“Lean on me,” I said.

“Are you not going to rest here?” she questioned.

“There must be water nearby,” I answered.

I could clearly see her eyes as her face was covered in blood. I heard the sound of water flowing, and again, Woo Yeon-Hee couldn’t hear it.