I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 96

The method to ferret out the Tabula’s wolf was simple.

Though he didn’t know his identity, he knew the wolf was targeting the predecessor among the players.

As evidence, he had sent nearly a thousand wolves to attack the Diablo Clan’s base.

So, using a predecessor as bait seemed like a straightforward way to uncover the culprit’s identity.

“… Understood.”

“You agreed more easily than I expected.”

“Until just recently, merely imagining him would paralyze me with fear. But now, it’s different. For some reason, I feel like my mind has cleared up.”

Fear…

It was likely an effect of the Stigma of Satyr, which seemed to have consumed his fear.

“The plan is for tonight. All you need to do is leave the base and show yourself.”

“Very well.”

Thus, after presenting the predecessor as bait, Se-woon hid in the village chief’s house.

Using Kilkergas’ stealth technique and the sweat glands of the Clear Slime to mask his scent.

And so, the hours dragged on.

He endured the tedious wait until the sun set and the moon rose.

And finally.

“Silence his vocal cords before he speaks nonsense. I’ll handle the aftermath personally.”

“Grrr……”

There was no doubt—the village chief was the Tabula’s wolf.

Everything aligned perfectly, even the werewolf traits he revealed as he stretched.

“Who is there?!”

Swoosh!

Was it a wolf’s instinct?

Even though he had concealed his presence so thoroughly, the village chief somehow detected Se-woon and accurately flung his claws in his direction.

A second’s hesitation, and it would have slashed his chest. But Se-woon, sensing the villager’s shoulder twitch, instinctively moved to the opposite side, ducking low.

Following that, one of the weapons given by Go Chang-seok (고창석), a dagger, was drawn in an instant.

“So, it really was you.”

Se-woon muttered.

Thrust!

“Gah!”

Se-woon drove the dagger deep into the village chief’s nape.

Using Kilkergas’ techniques, he executed a precise assassination strike that hit the vital spot. He could distinctly feel the dagger severing the vertebrae and cutting through the spinal cord.

Thud.

One of the most effective ways to deal with a werewolf—kill it with a single strike before it can transform.

Half-heartedly stabbing the heart would have been risky, as the werewolf’s unique regenerative abilities might prevent a swift kill.

This was the result of Se-woon’s deep knowledge of monsters combined with the Kilkerdesian assassination techniques, one of Mammon’s treasures.

But then…

Twitch!

The body of the village chief, sprawled on the ground, began to move.

In an instant, a sense of foreboding washed over Se-woon. He immediately drew Durandal and charged at the creature, but the village chief’s transformation was faster.

Crunch, crack!

Dark brown fur sprouted as his skeletal structure twisted unnaturally.

Muscles swelled grotesquely, and his frame grew unnervingly massive. His snout elongated, and razor-sharp fangs jutted outward.

A perfect werewolf form.

The nape that Se-woon had pierced was now completely healed.

“Awoooo—!!”

Just as Se-woon was about to swing Durandal, a deafening howl reverberated through the air, its sheer force turning into a shockwave that pushed him back.

The creature turned its head, its already ferocious expression twisting further as it glared down at Se-woon.

‘I was certain I severed his spinal cord.’

No matter how formidable a werewolf might be, regenerating nerve tissue wasn’t supposed to be easy.

This wasn’t the peripheral nervous system—it was the central nervous system. He had severed the spinal cord, and yet the creature moved as if nothing had happened.

‘Damn this cursed Tower.’

Even for a hidden piece, this was only the first floor.

Planting a werewolf here was abnormal enough, but planting one capable of shrugging off a severed spinal cord was outright insane.

It felt as if the Tower itself was determined to push all players to ascend within a month, no matter the cost.

“Grrr… When did you sneak in, you little pest?”

“Well, let’s just say your stench was too unbearable to ignore.”

Despite being pushed back by the shockwave, Se-woon quickly steadied himself.

Although he hadn’t been able to finish it with a single strike, the shallow breathing of the creature indicated that the damage had landed for sure.

And fortunately, the current phase of the moon was a waning crescent.

Even a werewolf of boss-level caliber wouldn’t be able to exert its full power under these conditions.

And then…

– The Gaze of Envy began to fixate on the ‘Tabula’s wolf.’

As soon as the battle commenced, Se-woon had unleashed the Power of envy upon the creature.

Had it sensed something unusual? The werewolf lowered its stance and immediately lunged at Se-woon.

“I don’t know how you figured it out, but now that I’ve caught you, you’re finished!”

Clang!

The creature’s claws, which had extended to an unnaturally long length, clashed with Durandal.

Strength befitting its massive frame.

Realizing it would be foolish to meet it head-on, Se-woon tilted his sword and activated the subtle technique of the Taegeuk Swordsmanship.

The werewolf’s claws slid off with a harsh scrape, disrupting the trajectory of its opposite claw.

Se-woon seized the opening and began his counterattack immediately.

– Through internal energy, the second form of the Eighteen Strikes of Mount Tai, Twin Peaks Split, is enhanced.

Boom!

“Grrr…”

The strike, imbued with the force of a mountain, slammed into the werewolf.

The creature hastily raised its claws to block, but Se-woon’s internal energy had already reached the peak of one cycle (Gapja).

Moreover, it wasn’t just any internal energy—it was the highly offensive Paragon Mental Cultivation Technique

Coupled with the Strong Sword attribute, the werewolf couldn’t withstand it and had its arms forced apart.

Sensing danger, the werewolf attempted to retreat, but Se-woon had already closed the distance, diving into its guard.

– Through internal energy, the third form of the Blood Wolf Swordsmanship, Blood Wolf Ambush, is enhanced.

Crash!

A crimson wolf, materialized through Se-woon’s internal energy, ferociously bit into the werewolf’s chest.

Its tough hide split open, and thick muscles were torn apart.

When a couple of ribs were cracked, the werewolf twisted its body just enough to dodge Se-woon’s sword strike.

“Ugh, damn you…”

The creature glared at Se-woon while clutching its broken ribs.

As Se-woon began to feel puzzled by how easily the fight was going, the werewolf’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a silvery light.

“Awoooo—!!”

– The Tabula’s Wolf lets out a howl.

– The fearsome roar of a predator engulfs Se-woon, overwhelming him with intense fear.

The howl, stronger than before, slammed into Se-woon with an even greater shockwave.

Much like when he faced the Sea Drake, Se-woon felt a primal terror from the werewolf’s howl.

However, as before, the fear had no effect on Se-woon.

– The ‘Stigma of Satyr’ devours Tabula’s fear.

The Stigma of Satyr grew more powerful the more fear it consumed, and it only strengthened Se-woon.

But that wasn’t the real problem.

‘That…’

He felt a cold energy above his head and looked up.

There, beside the crescent moon, he saw a silvery aura creeping up.

This was a power that only those with a superior bloodline among werewolves could wield.

It was a unique ritual that used mana to forcibly create a full moon, known as Full Moon Ceremony.

Crack, crack!

As the full moon rose, the wound on the werewolf’s chest fully healed.

The already threatening muscles swelled even further, and its fangs grew long enough to nearly cover its jaw.

“Heh heh, I didn’t expect to have to use this power here, but I suppose I must punish you for daring to challenge a pure-blooded werewolf.”

“Grrr…”

“Grarrr…”

Dozens of wolves gathered around Se-woon.

It seemed that they had been drawn by the werewolf’s howl, but due to the full moon, the wolves were far from ordinary. Their eyes were bloodshot, and saliva dripped from their mouths, making them appear rabid.

“Soon, my loyal subordinates will join us. Do you really think you can get past hundreds of wolves and even touch a scratch on me?”

The meaning in its words became immediately clear.

The full moon had been forcibly created by the Full Moon Ceremony, and now that it had risen, the villagers would likely have transformed into werewolves as well. With the howl signaling their presence, the entire village would surely be rushing here to attack Se-woon.

However…

“Is that so?”

The werewolves did not appear.

Instead, loud noises echoed from the village below.

“What…?!”

“Just in case, I made preparations.”

Before coming here, Se-woon had ordered Park Jung-pil to evacuate all the players from the village in advance.

By pretending to hold a barbecue party, he had lured them out of the village, and they had all gathered happily in front of the Diablo Clan’s base.

Next, the Diablo Clan had been keeping watch over the villagers. If they transformed into werewolves, they would be subdued immediately.

“You conniving bastard!”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“Attack! Tear that bastard’s throat out and bring it to me!”

“Awooo—!”

The wolves surrounding Se-woon lunged at him, tongues hanging out.

However, Se-woon had no intention of dealing with such insignificant wolves.

Recalling his previous memories, he activated the Stigma of Satyr and, with a flash of power, split the wolf at the front in half.

At that moment.

– The Stigma of Satyr reacts to the Legend of the Blood Wolf.

– The first ability of the Stigma, ‘Fear,’ awakens.

The split wolf’s carcass sprayed blood, and the overwhelming force of fear began to spread around.

This wasn’t just a skill—it was the manifestation of divine terror, born from the Stigma itself.

The wolves, which had been charging madly, suddenly halted in their tracks.

“Kwaaah!”

“What… what are you doing? Bite that bastard now!”

The bloodshot eyes of the wolves turned pale as fear took over, and they began to retreat in panic.

Some even lost their sanity, burying their heads in the ground, while others urinated themselves.

The overwhelming fear, a synergy between the Stigma and the Legend, paralyzed the wolves’ senses.

– The Constellation, ‘Snake of Envy,’ begins to have higher expectations of you as you freely control ‘the Essence.’

– The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven,’ craves the blood of a pure-blooded werewolf.

But the ones overwhelmed by fear were only the wolves. The werewolf Se-woon targeted seemed unaffected by the fear.

Still, perhaps unable to fully escape from the fear, it stood with its fur bristling, eyeing Se-woon with a wary gaze.

‘A werewolf, as expected…’

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ True Silver ]

– True Silver, also known as Mithril, is a rare ore with strong silvery properties and excellent mana conductivity.

Creek.

Se-woon sheathed his Durandal and took out the “Dragon Fang” sword that Go Chang-seok had crafted for him.

The blade of the sword, which had originally been a dark red, now shimmered with a silvery hue.

Silver, one of the werewolf’s weaknesses. And True Silver, or Mithril, would be able to block its regenerative abilities.

“If you’re not coming, then I’ll go first.”

Dash!

With a leap, Se-woon soared forward, the Dragon Fang glinting in the moonlight, leaving a silver streak in its wake.