Chapter 203: Echo Lurker!

[Monster: Echo Lurker]

[Level: 48]

[Rank: D]

[HP: 6100/6100]

[Special Traits: > Silent Domain: Creates a zone of near-absolute sound suppression. Within this area, the Echo Lurker becomes undetectable through sound-based sensing and disrupts enemy coordination. Can ensnare a feeble mind in deep echoes. > Silent Convergence: Within the Silence Domain, the Echo Lurker can erase the presence and that of any controlled beasts, allowing both to remain hidden while moving and coordinating attacks undetected until the moment of engagement.]

—

One of the elite beasts of the D-rank Dungeon, Howling Chasm, was the Echo Lurker.

It was a unique monster that was neither a spirit nor a physical entity.

It was something in between; a very strange existence formed from the mysterious energy leaking from the spatial cracks all around the chasm.

In fact, many hunters believed that it was actually a soul corrupted and evolved by that mysterious energy.

It was because, as the number of hunter deaths increased, so did the number of Echo Lurkers. And the most concerning part was that they could subdue weaker monsters and bring them under their command.

Just like the Wind Fang Beast that had attacked Aurelia and Sylvia earlier.

Wind Fang Beast was one of the Elite Beasts in this dungeon, and yet it was under the Echo Lurker, silently lurking around trying to kill them in one swoop.

And from the aura around, it wasn’t the only beast that was under control.

Not to mention, due to the Echo Lurker’s trait, Silent Convergence, no one could sense a monster until it attacked, making it difficult to defend against.

That’s why hunters attempting to conquer the Howling Chasm always stayed away from its path whenever one appeared.

Unless absolutely necessary, it was better to run away from its domain, as killing it expended too much energy.

After all, the Echo Lurker wouldn’t show itself unless all the monsters under its command were dead.

*Swish!*

And for now, only two monsters had been killed so far. One was slain by Soren’s arrow, while the other was cut down by Evan’s sword thanks to his godly reflexes.

But for Aurelia, Aria, and even the twin sisters, things were already beginning to look bleak.

After all, it wasn’t just one monster attacking them.

“Aria, summon as many Elemental Giants as you can and go stand with Aurelia and Sylvia.”

“Elise and Elara, you two head to Sylvia’s position and help defend. Follow the plan I mentioned before.”

But Soren wasn’t fazed at all. Rather, he quickly used his Concept to convey his voice to his team, forming a three-front formation.

Fortunately, the Echo Lurker’s Silent Domain only stopped sound from propagating through the air.

So, he could still command his team by spreading thin threads of Resonant Strings around them, unlike everyone else.

‘Now that the formation is complete, it is time for the prey to take the bait.’

Silence still prevailed as before, while more and more monster shadows appeared randomly throughout the tunnel.

Sometimes, they suddenly swiped their massive claws at them, while at other times, their enormous jaws lunged at the Giants’ heads, trying to tear them off.

The attack from before seemed to have been merely a test, as the more they defended, the more monsters appeared.

Sylvia and the others were still holding on with relative ease, but for Evan and Soren, things were becoming increasingly hectic.

Especially for Soren, who was an archer. The monster lurking in the shadows was clearly intelligent.

Since he had killed one of its minions with an arrow, more and more monsters rapidly converged on him, trying to overwhelm him.

The tunnel around him seemed to come alive.

Shadows flickered across the rocky walls before vanishing just as quickly. Sometimes, a pair of glowing eyes would appear in the darkness for a split second before disappearing again. Other times, a claw would suddenly emerge from nowhere, aiming straight for his throat.

There was no pattern to their attacks.

No warning.

No sound.

Every strike came from a different angle, forcing him to remain on constant alert.

“Cyclone Strike!”

But that didn’t mean Soren would be taken down so easily. Even though he couldn’t raise a barrier like Aurelia or create a sword dome as Evan did with ease, he had his own way of dealing with the assault.

*Swoosh!*

The moment he activated his A-rank skill, his C-rank bow glowed brilliantly as arrows began condensing one after another.

Even before evolving, Soren had been capable of condensing two arrows at once. Now, without any strain and while only using his A-rank skill, that number had increased to five.

Thin streams of mana flowed into the bow before rapidly taking shape.

One arrow.

Two arrows.

Three.

Four.

Five.

They hovered around him like loyal guardians, their sharp tips aimed toward the darkness.

Then…

*Boom!*

What followed was a display of archery unlike anything they had ever seen. One arrow after another shot from his position, accurately targeting claws and snapping jaws the instant they emerged from the darkness.

The arrows seemed to possess eyes of their own.

Every time a monster revealed itself for even the briefest moment, an arrow was already flying toward it.

Some pierced through claws, attempting to tear him apart.

Others struck open jaws before they could close.

One even curved around a Giant’s body before burying itself into a beast trying to ambush it from behind.

In a single volley, he injured five monsters attacking him simultaneously. Although he failed to kill them outright, the wounds disrupted their invisibility, exposing them to Evan’s sword light from behind.

Slash!

Brilliant arcs of sword light flashed through the darkness.

The moment a monster’s figure became visible, Evan’s blade was already there waiting.

The coordination between the two was so seamless that it looked as though they had rehearsed the sequence countless times beforehand.

The entire exchange happened so quickly that everyone was left stunned. Once again, Soren demonstrated what it meant to have absolute mastery over one’s skills.

As a ranger, he should have been standing behind his teammates under their protection.

Yet here he was, standing on the front line and displaying archery that bordered on the absurd, firing five arrows in rapid succession without breaking a sweat.

To be honest, Sylvia and others didn’t know why Soren suddenly became so active fighting like this.

After all, didn’t he say he would just let them fight before?

But suddenly his plan changed as if something had happened.