Chris stared at Edward. "The nest? What are you babbling about, you idiot?" he snapped. "The boss is right there! Are you blind or just stupid?"
Edward didn't reply. His gaze was fixed on the dark crevice. The Shadowfang Dagger in his hand hummed with a faint, eager vibration. The whispers grew stronger. A chorus of hungry, ancient voices. They could feel it. A concentration of life force. Hidden away from prying eyes.
"Peter, Luke, ignore him! He's clearly lost his mind," Chris commanded. "On my mark, we charge!"
But Peter and Luke hesitated. They looked from their arrogant leader to the silent, unnerving figure of Edward.
They had witnessed his chilling competence. They had seen him predict traps and dismantle monsters with contemptuous ease. His quiet, confident assertion, as insane as it sounded, carried more weight than Chris's blustering orders.
Doubt had planted its seeds.
"Are you questioning a direct order from an S-Ranker?" Chris roared. His face turned a blotchy red. The threat was clear. Defy him, and face the wrath of his family.
That was enough.
With grim, reluctant expressions, they turned their attention back to the massive Basilisk. Peter banged his shield again. A hollow, unenthusiastic sound. He began his slow advance.
The Basilisk, now fully awake and irritated, let out a piercing hiss. It uncoiled its massive body. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto the knight.
The fight was on.
This was the opening Edward needed.
As Chris and his team engaged the male Basilisk in a loud, flashy battle, Edward melted back into the shadows. He moved with a silence that was absolute. A ghost. A phantom. His presence was completely erased from the chaotic scene.
He reached the crevice. A narrow, unassuming crack in the cavern wall. He slipped through. The whispers from his dagger grew into an excited, hungry chorus.
The tunnel on the other side was tight and dark. It opened into another, smaller chamber. This one was warmer. The air was thick with an organic scent.
In the center of the chamber lay a massive clutch of leathery, oversized eggs. Each one pulsed with a faint, internal light.
But the eggs weren't the main attraction.
Coiled protectively around the nest was another Basilisk.
This one was different. Smaller. Sleeker. Its scales were not emerald green, but a deep, iridescent black. Its eyes were not yellow, but a pair of burning, intelligent crimson orbs.
This was the Basilisk Queen. A deadlier, faster variant. A true A-Rank threat. Hidden away while her mate acted as a decoy.
The Queen lifted her head. Her forked tongue flicked out. She tasted his scent on the air. She hissed. A low, menacing warning. She had been aware of him the moment he entered.
Edward didn't feel fear. He felt a cold, exhilarating thrill. The focus of a predator that has found its true prey.
This was a real fight.
He simply let the shadows of the chamber swallow him. The Shadowfang Dagger was a sliver of perfect blackness in his hand. The Queen swiveled her head, her crimson eyes scanning the darkness. She was a queen in her own domain. Confident.
But Edward was a creature of a different, deeper shadow.
The whispers from his dagger were now a direct, tactical feed.
...Three heartbeats... she strikes left...
As if on cue, the Queen lunged. Her fangs aimed for the spot where he had been. But he was already gone.
...Weight shift to the right... tail sweep incoming...
He dropped flat to the ground. Her powerful tail swept over him.
The fight was a silent, deadly ballet. Edward was not just dodging. He was moving in perfect sync with her attacks. Guided by the precognitive whispers of his blade. An untouchable phantom. Always one step ahead.
He needed an opening. A single, perfect moment. The Queen was fast. Her defenses were flawless. She offered no weaknesses.
So, he had to create one.
He darted out of the shadows. He ran, not at the Queen, but directly towards her precious clutch of eggs.
A calculated, cruel gamble.
The Queen shrieked. A cry of pure, maternal fury. Her caution vanished. Replaced by a singular, blinding rage. She abandoned all defense. She lunged at him, a blur of black scales and crimson-eyed fury.
...Now... the dagger whispered.
Edward pivoted at the last second. The Queen's lunge carried her past him. For a single, fatal instant, the back of her sleek, serpentine neck was exposed.
The Shadowfang Dagger struck.
A precise, surgical strike. Placed with inhuman accuracy between two armored scales. The blade sank to the hilt. Edward activated Soul Rend.
The Basilisk Queen froze mid-lunge. Her body went rigid. A low, gurgling sound escaped her throat. Her crimson eyes widened in pure, uncomprehending shock. She collapsed to the floor. Her body twitched once, then fell still.
Edward stood over the corpse of the A-Rank monster. The silent assault was over. He placed a hand on her cooling scales and activated Soul Assimilation.
The influx of power was immense.
`[Soul Points Acquired: 1800]`
`[You have reached Level 5!]`
`[New Skill Acquired from High-Tier Soul Assimilation: Petrifying Gaze]`
A new skill. He could now channel a fraction of the Basilisk's power. His eyes could induce a paralyzing effect. A powerful, terrifying tool. He had stolen the monster's own power.
He gave the eggs a final, cold glance. He turned and slipped back into the tunnel.
The sounds of battle from the main chamber still raged. He emerged from the crevice. A silent ghost.
The scene was almost comical. Peter was hiding behind his dented shield. Luke was lobbing weak fireballs. Chris was darting in and out, landing shallow, flashy cuts on the male Basilisk's thick hide. The beast was wounded, tired, and enraged, but far from defeated.
Edward found a shadowed alcove and simply watched.
He saw the moment Chris, through sheer luck, landed a solid blow on a pre-existing wound. The male Basilisk stumbled. Its massive body crashed to the cavern floor.
Chris, seeing his chance, let out a triumphant roar. He raised his gleaming sword high. He plunged it into the downed creature's heart. The killing blow.
He stood over the corpse, a broad, arrogant smile plastered on his face. He had done it. He had slain the boss. He was the hero.
Edward watched from the shadows. A faint, humorless smile on his own lips. He let Chris have his hollow, stolen victory. It didn't matter. He had taken the real prize.
The journey back was a study in contrasts. Chris was insufferable. He recounted his "heroic" battle in excruciating detail. Peter and Luke backed up his story.
Edward, as always, was silent. The mockery returned. "Lucky you weren't there for the real fight, Ross." "You probably would have just gotten in the way." They called him a coward who hid while the real heroes did the work.
He didn't care. He let them have their words. He had the power. He had the souls. He had the victory that truly mattered.
They finally emerged from the dungeon into the bright morning sun. Back at the academy, the news of their success had spread. Chris was greeted as a conquering hero. A crowd gathered to praise his skill.
He soaked it all in. His ego swelled. He was the center of attention.
Edward slipped away from the crowd. His presence was unnoticed.
He was walking down a quiet corridor when his system screen flashed. So did everyone else's. The system was distributing the official rewards.
A notification, visible to every member of the party, popped up.
`[Dungeon Clear: Grotto of the Serpent]`
`[MVP of Raid: Edward Ross]`
`[Reward: +5 All Stats, 1000 SP]`
Back in the main hall, Chris froze mid-boast. His heroic smile vanished. His face contorted into a mask of pure, uncomprehending fury. He stared at his vision. At the name that shouldn't be there. At the reward that should have been his.
All the glory, all the praise, turned to ash in his mouth.
He had been publicly and systematically humiliated by the very system he worshiped.
And the Rankless trash he so despised had just stolen it all.