Tak!

At the sound of its step, the air in the room, which had been growing hot, suddenly turned cold.

Catherine and the others had the sudden urge to reach for their necks.

".....!!"

"....Kuek!"

"What in the world is that?"

Drip! Drip!

A wet, dripping sound followed a moment later, and the figure stepped out of the shadows, its face gradually coming into view. The instant it appeared, an intense, suffocating pressure swept over everyone present, forcing their breathing to grow even heavier.

Especially when they caught sight of its appearance.

"W-what the hell... is that?"

"Another butcher...? Is this the boss? But why does he seem so different?"

"I..."

Wearing the head of a pig, it resembled the other anomalies at a glance, yet something about it was unmistakably different. Everyone felt it immediately... their breaths coming to a stop as a cold wind drifted through the room, making the crimson apron at its front flutter softly while it took another step forward.

Chaterine stared at the anomaly in silence, her eyes as narrow as they could be.

'My heart is beating so quickly, even though I don't want it to.'

As an elite, Catherine was trained to keep her composure and heartbeat in check.

And yet...

'It's been quite some time since I've felt so uneasy from an anomaly.'

Having not participated in the Malovia Gate, for Catherine, the anomaly in front of her was one of the first to truly send chills down her spine. Especially when she took notice of the knife within its grasp as it slowly dripped blood onto the floor.

Something about the knife... felt off.

No, not just the knife.

'Its eyes.'

Yes...

Those horrifying, piercing red eyes, coated in a pitch-black darkness that seemed to absorb all light around.

Staring into those eyes, Chaterine found herself falling into a daze.

But not for long.

"...Captain."

A hesitant, yet firm voice called out for her.

Blinking once, Catherine shifted her attention toward Marcus and the others, finally noticing the way they were all staring at her, waiting for her orders.

'Ah, fuck.'

It was the sight of everyone's gazes that snapped Catherine out of her daze.

Without hesitation, she began issuing orders.

"It's clear that the Gate has changed. I can't tell if its rank has increased, but judging from the fact that an outlier like this has appeared, it must mean that something has changed. Especially since I don't recall the boss being like this."

Her thoughts were firm, and so were her orders.

"...The best thing we can do is keep the anomaly in check while calling for backup. Elias, use the flip phone and get in touch with the Guild."

"Understood."

"Marcus, Andreas, the two of you help me out. As for the others, get out of this room and look for the boss. I can't say for certain the boss hasn't changed, but in the off chance it's still the same, I know you'll be able to handle it. If we clear the gate fast, we might be able to survive this. I'm counting on all of you."

Taking a deep breath, three of Catherine's nodes churned at once. She no longer held back as her body started to split into different copies of her.

Each copy was exactly the same as hers. Be it power and thoughts.

But... she could also quickly change that.

[Intermediate Node: Independence]

The eyes of the numerous clones flickered at once.

That was also the moment when the numerous clones charged the distant anomaly.

"H-haaa."

Seeing them move, Catherine's chest heaved heavily as her face turned pale. Not only was she still creating clones of herself, but this node also consumed a lot of her stamina.

But it had to be done.

If she didn't do this, she'd be forced to take control of several dozen clones at once and somehow keep them organized. Considering she also had to defend her real body while tracking the position and direction of every other clone, it would overwhelm her mind almost instantly.

This wasn't all.

It was merely just the beginning as the clones started to circle the anomaly, and the others also got into position.

"Ready?"

Catherine glanced at everyone, her face turning paler.

Despite this, her nodes continued to churn, and changes began to affect the clones she sent out as her knees started to wobble.

Still, gritting her teeth, Catherine forced herself to remain standing as she used her most powerful node.

Catherine could feel it with all her guts...

If she didn't use this, they would be as good as dead.

[Advanced Node: Replica.]

"....Uekrh!"

A sweet sensation rose up from Catherine's throat as her legs wobbled once more. This time, she found herself unable to keep herself upright as her knee buckled onto the hard ground and blood leaked out from her mouth.

The expressions of many in the group changed, but only for a moment.

Looking at her...

At her expression...

Nobody dared to tell her to stop. They could all see the fire in her gaze, and they all understood that there was no stopping her.

Instead, they all focused their attention on the anomaly in front of them.

Holding onto that knife, it stood in silence, its crimson gaze quietly scanning the room.

In a way, it almost felt as though it wasn't looking at them.

As if...

It held no regard for them.

But such neglect didn't last for long.

Especially after the changes that occurred to the clones set up by Catherine.

Cra Crack! Cra Crack!

Loud cracking sounds began to echo across the surroundings, the clones twisting and churning in all sorts of ways as their forms warped with each movement, their faces shifting away from Catherine's features and reshaping into entirely different ones.

In just a matter of seconds, all the clones began to resemble one of the people in her group.

This all happened incredibly fast, with the anomaly staring at it all in silence. It didn't seem to want to attack immediately.

As for the others...

They were all keenly aware of Catherine's ability, hence why they showed no reaction.

Instead, they all faced the anomaly with the same serious expression.

"Haaa... Haaa..."

Seeing the situation, Catherine caught her breath as Elias helped her up. Grabbing onto his shoulder, she clenched her teeth tightly while staring at the anomaly. It wasn't doing anything at the moment, but the pressure coming out of it was suffocating.

'We need to take the initiative.'

And thus...

"Go."

Her words started a chain reaction.

Be it the clones or the members of her team… the moment the words left her mouth, they all surged toward the anomaly at once. They attacked from all directions, a series of different nodes churning at once.

And yet—

"....."

The anomaly didn't move.

It didn't even spare them a glance.

And just when the attacks were about to land on it...

A black film covered its entire body from beneath.

Shortly after that, he disappeared.

"Huh?"

Be it Catherine or the other members of her team, they all froze at once, confused by the sudden turn of events. That confusion lasted only a moment until everyone felt it. Their heads slowly turned, expressions shifting sharply as a shadow stretched across the floor, forming right behind Catherine.

"....."

Catherine opened her mouth, but no words left her mouth.

After all that work.

After... all that preparation.

She—

BANG!

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