"W-What?! He's... Greg?!"
Hearing Silvia blurt out that name, Alvin, Leonard, and Leah—who had just been pulled back from the brink of death—froze in unison, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.
They instinctively glanced at each other, seeing the same confusion and intense doubt reflected in one another's eyes.
How was that possible?
Greg Sass?
Was it the same Greg Sass they knew?
The former Duke's son, famous since enrollment for being arrogant, foolish, and relying on his family name while possessing mediocre magical talent?
The former noble who, even after entering his second year, had a pathetic Level 10 rank and was publicly expelled by his family, becoming a complete laughingstock?
Could a person like that be this masked man—this mysterious powerhouse who controlled bizarre wooden strips to easily bind three ferocious monsters and saved them in their moment of despair like a god descending from the heavens?
Absolutely impossible!
It had to be a coincidence of names, or that pink-haired girl had simply mistaken him for someone else!
Alvin and Leonard immediately reached this conclusion in their hearts.
This had to be some low-profile, powerful upperclassman who happened to be named Greg, or... perhaps a loner using a pseudonym.
However, Leah, the only girl among the three, kept her gaze locked onto the masked, golden-haired figure after the initial shock passed.
Her heart began to pound violently and uncontrollably.
That hair... that specific shade of gold...
Greg's appearance might have had limited effect on protagonist-level characters like Victoria or Lilith.
But for background characters like Leah, it possessed an undeniable, even lethal, attraction.
She still clearly remembered catching a glimpse of that sun-like, dazzling golden-haired youth from a distance during the freshman entrance ceremony, a boy who was the subject of countless rumors.
The sheer impact of his looks in that moment had made her feel, for a long time afterward, that she would likely never find a man more handsome or... more captivating.
Now, even though the mask obscured half of his face, the perfectly defined lines of his jaw, his tall and slender physique, and that shoulder-length golden hair—which shimmered like molten gold even in the dim light—rapidly overlapped and synchronized with the distant, stunning figure in her memory.
It's true... That hair, that body... Although his aura seems completely different, it's definitely him!
Greg Sass!
Leah's breathing quickened slightly, and her cheeks began to flush.
She confirmed the masked man's identity almost instantly.
This sudden realization was even more chaotic than the shock of being hunted by monsters moments ago.
The supposedly worthless Greg Sass actually possessed such hidden, formidable strength?
Why was he here?
And why did he save them?
Questions swirled in her mind, but none found an answer.
Meanwhile, on Greg's side, his face beneath the mask slumped the moment he heard Silvia call out "Greg-senpai."
He had been hoping to rush over and cover Silvia's mouth while the other two were still skeptical, or simply deny it outright with a deep, disguised voice: "No, I am not Greg; you have the wrong person."
But reality gave him no such opportunity.
"Roar!"
"Screee!"
"Gurgle!"
Though the three monsters bound by the wooden strips were under a significant Weakness effect—causing their movements to slow and their strength to wane—they were, after all, apex predators at the top of the food chain in this deep area. Their ferocity had not faded, and they were not about to sit and wait for death.
After a brief moment of shock and struggle, they almost simultaneously unleashed their racial skills in an attempt to forcibly break free.
The scales on the Spine-back Lizard's body flared out, and a dark red, viscous liquid seeped from the base of its bone spikes. The highly corrosive fluid hissed as it burned through the wooden strips. Simultaneously, it slammed its tail against the ground, using the leverage to violently twist its body.
The Moss-rock Golem let out a low rumble as its grayish-white stone skin suddenly hardened, producing a grating sound like grinding boulders. Under the immense pressure and the friction against the stone skin, the wooden strips binding it began to show fine cracks.
The Shadow-eater Beast let out a shrill shriek, its edges becoming blurred as if it were about to merge back into the shadows, attempting to use Insubstantiality to escape its physical bonds.
Snap!
With several sharp cracks, the resilient wooden strips gave way under the monsters' outbursts—some were corroded through, some were snapped by brute force, and others simply lost their target.
The three monsters broke free almost at the same time. Although they still suffered from the Weakness debuff and were visibly less agile than they were at full strength, their rage and bloodlust after escaping immediately locked onto the closest and most threatening target: Greg.
"Greg-senpai, look out!"
Silvia cried out, immediately casting magic with movements that were smoother and faster than before.
Flashes of pure white light followed one after another, landing on Greg.
Empowered by the buffs, Greg slid to the side and back, narrowly avoiding a stream of foul-smelling, dark green venom spat by the Spine-back Lizard.
The venom hit the ground, instantly corroding the thick humus layer and leaving a small, smoking pit.
"Tch," Greg's eyes narrowed.
With the other three present, he absolutely could not use dark magic.
If his identity as the Messenger of the Goddess of Night were exposed, there was no telling how much trouble it would bring... which was the exact opposite of his original intention to stay low and survive.
Furthermore, dark magic consumed an incredible amount of mana.
Given his current level and mana reserves, he had already used quite a bit in the previous battles.
He still had to face the Floor Boss at the very end of the first layer, so he had to conserve enough mana for that grueling fight.
Fortunately, while these three monsters were high-level, there were only three of them. They weren't forming a massive siege like the Goblin swarm.
With Silvia's support, victory wasn't entirely out of reach.
"Fine, let's do this then."
Greg lowered his center of gravity into a combat stance. His gaze behind the mask calmly swept over the three distinct monsters. He felt little tension; instead, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.
"This might be the first time you've met me, but it's certainly not the first time I've seen you."
Rate on N.U.
