In Contrast

Bang!

A giant with three heads, rotting skin and flesh, and a powerful stench crumpled to the ground. Fine sand trickled from its seven orifices.

"Phew..."

Charles hovered in midair and let out a long breath. Then he waved his fingers, making a series of rhythmic movements like a symphony conductor wielding a baton.

Rumble!

Bricks and stones atop the ruins floated up on their own, as if lifted by an invisible force. The earth parted, revealing a door.

"We finally made it!"

Charles spread his hands, and the alloy doors slid open, exposing a pitch-black passage.

"This was only a backup air vent. I never expected a level-three monster to have made its lair here..."

Ansha looked a little worse for wear. "Good thing you kept it occupied, boss. Otherwise, I'm not sure my internal sand explosion would've been enough to kill it!"

"Whatever the case, now that we've made it here, we're one step closer to completing the mission!"

Charles spoke, but a worried expression appeared on his face.

"What's wrong?"

His subordinates all asked at once.

"Nothing. I just feel like things are going a little too smoothly!"

Charles said frankly, "The Main God Space shouldn't make it this easy for us!"

As a veteran who had been screwed over by the Main God Space plenty of times, that was hard-earned wisdom, paid for in blood and tears.

"This counts as smooth?"

The other team members looked at the monster-filled city, then at the corpse of the level-three beast lying on the ground. They exchanged speechless glances.

"This time, Ansha, the Giant, Eye of the Storm, and I will go down. The rest of you stay up here and keep watch!"

After a brief reconnaissance, Charles immediately assigned their tasks. "Intelligent monsters are territorial. They don't