Episode 258
! *Thud!
* Hanbit and Elencia, having climbed down from the tree, pushed their way through the forest.
*Bang!*
*Boom!*
Loud noises and vibrations echoed, as if a fierce battle were raging.
Elencia, running alongside them, glanced over and asked,
"It certainly looks difficult to catch."
The battle had continued for several minutes even after they had seen the trees and bushes shake.
The power of the evil-possessed Lotus Gorilla was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary monster.
The problem was that its habit of avoiding humans and its rapid movements made it difficult to engage in a proper fight.
Although they didn't know how many adventurers were on the scene, the commotion they heard seemed to be the traces of a pursuit.
'That would be the normal assumption.'
The commonly known information about the Lotus Gorilla was compiled from the memoirs of an old adventurer.
The information itself wasn't wrong, but the difference in degree was clear.
Considering the skills of the adventurers and players currently staying on Feria Island, they would have had more than enough to subdue it.
Even so, if time was dragging on, it had to be assumed that something else was happening.
“Let’s hurry.”
Ta-dat—!
Hanbit sped up a little more and charged straight ahead.
When he arrived at his destination not long after, he was faced with a bizarre situation.
“I told you to just get out of the way.”
“You damn bastards…!”
Two factions stood in a standoff across the center of the open field.
One side was a group of Adventurer NPCs, the other a group of players.
And beneath a tree behind the adventurers, a gorilla lay collapsed, bleeding.
[Elite: Evil-infused Lotus Gorilla (Lv. 220)]
Pink fur and a lotus pattern etched on its back.
It was clearly a monster that was one of the quest objectives.
“I told you to leave it behind! I’m letting you go without killing you.”
“Don’t make me laugh! Don’t you know stealing prey is an unwritten rule among adventurers!”
“Who cares?”
“You…!”
A player snorting with their sword pointed, and an adventurer gritting their teeth.
Hanbit checked the name of the man standing confidently.
[Scope]
He could gauge the level of this man, whose name he had never heard before, through his equipment.
His colleagues nearby were of a similar caliber.
“He’s an NPC, so let’s just kill him and take his parts
, okay?” “I think we can one-shot him. Should I give it a try?”
“One-shot? What do you mean? You’re just a water-fisted bastard.”
-? -What’s up with
these guys?
-Seriously, nobodies.
-Can’t you kill NPCs unless it’s part of a quest?
-No, there are quite a few you can kill.
-Maybe something changed after the update?
The players, giggling and chattering, did not notice Hanbit.
It seemed they weren't even checking the broadcast.
“That monster isn’t in good condition.”
Elencia, crouching low beside him, relayed the message in a low voice.
The fallen Lotus Gorilla was indeed in a dangerous state.
“Ah, what a hassle.”
*Whoosh!*
Scope ruffled his hair and swung his sword toward the forest.
*Pow!*
A powerful explosion erupted, accompanied by red dust scattering along the trajectory.
Turning his gaze, he spoke to the wary adventurers.
“I won’t ask you a second time. Do you want to die, or get lost?”
“…Tsk.”
It was a stern question designed to elicit a predetermined answer.
The adventurers possessed more than enough skill to operate on Feria Island.
However, they fell short compared to the players, including Scope.
‘Rank 5,000?’
He quickly searched for names and saw Scope, a member of the Moderate Faction, at rank 5,012.
With the ranking system now in place, this was certainly higher than the 5,000th rank from the days of the advance party.
It was a natural consequence, given that the hidden Adult Faction had suddenly burst out.
“Moving. Everyone follow.”
Turning sharply, the adventurer led his companions into the forest.
Scope smirked as he watched their retreating figures.
“Idiots, if you’re scared, just get lost.”
Muttering his rebuke, he moved closer to the gorilla.
Then, he pulled a net made of a unique material from his inventory and threw it.
Crunch—
A green line was drawn as the net dug into the Lotus Gorilla's body.
Scope looked at his colleagues, gestured, and said,
"Don't space out, come move this! The distance to the city is…"
Crunch—!
In an instant, a white light streaked across his eyes as he continued speaking.
"Huh?"
Scope couldn't comprehend the situation for a moment.
The five colleagues who had been standing there chattering.
It was because their heads were all gone.
"-Huh?
-??
-A raid?
-What on earth is this… …"
Question marks flooded the chat window at the sudden turn of events.
Hanbit, who had already noticed the approach, turned his gaze to the woman who emerged from the bushes.
"Do you want to die or get lost? Was it something like that? You're not a kid."
Shaking her black hair as she walked over, she let out a sneering laugh.
Hanbit immediately checked the name tag on her head.
[Gaon]
A member of the Seongche faction and a player ranked 159th.
He had a memory of this in his head from when checking the top rankers.
Naturally, no information regarding her abilities was known.
"What is it about you again?"
Scope frowned and kept a wary eye on her. After all
, the power to blow off the heads of five comrades in a single blow was by no means ordinary.
"Survival of the fittest? You like that kind of thing, don't you? You can't even imagine being eaten yourself."
"……"
Scope was unable to say a word in response to that question.
A hierarchy based on power.
It was because he was the one who had used it in all sorts of situations. Scope
,
racking his brain quickly, glanced behind him.
The fallen Lotus Gorilla showed no signs of waking up yet.
“Ah.”
A short sigh escaped Scope’s lips as he suddenly recalled something. With
a smirk, he looked at Gaon in front of him and said,
“Try moving even a single step. The moment you do, I’ll blow the gorilla’s head off.”
—?
—What?
—Then we’re doomed too;
—Should I kill it?
—Seriously, let’s snipe it first.
The viewers were outraged by the sudden threat.
The commission announced through Cardon was strictly to capture one of the two monsters.
If the Lotus Gorilla were to die, the chances of success were bound to drop.
“Stupid struggle, for goodness sake.”
Gaon let out a sarcastic laugh at the bold threat.
Tagging the short cane in her hand, she asked the question again.
“If you kill that one, only the Silver Owl will remain. You seem confident?”
“It’s better than handing it over to someone else.”
“How would you know what the Black Dragon’s plan is?”
“Who cares? As long as I get the reward, that’s it.”
Scope frowned at the Black Dragon’s name, which had naturally slipped into the conversation.
It wouldn’t be surprising if there were players who didn’t care about power struggles at all.
“You’re no match for me. Hey, why don’t you come out of here?”
Just then, Gaon turned his head and his gaze fell on Hanbit.
It seemed they had the broadcast running as well.
“It looks like we’ve been caught, so let’s leave. You don’t have to get involved.”
“I will.”
Hanbit emerged from the bushes with Elencia.
Seeing this, Scope’s body stiffened even more.
“To think I’d never….”
The appearance of a new powerhouse clearly made the atmosphere sharp.
It was a situation where he seemed to have absolutely no chance of winning.
However, the plan born from that sense of crisis naturally branched out in a provocative direction.
“…This should work.”
A sudden thought flashed through Scope’s mind, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Then, looking at the two Rankers in front of him, he spoke.
“If you don’t want to kill, you two fight. Until only one remains.”
—?
—Kill each other starting now.
—Are you serious?
—Should I just kill that bastard first?
—Save the gorilla.
Judging that he had gained the upper hand, he came up with a plausible plan.
It was obvious that if two strong individuals fought, the outcome would be disastrous regardless of who won.
If he launched an ambush when that battle was settled, he could be the victor here.
“That’s what they say, so what do you want to do?”
Gaon stopped moving and asked the question.
It was as if he were watching Hanbit’s choice.
Whether to kill that gorilla or spare him.
“I can’t kill him. Owls are a hassle in many ways.”
Having given a suitable answer, Hanbit drew his sword and walked forward.
“Is that so? Then I guess I have no choice.”
As he chose to fight, Gaon narrowed his eyes.
And the moment the short staff in his hand tilted.
Whoosh—!
She suddenly kicked off and charged toward the gorilla.
“This madman…!”
Startled, Scope gripped the sword aimed at the gorilla’s neck.
At that moment, Hanbit’s body moved.
Bang!
Charging forward with the power of condensed wind, he instantly deflected Scope’s sword.
“Ugh!”
The scope, repelled by the immense force, slammed into a nearby tree.
Gaon, who had been about to attack, had stopped in her tracks before anyone realized it.
“So, I really shouldn’t kill it?”
She grinned as if she had uncovered the truth.
Then, she raised the hand holding her staff to the sky.
“It’s over. I’ll make that arrogant face of yours distort.”
Bang!
The sparks that flew toward the sky exploded bright red.
At the same time, a change occurred.
Screech!
A sharp howl suddenly began to echo throughout the entire forest.
It was a noise intense enough to paralyze the mind.
“Ugh!”
The scope, having struck the tree, twisted its body while covering its ears.
It was that painful of a noise.
Swoosh—
Hanbit, having slightly lowered her stance, also hunched over as if crying out in pain.
In the meantime, Gaon surged forward, gliding forward.
Snap!
A sharp white light shot from the tip of her staff.
It severed the Lotus Gorilla’s neck with all too light force.
Gulp!
The spilled blood stained the ground red.
Gaon turned her gaze and said,
“We had already located the owl on our end. Now that both of them are dead, we’re screwed, aren’t we?”
She stomped on the gorilla, proclaiming victory.
The corpse had not yet vanished.
“How does it feel to lose? It seems like you were a bit lacking in psychological warfare.”
Having determined that the plan had been completely ruined, Gaon continued to toss out taunting remarks.
Hanbit, who had been kneeling, nonchalantly stood up.
“Ah, I really shouldn’t have killed him.”
“It’s too late. You got properly beaten by our Adult Faction.”
“No, not me…”
Thump—
Just then, a strange vibration was felt from the floor.
“…What is it?”
Gaon looked puzzled at the ominous sensation.
At the same time, an alarm rang in her ears.
Ding—
[Two inhibitors on Feria Island have been destroyed.]
[The sleeping wild energy is awakening.]
-Huh?
-??
-Wild?
Whoosh—
the sky instantly turned red with the message.
The ground, once soaked in the gorilla's blood, had now turned pitch black.
"Damn it."
Ta-ta!
Sensing something was amiss, Scope quickly kicked off and escaped the space.
"What is this? What are you doing?"
Gaon asked, frowning at the sudden change.
Hanbit shrugged and replied,
"The wild nature dormant in the monsters of this island has awakened. I told you not to kill them, didn't I?"
"Ha, you little rat…"
At such a nonchalant explanation, Gaon had no choice but to realize.
Just like his other comrades in the Adult Faction, he had been played by the Black Dragon's plan once again.
"I'll just kill you."
Pow!
Wrapped in white light, she approached, gritting her teeth.
And just as she was about to unleash the magic imbued with the power of the Holy Kingdom…
Boom!
A pink gorilla appeared behind Gaon.
"Tch."
She quickly turned to eliminate the monster.
However, the gorilla's fist flew in before that reaction could even cross.
Crunch!
An attack that rushed in at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
Gaon, slammed into the ground before anyone realized it, found his body and head twisted in opposite directions.
“……?”
Her eyes wandered as if she could not comprehend the situation.
The body instantly turned to dust and scattered.
Watching this inevitable outcome, Hanbit retreated into the bushes and checked the monster's name tag.
[Elite: Lotus Gorilla Consumed by Wildness (Lv. 681)]
'Looking at the level, it really stands out.'
A monster that had become more than three times stronger as its dormant wildness awakened.
Of course, level isn't everything when it comes to strength, but it was sufficient as an indicator.
“…It feels strange.”
Elencia, who had quietly watched the situation unfold like a storm, muttered.
Her eyes were fixed on the gorilla, which continued to strike the spot where the corpse had been with its fist.
She felt an emotion that was neither fear nor surprise, but something difficult to explain.
“Now, let's find what we really need.”
“Will it be alright? If everyone is in that state, there will be limits to their ability to fight.”
Elencia’s concern was understandable.
There was no way they could traverse a forest filled with such destructive monsters unscathed.
However, Hanbit had a trump card.
“Cheonho.”
Grrr!
As its name was called, a white-furred tiger appeared from thin air.
“It’s not a… monster.”
Elencia, her eyes widening slightly, gazed at the Heavenly Tiger with curiosity.
Hanbit, who had been gently stroking its back, turned his gaze away and said,
“It is a mythical beast, the Heavenly Tiger. Let’s move right away.”
