Chapter 258

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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Tak-!

Han-bit and Elencia, who descended from the tree, pushed through the forest and moved forward.

Bang-!

Kwang-!

Loud noises and vibrations as if a fierce battle was taking place.

Elencia, who was running beside him, slightly turned her head and asked.

“It seems difficult to capture it for sure.”

Even after seeing the trees and bushes shaking, the battle had been going on for over several minutes.

The power of the Lotus Gorilla Imbued with Malice was only slightly stronger than ordinary monsters.

The problem was that its habit of avoiding people and its fast movement made it difficult to engage in proper combat.

He didn’t know how many adventurers were at the scene, but the commotion seemed to be traces of pursuit.

‘That would be the normal way to think about it.’

The commonly known information about the Lotus Gorilla was compiled from an old adventurer’s notes.

The information itself was not wrong, but there was clearly a difference in degree.

Considering the skill of the adventurers and players currently staying on Peria Island, they could easily subdue it.

But if it was still taking time, something else must be happening.

“Let’s hurry.”

Tak-!

Han-bit, who increased his speed a little more, moved forward.

When he soon arrived at the destination, he faced a strange situation.

“Just move aside.”

“Damn you guys……!”

Two camps facing off from the center of the open field.

One was a group of adventurer NPCs, the other was a group of players.

And behind the adventurers, under a tree, a gorilla lay bleeding.

[Elite: Lotus Gorilla Imbued with Malice (Lv.220)]

Pink fur and the lotus pattern engraved on its back.

It was clearly one of the commission’s target monsters.

“Just leave it? They said they won’t kill you and let you go.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Stealing prey is an unwritten rule among adventurers!”

“What do I care?”

“You……!”

The player who sneered while pointing his sword and the adventurer who gritted his teeth.

Han-bit checked the name of the man standing proudly.

[Scope]

The level of the man whose name he had never heard could be gauged through his equipment.

His companions nearby were of similar level.

“It’s an NPC, so let’s just kill it and take it?”

“It looks like a one-hit kill. Should I try?”

“One-hit, my ass. You weakling.”

-?

-What are these guys?

-For real, never heard of them.

-Can’t you kill NPCs unless it’s a quest content?

-No no, there are quite a few who can.

-Something might have changed with the update.

The players, who were chattering and giggling, did not notice Han-bit.

It seemed they weren’t even checking the broadcast.

“That monster is not in good shape.”

Elencia, who lowered her stance beside him, conveyed in a low voice.

Indeed, the fallen Lotus Gorilla was in a dangerous state.

“Ah, how annoying.”

Shweek-!

Scope, who scratched his head, swung his sword toward the forest.

Puk-ppang-!

A powerful explosion occurred along with red powder scattered along its trajectory.

He turned his gaze and spoke to the heavily guarded adventurers.

“I won’t ask twice. Do you want to die or get lost?”

“…Tsk.”

A decisive question that induced a predetermined answer.

The adventurers had more than enough skill to operate on Peria Island.

But they were lacking compared to Scope and the other players.

‘Rank 5,000?’

When he quickly searched for the name, he saw Scope of the Moderate faction at rank 5,012.

Now that it had changed to a ranking system, it was definitely higher than the 5,000th place from the Vanguard days.

It was a natural phenomenon since the Sacred Body Faction, which had been hiding, was pouring out.

“Moving out. Everyone follow.”

The adventurer, who turned his body, led his companions and disappeared into the forest.

Scope, who saw that retreating figure, smirked.

“Cowardly bastards, if you’re scared, get lost quickly.”

He, who spat out criticism, walked toward the gorilla.

And then he took out a net of unique material from his inventory and threw it.

Kwajik-!

A green light was drawn as the net dug into the Lotus Gorilla’s body.

Scope, who looked at his companions, gestured and spoke.

“Don’t just stand there, come help carry it! The distance to the city is……”

Kwajik-!

In an instant, a white light was drawn in the eyes that were speaking.

“Eh?”

Scope could not understand the situation for a moment.

Five companions who had been standing and chattering.

Because all of their heads had disappeared.

-Eh?

-??

-Ambush?

-What is this…

The chat window was flooded with question marks at the sudden situation.

Han-bit, who had already noticed the approach, turned his gaze to the woman who appeared from the bushes.

“Do you want to die or get lost? Was that what it was? You’re not a child.”

The woman with black hair, who walked over, let out a scoff.

Han-bit immediately checked the name tag above her head.

[Ga-on]

A player belonging to the Sacred Body Faction, ranked 159th.

He had a memory of keeping her in mind when checking the upper rankers.

Naturally, information about her abilities was completely unknown.

“Who are you?”

Scope furrowed his brow and guarded against her.

Because the power to blow away five companions’ heads in one go was absolutely not ordinary.

“Survival of the fittest? You like that kind of thing, right? Without even thinking that you could be the one being eaten.”

“……?”

At that question, Scope could not say anything.

Hierarchy through power.

He was the one who had used that in all sorts of situations.

Swish-

Scope, who was quickly racking his brains, slightly checked behind him.

The fallen Lotus Gorilla still showed no signs of waking up.

“Ah.”

A short exclamation escaped Scope’s mouth as he quickly recalled something.

He raised the corner of his mouth and looked at Ga-on ahead, speaking.

“Just take one step. At that moment, I’ll blow the gorilla’s head off.”

-?

-What?

-Then we’re screwed too;

-Should we kill him?

-For real, let’s snipe first.

The threat that suddenly started made the viewers indignant.

The commission content announced through Kardon was to capture one of the two monsters.

If the Lotus Gorilla died, the probability of success would decrease.

“You’re quite the struggler.”

At the bold threat, Ga-on let out a hollow laugh.

She, who tilted the short staff in her hand, asked again.

“If you kill that, only the Silver Owl remains. You seem confident?”

“It’s better than handing it over to someone else.”

“What makes you think Black Dragon has a plan?”

“What do I care? I just need to receive the rewards.”

At the name Black Dragon naturally inserted into the conversation, Scope furrowed his brow.

It would not be strange for a player who didn’t care about faction fights to exist.

“The conversation isn’t getting through. Hey, aren’t you coming out soon?”

At that moment, Ga-on’s gaze, who turned her head, reached Han-bit.

It seemed she had also turned on the broadcast together.

“Since we’re discovered, let’s go out. You don’t have to intervene.”

“I’ll do that.”

Han-bit, along with Elencia, came out of the bushes.

Scope, who saw that appearance, became even more rigid.

“I’ve had enough, damn……”

The appearance of a new strong person made the atmosphere noticeably sharper.

A structure where there seemed to be no chance of winning at all.

But the plan created from that sense of crisis naturally extended in a stimulating direction.

“…This should work.”

Scope, who suddenly had a bright idea, raised the corner of his mouth.

And then he looked at the two rankers ahead and spoke.

“If you don’t want to die, you two fight. Until only one remains.”

-?

-Start killing each other from now.

-Will they really do this?

-Should we just kill that guy first?

-Save the gorilla;

Having judged that he had the upper hand, he brought out a plausible method.

Because if the two strong people fought, no matter who won, it would clearly produce a damaged result.

When that battle was settled, if he launched a surprise attack, the winner here could be himself.

“What do you say?”

Ga-on, who had stopped moving, asked.

It was as if she was watching Han-bit’s choice.

Whether to kill that gorilla or save it.

“I can’t kill it. The owl is troublesome in many ways.”

Han-bit, who gave an appropriate answer, drew his sword and walked forward.

“Really? Then there’s nothing I can do.”

When he chose to fight, Ga-on narrowed her eyes.

And the moment the short staff in her hand tilted.

Hook-!

She, who suddenly kicked off, charged toward the gorilla.

“You crazy……!”

Startled Scope put strength into the sword he was aiming at the gorilla’s neck.

At that moment, Han-bit’s body moved.

Kang-!

He, who charged with the power of compressed wind, deflected Scope’s sword in an instant.

“Ugh!”

Scope, who was blown away by the tremendous power, crashed into a nearby tree.

Ga-on, who had tried to attack, had already stopped her steps.

“So you really can’t kill it?”

She grinned as if she had revealed the truth.

And then she raised the hand holding the staff to the sky.

“It’s over. I’ll make that handsome face of yours distorted.”

Bang-!

The fireworks that flew toward the sky exploded in bright red.

At the same time, a change occurred.

Kiiii-!

A sharp cry that suddenly began to echo throughout the forest.

It was a noise intense enough to paralyze one’s mind.

“Ugh!”

Scope, who had crashed into the tree, covered his ears and writhed.

It was a painful noise.

Swish-

Han-bit, who slightly lowered his stance, also bent his body as if complaining of pain.

In the meantime, Ga-on slid and charged.

Pop-!

A sharp white light fired from the tip of her staff.

It cut the Lotus Gorilla’s neck far too easily.

Gulp-!

The spilled blood dyed the ground red.

Ga-on, who turned her gaze, spoke.

“We had already found the Owl. Now that both are dead, you’re screwed, right?”

She, who stepped on the gorilla, declared victory.

The corpse had not yet disappeared.

“How does it feel to lose? Your psychological warfare seems a bit lacking.”

Ga-on, who was certain she had ruined his plan, continued to throw sarcastic words.

Han-bit, who had been kneeling, calmly rose.

“Ah, I really shouldn’t have killed it.”

“It’s too late. You’ve been properly played by us, the Sacred Body Faction.”

“No, not me but……”

Kung-//

At that moment, a strange vibration was felt from the ground.

“…What is it?”

Ga-on, who felt something ominous, wore a puzzled expression.

At the same time, an alarm rang in her ears.

Ding-

[The two suppressants of Peria Island have disappeared.]

[The dormant aura of wildness is awakening.]

-Eh?

-??

-Wildness?

Shuuk-!

With the message, the sky instantly turned red.

The ground where the gorilla’s blood had seeped was now pitch black.

“Damn this.”

Tak-!

Scope, who felt something strange, quickly kicked off and left the space.

“What is this? What did you do?”

Ga-on, at the sudden change, furrowed her brow and asked.

Han-bit shrugged and replied.

“The dormant wildness of the island’s monsters has awakened. That’s why I said you shouldn’t kill them.”

“Hah, you rat-like……”

At the calmly delivered explanation, Ga-on had no choice but to realize.

Just like her other Sacred Body Faction companions, she had been played by Black Dragon’s plan again.

“I’ll just kill you.”

Pop-!

She, wrapped in white light, gritted her teeth and approached.

And the moment she was about to fire that magic infused with Holy State power.

Kung-!

Behind Ga-on, a pink gorilla appeared.

“Tch.”

She quickly turned to eliminate the monster.

But before she could react, the gorilla’s fist flew.

Kwajik-!

An attack that charged at a speed the eyes could barely see.

Ga-on, who was embedded in the ground, had her body and head twisted in opposite directions.

“……?”

As if not understanding the situation, her pupils wandered.

Her body soon turned to powder and scattered.

Han-bit, who watched the natural result, retreated to the bushes and checked the monster’s name tag.

[Elite: Lotus Gorilla Consumed by Wildness (Lv.681)]

‘Looking at the level, it’s really obvious.’

The monster whose dormant wildness had awakened and become more than three times stronger.

Of course, level was not everything about strength, but as an indicator, it was sufficient.

“…The feeling is strange.”

Elencia, who had quietly watched the situation unfold like a storm, murmured.

Her pupils were fixed on the gorilla, which was continuously pounding the ground with its fist where the corpse had been.

It was neither fear nor surprise; some indescribable emotion was felt.

“Now let’s really find what we need.”

“Will it be okay? If everyone is in that state, there will be limits to combat too.”

Elencia’s concern was natural.

It was impossible to walk normally through a forest full of such destructive monsters.

But Han-bit had a trump card.

“Heavenly Fox.”

Krrr-!

When he called its name, a white-furred tiger appeared from the air.

“It’s not… a monster.”

Elencia, who slightly widened her eyes, looked at the Heavenly Fox with amazement.

Han-bit, who gently stroked its back, turned his gaze and spoke.

“It is the Heavenly Fox, a Phantom Beast. Let’s move right away.”