Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Laying the Foundations (6)
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Both servers connecting had clearly made hunting easier.
But as with everything, advantages came with disadvantages.
Hunting became smoother, but that also meant Chaos Values rose faster than before.
Players growing more violent and less patient began turning their weapons on each other.
At least the squabbles within parties were manageable.
They ended with a few punches and minor injuries.
The real problem arose when clashes happened between different parties.
With no bonds or camaraderie, they had no qualms about killing.
Karim's party couldn't avoid the tragedy either.
By chance, quite a few players had gathered in the Plang Forest where they'd set up camp. A minor argument over hunting grounds quickly escalated into violence.
In the end, Karim went through seven battles in a single day yesterday.
Several party members were lost in the process.
Overnight, they realized something as they stared at their mana, which had more than doubled.
'Catching players is more profitable.'
Better to catch one player than dozens of monsters.
The difficulty wasn't much different, but the mana gain was several times greater.
'Coming to Bihar means they've passed the beginner stage.'
Hunting players with at least 1,000 mana was obviously a better deal than monsters with 30 to 50.
Those who realized this formed an unspoken pact.
A total of nine—players united under the goal of hunting other players, not monsters.
Karim was one of them, heading out to hunt as soon as the sun rose.
Their first target: a party of three.
Karim was watching them from atop a tree.
'Looks like I've found a big fish.'
He'd been wandering the contaminated zone for a couple of hours, using a transparency technique stone to scout prey.
- I can't go, I said I can't!
He crept closer after hearing a loud shout.
And there it was.
He spotted a party with someone in armor planted firmly in place.
Just three of them.
Karim called his other party members scouting elsewhere while scrutinizing the masked player's gear.
'No standard issue stuff.'
The longsword in hand, and the two daggers at the waist.
None were the tutorial's supply weapons.
He had to hunt this guy, no matter what.
That way, he could grow stronger faster than others and claim the abandoned loot in the contaminated zone.
Karim licked his lips as he eyed the masked player.
Especially the armor.
'That's mine for sure.'
Armor was pricier than weapons.
Catching this guy meant free high-end armor.
He'd hesitated briefly when he first saw the masked player hunting...
But not enough to pass up the tempting items right in front of him.
- Vitamin C: Encirclement's set. You're sure they have no detection?
Karim's party had nine members.
Three times the target's number.
The masked guy didn't seem ordinary, but he was still just one.
No way he could beat nine.
Karim relayed the target's movements to his party.
- Lion: Positive. Tailed them for over 30 minutes, no reaction.
- Pasta: What are they doing now?
- Lion: Hunting.
- Pasta: Still? Weren't they hunting when you first spotted them?
- Lion: Means they've got a ton of mana.
- Fairy Tail: Wandering a contaminated zone as a trio? Figures. Gear's different too, right?
- Lion: Told you a few times already—one's even in full armor.
- Thor: Gotta stay sharp.
- Rabbit Grass: They're just three. Tie 'em up, stab from behind—done. Why hesitate? Let's hit 'em quick.
- Vitamin C: Still, play it safe. Wait till their mana dips and they're resting, then strike.
Most party members agreed with Vitamin C, so Rabbit Grass grumbled but backed off.
Fortunately, before Rabbit Grass's short fuse blew.
The targets stopped hunting and took a break.
Karim immediately summoned the party members waiting nearby.
- Lion: Hurry—they're drinking potions.
At Karim's urging, Vitamin C led the other eight in hastening their steps.
By the time the blond kid sensed something and stood up, it was too late.
They'd closed in from all sides, sealing escape routes.
Soon, they were close enough to see each other clearly.
"Man, that masked guy's gear is shiny as hell."
"Dibs on the daggers?"
"Don't make me laugh—mine."
The party members salivated, tossing out claims as they eyed their prey.
Only then did Karim drop transparency and join them.
Pasta sidled up right after.
"Hey, no spear?"
"Didn't see one."
"Too bad. Wanted a new weapon."
As Karim chatted with Pasta, Vitamin C stepped forward.
"Cliché line, I know... but skipping it would feel wrong, right?"
Soft features and a gentle voice made him look every bit the gentleman.
"Hand over everything if you want to live."
But the words from his mouth were a threat—and a perfunctory one at that.
'No intention of letting them live from the start.'
Last night's slaughter and the gains from it had erased any reluctance to kill.
Even without that, Karim had no hesitation killing people.
As a mercenary for a terrorist group, he'd killed plenty already.
'And mana was the goal anyway.'
The reason for not killing immediately was simple.
Couldn't loot storage if they died with items inside.
Had to make them cough everything up first.
This game was perfect for unleashing the violence humans had hidden even from themselves.
Rabbit Grass, who knew that better than anyone, prodded the party.
"Why talk nice? Collect what's out first."
After one slaughter and purifying agents, their Chaos Values were lower than last night.
But Rabbit Grass was always the most impatient and rough.
He cracked his neck stepping forward, and the others grinned, gripping weapons tighter.
No matter how skilled, anyone would tense up.
Nine blades pointed right at them.
But the response was something none of them expected.
"Pathetic thugs trying to mug people and acting tough."
Raw scorn, contempt, mockery.
The masked player crossed his legs and clicked his tongue.
"You guys the ones who stirred up Plang Forest yesterday? Still reeks of blood."
Pasta, next to Karim, instinctively sniffed his arm.
"Hey, do I smell?"
Karim shot Pasta an incredulous look.
Offended by the glance, Pasta scowled.
"If not us, how'd they know?"
"Would be weirder not to in this situation. You're blatantly here to rob us. Plus, it's all over the community boards."
After servers linked, hub-specific boards opened alongside the global one.
Havon board already had sighting posts.
「Title: Watch out for the guys in Plang Forest (23) - Author: Apollo」
「Title: Skip Plang Forest east of Havon Outpost 4. Chaos mismanagers there (8) - Author: Hope」
「Title: Saw PK in Plang Forest and ran (28) - Author: Boutonniere」
Servers linked just two days ago.
Few players would openly break Earth's laws.
So linking those posts to their organized player hunts wasn't hard.
"Heh, no clue what's going on..."
"Talks way too damn much."
The masked man swapped sword for spear, swinging it wide while beckoning with his empty left hand.
"Want my gear? Quit yapping and come take it."
Mockery dripped from his voice.
"This guy's got fire!"
"Spear! That's mine!"
Rabbit Grass and Pasta—who grinned brightest yet—lunged the instant he spoke.
"Arghhh!"
Blue light flashed behind the masked man, party members screaming.
Stunned by the unexpected, eyes turned there.
Two party members behind him crumpled to the ground.
Through the gap, his companions slipped away.
They must've chatted like Karim's group.
Perfect timing otherwise inexplicable.
"Of course, if you can catch me."
He'd already stowed the spear, kicked Rabbit Grass and Pasta aside, and bolted.
Mid-escape, he hurled black spikes at the fallen members' heads.
Thud. Thud.
Dull sounds, then Vitamin C's frantic shout.
"Get them!"
The stunned party finally chased.
Karim wasn't an exception.
But unconsciously, he slowed.
To claim items, he needed to be first—but he'd fallen back.
Passing the instantly killed members, a faint smell hit him.
About 15cm long, 3-4cm thick.
Stuck in their foreheads, whatever it was, the scent was unmistakable: burnt flesh.
The kind he'd only smelled on battlefields.
'What was that?'
Karim didn't know what the blue light was.
Focused on the masked man, he'd missed the glow from below.
'Fire? Flashbang?'
No way. Chem weapons and electronics couldn't be brought to Bihar.
System stated it clearly in the manual revision.
So what was that blue light?
The more he pondered, the greater his unease grew.
Meanwhile, they'd closed the gap considerably.
That only heightened Karim's anxiety.
The masked man just fled, ignoring thrown daggers.
Avoiding clash due to numbers disadvantage, maybe.
'Why not use that blue fire again?'
Something was off. He couldn't shake the feeling.
"Huh?"
But Karim snapped from his thoughts before delving deeper.
Runners ahead halted abruptly, staring skyward.
Following their gaze, Karim let out a hollow laugh unwittingly.
Their chase targets were climbing into the air.
Stepping on red translucent panels like stairs, up and up.
Soon vanishing beyond dense leaves.
"Flying skill?"
"Nah, stepping on something."
"What even is that?"
"Anyone got a bow?"
"Forget bow—climb the trees!"
Party members scowled upward.
But no time to focus there.
Crack. Crunch. Threatening sounds started.
Soon, even ground trembled.
Thud. Thud thud thud.
Deep vibrations, like a giant moving.
Calmer from heightened dread, Karim turned toward the noise.
'Closing fast.'
Their only detection mage died when the encirclement broke.
He sensed it bodily only after.
Player senses sharpened, but not like magic's wide range.
Hence this mess.
He'd noticed sound and tremors seconds ago—now he saw the source.
A massive monster charging like an enraged bull, crashing through dense trees, drawing nearer each moment.
-S-Save me!
Why now did he hear the voice of a player whose throat he'd slit last night?
"Run!"
Damn system