Chapter 150
Chapter 150
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: 46. Outlaws (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3.
“El Pam has appeared!”
It was an absurd claim.
A mere warrior adventurer had been struck by a single Fire Arrow.
They couldn’t even properly figure out how it had happened.
No one had sensed the slightest hint of where or how the Fire Arrow had flown in from, making it utterly ridiculous to single out a specific person.
‘An unpredictable attack.’
But precisely because of that, everyone believed it.
‘It’s the mage El Pam.’
El Pam.
Quite a bit was known about him in the world.
There was no way to deny it.
He was the name that had grown the fastest in recent years and was always mentioned in major events.
Decisively, his name had become one that every adventurer in the Maple World had no choice but to hear at least once during the battle for the crown prince in the Ariant Kingdom of the Nihal Desert.
Of course, public reactions to him fell into two categories.
One was that all of El Pam’s party’s achievements were nothing but luck and lies—that they were frauds.
In fact, this was the majority opinion.
That was only natural, as the feats accomplished by El Pam’s party were utterly unbelievable.
But not everyone thought that way.
Some believed.
At the very least, the outlaws here, who had come to hunt El Pam’s party, believed in his abilities.
‘This kind of ridiculous attack is El Pam’s style.’
They believed that El Pam’s Fire Arrow moved like a snake, and thus they were convinced in this moment that the attack was El Pam’s.
Naturally, the outlaws’ eyes changed.
‘Finally.’
‘The 100 million mesos prize has shown up.’
They looked like hunters who had spotted their pursued prey.
Around that time, Ispa asked El Pam.
“Where did the attack come from?”
At that question, El Pam turned his head to the left.
Seeing that, Ispa’s subordinates subtly moved to act.
“No.”
Ispa stopped her subordinates.
“El Pam’s Fire Arrow is like a snake. So the one that came from over there is likely a fake.”
As mentioned earlier, Ispa and the outlaws here believed in El Pam’s abilities.
That was why they didn’t move rashly.
“Chasing is dangerous. We fall back.”
Instead, they chose retreat.
There were no objections.
‘We’ve confirmed El Pam is here.’
‘There’s nowhere for them to run anyway.’
‘Our numbers are far superior. There’s no reason to push ourselves into hunting them recklessly.’
The outlaws of the Elnas Mountains had tougher patience than adventurers from anywhere else.
There was only one exception.
“Our comrade’s condition is bad!”
El Pam. At his words, Ispa and the outlaws looked at his comrade, Dibo, who had been hit.
“Heok, heok, heok.”
He would receive healing magic treatment, but Dibo’s condition didn’t look good.
It couldn’t have been good.
‘He got hit properly.’
‘He’s lucky to still be alive.’
The struck areas were the shoulder, knee, and abdomen.
Among them, the abdominal hit was the worst.
‘Even if healed, the aftereffects won’t be minor.’
Heal skills could certainly mend external wounds, but it wasn’t perfect.
Even if treated, it was barely enough to close the wound.
For severe injuries, it meant forced movement was impossible, or even normal movement was out of the question.
The abdomen, with its organs, greatly impaired physical activity if hit.
The knee was the same.
‘The joint took the hit.’
Joints were surprisingly hard to heal easily.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Cases where a supporter had legendary-grade or higher items that enhanced their Heal skill.
But who here had such things right now?
It turned out exactly as expected.
Dibo, having only received a quick treatment before retreat, couldn’t walk properly and limped badly.
Ralph supported such a Dibo as they joined the retreat.
“Everyone, watch out for follow-up attacks!”
The moment everyone was retreating like that, it happened.
Shiiik!
With the sound of cutting wind, three Fire Arrows flew in.
“Aaak!”
And those three Fire Arrows pierced Minar’s body this time.
The moment they saw it, Ispa and the outlaws immediately caught on.
‘They’re targeting the weak ones first.’
That this wasn’t a random attack.
‘It’s proof they’ve completely grasped our forces.’
‘They know El Pam’s party is the weakest and are precisely targeting only them.’
At that moment, chills ran down the outlaws’ spines.
They hadn’t even properly engaged in battle, yet their situation was already perfectly analyzed?
Naturally, they thought.
‘The rumors were true.’
That the stories about El Pam weren’t exaggerations or lies, but the truth.
‘He’s a monster.’
“Chidle.”
“Yes, I know what you’re about to say.”
Around then, the outlaws reached a conclusion.
“Let’s join forces with the other groups.”
4.
The number of outlaws who had entered the Mystic Gate chasing El Pam’s party was 356.
And they were divided into a total of three groups.
Dividing into three groups was a very natural process.
With two groups, conflict was inevitable one way or another.
But with three, it was different.
The moment one attacked another, the remaining one would win.
In other words, mutual checks were possible.
Those three groups gathered in one place.
What brought them together was none other than Ispa.
She said.
“No long talk. Let’s all join hands.”
To end the competition.
Naturally, the two groups didn’t accept easily.
“Even so, the shares would be too small.”
“If we wanted pocket change, we wouldn’t have come here.”
The bounty on El Pam’s party wasn’t small, but divided among over three hundred, it wasn’t much.
“I thought the same.”
Ispa knew that too.
“But El Pam—his abilities aren’t fake. If we calculate like that against him, we could face total annihilation.”
Nevertheless, the simple reason she made this proposal was.
“Being dead gains us nothing.”
That El Pam’s abilities were even more dangerous.
In fact, if anyone else had said it, no one would have listened.
But Ispa was different.
Outlaw Hunter—that nickname wasn’t just for show.
It was earned because, among the countless hunters of outlaws, she had standout skills.
That was why the leaders of the two groups listened.
Of course, they didn’t accept immediately.
“Do you have a plan?”
“It’s not complicated. Our goal is El Pam’s head and Aran’s item. All of that can be obtained by occupying the 4th floor.”
A clear answer.
But it still wasn’t enough.
“That’s it?”
To them, Ispa delivered the decisive blow.
“Think about taking Aran’s item out. Do you think the others will just leave us alone?”
In truth, that was everyone’s current worry, exactly as Ispa said.
Obtaining Aran’s item?
Great.
But keeping it was never easy.
Outlaws would lose their minds and swarm over Aran’s item.
No need to look far.
All the outlaws here were like that.
They had charged in without looking back, eyes mad for El Pam’s head and Aran’s item.
At that moment, they hadn’t worried about such things.
In other words, they did now.
“What after we take it out?”
“We can worry about that when the time comes.”
That was why.
“If we move as one big group, we won’t be easily attacked.”
“Fine.”
The remaining two groups nodded to Ispa’s proposal.
Now, almost all the outlaws here were becoming one group.
‘No, why is it turning out like this?’
From El Pam’s party’s perspective, it was far from welcome.
‘If they all join hands, it’ll be a bigger headache?’
El Pam had said.
There wouldn’t be all-out clashes between outlaws.
But there would certainly be some degree of conflict.
Even without conflict, this was a 400-man Mystic Gate—the highest difficulty.
Even united, conquering it wasn’t easy, so multiple groups moving separately would mean deaths during the adventure.
But things had changed.
‘Did the boss make a mistake?’
El Pam. Most of the outlaws had joined his plan.
In the end, Dibo cautiously asked.
“Boss, isn’t this a problem?”
At that question, El Pam countered instead.
“A problem?”
As if he couldn’t understand why it would be seen as one.
At that expression, Dibo said a bit flustered.
“No, isn’t it? If all the outlaws join forces, nothing good comes for us, right? Won’t they smoothly conquer up to the 4th floor?”
“Probably.”
“If they charge to the 4th floor with full strength, there’s nothing good for us, right?”
“Why not?”
“Because we’d have to fight them?”
At that question, El Pam smiled and said.
“That’s just one option.”
“Yes?”
“We’re El Pam’s party.”
“Ah!”
Only then did everyone fully understand El Pam’s words.
“El Pam’s party, gravely injured.”
Moreover, El Pam’s party was currently unable to fight properly due to injuries.
That was why El Pam hoped.
“I hope it goes smoothly for them.”
And it went exactly as he hoped.
The outlaws’ Mystic Gate conquest proceeded unbelievably smoothly for a 400-man gate.
“The exit to the 2nd floor!”
On the 5th day after entering, they reached the 2nd floor.
The desert they encountered!
“I’ll take the lead from here.”
There, Chidle became the leader.
No objections.
No one didn’t know that Chidle was once a thief who had made a name in the Nihal Desert.
Naturally, he showed astonishing performance in the desert, and on the 4th day, the outlaw party reached the 3rd floor.
“Where’s this?”
“Looks like Sleepywood Forest?”
The 3rd floor they faced was a forest identical to Sleepywood Forest.
A forest filled with darkness!
Not an easy stage by any means, but the outlaws weren’t afraid.
There was no reason to be.
“Been a while.”
Outlaw Hunter Ispa—Sleepywood Forest was the stage where she had been active during her adventurer days.
Naturally, the subsequent conquest went very smoothly.
That was one of the scary things about the outlaw party.
“With adventurers gathered from all over the Maple World, their adaptability is no joke.”
It overflowed with people who had diverse experiences.
That was quite impressive.
No matter how great an adventurer, there were limits to the environments they could experience.
Adventurer parties usually built similar experiences in similar stages.
Cases where people with varied experiences gathered were rare.
It was the teamwork that only Elnas Mountains outlaws could show.
“Boss.”
Around then, El Pam’s party couldn’t help but worry again.
“It’s not bad that it’s smooth, but isn’t it too smooth?”
The outlaw party, with the 4th floor right ahead, numbered 341—minimal losses.
“Won’t they take Aran’s item?”
El Pam’s party certainly had options, but in this situation, they’d have to give up Aran’s item for now.
To Dibo’s doubt, El Pam answered.
“The 4th floor will be hell.”
It wasn’t a vague guess.
Not some precognition ability.
Nor had he conquered this Mystic Gate before.
‘The hell made by the Black Mage’s followers to devour adventurers can’t be this easy.’
It was faith in the Black Mage’s followers!
Belief that they spared no means or methods to massacre adventurers.
El Pam’s belief soon became reality.
“The 4th floor!”
“Aran’s item is beyond there!”
The outlaw horde, more excited than ever before the entrance to the 4th floor.
Naturally, they headed to the 4th floor without hesitation, and soon encountered it.
“My god.”
“A blizzard!”
“Damn, it’s too cold!”
“Ugh, it’s as freezing as the Icy Plains?”
A fierce snowstorm where they couldn’t see an inch ahead and indescribable bone-chilling cold.
Of course, that alone didn’t make it hell.
“Wait, what’s this?”
“Ice statues?”
“No, these aren’t ice statues.”
They realized this was hell the moment they saw the ice statues waiting at the entrance.
“Bodies frozen solid. By magic.”
“Magic? Wait, then?”
At that moment, everyone realized.
“Is the Witch of the Snowy Mountains here?”
What the boss monster of this place was.