Chapter 919: Part 2: Collecting monster cores Chapter 919: Part 2: Collecting monster cores From MC’s perspective: As I began dissecting the massive corpse of the Sabertooth Monster, the pungent smell of blood mixed with the earthy scent of the forest floor.
My hands moved with precision, carving through the tough, leathery hide.
Underneath layers of muscle and sinew, I finally found what I was looking for-the monster core.
It gleamed faintly, pulsating with the last vestiges of the monster’s life force.
I carefully extracted it, feeling its warmth against my palm before placing it in my storage ring.
The ring hummed as it absorbed the core, a small but satisfying reward for my effort.
Leaving the monster’s body to decay in the wilderness, I turned away, my mind already on the next target.
I moved swiftly, the foliage rustling as I advanced deeper into the forest.
Time seemed to blur as I hunted, each kill sharpening my focus.
By the time I encountered a few Class-7 Monsters, my blade moved like an extension of my will.
The beasts fell easily, their cores collected swiftly.
But as the sun began to sink behind the treetops, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, I realized it was getting late.
I decided to make my way back home, satisfied with the day’s haul.
An hour passed as I retraced my steps, eventually leaving the treacherous inner region and entering the outer areas.
Just when I thought my journey would end without any complications, I spotted a group of figures gathered near the barrier.
My instincts sharpened; something was off.
Six warriors stood there, laughing and chatting casually, but the moment they noticed my presence, their demeanor shifted.
Coldness crept into my gaze.
It didn’t take long to understand what was happening.
This group had been waiting for unsuspecting warriors like me to pass by, undoubtedly to extort their hard-earned spoils.
I had heard of groups like this-plunderers who preyed on the weak.
But today, they had picked the wrong target.
As I neared, I caught snippets of their conversation.
“Hey, he’s Zack Lockwood,” one of them-a heavily built warrior-muttered, his voice tinged with caution.
“Let him go.” The others stiffened at the mention of my name.
I could see the recognition in their eyes as they exchanged uneasy glances.
“Yeah, his teacher is Lowell McClain, the Silver Mark Warrior.
He’s a core member of the Federation.
We can’t afford to offend him,” a female warrior chimed in.
Their words didn’t surprise me.
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Lowell’s reputation often worked as a shield for me, whether I wanted it or not.
The expressions of the group shifted dramatically.
Fear, apprehension-emotions I was used to seeing whenever my teacher’s name was brought up.
But not everyone seemed convinced.
A wiry warrior at the back sneered, his eyes gleaming with ill intent.
“Ha… looks like even the famous ones have to do missions,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
His eyes roamed over me, calculating.
I could see the greed simmering just beneath the surface.
To him, I wasn’t just another warrior-I was a target loaded with valuable resources.
Several of the other warriors exchanged uneasy looks.
While two of them clearly wanted to back off, the rest seemed torn, greed gnawing at their better judgment.
They weren’t exactly afraid of Lowell McClain or even me-they all came from affluent families, likely familiar with Silver Mark Warriors.
But the lure of what I might be carrying was enough to cloud their judgment.
I could feel the tension in the air thickening.
The bulky warrior and the female warrior, the ones who had initially spoken up, seemed conflicted.
They understood the consequences of crossing someone like me-Lowell’s status in the Federation wasn’t something to take lightly.
As a core member, he held influence, closer to the Federation’s leadership, with the power to sway decisions.
And if they caused trouble, it wouldn’t just be me they’d have to answer to; their families might feel the ripple effects.
Yet, despite this, the others were too arrogant to care.
Their privileged backgrounds had made them reckless, and now greed had blinded them.
The tension hung heavy in the air, and I could already sense that a confrontation was brewing.
On the other hand, my gaze swept across the group, taking in their postures, the way they held themselves.
Despite the arrogant looks on their faces, I could tell they weren’t beyond reason.
Most of them were SS-ELITE and SSS-ELITE rank-strong, sure, but nothing I couldn’t handle if it came to it.
I sighed inwardly, relieved that I wasn’t dealing with anyone stronger.
Still, I kept my expression neutral, not wanting to provoke them unnecessarily.
Without a word, I turned my back on them and moved towards the invisible barrier that separated the outer region from the city.
Just as I was about to step through, a voice rang out, dripping with arrogance.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I stopped, feeling the ripple of tension that followed those words.
The bulky warrior and the female warrior, who had initially wanted to avoid conflict, exchanged uneasy glances.
I could see the regret in their eyes as they realized things were about to escalate beyond their control.
Before I could respond, the other three warriors quickly fell in line with the arrogant one, and in an instant, four of them had surrounded me.
Their stances were aggressive, their eyes filled with a mixture of greed and confidence.
I had seen this look before-a dangerous cocktail of privilege and recklessness.
The arrogant warrior, standing directly in front of me, smirked.
His eyes flickered with a sinister gleam.
“Hand over your storage bracelet,” he demanded, his voice calm but filled with expectation, as if he was used to getting what he wanted.
My mouth twitched in irritation.
It felt like I had just escaped the trouble with the Simon family, and now here I was, facing yet another group of overconfident fools.
I couldn’t help but feel the irony.
Trouble seemed to follow me like a shadow.
I glanced around at the four of them, my patience wearing thin.
“Are you guys stupid?” I asked, my tone flat but sharp.
The arrogance in their expressions faltered, if only for a moment.
I continued, “The Delta City is under the control of my teacher.
His castle isn’t far from here, and he keeps close tabs on my whereabouts.
Do you seriously think you can rob me and walk away unscathed?” My words hung in the air like a dark cloud, and I could see the flicker of doubt in their eyes.
Mentioning Lowell McClain wasn’t just a bluff; he had eyes everywhere, and they knew it.
Even if they weren’t scared of me personally, the weight of Lowell’s name should have been enough to make them reconsider.
But arrogance and greed are powerful motivators.
The arrogant warrior’s smile didn’t falter.
“We’ll take that chance,” he said, clearly banking on the idea that they could finish me off before word reached my teacher.
My hand clenched at my side.
These fools had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
…
Hearing my words, the bulky warrior and the female warrior exchanged knowing glances, their expressions unchanged.
They weren’t surprised-of course, they knew whose territory we were standing in.
The presence of Lowell McClain loomed large, and they understood the consequences of crossing him.
“Leave it, Mitch.
Don’t cause unnecessary trouble,” the female warrior, Catherine, spoke up, her voice firm but tinged with frustration.
She glared at the arrogant warrior, clearly irritated that he was stirring the pot for no reason.
To her, this was a simple equation: Lowell’s influence was too great to mess with, especially for something as trivial as plundering a lone warrior.
The bulky warrior stepped forward as well, trying to reason with the others.
“She’s right.
Think this through.
You don’t want the Federation Head personally investigating your families, do you?” His voice carried more weight, aiming to appeal to their sense of self-preservation.
Despite his size, his tone was cautious, as if walking a tightrope between greed and the fear of consequences.
The other warriors faltered, hesitation flickering in their eyes.
They were used to following Mitch’s lead, accustomed to his arrogance and his ability to push boundaries.
But the mention of the Federation Head investigating their families seemed to give them pause.
Their boldness wavered, uncertainty creeping in.
For a brief moment, I thought they might back down.
But Mitch, the arrogant warrior, wasn’t swayed.
He threw his head back and let out a mocking laugh.
“Ha…Ha…Ha… We’ve already caused trouble!
What do you think he’ll do when he walks away from here?
The moment he gets back, he’ll inform his teacher.
Then what?
We’ll be the ones getting hunted down.” His voice dripped with cold amusement as he ignored the warnings from his comrades.
Mitch’s eyes, still gleaming with greed, locked onto mine.
“No, we can’t afford to let him go,” he added, his tone darkening.
His words carried a twisted logic.
In his mind, the only way to avoid retaliation was to silence me now, before I could report back to Lowell.
Despite Catherine and the bulky warrior’s attempts to dissuade him, Mitch wasn’t listening.
His mind was made up, and I could see the others slowly starting to fall in line behind him, torn between fear and greed.
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