Chapter 270 – The Hoarder (10)
Team: HH, thursdays, Yahiko (12/12)
‘What is that…..?’
The moment she saw the Monster Portents, Heidi stiffened. They were beings that looked like black fire but also like the shadow of a candlelight. Her activated Fairy Eyes could see clearly that they weren’t beings that should exist in the world of the living.
At first, she thought they were the undead, but it was hard to categorize them as such.
Like their namesake, the undead were beings that weren’t dead. They were not beings that had been resurrected but those that were cursed and couldn’t die. They could also be beings that were just born differently in the first place.
However, the beings in front of her were different.
In the end, the undead were all living beings bound by the rules of the living. But the shadow-being in front of her wasn’t a monster.
Like it was unique, nothing could be found like it among all the rules and laws of existence.
Heidi, who had believed that there was a logical reason for everything she saw through her Fairy Eyes, was utterly shocked.
Just then,
Krrr—
The Monster Portent that had been digging into the brain of the Cannibal Demonic Creature turned its head.
“……!”
Heidi stepped back in surprise. The shadow monster looked like it was going to run at her any moment.
“Heidi!”
“Captain!”
Her team members who had survived the Cannibal Demonic Creature’s attack frantically ran towards her.
From behind, Dylan and Jun were coming as well.
Heidi tried to stop her comrades from approaching the danger, but—
Shik!
The Monster Portent looked elsewhere before the players approached and vanished into the darkness.
“Huk! Huk! Heidi, are you okay?”
Dylan grabbed Heidi and checked to see if she was alright.
However, Heidi didn’t say anything. She just looked in the direction where the Monster Portents left with her Fairy Eyes wide open.
* * *
“W, What is this?”
“Aacck!”
Unlike Heidi and her party, who had been able to survive the Monster Portent’s arrival, the base of the 92nd Squad where Ibrahimovic had been looked like it was hit by a bomb.
The excited Cannibal Monster Humans, Cannibal Demonic Humans, and Cannibal Demonic Creature weren’t something they could stop.
The players died out from the Cannibal Monster Humans, and the more skilled ones were ripped apart by the Cannibal Demonic Humans.
The Cannibal Demonic Creature had just walked.
Boom.
Boom.
Every time it took a step, the ground shook. Its red eyes were flashing as it looked for something.
The forest in front of it was pressed down, and the trees broke off to the side.
Ibrahimovic was gasping far away from where the Cannibal Demonic Creature was.
Under the mossy rocks, he held his breath in fear that the creature would hear him.
His crushed right arm throbbed, but the fear that trickled down his back froze his pain.
‘The Hoarder…..! You!’
Ibrahimovic ground his teeth thinking of Yeon-woo, who was to blame for all this.
With the general message that the difficulty had increased and the arrival of the Cannibal Demonic Humans and Cannibal Demonic Creature, all of Ibrahimovic’s plans had been reduced to ashes.
The players who made up the 92nd Squad died like insects. They were stepped on, blown away by fists, and played with before they died.
He ran at the Cannibal Demonic Creature, trying to stop it somehow, but he only managed to injure its pinky finger while his entire right arm was destroyed.
The creature must have been furious as it was now looking around for Ibrahimovic.
Seeing as how it was sniffing with its nose, it seemed like it was searching for him through smell. He hid his scent using an artifact, but he couldn’t erase all his traces.
The distance between them was shrinking. He would probably be caught here.
He had to leave this island before that happened.
‘A boat! I have to get on a boat!’
Actually, Ibrahimovic had a secret boat his subordinates didn’t know about. It was only a small canoe, but it was big enough for him to fit on since Charon had made it.
Ibrahimovic decided to leave the island for good. Since the Cannibal Demonic Creature was here, he couldn’t stay on the island any longer. It was wiser to escape as soon as possible and request help from the Regiment.
‘I’ve already contacted headquarters. I just have to find the coordinates!’
Ibrahimovic quickly racked his brain.
He felt sorry for his subordinates who were being sacrificed, but someone needed to leave the island to request for help.
He thought that it would be best for his subordinates if he left and quickly brought back support.
The canoe wasn’t too far off from where he was. Because he had hidden it among thorn bushes, no one else had known where it was.
‘Please, please.’
Ibrahimovic looked around with his senses on guard. Footsteps faded away and disappeared. It seemed like they had passed by.
He found himself dashing through the forest alone. It wasn’t time to think things through and plan.
Swek—
<Speed Wind>. It was a priceless skill he had bought in case of times like this. It could be used for escaping dangerous places at explosive speeds.
There was a disadvantage in that it used a vast amount of magic power, but there wasn’t any problem getting to where he needed to. He could feel the Cannibal Monster Humans frantically following him, but he was able to evade it easily.
‘Yes!’
Ibrahimovic was sure of his success. Although the Cannibal Monster Human was fast, it would slow down once outside its territory. He couldn’t feel the presence of the Cannibal Monster Human or the Cannibal Demonic Humans.
Also, far away, he could see a large rock. It was something he had placed to show where the territory of the Cannibal Demonic Creature ended. The canoe that he had hidden under the bushes was somewhere in that area.
‘I survi…..!’
But just when Ibrahimovic sighed in relief, a large shadow came from above and easily crushed the rock.
A gruesome hand stretched out from between the rock pieces and grabbed Ibrahimovic’s neck. The Cannibal Demonic Creature was looking at him with an amused face.
What happened? Ibrahimovic saw a bloodied clump dangling in the Cannibal Demonic Creature’s left hand.
It was so bloodied that he couldn’t recognize it that well, but it was clearly the subordinate who also protected him from his side.
“Cap…..tain…..I’m…..so…..sorry!”
He didn’t know if his subordinate was talking about knowing where the canoe was or about the rock, but it was obvious that he had exposed them.
The words of the Cannibal Demonic Creature made Ibrahimovic go blank.
“I found you, rat.”
Fear grew exponentially inside of him.
‘H, He can talk?’
Kwang!
“Kuk!”
The Cannibal Demonic Creature didn’t care about Ibrahimovic’s surprise and just tossed him to the ground.
Ibrahimovic felt like his entire body was breaking apart. He used different skills, but they all scattered upon meeting a clear barrier before they could reach the Cannibal Demonic Creature.
‘F***ing…..resistance.’
This was the scary part about a Cannibal Demonic Creature. It was as powerful and resistant as it was gruesome. It could easily eat most players.
Kwang, kwang, kwang—
“Heehee! Uhee!”
The creature threw Ibrahimovic on the ground several times in amusement.
His arms and legs were crushed, and his internal organs were ruptured. As his skull cracked, blood poured out. He couldn’t even see properly because of the blood fogging his vision.
Was he going to die futilely like this, without being able to do anything? Ibrahimovic wanted to endure it, but his consciousness was slowly fading away.
Right before his consciousness was completely cut off, he felt his body being flicked away. He was rolling on the ground.
When he opened his eyes later, he could see a black shadow fighting with the creature.
The Cannibal Demonic Creature was trembling in fear.
“Monster! Monster! Go away! Go awayyy! Monster! Aaaack!”
It shooks its fists around, but the black shadow avoided them and turned the Cannibal Demonic Creature into a bloodied mess in seconds.
The Cannibal Monster Humans protecting the Cannibal Demonic Creature were all dead.
Like Ibrahamovic was when he had met the creature, the creature was now the one scared of the shadow. It was being pushed to death.
What was it? Ibrahimovic wondered, but he couldn’t continue thinking.
Just before he let out his last breath, he saw the Cannibal Demonic Creature’s head being tossed in the air, blood spurting out.
* * *
[You have discovered the Cannibal Monster Human village.]
[The enemy procession is beginning.]
Kayak!
Krrk, krk—
The black fire that began in the forest spread to the village. The Cannibal Monster Humans who were enjoying their feast of humans were taken aback at the sudden occurrence.
They all tried to put the fire out with water, but the fire just grew bigger and swallowed everything in its path.
The crops and fruits that they had grown with care for the last year instantly became ashes, and their cottages became charcoal.
The yard where the village people danced and sang instantly became fuel for the fire.
The Cannibal Monster Humans were confused as they didn’t know the source of the fire. Their craze, which began after some of their comrades had died, flared up again.
However, there was another waiting disaster for them.
Pat—
From inside the black fire, a whirlwind came at them. It was Yeon-woo.
Chwak—
Yeon-woo moved rapidly and got rid of the Cannibal Monster Humans in his way.
He didn’t even have to pull out Vigrid or use his Black Aura. He could kill them off just using his Magic Bayonet.
They were defeated one-sidedly without even being able to fight back.
[The difficulty is increasing.]
[The difficulty is increasing.]
[The frequency of the Cannibal Demonic Creatures’ approach is becoming more frequent!]
“Human! I’m going to kill you, human!”
A few Cannibal Demonic Creatures ran at him amidst the massacre.
They were easily taken care of as well.
When he swung his sword, the creature’s fist was flung away like a piece of straw, and when he swung it again, the creature plopped to the ground because its heart and throat were cut.
“H, How…..?”
It was incomparable to when it ripped Ibrahimovic apart easily.
Their end was futile.
‘They’re too weak.’
Yeon-woo stepped on the corpse again and jumped forward once more. Blood spread out and evaporated from the heat.
Cannibal Demonic Creatures and Humans continued to come at him, but they couldn’t fight Yeon-woo properly.
They were weak. All of them.
It was so disappointing for Yeon-woo.
He knew that the Cannibal Demonic Creatures wouldn’t satisfy his expectations. But he still thought they would be a nuisance. His brother had expressed annoyance when he fought them.
However, they couldn’t bother Yeon-woo any less. He hadn’t even awakened his Authorities.
It was like when he fought with Apophis’s shedding.
[The chief has found you making the village into a mess. He sacrificed the lower-level priests and has begun to chant a new prayer.]
[The Cannibal Monster King’s arrival is nearing.]
[Current progress: 81%]
Yeon-woo narrowed his eyes at the new message. The arrival of the Cannibal Monster King. Would he be strong? He hoped it would be better than Apophis’s shedding.
When he reached 100%.
[The prayers have been accepted. The chief has begun to evolve.]
[The Cannibal Monster King has arrived.]
Far away, Yeon-woo saw a small, isolated island. It was where the chief stayed. Spreading his wings of fire, he flew above the River of Souls.
Pat—
Using Wind Path and Blink, he slid above the water and arrived at his destination.
Crunch. Crunch.
Something as big as Apophis’s shedding was voraciously eating something.
He felt Yeon-woo’s presence and turned his head. His red eyes creased violently.
“So it’s you. The one who hurt my children.”
Yeon-woo put his Magic Bayonet away and pulled Vigrid out. As he swept his black Aura around, he thought to himself. Would this guy be strong or weak? His brother had definitely said he was strong. He said that it was hard even for him, and he had barely beat him with the help of his comrades.
Then, how would Yeon-woo himself fare? He knew that he was stronger than his brother, but he hoped the being would be somewhat challenging.
“Are you using Fear Fire? Funny. Using hellfire on the prince of ghosts. I’m blessed by the River of Souls. Fear Fire can’t defeat me. Like how fire is put out by water, I can counter this easily.”
The air around the Cannibal Monster King became humid. Fog settled down, and it seemed like it would start to rain. It was an acidic fog. It was the trait of the being that excelled at using Fear Water.
Seeing it, Yeon-woo kicked off from the ground in annoyance.
“Blah blah, you talk too much.”
* * *
“H, How…..!”
It was an unbelieving tone of voice.
Yeon-woo snorted at him.
“You talk too much.”
Puk—
Yeon-woo broke the Cannibal Monster King’s head. Blood spurted out, but it all evaporated in the heat.
‘He was the same.’
Yeon-woo sighed. The Apophis’s shedding and the Cannibal Monster King were easily swept away by his Aura.
‘I guess there’s nothing I can do except climb to the higher floors quickly.’
It might’ve been his greed for wanting something from the lower floors.
‘This won’t do. I should meet Lana and quickly get through this. Gosh.’
Yeon-woo decided to change his priorities. At first, he was going to take everything he could and slowly climb the Tower, but there wasn’t any need for that anymore.
It was better to find what he needed and move onto the next floor.
Yeon-woo found another village on the island. It was where the chief had stayed.
Young and old Cannibal Monster Humans were trembling in fear.
Of those, Yeon-woo was interested in the elders.
The Cannibal Monster Humans were naturally gifted warriors, shipwrights, and boatmen. The older ones knew the secret to the boat for crossing the River of Souls.
If he could use them well, he could get to the 30th floor without too much trouble.