[06:00:00]
"It definitely works well."
I stretched as I watched the ninety minutes listed on the wiki come to an end.
Ever since I took down the bear, almost no creatures had come near me.
Large wolves and giant birds had flown over to inspect the area, but there were only a handful that actually dared to attack.
If I were them... I probably would have done the same.
If there were a blood-soaked rabbit sitting on top of a bear, I wouldn’t attack it right away either.
If I were a wild animal, I’d see a suspicious rabbit giving off pheromones and assume it was definitely bait.
"Thanks."
I rose from the bear carcass I’d been sitting on and headed upstream along the creek.
The pheromones probably wouldn’t last forever, and I wanted to wash this blood-soaked body of mine.
No matter what, washing myself at the water’s edge where half of a bear’s corpse was slumped over felt a little unpleasant.
*
[05:32:26]
It’s already been four and a half hours.
After washing up, I picked up and ate a few tree fruits while staring at the timer.
Time was passing faster than I expected.
I knew the fiftieth floor couldn’t possibly be this easy, yet part of me still wondered if maybe it could be.
Then again, with the wiki as a cheat code and TP on top of that, maybe this was only natural.
If they appear every two and a half hours, it’ll be soon.
There were roughly two minutes until the second event notification.
I had no idea what sort of event could happen in a confined place like this forest.
That scar-covered bear had obviously been the final event, so there should still be two more left.
Could the forest catch fire or something?
Nothing else came to mind.
Maybe the monsters would go berserk... or the pheromones would spread throughout the entire forest.
My meager imagination couldn’t come up with anything that really deserved to be called an event.
Not that these were really events, anyway.
Ding!
"All right... so what is it this time?"
As expected, a notification sounded, and I immediately checked the wiki.
[Tower of Trials]
-First Run, Floor 50 Strategy: Analyzing.
Until the second event, [Form of the Hunted], begins: [30:00]
[Form of the Hunted]
-[Restricted] is afflicted with an illusion that makes their appearance be perceived as a ‘noble-blooded elf.’
-A hunting group specializing in capturing elves, employing advanced tracking techniques and traps, enters the area.
-Lasts for 90 minutes.
...An elf?
I let out a hollow laugh at the absurd content, as though it were mocking my feeble imagination.
A hunting group specializing in elf capture would descend upon the forest, and I would be the hunted....
It was simple enough.
Putting aside how it was even possible.
Swish—
Handsome.
I checked the face reflected on the water’s surface, but it didn’t look any different to me.
It was just the Han Seol I always saw.
Though I could see how someone might mistake me for an elf at this level.
[5:29:32]
It lasts ninety minutes too.
I stared at my reflection in the water, then checked the timer.
Since the opponent was human, the difficulty would be higher than the Mark of the Prey event.
It didn’t list their combat ability, but it said they used tracking techniques and traps.
They won’t be able to find me as reliably as they could with pheromones, but....
They would probably find things like footprints and traces of battle quickly.
When the pheromones were scattered around, staying put had been better because running would only increase my enemies. This time, I’d probably have to keep running.
I still had about thirty minutes to prepare, but I didn’t know what I should prepare for.
I knew nothing—where they would appear, whether they traveled separately or together.
I still haven’t found anywhere to hide, either.
It didn’t seem like there was much I could do before the situation actually arrived.
It wasn’t as if I had the ability to set traps for them.
"Tsk."
For a moment, I pondered what I should prepare as the hunted one.
...Do I really have to be the one getting hunted?
I realized that aside from the target changing, this wasn’t all that different from the first event.
Of course, I was scared to face them like this, so I would need to prepare thoroughly, but—
They’re people too, after all.
It didn’t seem like I needed to run away at all.
*
[05:00:00]
Okay.
Having finished preparing to welcome the hunters, I took a small deep breath and steadied myself.
I had worried that the moment the event began, my appearance or the equipment I was carrying might change, but nothing like that happened.
Ding!
"Huh?"
The fact that the wiki’s notification suddenly went off was even more shocking.
Boom!!
The hunt has started, or something?
I glanced at the red smoke rising high into the distant sky and checked the wiki—
[Tower of Trials]
-First Run, Floor 50 Strategy: Temporary [Real-Time Mapping] activated.
I blinked at the wiki as it told me the analysis was complete and handed over a new item.
Squeeze.
"...Haha."
The last time I had used a map was on the tenth floor of the Tower of Wisdom, wasn’t it?
[Real-Time Mapping] was similar to a map, but on an entirely different level. A laugh escaped me without my realizing it.
This is fucking broken.
It showed the entire map of the forest, as well as the locations of monsters and animals.
The locations of trees with fruit, and hidden caves.
Even the figures of the ‘prey,’ flashing red as they moved at high speed.
"So you guys travel separately?"
I smiled in satisfaction as the wiki neatly erased my last remaining concern.
Blink. Blink.
I slowly took a step toward them as they rushed around in search of me.
*
"...Found it."
Obvious footprints. Seeds from tree fruits that had been eaten and discarded.
They were rather blatant traces for an elf, but not every elf was cautious by nature, so I didn’t think much of it.
The informant definitely said it was a high elf.
Normally, we would all narrow down the search area together, but this time was different.
An opportunity to turn our lives around had come knocking. There was no way talk of sharing it all fairly would fly.
Whoever caught it first would take it all.
We had settled it: whoever got there first and ran would walk away with everything.
Swish.
Quieting my footsteps, I slowly followed the precious item’s tracks.
It was a high elf, so I needed to be careful, but what did that matter? If I caught it somehow, I could get enough money to live in comfort for the rest of my life.
It’s nearby.
The depth of the footprints. The density of the traces.
Anyone could tell it was close.
I was lucky. Too lucky, even.
I had only been in the forest for a few minutes. I never imagined I’d find it so quickly.
Shing—
With a sharp dagger in hand, I grinned broadly and took a step forward.
Step.
"What are you looking for so hard?"
"An elf, obviously. Keep your voice down."
I hurriedly turned my head at the voice.
I thought it might be something a stupid rookie had said, but I was alone today. I had been searching alone.
"I’m right here."
"What the—"
At the beautiful voice claiming to be the elf itself, I furrowed my brow and looked toward its source—
"Hi."
"..."
"Us elves haven’t had much to eat lately, you see."
"W-what... what are you doing...?"
I blankly blinked at the elf, its entire body soaked in blood and the corners of its mouth curled high.
What the hell was that?
I had never seen an elf like that in my life.
"Eating meat is all the rage these days, you know? I hear human flesh is delicious."
"What...?"
Swish—
"It’s been a while since I’ve seen prey, so I’m a little excited."
"Crazy...."
An elf using a sword?
With a shield strapped to its arm, and an iron sword that looked incomparably heavier than my dagger?
How did it even know I was here in the first place...?
There was no way an elf could have tracking abilities, so how—
No way.
The traces that had been left far too openly. The complete absence of wild animals on the way here.
I had been lured in.
The one being hunted wasn’t the elf. It was me.
Gulp.
And the thickness and color of the blood coating it.
It definitely wasn’t an ordinary elf. It couldn’t possibly be blood from mere rabbits or squirrels.
Its entire body was drenched in blood that might have belonged to the master of this forest.
I have to let them know...!!
The moment I frantically rummaged through my pocket to fire a flare and warn the others—
Crackle—!!!
"Ghk...?"
"Hey, hands over your head. Where does a criminal bastard think he’s going, putting his hand in his pocket? You ever watched American cop shows?"
Tap.
A bolt of blue lightning magic flew in from somewhere and struck my hand.
My entire body shook as though it had been paralyzed. The flare I had just pulled out slipped from my hand and fell limply to the ground.
Magic... Don’t tell me an elf...!!
Crunch!!
As I frowned deeply at the flare on the ground, someone brutally crushed it beneath their foot.
It broke without even functioning properly. When I barely managed to raise my gaze, the elf was already right in front of me.
Ah....
Who the hell had lied that this monster was some precious high elf?
It was the kind of thing that a whole group might barely manage to capture.
Whoosh!!
"Goodbye."
Fuck....
I simply shut my eyes as the sword came flying for my neck.
I should have just quietly shared it with the others.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register