Chapter 268 – The Hoarder (8)

Team: HH, thursdays, Yahiko (10/12)

[1: The author’s views do not reflect the views of the translating team. Though we aren’t able to change the plot, we can and should call out racism when we see it. Thank you for your support!]

Shanon wanted to curse, but he knew that Yeon-woo wouldn’t listen to whatever he said anyway.

He sighed and asked another question. There was something he still didn’t get.

「But how will you make a boat? I don’t see what you’ll make with the materials you’re collecting.」

「I agree. I’ve never heard about a Spectre Tree being used for an A-Rank boat. It also wasn’t on Charon’s list.」

The two were curious because they had passed through the 27th floor a long time ago.

They remembered clearing the floors up to the 30th with much difficulty, so it was still fresh in their memory.

But Yeon-woo just lightly grinned.

“Why do I have to look for a boatsman to make a boat? Of course I have to look for a shipwright.”

「……?」

「……?」

Shanon and Hanryeong were confused. It was like Yeon-woo was saying there was someone who could make a boat other than Charon. And on this island, at that.

However, Yeon-woo didn’t explain himself and continued to cut the Spectre Trees to put them inside of Intrenian.

How deep had they gone inside of the forest? Yeon-woo paused for the first time. His gaze inside of the mask moved towards somewhere.

“He’s here.”

Shanon and Hanryeong turned their vestiges in the direction he was looking and then tilted their heads.

There wasn’t anything in the forest.

There was only grass and long shadows.

However, they could feel something carefully approaching them.

On the outside, he looked like an average person. The only difference was that there were strange tattoos on his face and neck, and he had a kukri on around his legs. It was like seeing an uncivilized person who lived in a jungle. [1]

There were about 10 of them.

Each of them were approaching them like a hunter after its prey.

They moved above the trees and ran along the grass, down low on the ground.

「Cannibal Monster Humans?」

Shanon muttered dumbfoundedly to himself when he realized what they were. All players who had been on the 27th would know what kind of monsters they were.

No, they weren’t just monsters.

It was true they bothered the players from their trials on the 27th floor.

However, they had a village for themselves, and they had enough intellect to form a civilization. They were called ‘natives.’

But most players treated Cannibal Monster Humans as monsters.

It was because they were cannibals, regardless of their intellect.

They hunted players and enjoyed cooking them. Of course players would feel enmity towards them.

They were famous for staying deep inside of the jungle and hunting players away from the others.

It seemed like they had chosen Yeon-woo as their next target.

「I’ve felt this for a long time, but why are there so many people who want to commit suicide around you? There are other ways to do it, so why are they doing that?」

Shanon clicked his tongue because he could see the future of the Cannibal Monster Humans already. He was already thinking that the Monster Portents were going to be happy.

「But they’re the shipwrights?」

Shanon’s confusion was pushed back.

The Cannibal Monster Humans around Yeon-woo had begun to move.

Pat—

If others saw, they would think that they had come from the shadows. They were that fast.

Some Cannibal Monster Humans behind them on the trees had bamboo shoots inside of their mouths and were blowing into them. Tens of poisoned needles poured down towards Yeon-woo like rain.

They were small and hard to see because it was dark. On each needle, there was a drop of poison that was enough to make an elephant drop.

It was their basic hunting method to poison their prey so they couldn’t move and then hunt them.

The Cannibal Monster Humans were all skilled enough to hunt ordinary players without the poison.

Yeon-woo stretched his hand out in the direction that the needles were coming. When he did, the mana around him swirled into a whirlwind, and the needles all landed in his hand.

When he waved his arm, the needles all flew back in the direction that they came from.

Pupupuk!

“Quuuek!”

“Kiiieek!”

[Cannibal Monster Human 72 has died.]

[Cannibal Monster Human 142 has died.]

……

The Cannibal Monster Humans fell forward after being killed by their allies’ needles.

The sound of watermelons cracking rang out. It was the sounds of heads being crushed.

[Cannibal Monster Human 168 has died.]

The Cannibal Monster Humans realized that Yeon-woo wasn’t just someone who broke away from the back but a skilled player.

But it was too late.

The ones who had luckily survived were wrapped around by a long shadow. They had all been dominated by Yeon-woo without even being able to fight back.

“Kirk! Kikirk! Kirrrk!”

As if they wouldn’t lose, they still all had a murderous glare in their eyes. They shouted things with bloodshot eyes.

Yeon-woo opened his mouth after looking at them for a while.

“If you answer my questions, I’ll let you live.”

It was the same sound as the Cannibal Monster Humans—of rolling phlegm inside your throat. But the accent was different.

The eyes of the Cannibal Monster Humans became wider.

“How do you…..know how to speak our tongue, player?!”

The Tower’s system automatically provided a translator function to players. It was a way to help the players since they had all come from different dimensions and worlds.

However, this benefit wasn’t provided for monsters or natives. No one knew the reason why. So when monsters wanted to express something, they would barely imitate the language of the players.

But Yeon-woo was copying their language. His pronunciation wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to communicate with them.

“That doesn’t concern you right now. Just answer the question.”

“No! I don’t have anything to say to a…..!”

Puk!

Yeon-woo cut the neck of the resisting Cannibal Monster Human without any hesitation.

[Cannibal Monster Human 91 has died.]

「Oof. Things won’t go well if he keeps on killing them.」

Yeon-woo ignored Shanon’s mutterings and approached the Cannibal Monster Human behind the dead one.

He was looking at his comrade’s corpse with red eyes.

“Where’s the location of the village?”

“Humph! Kill me if you want! It’ll be a disaster for…..!”

[Cannibal Human Monster 238 has died.]

“The location?”

“I don’t…..kuk!”

[Cannibal Human Monster 111 has died.]

Yeon-woo cut their necks every time they didn’t answer or resisted.

The corpses piled up one by one and began to stain the ground red. The corpses of the Cannibal Human Monsters melted into the ground, and a black fog floated up, scattering into the air.

As time went on, Shanon began to worry.

「Hm? Isn’t this dangerous if it keep up?」

It didn’t matter if the Cannibal Monster Humans died. They were monsters anyway.

The problem was what came after that.

[Somewhere on the island, 25 Cannibal Monster Humans have died.]

[The chief is furious after discovering this. The lower-ranked priests have begun to mutter prayers on his orders.]

[The difficulty of the trial is increasing.]

[The ‘Cannibal Demonic Humans’ are coming!]

All players on the island received the same message.

“The f***!”

“Which son of a b**** is doing this?! Aack!”

Screams came from all around the island. It was because of the word “Cannibal Demonic Humans.”

The trial of the 27th floor was to ‘escape the island safely from any dangers.’

It wasn’t to fight against them. It meant that they should ‘avoid danger and gather the necessary materials.’

The reason why Cannibal Monster Humans weren’t classified as Superior species or humans was because of their unique skill.

They shared strength with their tribe members that they shared blood with. No, to be precise, it wasn’t their strength but the strength of their bloodline.

That meant the more Cannibal Monster Humans he killed, although the number became smaller, the more powerful they would become.

Cannibal Demonic Humans were a step above Cannibal Monster Humans.

The power of the killed Cannibal Monster Humans went towards creating Cannibal Demonic Humans.

Most players had a hard time just with the Cannibal Monster Humans, so of course they would be frustrated that Cannibal Demonic Humans were arriving.

「He’s probably doing it on purpose.」

Yeon-woo calculated his every movement.

Hanryeong thought there was a reason this time as well.

However, the problem was that a single Cannibal Demonic Human’s strength was equal to 25 of the Cannibal Monster Humans. Things could become a mess in an instant.

However, Yeon-woo cut off the head of the last Cannibal Monster Human like he didn’t care.

[The difficulty of the trial is increasing.]

[The ‘Cannibal Monster Humans’ are arriving more frequently.]

[The ‘Cannibal Demonic Humans’ are coming!]

A message that a large amount of Cannibal Monster Humans were coming popped up. On top of that, there were Cannibal Demonic Humans.

The Cannibal Demonic Humans would be on the level of the commanders of the 26th floor. The fact that the Cannibal Demonic Humans arrived meant that the island would be in panic-mode in an instant.

“Beyond this forest, there is a lone island. I think that’s their base.

Yeon-woo shook off the blood droplets on his sword and placed it back around his waist again.

「Are you saying the shipwright you’re looking for is there?」

“To be exact, he’ll be arriving soon.”

Shanon and Hanryeong realized what Yeon-woo was planning.

「It’s the chief!」

「Does the Cannibal Monster King have a hidden piece like that?」

Yeon-woo nodded.

Cannibal Monster Humans continued to become stronger through their blood. The difficulty of the island could continue to increase. My comrades and I wondered, ‘What would happen if all the Cannibal Monster Humans on the island died?’ and we discovered a fun fact from the Cannibal Monster King that was created.

…..Although we almost died from it.

The hidden piece that the Cannibal Monster King had was related to it. The boat that Charon made could cross the River of Souls, but the Cannibal Monster King’s boat had many other functions.

It was especially useful in finding hidden paths.

His brother had used this to meet someone else.

‘Jeong-woo’s second teacher, Lana.’

Yeon-woo licked his lips thinking of his brother’s new teacher who came after Galliard.

‘It would be nice if I could meet her.’

It might be hard because she was a free-spirit, but if he could meet her, he wanted to invite her to the clan like Galliard. Even if that didn’t work out, he could meet someone his brother knew. He needed to create a Cannibal Monster King.

And on the other hand, a thought occurred to him.

‘Jeong-woo said that he almost died from the Cannibal Monster King with his 3rd step awakening. I hope he’s better than Aphophis’s shedding.’

Thinking of the disappointing hidden piece of the 26th floor, he desperately hoped he would like the hidden boss of this floor.

Checheche—

His shadow spread out, and the Monster Portents scattered all over the island. Since he had confirmed where the Cannibal Monster King would come from, he was going to get rid of the Cannibal Monster Humans as soon as possible.

[The difficulty of the trial is increasing.]

[The ‘Cannibal Monster Demons’ are arriving!]

「A lot of people will die. Tsk!」

Shanon tsked, thinking of the players of the 92nd Squad who would meet with a disaster.

He felt like he knew why the gods and demons related to death liked his master.