Chapter 194 – Demons’ Forest (9)

“Ugh, it’s so uncomfortable.”

“Shut up and just do it.”

Edora smacked Phante’s back.

Since a lot of people knew that the One-horned tribe’s siblings were moving with Yeon-woo, they hid their identities like Yeon-woo did.

Edora was dressed in a robe, like a magician, and while Phante’s horn was showing, he looked completely different.

If he had been boyish before, he now looked like a middle-aged man.

Yeon-woo looked questioningly at Phante, surprised by his appearance.

Phante scratched his face and lightly complained.

“A Skin Mask.”

“Skin Mask?”

“It’s a special thing that our tribe grows. It’s probably not that well known to the public. It’s used when we do things that require confidentiality.”

It looked like it took a lot of work to apply it. You had to apply the ointment to your face, and wait until it all dried. And Phante kept on scratching his face, like it was itchy.

But it looked natural, and it stayed on, even though he continued to scratch at it.

‘I could use that instead of the mask, if needed.’

It was something that tempted Yeon-woo. He used a mask to hide his identity, but now, the mask had become famous.

It was like everyone had a theorem that said ‘black mask=the Hoarder, Cain.’

So sometimes, he used his white mask, but if he had one or two Skin Masks, he would probably be able to make good use of them.

“Could I get some of that too?”

“It’s a special item that isn’t really given to outsiders, but if it’s you asking, wouldn’t Father give some to you?”

Yeon-woo nodded, noting that he should ask the Martial King someday.

“Anyway.”

Phante frowned, looking at the bustling lake.

“Just why are there so many people here? It’s a little annoying. What’s there to see in these ruins?”

After Yeon-woo’s fight with Aether, the densely packed Demon Trees in this area had disappeared, only leaving soil behind.

There was only the occasional Demon Tree that was starting to regrow.

But the players didn’t seem to care about that, and they were roaming around the lake. Among them, there were a few who were having a battle of wits.

“It’s probably because they’re trying to extract the dinosaur.”

The Ceratopsian Dinosaur in De Roy lake was a demonic species that had become stronger after eating other Demonic species. It occasionally showed up to the lake to hunt every few months. And this was the time for the dinosaur to show up.

“Ceratopsian Dinosaur? Didn’t you say that was a hidden piece?”

“Didn’t I say it should be embarrassed to call itself a hidden piece now?”

“Ugh. I don’t like that.”

Phante shifted his feet like someone took his favorite food away from him. Then, he turned his head.

“Can’t we just chase them away?”

“Leave them alone.”

Yeon-woo was firm, in case Phante caused trouble. He said that Phante could return to the village or move by himself if he didn’t want to listen to him.

It wasn’t like Yeon-woo wanted to stay still. But since there were no guarantees that Aether and the Elohim had left the 23rd floor, he had to stay undercover.

Even though Yeon-woo was strong, he wasn’t strong enough to defeat Aether if they fought head on.

The only reason why he was able to help Galliard before was because he had surprise on his side. He probably wouldn’t be that lucky again.

‘If only I can finish the Philosopher’s Stone. Then I won’t fall short in a fight with high rankers.’

So he needed to be more careful.

‘And the Elohim guys might be here.’

Yeon-woo had activated his Extrasensory Perception the moment they arrived at the lake. Because of the Elohim’s prideful personalities, they had a special characteristic of their own. If he found it, he was going to move right away.

“The players are probably making a complicated deal to get the dinosaur. I’m thinking we should join them.”

“Mm? You’re gonna peacefully hunt with them, holding everyone’s hand and singing Kumbaya? With that personality?”

Yeon-woo didn’t like how Phante brought up his personality, but he pretended he didn’t hear it.

“Of course we have to steal it.”

“Ke! That’s our Hyung-nim’s personality! As expected of my father’s disciple!”

“Don’t you think about the fact that you might be thrown into that lake?”

“Hehe. Hyung-nim, don’t you know that I’ve been following you since a long time ago?”

Yeon-woo shook his head as he saw Phante laugh shamelessly. It seemed like he was becoming even more sly as time went on.

“So for now, don’t aggravate them. If we get caught, I’ll kill you.”

Yeon-woo growled, lifting his fist.

Phante smiled, unabashed.

“Haha. You’re funny. If someone heard, they’d think that I’m someone who causes trouble wherever he goes. Don’t worry. Patience is my middle name,” Phante confidently answered, pounding his chest.

But Yeon-woo just felt more anxious looking at the confident Phante.

***

And it didn’t even take an hour until that anxiousness became reality.

Boom!

“What? So you’re saying that you’ll take everything?”

Phante punched the face of the condescending player.

“Shit! Hit that guy!”

“Haha! Fine. Come at me, you bastards!”

Phante began to punch the guy he was holding in the air.

Yeon-woo tried to calm himself down looking at the situation. If it wasn’t for his helmet armor, he would’ve been rubbing his eyes.

The reason why Phante began fighting was simple.

A group had suddenly appeared, and they had ordered everyone to move back because they were going to catch the Ceratopsian Dinosaur.

They even said that they would let others watch if they stayed 100 meters back.

People murmured amongst themselves, but there wasn’t anyone who stepped up.

Among the group, there was a ranker.

The Venom Ice Snake, Lao.

It was a nickname that stemmed from how he moved smoothly like a snake to poison his enemies with Ice Poison.

Also, there were rumors that one of the Eight Clans, Blood Land, had their eye on him, so no one could step up easily.

He hadn’t spoken a single word since the group arrived, but everyone thought that Blood Land had already come here.

Soon, players from Blood Land would probably arrive as well.

Eventually, the other players turned back before the Blood Land players could arrive.

However, Phante wasn’t one to stay still.

Befitting of his personality that had to punch someone if they were in his way, he had punched the face of the person who was aggravating them.

Strike the first blow. That was the saying that Phante liked the most.

So of course there would be a fight.

The players ran at Phante, screaming. But Phante clenched his fists and beat them up, like he was welcoming them.

He must’ve gotten stronger because every time he threw a punch,a powerful lightning flashed out from his fist.

Edora gripped her forehead with her hand.

She had seen this scene too many times as they climbed the Tower, so she was sick of it now. Did that guy have a disease for fighting?

Phante was wrong when he said that Yeon-woo had the Martial King’s personality. The elders had said that out of all the Martial King’s children, the person most similar to the young Marial King was Phante.

Edora turned back to look at Yeon-woo. She spoke in a concerned voice.

“Oraboni, um…..”

“No. Wait.”

Yeon-woo cut Edora off before she said that they should stop him.

He had considered if he should stop Phante when he had started to fight, but he thought that it had actually worked out for the better.

‘Blood Land. I never would’ve imagined they were going to come here.’

Blood Land consists of people who call themselves a ‘country.’ They don’t have any people who say they’re the last successors of the destroyed world, nor do they have any territory, but they live with the resolve that they’ll find their lost land.

What Blood Land wanted was simple.

They wanted to regain their promised land.

They were those who said that they would someday revive the disappeared world in the Tower.

In a way, they were people caught up in the past.

But because of this, their resolve was strong, and they trained themselves hard with the thought of regaining their land.

And they were extremely organized as a clan, so no one wanted to be involved with them.

Such a group of people had suddenly appeared in this place.

Blood Land and the Elohim appearing on the 23rd floor?

‘And during this time? Coincidentally? Nonsense.’

Even if the Ceratopsian Dinosaur was famous, Blood Land wouldn’t have sent a ranker to care of it.

But since they had come—

‘It’s probably related to the Elohim, or Brahm. Or to scout me.’

Now, not only did he have to hide from the Elohim, he also had to find out what Blood Land was trying to do.

So he was planning on deciding what to do based on their reaction to Phante’s fight.

And maybe.

‘Something amusing will happen.’

The Elohim and Blood Land on the 23rd floor. They were the clans with most pride.

‘The problem is that I don’t know what that ranker named Lao is thinking.’

Even though his subordinates were moving further away from him, Lao was just sitting there.

Those who couldn’t bring themselves to fight Phante peeked at Lao.

They had desperate eyes requesting for help.

But Lao just sat there apathetically. He didn’t seem like he was going to join.

He just indifferently looked at the situation.

Boom!

And when the last guy that ran at Phante was blown away with broken arms, no one was able to fight Phante.

Crunch. Crack.

“What’s this? This is it? You were so confident earlier, and now you’re not even making a peep?”

Phante rolled up his lips and spoke coldly. As he walked confidently forward, the players who had been wary of him stepped back.

Tens of players were all scared because of this one player’s aura. All of their faces were red.

Then, a relatively brave guy spoke up. His legs were shaking.

“You, you bastard……! D, do you think y, you’ll be safe after touching us?”

Phante scoffed.

“And if I’m not safe?”

“We have the B, Blood Land behind us!”

“Oh really? Aw. that’s scary. But what should I do? As you can see, I have the One-horned tribe behind me. Since you touched me, is all that’s left now war between the tribe and Blood Land?”

Even though his face was hidden with the Skin Mask, his horn wasn’t hidden.

“Heek!”

The guy he had been screaming collapsed to the floor. His pants were wet.

Phante tsked. He didn’t know what they were trying to do if they became scared from just this threat.

“Well. If you’re not coming—”

Lightning sparked from his fists.

“I’ll go.”

Phante began to move again.

When the players’ expressions all paled, Lao, who had been sitting still, suddenly stood up. Phante laughed.

“Oh! Is the leader finally coming? I was thinking that it would be fun to fight with a ranker…..! Huh?”

But Lao swished past Phante and suddenly stopped in front of Yeon-woo.

They met eyes. Yeon-woo had a strange look in his eyes.

“I think this is enough. How about we stop this now?”

At the same time, the Open Speaking that he only allowed Yeon-woo to hear entered his consciousness.

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