BXBX NOVEL Chapter 61: [Quest: Escape!]
\'Good!\'
[Twin Guns: Normal -> Rapid Fire Mode!]
Aiming, I took the first shot and…
[You have killed a D-Grade Monster: Lesser Vampireling!]
[+500 GM Points received!]
\'So they don\'t give any points, huh? Seems pretty useless for the other players-\' as I was thinking, I found a certain card falling on the place where the vampire was killed. He was turned into dust, leaving that card behind.
Moving close to the card, I picked it up.
[D-Grade Skill Card: Evade!]
My eyes narrowed at the card before I sighed. Seems like I need to up my [Inventory!] again. I bought it at the beginning of the tutorial, but not once did I need to increase it. But looking at this… I sighed as I then killed a dozen more Vampirelings around before increasing the grade of the Inventory.
[Skill: Inventory!
Grade: E
Effect: Allows the user to store any item in a subspace of [5 x 5 x 5] meters!]
[Would you like to make the changes for 5000 Points?]
The reason I kept it as a skill and not kept the [Inventory Pouch!] was because I was afraid of any [Thieving!] skill that could end up taking this from me.
Pressing [Yes!], I then killed a dozen more of them that were coming in my direction. Even though they can\'t see me, they seemed to have found the direction from where I was shooting.
And then I added another feature into the Inventory for the time being.
[Inventory!
Grade: E
Effect:
-Allows the user to store any item in a subspace of [5 x 5 x 5] meters!
-Allows the user to store any unowned item as long as it is within a radius of 5 meters from the user!]
[Would you like to make the following changes for 10,000 GM Points?]
Once again, clicking [Yes!] I then continued my hunt. With my increased agility, I was able to run faster than before, killing 10s of monsters at once. The added effect did wonders, as the monsters were dying with a single shot each time.
And as I ran deeper into the forest, I found more of those monsters present there. Though something was different about them than those on the outside.
[You have killed a D-Grade Monster: Lesser Vampireling (Half-Awakened)!]
[+750 GM Points Received!]
\'Hmmm. Seems like they are fully awake at night?\' I thought as I looked at their speed increasing now. If not for my Illusion masking my presence, I might have been in a lot of trouble.
While alone it might not be much, but now that their numbers were increasing so fast, I could only see how much of a danger they were. Though, rather than worry, a wide smile was present on my face as I calculated the time and distance it would take for them to reach me.
And then pointing my gun at them, I then started shooting them again. Since I was still able to one shot them, it made things only better for me. Perhaps increasing all of my gears to A-Grade wasn\'t that far fetched anymore.
[You have killed a D-Grade Monster: Lesser Vampireling (Half-Awakened)!]
[You have killed a D-Grade Monster: Lesser…]
[You have killed a D-Grade….]
[You have…]
[…]
…
While Adrian was busy killing the vampires, the same could not be said for others. Each player was transported randomly in the forest. Some near the road, some far away. It was a total matter of luck, as they had to figure out a way out of the forest.
Though by instinct, they all knew that they had to run towards the clearer side of the forest where the sunlight was still reaching.
Some reached the road early, and began following the path towards the city. While others who were far, encountered some normal monsters, the E-Grade ones like goblins and others. A couple of fateful ones found some NPCs, whose carts were broken.
Anyway, all of them were faring their own ways. And since the night was still an hour away, most of the players should easily reach the city much before the time ends. Only those who are brave or those who are fools are going to be the one who will fail to reach the city.
…
[Location: East-Forest: 2 Kilometers Away from the City!]
"Mark! Behind you!" Shouted Julia as she looked at the 5 Vampirling trying to attack them. But Mark, aiming 5 arrows at once, shot all of them at once. They were fast but with his Silver arrows that were somehow effective against these beasts, he was able to one shot them.
But sadly, the arrows were numbered and they had to find the way to the city fast before the time reached 0.
"To think I would be transported near you. It was a good thing for me, but sorry for being a burden. Seems like my poison doesn\'t have much effect on them," Julia spoke with a sad tone, but Mark didn\'t seem to be bothered about it at all.
"It\'s fine really. With you watching my back, it\'s actually a relief for me. Though we should find out the way to the city fast," Mark spoke, making Julia nod before she added,
"Since the forest is clearer on that side, let\'s walk there. I observed that those vampirelings were avoiding sunlight, so we should go to an open area first."
Mark nodded before both of them began walking to that area.
…
[Location: North of the City: About 4 Kilometers away from the city!]
"Just what are these monsters?! Why are they so powerful?!!" A middle aged man shouted in terror as he looked at all those monsters around him. If not for the two ladies with long black hairs, he along with the other 5 people in the group, would have been turned into monster food by now.
-BOOM!
"Take control of all the monsters at a distance, I will take care of the closer ones," Alice said as she created a ring of fire around her. Her new skill allowed her to freely manipulate any elemental mana present in the air and increase its effect by a huge margin.
"I am Alice by the way," she added as she looked at the other girl who was shooting arrows without breaking a sweat. Each of her arrows were precise, one shooting each of those Vampirelings before they could even reach them. The only limit was that she had to reload every 10 seconds or so, which gave a brief opening for the vampirelings to reach them.
"Umu. My name is Bos- Evelin. I will take care of them. But we should start moving too, the quest is asking us to reach the city," Evelin spoke as she reloaded the arrows before beginning to shoot again.
Both of them took a glance at the 5 players that were collected behind them and sighed before beginning to take a step towards the clearer area of the forest.
"Wait! Wait for us too!" and the rest of the people understood what they were doing, before they matches the pace of the girls as well.
…
[Location: West forest: 3 Kilometers away from the city!]
[Advanced Art: Fast Pace Retreat!]
"To think that the first Art that I would be using would be to run away," Luke had an irritated expression on his face. Even though he was able to kill a D-Grade monster with his mana skill, the fact that they give only [D-Grade] skill cards, was something he found more of a waste that wasn\'t worth putting effort into.
"Hmmm? Who is she?" He muttered as he saw a girl running away from a dozen of vampire monsters. She was fast, but the monsters were catching up to her as well.
A smile appeared on Luke\'s face as he imagined himself saving that girl from those monster. It was something that he was fascinated with for a long time, often wondering what would happen if he were to become a hero of a fantasy novel or something.
This was probably his chance… probably…
[Advanced Art: Drifting Melody!]
He then took a deep breath before dashing towards the first monster,
[First Step!]
He killed three of them.
[Second Step!]
5 more vanished.
[Third Step!]
And finally the rest of them were gone as well.
Luke finally slowed down, appearing right in front of the girl, as he observed her panicked expression.
He gave out a smile, with a heroic expression as he spoke,"it\'s all right. I have kill-"
"GET THE FUCK OUT MY WAY!!"
-POW!!!
[-40 HP]
And that blonde girl wearing a cloak ran away from there, as Luke stayed there and fell on the ground for a few seconds. His mind accelerated as he went through grief -> embarrassment -> sorrow -> grief -> and finally denial.
Quickly standing back up, he dusted himself before running towards the open area of the forest as if nothing ever happened.
"I wonder how long will it take to reach the city," he mumbled as if this incident didn\'t take place. Though the expression of a small red punch on his face more or less betrayed whatever act he was trying to pull.
…
[Location: South of the City: 6 Kilometers from the City!]
The white haired man, Levi, ran as fast as possible towards the safer area of the forest. His mind was in shambles a little, and as he ran a panicked expression appeared on his face.
Though it wasn\'t because of the monsters that were present in that area. But because of a certain man that happened to see him.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Of all the people, why did it have to be him?" Levi ran away from there as fast as possible. He was a non-combatant of his group, with his main skills lying around information gathering and stuff. The fact he met the man that killed Rebas and went tow to tow with their Boss, was really bad news.
"Where are you? Oh my white rabbit!" And the voice of that man, Blake, came from the depth of the forest, disgustingly cheerful as if he were on a hunt.
The tree branches around Levi wriggled before moving towards his direction. Barely dodging them, Levi ran even faster. He knew that he was no match against this monster that could control plants without any efforts, so his best bet was to find one of his teammates before he gets killed as well.
"FOUND YOU!!!" Blake shouted with a maniac laugh, before those branches suddenly grabbed Levi\'s foot, making him trip over and fall on his nose.
The branch slowly lifted Levi up in the air, hanging him upside down, as Blake walked closer to him.
"Boys. Seems like we got our food for tonight," Blake joked as he looked at Levi, while the other dozens of men following Blake smiled. Some smiles were forced while others were genuine.
"Blake. Come on man, we don\'t need to do this. Time is running out for both of us," Levi tried to struggle out of the situation but Blake just laughed at him. He then made a sudden serious expression as if he was thinking something before he spoke,
"All right. I will let you go. But I have a condition."
"Condition?" Levi narrowed his eyes at Blake before he made an evil grin," let me have that long haired bitch. Man, I would love to taste her."
-Spit!
Levi spat on Blake\'s face as he spoke,"how is that for an answer, huh?"
Blake then looked at Levi before speaking,"seems like you chose to die painfully, huh? I will grant that wish of yours then. I will skin you alive until you beg me to kill you."
There was a flare in Blake\'s eyes as he then took out a knife and then moved it towards Levi\'s skin.
"Boss!" One of the men shouted as his voice resounded in the air, stopping Blake in his steps as he looked around. An irritated expression appeared on his face, before it changed into slight horror.
And only then Blake noticed the 100s of red-eyed crows sitting all around him in the forest, all looking in his direction.