ushernet Chapter 75 Demon Hunt (1)
Chapter 75 Demon Hunt (1)
"I wonder why we were ordered to come here," one man muttered, his voice strained as he clambered over a jagged rock. It wasn't a question directed at anyone in particular, just idle chatter as the team trudged up the inclined road.
"Don't talk," the team leader barked, his tone stern. "Save your breath, or you'll be gasping like a fish before we're halfway up."
Despite the warning, the team members didn't seem inclined to stop their chatter.
"I mean, seriously, why us?" another man asked, wiping sweat off his brow. "As far as I know, this was a direct order from Lord Zephyrion."
"Yeah, I heard that too. Apparently, Lady Rael delivered the message herself," a third chimed in, adjusting the straps of his gear. "Anything coming from her has to be a big deal, right?"
The conversation snowballed from there.
"But if it's a treasure, shouldn't Team A be here instead? I mean, they've got all the glory hogs with the flashy moves. We're, what... Team C? The C must stand for 'Conveniently expendable.'"
"Maybe it's not treasure," someone speculated. "What could be up here anyway? Magic beans? A lost civilization? A particularly scenic view for Zephyrion's scrapbook?"
"Magic beans? Really? If they exist, you can bet Team A's already planted them. And not even in the Poko Mountain and on a plain road."
The team leader groaned, his patience wearing thinner than the soles of their boots.
Without a word, he stepped closer to the last speaker, gave him a swift smack on the head, and scowled at the rest. "Enough. Zip it. We're supposed to be professionals, not a traveling comedy troupe."
For a moment, blessed silence fell over the group—until someone dared to mutter, "I bet Team A never gets smacked on the head."
The team leader shot him a glare that could have melted the snowcaps.
---
Meanwhile, Arlon was making his own preparations. Zephyrion had entrusted him and Arlon the guide with a "secret task", or that was what he said to everyone else.
It would be revealed to everyone if he succeeded in defeating Draco.
Their departure from Kelta was uneventful, save for the curious stares directed at the carriage.
Most passersby wisely decided not to ask questions. The Sentinel's Legacy Set worn by the copy likely played a part—it wasn't every day you saw gear like that walking casually through the streets.
The copy carried a random sword that Arlon had used during a past tournament. Though it wasn't legendary, it was more than sufficient for the Named Monsters they would face.
The road to Akise City was well-trodden, but its destination promised danger.@@@@
Situated close to Kelta, Akise was a natural vantage point for monitoring movements in and out of the larger city.
It made sense that Draco would position himself nearby, watching and waiting like a predator lurking just beyond sight.
---
The first was a hulking beast, over three meters tall, with the appearance of a minotaur and the agility of a panther.
Arlon didn't even use Eyes of K****. Even before he was level 100, he could kill these Named Monsters, and now he even had his copy on his side.
It was much better to kill the Named Monster before it could alert anyone else.
It roared as Arlon's copy struck first, its Sentinel's Legacy armor glowing faintly. The battle was brutal but quick—Arlon's strength and his copy's coordination overwhelmed the monster.
As the beast fell, a voice reverberated in Arlon's mind:
"The player Arlon has slain the Named Monster 'Thalgar the Ironhide.'"
This time, the enemy wouldn't be informed.
Arlon smirked, One down. Four to go.
---
The second was a serpentine creature that slithered between the mansion's pillars, venom dripping from its fangs. Arlon cast a quick glance at his copy.
"You take the left. I'll flank it," he whispered.
The copy nodded, moving to distract the monster while Arlon dashed in with precision strikes.
The battle ended when Arlon drove his sword through the creature's skull, its body collapsing with a final hiss.
"The player Arlon has slain the Named Monster 'Zirath the Venomous Coil.'"
The third, a shadowy assassin-type Keldar, tried to ambush them in a dimly lit corridor. Its speed rivaled Arlon's, but it underestimated the strength of his copy. Together, they cornered it, striking simultaneously.
"The player Arlon has slain the Named Monster 'Silt the Whisperblade.'"
The fourth and fifth Named Monsters were fought in tandem in the mansion's grand hall: a ferocious wolf-like creature with lightning-infused claws and a flame-wielding berserker.
The copy took on the berserker, Sentinel armor deflecting fiery strikes, while Arlon methodically dismantled the wolf with precision.
Once the wolf fell, Arlon joined his copy, finishing the berserker in a coordinated attack.
"The player Arlon has slain the Named Monster 'Fyrak the Stormfang.'"
"The player Arlon has slain the Named Monster 'Gornath the Firebringer.'"