Chapter Thirteen: The Player

Mission Name: [Potential Enemies]
Objective: Eliminate two players from the Animal Subdivision
Rewards: Contribution Points, Credit Points
Description: The Chief Guardian of the Monster Tree has suffered harassment from players. Wishing for greater peace in the forest, it deeply resents their intrusion. Unable to leave the Forest Supply Post, it hopes you can lend some assistance.
[Hint: This is not a peaceful scenario. Initiating attacks against non-Foundation players will not increase your infamy.]

…
“Are you ready?”
“Ready!”

Ember, who had just acquired an active skill and a Plant Partner Enhancer, was equally eager for a thrilling battle with other players. Last time, he had abandoned his plan to take down "Rain Tomorrow" after careful consideration. Though it had ultimately profited him, there was a lingering sense of regret. This time, Ember would not hold back; especially with the Chief Guardian joining the fray, there was no reason to hesitate. The prospect of earning Contribution and Credit Points further fueled his fighting spirit.

It wasn’t Sword Immortal who was itching for action—he hadn’t let excitement cloud his judgment. His eyes flickered as he devised a plan, then shared his thoughts with Ember and the Chief Guardian.

“Good, let's do it this way!”
“Excellent idea. I’ll cooperate fully.”

With the Chief Guardian readily agreeing, Sword Immortal immediately pulled Ember toward a nearby fork in the road. According to the map, this path led not only to Wolf Valley but could also be used to circle around into the River Domain. His goal was simple: have the Chief Guardian hold off the two players as long as possible, while he and Ember flanked them from behind, trapping them in a pincer attack and cutting off any chance of escape.

Being able to share vision with the Chief Guardian made the operation significantly smoother.

The two players who had just crossed the Corrosive Creek had no inkling that a deadly hunt was silently closing in around them.

…
“Hey, give me another Sweet Tree Fruit. This damned river is such a hassle—crossing it once costs me five health points.”

The irritable tone betrayed the speaker’s foul mood, and the player he addressed could only swallow his frustration and hand over one of his few remaining fruits.

“What’s wrong, not happy?”
“No, I wouldn’t dare.”

“You dare to talk back to me? Clearly, you’re not pleased.” The player munching the fruit snorted. “Listen, I don’t care how unhappy you get. If you want your pay, you’d better keep your mouth shut. The Thunder Guild won’t miss you if you leave, but you’d better think carefully about the consequences if you quit.”

“Yes…”

Despite being berated so harshly, the player named Lu Renjia could only nod meekly in agreement.

He had little choice. Pressed by life’s hardships, he kept his test qualification rather than selling it and joined the well-paying Thunder Guild. However, during his first trial, a dispute broke out with a high-ranking guild member over a piece of equipment that rightfully belonged to him. Though he ultimately used the equipment to achieve a good evaluation, he became ostracized within the guild.

Even after the guildmaster, Duke Thunder, mediated, the grudge remained. By another twist of fate, for the second trial, he was again paired with a high-level Thunder member—this one particularly displeased with him and constantly bullied him along the way. Yet, unwilling to give up his salary and fearful of Thunder’s tyranny, Lu Renjia could only endure, suppressing all grievances inside.

Seeing Lu Renjia’s suppressed anger, Thunderbolt sneered inwardly. He was exploiting Lu’s timidity, pressing him to make sure he’d behave and not get any funny ideas.

“Let’s go. We’ve rested enough. When the fighting starts, remember to stay sharp.”

There was a warning in Thunderbolt’s gaze; Lu Renjia could only nod silently. He knew “stay sharp” meant he would have to take the hits while the other reaped the rewards.

Sigh…

Must I really put up with this humiliation?

No point dwelling on it now—better to finish the mission first.

Lu Renjia and Thunderbolt had taken on an extremely difficult task: to eliminate the Chief Guardian of the Monster Tree. The Chief’s strength was on par with a reinforced juvenile Terror Wolf, but unlike the wolf, it hadn’t been weakened. Thus, they had also received extra help from the quest giver. Their earlier retreat was entirely due to poor preparation; they had been caught off guard and battered by the Chief Guardian, losing all hope of victory.

Having been thoroughly intimidated by the Chief Guardian, Thunderbolt decided to cross the river again to restock at the Forest Supply Post and boost their combat power—a detour that cost them valuable time.

“With these three Explosive Fruit Bombs, we should have it in the bag. But the price is outrageous—eight hundred credits each! I didn’t even spend that much on skill chips. Robbery!”

Hearing Thunderbolt’s complaints, Lu Renjia pursed his lips. He’d paid for two of those three bombs himself. He had planned to save up for the “Enhanced Will Shield” skill chip from "Shepherd Boy," but now he’d have to postpone his purchase yet again.

He couldn’t help but reconsider whether staying with Thunder Guild was a good idea…

Returning to the familiar spot, the two players heightened their vigilance. Thunderbolt fished a strange black flute from his backpack, but instead of playing it, he stuck it into the ground. Suddenly, a breeze swept by, causing the flute to emit a ghostly hum. The surrounding forest trees began to sway, releasing waves of shadowy mist toward the flute.

The black earth where the flute was planted began to bulge, and as more shadows poured from the flute, the mound grew larger.

Watching this, Thunderbolt was thrilled. He foresaw this trial bringing him far greater rewards than the last, all thanks to the fool beside him and that special weapon. Without them, he would never have qualified for the follow-up quest to eliminate the Chief Guardian—let alone received such a powerful summoning tool in advance.

“Come forth!”

At his command, the swollen mound burst open, and four reinforced juvenile Shadow-Eating Bugs erupted from the ground.

The aggressive, red-eyed bugs immediately targeted the two nearby players. But Thunderbolt calmly tossed a branch into their midst, distracting the bugs into devouring it. Once the branch was gone, they ignored the players entirely and charged toward the source of the branch’s scent—the Chief Guardian.

“Ha! Let’s go! Even if I blow myself up, I’ll blast that tree to splinters this time!”

Thunderbolt roared with laughter. With four bugs, each boasting twenty health points, he was confident of defeating the Chief Guardian and completing the side quest. Lu Renjia was still useful—if anything went wrong, he could be used as a shield to ensure Thunderbolt’s own escape.

Buoyed by this surge of confidence, Thunderbolt strode forward with renewed vigor, dragging the conflicted Lu Renjia through the dense shadows toward another confrontation with the Chief Guardian.

“Oh! It’s you two mad humans again, and this time you’ve brought four damned bugs! So you really are the ones sent by that Cursed Fox to kill me!” The Chief Guardian’s face filled with hatred. The two players, returning with reinforcements, posed a genuine threat to its life. Just as it had enlisted Ember and his companion against the wolves, now its nemesis, the Cursed Fox, had sent forbidden tools to destroy it.

The Shadow-Eating Bugs were ecological scourges of the Shadowed Forest, born of darkness and impossible to fully eradicate. Some crazed figures in the forest had studied them, discovering methods to summon and control the bugs, but this caused severe damage to the forest’s vegetation and was strictly forbidden by the Gardeners.

Yet, just as the Terror Wolves often broke the rules, those madmen did so in secret as well—the Cursed Fox among them.

Seeing the four bugs, the Chief Guardian immediately realized whose handiwork this was and its face darkened.

“Scared now? Where’s that arrogance from before?” Thunderbolt sneered as the bugs surrounded the Chief Guardian. He quickly ordered Lu Renjia into battle, knowing that the bugs alone weren’t enough to take down the Chief. He needed Lu Renjia—or more precisely, Lu’s special weapon.

Just thinking of that weapon’s power made Thunderbolt burn with greed, but it was bound to Lu Renjia, leaving him only envy.

“What are you waiting for? Get in there!”

Seeing the Chief Guardian swinging its thick branches, battering the bugs and dominating the field, Lu Renjia was loath to risk his life up close. But Thunderbolt’s roar left him no choice. Bracing himself, he rushed into the Chief Guardian’s range and pulled from his coat a reversed crucifix adorned with a skull.

Anomalous Weapon!

The Skull Cross was an anomalous weapon! That was why the Thunder Guild’s higher-ups had been willing to fall out with Lu Renjia over it.

Like Ember’s [Voracious Appetite of the Living Softbody], the requirements to use this anomalous weapon were extremely strict: the wielder needed a perception level of five. Coincidentally, Lu Renjia’s innate talent was perception. Near the end of the previous trial, he’d desperately reached level three and poured all key stat points into perception. Only after completing the side quest and leveling up again did he finally gain the required stat to equip armor.

The Skull Cross’s potent effect was worth any sacrifice.

[Prompt: Do you wish to consume 50% of your maximum health and sanity to activate the anomalous weapon skill “Blood Sacrifice”? The target’s health and willpower must both exceed level five to be immune. For five minutes after activation, your health and sanity cannot be restored, regardless of success.]

Yes!

[Prompt: “Blood Sacrifice” activated. Checking… check successful. Target’s willpower does not exceed level five.]
[Prompt: For the next ten seconds, the target “Chief Guardian of the Monster Tree” will have its attack and defense each reduced by one level, attack speed reduced by ten percent, and movement speed reduced by fifteen percent.]