146 Grinding (2)
...
Leo’s body tensed, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he quickly scanned the faces of the other guild members, noticing their confusion as well.
“Why do you think I’m him?”
Leo spoke to the leader, with a bone blade extending from his elbow. By now, he had some control over his bones, but it was far from perfect. Each time his bone blades grew larger, he felt pain, but it did not cost him any HP.
Leo was relatively resistant to pain, and he didn’t flinch as his blade came into view of the guild members of ‘Cross’.
He noticed some of the players flinching while others summoned their weapons. Leo could see some orcs and elves among the group, but it was mostly composed of demons and humans. He assumed that there were also some dwarfs in the group, but they were likely blacksmiths working on equipment back at their guild headquarters.
“The spell you used to kill the Sirens, I’ve only seen one player use it before.”
Before the situation could escalate into a fight, Robin’s authoritative voice echoed through the area, as he gestured for his guild members to conceal their weapons.
‘...’
.....
Leo also retracted his bone blades, cursing himself for using his Shadow Blast to kill the Sirens. He cast a quick glance towards Robin and gave a small nod.
“You are right, I am that ‘Unknown player’. I’m sure you are aware that my services come at a high cost... Do you still want my assistance?”
As soon as his identity was revealed, Leo noticed a subtle shift in the way the players were looking at him. They were still aware of his presence, but the caution and wariness they previously held towards him seemed to have dissipated.
Even though their weapons were sheathed, Leo was aware that they could be drawn and equipped at a moment’s notice, should the players wish to do so.
Leo was confident in his ability to defend himself against the group of 30 players, but he was uncertain about the true battle power of the guild leader, Robin. He sensed that if he were to engage in a fight with the entire guild, he may have to reveal some of his secret spells that had not yet been seen by the public.
Leo was bothered by the fact that his new appearance was now known to the entire ‘Cross’ guild, and he couldn’t help but curse the bone blades that protruded from his elbows.
‘I wish I could completely retract them...’
Leo was a mage and even though his race was suited for close combat, at his current level, his bone blades were of little use to him.
Leo looked at Robin, who was deep in thought, scratching his chin and his guild members who were staring at him with suspicion. He let out a sigh.
‘Come out...’
Suddenly, a black wolf materialized before the group, its lower jaw slightly dropped, revealing its razor-sharp teeth designed to tear through the flesh of any creature alive.
Fenrir, the giant black wolf, has become a symbol of the Unknown Player, and Leo was well aware of this fact. He had read all the information about himself on the forums, including the tips on how to recognize him, one of which was his companion, the black wolf.
Leo patted the giant head of Fenrir, causing the wolf to lower its head as if asking for more. He was well aware that by summoning the wolf, he had confirmed his identity, and knew that negotiations would soon be concluded.
“...Yes, I’d like to hire you after all.”
After a few minutes of contemplating, Robin nodded in agreement, eliciting a smirk from Leo. He quickly handed Robin a blank sheet of paper, requesting that he put down his conditions for the cooperation.
To those watching, Leo’s eyes remained unblinking as he spoke, while Robin kept frowning and scratching his chin in deep thought. The members of the ‘Cross’ guild were surprised to see their leader being led in the conversation, especially when it came to the sensitive topic of the guild’s funds, which he was known to be very sensitive about.
In the end, the two men shook hands, with Leo taking care not to accidentally detach Robin’s wrist with his blades, and signed the papers.
Leo felt the amount of gold coins in his possession increase and a smile spread across his face. He was getting closer to his goal of becoming a billionaire. He knew that in the future, money would be especially important, especially after the ‘assimilation’.
Leo took out a loaf of bread and gestured for Robin and the members of ‘Cross’ to follow him, leading them closer to the lake.
Splash...
He threw the first bread into the water and waited until it disappeared beneath the surface.
“What I was hunting here were Sirens. They are creatures with the upper body of a human female and a fish tail, covered in glistening scales. These monsters are typically beyond the capabilities of players of our level to defeat, but luckily, they have a few weaknesses that can be exploited...”
Leo spoke, and although he felt somewhat uncomfortable with everyone gathered around him in a circle, he continued to speak nonetheless.
“First of all, their bodies are highly resilient, and won’t take much damage, but that can be bypassed by using true damage skills or spells, which I doubt any of you have access to. Sirens also cannot survive outside of water, so luring them out and dealing damage on land would count as a kill if they die without water. Additionally, these monsters are addicted to bread, for some inexplicable reason. So, like I did, you can throw loaves of bread closer and closer to the shore until the creature emerges from the lake”
As he scanned the group, Leo noticed understanding in their eyes and nodded in approval.
“I recommend purchasing earplugs! The Sirens can use their songs to mind control you”
Deciding to show them how to do it, Leo took another loaf of bread out of his inventory. He tossed it into the water, before turning to Robin.
“Tell everyone to cover their ears...”
Soon, Leo felt vibrations passing through the ground, signaling that the Siren’s song had begun. Thankfully, none of the players around him were affected and he could continue throwing bread until a fish-like monster lunged out of the lake.
Thud...
With a loud sound, it landed on the sandy shore, but its movements were impaired, making it nothing more than an easy target for Leo and ‘Cross’ guild.
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~~~~
Leo turned his masked face towards the players, gesturing for them to remove their hands covering their ears.
“Any questions?”
Leo asked and at that moment, Leo felt a Fenrir, who was inside his tattoo, asking him about the ‘special dish’ he promised to give him when they returned from hell. Leo chose to ignore his pet’s request for the moment, as he wanted to ensure that there were no misunderstandings and that the members of the ‘Cross’ guild wouldn’t try to do something stupid, like dive into the lake.
Leo noticed a few hands being raised in the group and gestured for the girl at the front to speak. She had light green hair and pointy ears, indicating that she was an elf. He saw a quiver on her back and guessed that she was an archer. Judging by her equipment, he could see that she was well-prepared.
“Aside from their song that could control one’s mind, do the Sirens possess any other skills or spells?”
The elf’s calm and composed demeanor made Leo suspect that she was one of the core members or at least someone of importance within the Cross guild. Her question was logical and it caught Leo’s interest, as he could see her yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Leo quickly scanned his memories, trying to recall any information about an archer within the Cross guild. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t remember anything about a green-haired archer being within the guild.
‘Wait...’
Leo’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the quiver hanging from her back. The tips of her arrows looked sharp, as if they had never been used before or bought just recently.
Leo noticed that her hands were smooth, with no calluses or signs of her releasing an arrow, and he couldn’t help but smirk.
‘Interesting...’
Leo did indeed know someone within the Cross guild who had green hair, but she was not an archer...
She was an earth mage who had buried an entire city full of players and NPCs, because a single player within the territory had killed her guild member!
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