Chapter 42

“…What?”

“Think about it. We’re the strongest team among the pioneers right now, aren’t we?”

“That’s true.”

“If we’re struggling this much with the gnolls, how do you think the others will fare?”

The realization dawned on his teammates instantly.

The other groups had been less diligent in leveling up. If they tried to challenge the gnolls too soon, they’d be walking into certain death.

While everyone else remained stuck hunting hobgoblins, Justin’s team would be harvesting gnolls—widening the gap between them exponentially.

Their eyes lit up as the potential advantages became clear. But he wasn’t finished yet.

“And it’s not just about snowballing our lead—look at the rewards.”

Opening his inventory, Justin pulled out a magic stone that shimmered with a deep purple hue.

〈Amethyst Magic Stone〉

• Category: Trade Item
• Description: A magic stone harvested from the heart of a beast-type monster. A ferocious energy stirs within. Each stone is worth the equivalent of five standard magic stones when sold in shops.

“Each of these is worth five regular stones!?”

His teammates stared at the glowing stone in disbelief.

“We killed six gnolls, and I’ve got six of these. Every single one’s an amethyst.”

“Are you serious!? That means we just earned 30 stones from a single fight!”

With hobgoblins, they needed at least six battles to earn that much. Against gnolls, a single fight yielded the same reward. Considering gnoll packs typically consisted of four or more monsters, even a bad run would net them at least twenty stones per encounter.

“So, how’s that for motivation?”

There was no verbal answer, but their eyes said it all—burning with greed and determination.

Suppressing a grin, Justin raised his voice.
“Alright, let’s get rich!”

They encountered six more groups of gnolls.

Each pack contained five to six monsters, but none posed any real danger. Most were taken down before they even reached the group, and those that got close were swiftly dealt with in one-on-one engagements.

Thwack!
“How many amethyst stones have we collected so far?”

Derek finished off another gnoll and turned to Justin eagerly. He had clearly developed a taste for wealth.

While draining the last gnoll’s energy with Energy Drain, Justin responded,
“Forty so far.”

“That’s equivalent to 200 standard magic stones…!”

“Which means 50 each if we split it evenly!”

The smiles on everyone’s faces were wide and genuine. Their minds were already racing with what they could buy. Their previous earnings had mostly gone toward food and necessities, leaving them broke after every hunt. But now, they could finally afford luxuries.

“I don’t know whether to save up or start spending immediately…”

“I think I’ll fix up my house first. My parents are really stressed about how bad it’s gotten.”

“Maybe I’ll get a new shield. Something sturdier to go with my hammer.”

As they discussed their plans, an eerie sound suddenly reached Justin’s ears.

Rustle.
Swish… Swish…

His smile faded.
Something—or someone—was nearby.

What’s that?

A crawling sensation crept up Justin’s spine as he felt something slithering toward them from below the plains. Only then did he realize something strange—the grass around them was unusually long.

If a human crouched down, they’d disappear from sight. For something the size of a gnoll, hiding wouldn’t be a problem at all.

His eyes sharpened as he scanned the area, gripping his staff tightly.
“Everyone, prepare for an ambush. Something’s coming.”

“Ambush?!”

The fear in his teammates’ voices was immediate. Until now, monsters had always been on the receiving end of ambushes—never initiating them. But it made sense if he thought about it.

In the game, monsters often ambushed players. Gnolls, designed to be cunning like hyenas, would naturally do the same here.

“Damn it, are you serious?”
“Doesn’t matter. Better to be ready than caught off guard.”
“Yeah… There’s definitely something moving out there…”

Rustle. Swish.

The faint noise grew louder. Whatever was creeping toward them had realized its ambush had failed and was no longer bothering to stay hidden.

Moments later, a massive shadow rose from the grass ahead.

“What the hell is that?!”
“It’s huge!”

Derek and Nathan gawked at the towering figure before them.

It resembled a gnoll but was easily twice the size. Standing nearly 2.5 meters tall, the monster bared its teeth in a vicious snarl, looking down on them with predatory glee.

“Grghrrr…”

“Gnoll Warrior…”

Ethan swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. A field boss—the strongest type of gnoll in existence—had just appeared before them.

“KRAAAAARGH!”

Whoosh!

With a furious roar, the Gnoll Warrior lunged at Ethan, swinging a massive fist.

Startled, Ethan barely raised his shield in time.

BANG!
“Kuhk!”

Air rushed out of his lungs as the force of the blow sent him flying. Even with the shield absorbing the brunt of the impact, he couldn’t withstand the raw power behind the strike.

Before the creature could advance, Derek immediately filled the gap.
“You bastard!”

He charged in, the hammer raised high, and brought it crashing down on the monster’s arm.

Thud.
“What the hell?!”

The hammer struck the gnoll’s arm with a sickening thud—but instead of breaking, the weapon bounced off harmlessly.

The Gnoll Warrior howled in rage and retaliated with another crushing punch.

BOOM!
“Gah!”

Derek barely managed to block with his hammer, avoiding a direct hit. But the force still sent him flying, crashing into the ground next to Ethan.

The monster, meanwhile, casually scratched at its arm, showing no signs of damage. It wasn’t even bruised—at worst, it had felt a mild sting.

“Kihihihi!”
“Kyahaha!”

“Around us!”

Nathan’s panicked voice made Justin whip his head around.

Surrounding them were ten gnolls, each stepping out from the tall grass, grinning like predators who had just cornered their prey.

In the face of this overwhelming situation, Ethan struggled to his feet, his voice hoarse but determined.
“Run…! Go now!”

“B-but what about you guys?!”

“We’ll be fine! Just go! Hurry!”

“I can’t leave you!”

“Cough—kuhk!”

Derek coughed violently, too weak from the earlier blow to speak.

The surrounding gnolls slowly advanced, clearly savoring their imminent victory. Ethan tightened his grip on his shield and sword and leaned in close to Justin.
“Justin, please… Save Nathan. We’ll buy you some time…”

“Dual Enhancement – Black Missile.”

《Skill [Black Missile] has been enhanced with [Dual Enhancement].》
《All damage will be doubled for this cast.》

Before Ethan could finish speaking, Justin was already channeling his magic, aiming straight for the Gnoll Warrior’s head.

“Black Missile.”

BOOM.