Chapter 78

A sudden commotion.

The hunters, who were trying to enjoy a sweet break, rushed out of their tents with wary faces.

“What the hell?!”

“Isn’t there anyone with scouting abilities?!”

If they were ordinary travelers or rookie hunters, it would have taken them a while to grasp the situation, but those gathered here were veterans among the hunters of the Swamp Area.

As soon as they heard the ominous sound, the hunters calmly grabbed their weapons and began to survey their surroundings.

The area near the Swamp Area had long been cleared of dangers due to the frequent comings and goings of hunters, but this place was deep within the Gray Forest.

It was a place where monsters that hadn’t been eliminated yet still roamed, so the chances of their camp being attacked were quite high.

“Trees…?”

After a brief scouting, the veteran hunters identified the source of the commotion and heightened their vigilance.

Moving trees.

Commonly known as Tree Dwellers.

It was strange enough that the gray trees were moving on their own, but the sight of something resembling a face embedded in the trunk of the tree was horrifying.

If the people gathered here weren’t hunters, they would have run away in terror like victims in a horror movie.

But the ones gathered here… were not the kind to do such cowardly things.

“Don’t use fire abilities! If the tents catch fire, we’re in trouble!”

“Sangho, take the lead! I’ll cover you!”

The hunters grouped together and began to engage the tree monsters that were breaking through the outskirts of the camp.

A physically gifted User drew their attention, while hunters with long-range attack abilities targeted their weak points from the rear.

This was the usual role distribution for hunters moving in groups.

Watching the hunters take their positions seamlessly at the outskirts of the camp, Isaac leaned his spear on his shoulder and looked around.

‘No need for me to step forward.’

It would be a crime to disrupt the formation by awkwardly jumping in.

For someone like him, who was used to fighting alone, supporting from the rear was more appropriate.

Having made that judgment, he read the flow of the battlefield.

“Not fighting, huh?”

“And you?”

In response to Isaac’s question, Ina smiled and replied.

“I’m not much use against those giant monsters.”

“Do you know anything about those monsters?”

“Of course.”

Ina pulled out a pair of glasses from somewhere, placed them on the bridge of her nose, and raised her index finger.

Isaac chuckled at her sudden teacher-like demeanor, and Ina’s smile deepened.

“Those Tree Dwellers are usually found deeper inside, not here. Their weakness, as you can see, is fire since they’re moving trees. So if we encounter them in ruins, they’re easy prey… but here, with so many trees, we can’t use fire.

So, cutting or digging out their face, the weak point, is the way to go.”

“Hmm.”

Isaac narrowed his eyes and assessed the situation.

Given their massive size, typical of mutated tree monsters, small weapons would be useless, and the spear he had slung over his shoulder was the only thing that could deal some damage.

‘I roughly know how to handle them.’

Isaac leisurely turned his gaze and walked toward the struggling party. Ina quietly followed behind.

Even though her abilities were useless against the monsters, she still had to show some minimal effort.

“Damn, they’re tough!”

“If only there weren’t so many trees here, we could’ve just burned them all—”

Jeong Mungang, who was starting to be recognized as a mid-tier hunter, gritted his teeth and dodged a whip-like tree branch.

‘Of all people, Kanghee, who has the strongest firepower, can’t use her abilities.’

While they could hold them off, the lack of a finishing move made the situation frustrating. But with no clear way to turn the tide, they needed help from other hunters.

Preferably something that could wrap things up quickly.

‘Sigh, everyone’s busy, so we’ll have to handle this ourselves—’

Just as he was lamenting and trying to steel himself, a long pole flew from behind and pierced the tree monster’s face in an instant.

The spear, flying like an arrow, pierced through the face, and the tree monster writhed in pain.

Soon after, it collapsed to the ground with a cloud of dust.

“Huh.”

“That spear…”

The group, now with some breathing room, turned to look behind them.

“Um, was that unnecessary interference?”

“No, not at all!”

In an instant, Mungang’s group straightened up.

Gray hair.

Brown skin.

A menacing gaze.

‘Ah, Anaconda!’

A member of the Vipers and the most famous man in the Swamp Area recently.

Rumors had it that he single-handedly wiped out the Vipers’ forces.

He was even said to be friends with a hero, so he and his Office had become a well-known spot in the Swamp Area.

‘He’s participating in this operation? What on earth is the Crocodile Bird’s Boss thinking…’

The Vipers are criminals, aren’t they?

Is the situation in the Swamp Area so bad that they need to bring in criminals?

In reality, it was just a request for support from a reliable acquaintance, but Anaconda’s notoriety inevitably led to misunderstandings.

Unaware of this, Isaac pulled his spear from the fallen Tree Dweller and slung it over his shoulder.

“Keep an eye out for more Tree Dwellers.”

Though he said to keep watch, it was more of a suggestion to rest while guarding the empty space.

Mungang accepted Anaconda’s goodwill.

Whether it was genuine goodwill or just annoyance.

Either way, it was a helpful situation for Mungang’s group, so he gladly accepted Isaac’s offer.

“Yes, understood.”

Isaac immediately began assisting the hunters struggling to deal with the Tree Dwellers.

Ina also helped Isaac by rescuing injured hunters or aiding in finishing off the monsters.

Her ability, which was practically useless for attacks, allowed her to pass through anything, meaning she could also pass through the Tree Dwellers’ attacks.

The strategy was to draw the Tree Dwellers’ attention while Isaac threw his spear for a decisive strike.

About an hour later.

Isaac sat on a suitable rock and said.

“It’s over.”

—

The camp was finally cleaned up three hours after all the Tree Dwellers were dealt with.

The hunters gathered to eat a late dinner or midnight snack, chatting and comforting each other for their efforts.

It was both a way to bond and to express gratitude for surviving.

No profession had a shorter lifespan than hunters who risked their lives exploring ruins.

In that atmosphere, Isaac sat on a rock in front of the tent, cleaning his spear.

Having pierced seven Tree Dwellers, the blade was slightly damaged, but unfortunately, there were no tools to sharpen it. So, all he could do was clean it.

“Nice spear.”

“It’s expensive.”

“Being so cold won’t get you any popularity with women.”

“I already have a lover, so does that matter?”

Isaac deliberately avoided looking at Ina as he answered. Mina was probably watching through her abilities right now.

No need to make Mina jealous by accidentally making eye contact with Ina. Some might call it petty, but humans are naturally possessive creatures, so it couldn’t be helped.

Isaac smiled faintly at the thought of Mina.

“So devoted~”

“Stop being so clingy.”

“Having two or three lovers is in vogue these days.”

“Where on earth is that in vogue?”

“The Viper’s Den.”

‘Since when did that place become the standard?’

Isaac snorted at Ina’s bold reply.

“Whatever… fine.”

“You’re so narrow-minded.”

Ina pouted and leaned in closer. Naturally, her ample chest pressed against Isaac’s arm.

It was an obvious seduction, but Isaac calmly pushed her away with repulsion.

“So cold.”

“No reason not to be.”

To Isaac, Ina was always a potential source of instability.

A lawless member of the last remaining faction in the Viper’s Den, the Anacondas.

Given her unpredictable nature, betrayal was always a possibility.

“I thought I gave you some trust.”

“What you gave was a financial burden, not trust. Do you remember how many packs of coffee you’ve consumed?”

“Do you remember how many bowls of rice you’ve eaten?”

“Let’s not go there.”

Isaac covered the spearhead and went into the tent. Ina watched him with moist eyes and sighed.

“Seduction is harder than I thought.”