Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

After some rest and some sleep, I was ready to go again.

"The first phase has been cleared. It will take at least two and a half days before the monsters in the dungeon are refreshed."

Normally, that's the way things work.

If the mana concentration in a certain area of ​​the dungeon is reduced by killing monsters, the dungeon will try to cut off the mana supply from other areas to replenish the cleared parts.

“Then all that’s left is to keep moving forward.”

I still have at least 6 hours to spare, so I want to make the most of it.

"Considering the number of kobolds I hunted, I made about 40,000 Valer."

I figured it out. That's about the amount I borrowed from college.

"But that's after deducting the cost of coming here."

After a moment's calculation of my expenditures, my final gain came to about thirty-five thousand valers.

Even though I had a bracelet that could evade any kind of detection, I still needed to show some loot or it would look suspicious.

A small hunter like me can kill no more than 10 kobolds during this period, in which case they will deduct one thousand to fifteen hundred valer from my loot.

That's fine. However, I also need to buy bullets, potions, clothes, etc. That's why being a hunter is not a free profession.

Hunters are well paid, but also very expensive. They are always risking their lives, so they never skimp on the gear to protect themselves.

"Besides, I can't just use the arrows issued by the academy. Arrows are much more expensive than bullets."

Since arrows need to be made of materials with good magical conductivity, making arrows is very expensive.

Now I had some time, so I started exploring deeper into the forest.

The rain stopped and the air was filled with a fresh smell.

The dense undergrowth became thicker, and the tall trees cast long shadows on the ground. My footsteps were absorbed by the soft moss covering the ground, making almost no sound.

'Rustle'

As I made my way cautiously, I noticed that the atmosphere had changed. It was as if the entire forest was holding its breath. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves disappeared, replaced by an unsettling silence.

Then I heard a low, rhythmic sound, almost like a soft melody. I had never heard anything like it before, and I strained my ears to listen. It seemed to be coming from deep in the forest.

I immediately knew where the sound came from.

"I didn't expect them to try to lead me over."

"The Chanter."

As I mentioned before, they are a monster based on the monkey form and are classified as a Tier 2 intermediate monster.

Despite their physical weakness, they have a distinct power.

"Sonic magic."

They are renowned for their mastery of sound, and their musical abilities are said to have strange effects on those who listen to them. Some hunters have reported being mesmerized by their sounds, losing track of time, and drifting deeper into the forest, never to return.

However, I decided to investigate the source of this strange sound. As I got closer, the sound became louder and clearer.

"From the traces, I'm not their target. I think their attention is focused somewhere else."

From the subtle tracks on the ground and the markings on the trees, I surmised that this area was a patrol area frequently used by these monkey-type monsters.

"But this is obviously not their nest."

Since the traces were relatively vague, I could infer that they were not always active here.

'Melody'

The melody continued to whisper in my ears, quietly trying to mess with my mind. If I was exposed to this sound for too long, I would be confused.

So, I focused my magic power on my ears and blocked the sound wave magic.

"roar!"

The sound turned into the ugly screams of the monsters themselves. I finally saw their true appearance.

"Well... they are barking louder though. Apparently they want to attract someone's attention."

I was pretty confident in my ability to hide, which meant there was probably another group nearby.

I approached the source of the sound carefully, avoiding stepping on any branches or making any noise that might give me away.

As I got closer, I saw a clearing in the forest where the sound was coming from.

Through the dense brush I saw five men standing in the middle of a clearing.

They were well equipped and looked like experienced hunters.

Before them stood the chanters. They swayed to the melody, and the hunters seemed mesmerized by the sound.

"Hmm? Are they pretending to be bewitched by those monsters?"

From their subtle body language, I inferred that a bewitched person would never grip a weapon tightly or tense their muscles.

"A smart choice." It's hard to tell their strength from their appearance, but in this place full of criminals and villains, unnecessary conflict could be deadly.

'roar!'

As the chanters approached, their swaying and melody became more intense. The hunters were clearly ready and began to use their respective skills to counter the monster's attacks.

One Hunter dashed forward, using his swift swordsmanship to slash at the Singer at lightning speed. Another activated his defensive stance, using his skill to summon an impenetrable barrier to protect himself and his teammates.

Although the monsters' agility and sonic attacks were very tricky, the hunters were able to block most of the attacks with their own skills.

They worked well together, effectively making up for each other's weaknesses and taking precise advantage of the Chanter's shortcomings.

The leader of the hunters used an amplification skill that temporarily enhanced his perception. With this sharpened perception, he was able to better predict the chanter's movements and plan a counterattack more effectively.

"Amplification field."

This is a skill I am familiar with, which can enhance the agility and perception of the user and his teammates.

As the battle continued, the hunters constantly adjusted their strategies based on the monster's behavior, using their unique skills to disrupt the singer's attacks and create opportunities to launch powerful attacks.

But this is only what it seems on the surface.

When I watched them fight closely, I quickly discovered their weakness: despite being outnumbered, they didn't conserve their mana, but went all out to try to end the fight quickly.

This strategy is not a bad one, provided they can win quickly.

Unfortunately, they didn't do it.

To make matters worse, their formation was not ideal from the beginning. They basically had four front row soldiers and one back row soldier, but no one tried to protect the back row, which made it difficult for the archers in the rear to find effective shooting opportunities.

"Cover me!"

"Damn it, Adrien! Didn't you see those monsters!"

When tactics and coordination begin to break down, the monsters gain the upper hand.

"Something is approaching..."

'roar!'

Just as the hunters were beginning to collapse, the chanter suddenly released a wave of destructive sound waves, catching them off guard.

“Ahhhh!”

The hunters screamed in pain, the sound waves shook them and made them unstable. The chanter seized this brief weakness and quickly launched an attack on the hunters.

"Well... their attributes are probably between 1.7 and 2.5. In this battle, their attributes were much higher than the enemy, but they failed to coordinate well in this scene, and the team began to gradually collapse."

I saw the battle and came to a conclusion. My gift allows me to see things quickly and grasp the situation immediately, which is very useful in this situation.

"I'll take care of this, cover me!" The hunter who looked like the captain shouted and began to gather magic power.

“Click—whoosh”

Then a wall of dirt rises from the ground. This is a skill commonly used by tank-type professions and can effectively block enemy attacks.

As the earth wall rose from the ground, the hunter captain shouted to his teammates: "I'll hold them off! Cover me!" He stood in front of the earth wall, ready to fight the singer head-on.

The other hunters quickly followed his instructions and formed a defensive formation to protect the archer and let her step back a few steps to find a better attack view. The remaining three hunters tightened their formation and prepared to resist the approaching monster.

However, just as they were preparing to meet the enemy, I noticed that one of their ranks was missing. In the confusion of the battle, one of their number had hastily retreated.

"Coward," I thought to myself. "This is a common behavior many people exhibit when faced with danger."

The Hunter Leader unleashed a powerful attack, using his Amplification Field ability to boost his speed and strength. He rushed at the chanters, engaging them with precise technique.

His teammates also tried their best to cooperate, attacking a few more times when they could, while defending against the monsters' attacks. But these monsters were extremely tenacious, and their sonic attacks became more violent, interfering with the hunters' movements.

"Stay focused! As long as we work together, we can do it!" the captain shouted, cheering up his teammates.

However, the situation was not optimistic, and their fatigue gradually became apparent. The monsters were gradually exhausting their physical strength, and the advantage gradually tilted towards the monsters.

In a moment of desperation, the archer yelled, "I can't find a clear angle to shoot! I need to change my position!"

The leader responded to her request and ordered a retreat. The hunters retreated to the earth wall he had just summoned and regrouped.

"We need to find cover and recover our strength." The captain said breathlessly. "Where's Adrian? Where did he go?"

"He got away in the chaos!" one of the hunters replied, his tone full of frustration.

The captain gritted his teeth, clearly furious, but he knew now was not the time to assign blame. They had to focus on the current situation and find a way to defeat the chanter.

As they took a breather, I noticed the exhaustion and fear in their eyes. They were skilled hunters, but even the best could be pushed to their limits in this world of dangerous monsters and dungeons.

"What a shame. Use better judgement next time."

I thought to myself, I could help them, but that would only make me lose the advantage I had.

"Besides, I don't care whether they live or die."

I don't care about the people here or these monsters.

I'm not a hero out to save the world. I'm standing in this tree for revenge, that's all.

The leader clenched his fists, his eyes full of determination: "Okay, we can do it! Stick to the plan and cover each other. We will definitely get out of here alive!"

His teammates nodded, their fighting spirit rekindled, they gripped their weapons tightly, and prepared for the next round of battle.

But in the end, it was all for naught.

Their fatigue had accumulated too much, and the number of monsters had not decreased to a level they could handle.

"We can't hold on any longer! There are too many monsters!" a hunter shouted in frustration.

"Stick to the plan! We need to regroup and develop a better strategy!" the team leader responded firmly.

Their plan seemed perfect at first, but as the battle continued, it became clear that they were losing.

"Damn it! We can't hold on any longer!" the leader roared, his voice filled with frustration and exhaustion.

One by one, the hunters fell, their bodies unable to bear the strain, their injuries and exhaustion causing them to completely collapse.

The archer did her best to shoot the monster from a distance, but eventually she too was surrounded and lost the ability to resist.

The team's captain fought tenaciously until the last moment, but he also fell before the monster's relentless attack.

When the last hunter fell, the chanters stopped attacking, their bodies swaying to the rhythm, making an eerie sound, as if celebrating their victory.

However, their joy of victory will not last long.

“Everything is ready.”

"Bang!"

With the sound of a gunshot, I officially started the action...