Chương 578: Two Kings on Top

Luke sprinted through the forest. Something snapped toward him, and he dodged to the side. A massive tongue. He swung at it, but it recoiled and vanished. Another lashed at him. He sidestepped and struck something invisible. The creature hissed as it died. [You have slain a Camouflaged Lizard – Lvl 55] 42, 745 IP earned This part of the forest was half-flooded. Luke struck the trees as he ran, knocking loose more invisible lizards that fell dead at his feet.

[You have slain a Camouflaged Lizard – Lvl 55] 41, 993 IP earned [You have slain a Camouflaged Lizard – Lvl 55] 42, 645 IP earned [You have slain a Camouflaged Lizard – Lvl 55] 42, 333 IP earned Another tongue whipped toward him, and he finished the job. [You have slain a Camouflaged Lizard – Lvl 55] 42, 274 IP earned He made his way up a hillside and climbed to the top.

"Great," he muttered. In the distance lay a ruined city, its bricks tinted green with moss and bits of coral embedded throughout. Selmarines infested some sections, and the most strategic paths, bridges, choke points, were already occupied by organized groups. Luke studied one of them from afar. I thought they'd tear each other apart, but no. Real groups formed. For three days he'd been doing nothing but running. Staying put to kill whoever crossed his path wasn't worth it.

All it took was one unlucky fracture, a leg, a rib, and someone else would finish the job. The moment I set foot in that city, they'll know. The orange bracelet revealed his location once per day after noon. Soon it would show him for four hours straight. I need to secure the last skill in this zone before moving on.

Sitting by a small fire, Luke chewed a strip of lizard meat while another piece sizzled over the flames. He studied the marks he'd drawn in the dirt, mapping the route ahead. The distance to the next zone was long. It would take days on foot. And he'd have to stop eventually, eat, rest, sleep. He was only one person. The rest of the island was against him. He might be superhuman, but even he couldn't outrun an entire island forever. Tomorrow my location will be visible for five hours. Then six. And so on.

Eventually I'll be glowing on the damn map for fifteen hours a day, and that's when I'm dead. If not for that problem, he could've simply moved through the wilderness unnoticed while everyone else slaughtered each other. But now he was essentially a winning lottery ticket walking around. Everyone wanted him.

"My Stealth skill is useless now," he said. Removing the bracelet from his wrist, he prepared for another test.

Hidden in the brush, he watched a man creeping through the trees.

"I'm close. I know I am," the stranger whispered to himself. He rushed forward and crouched in the grass, lifting a wand. A shimmering blue rope formed overhead and launched toward the spot where Luke should've been.

"I'm over here," Luke said, and with a single motion cut the man down using his dagger. [You have slain a Human...] 2, 907, 006 IP earned He slipped through the brush and retrieved a bracelet from another corpse he'd propped upright in a chair beside a campfire. Without lingering, Luke bolted through the forest before more hunters arrived. Test complete. The tracker is the bracelet itself. They can't tell if it's on me… or lying on the ground.

Several skill chests fell from the sky. Luke sprinted toward one. He needed something like [Shadow Dive] or even [Witch's Thread] to move faster through the city ruins. Wouldn't mind pulling a Teleport Pentagram. That'd be nice. Others were ahead of him.

"If any of you touch that chest, I swear I'll—" the man shouted, right before Luke dropped from a tree and drove a dagger into his skull.

"Shut up already," Luke muttered. [You have slain a Human…] 2, 001, 333 IP earned Four more were fighting nearby. Luke drew an arrow and dropped one of them instantly. [You have slain a Human…] 1, 643, 783 IP earned He charged toward the two wearing armor.

"No, wait, you can have the chest—" one of them started, but Luke kicked him into a tree and stabbed him repeatedly until he went still.

"Nice machete," Luke said, pulling it from the man's sheath. He dashed toward the last armored fighter, an archer. Arrows whistled at him. He slipped past them and cut the man's leg out from under him. The archer screamed as he fell, and Luke answered with a kick to the face. The final participant was almost opening the chest when arrows slammed into his back and leg. He tumbled forward. Luke stepped on his head and finished him with the machete.

The kill notifications blinked, but he ignored them and opened the chest. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. [Skill Chest found!]"Come on, hurry, hurry…" [Three skills will be randomly selected from your skill history. You may choose one of the options shown.] [Skills selected! You may only hold two skills during this island zone. Choose wisely!]"Give me something good," Luke muttered.

"You gave another assassin a damn revolver. You owe me." [Three Skills Available. Choose One.] When the list appeared, Luke couldn't stop himself.

"Ah, you fucking bastard." [Predator's Mark (Rare)]: When you mark your prey, your focus locks onto them with unyielding precision. No matter where they run, as long as they remain within your hunting grounds, you will find them. If they slip beyond your perception and they're bleeding, you can track them more easily, guided by instinct alone. All damage dealt to a marked target is increased, and you gain bonus experience for killing a marked enemy, especially if they are above your class level.

Your predatory mark remains until the prey is eliminated or the effect expires. [Vegetal Respiration (Common)]: You begin exchanging gases through your skin and external tissues, similar to plants. While remaining still or under natural light, your oxygen consumption drops drastically, allowing your body to sustain itself with minimal respiratory effort. [Twin Blade (Common)]: A skilled assassin never wastes an attack.

When throwing a knife, it splits mid-air, creating a duplicate that follows the same path, doubling your chance to hit. Everyone else gets firestorms, flight, revolvers, arrows heavy enough to crack stone… and I get this. Would it kill the system to give me Demonic Predator Hands just once? He made his choice. [You have unlocked the skill: Predator's Mark] It'll be useful eventually. Luke started moving away, but paused when he sensed movement.

"I've seen you coming," he said. Brush shifted.

"Since when?" It was the archer he'd crossed paths with before.

"Since I arrived," Luke answered.

"Your name is Ivor, right?"

"It is," Ivor replied.

"You don't have the bracelet."

"Yes, I do. Just not on my wrist." A quiet moment passed.

"So," Luke asked, "are we starting this or not? The whole trying-to-kill-each-other thing?"

"I'll earn my own bracelet either way. I'm at the top of the rankings. Taking yours now would be stupid. I'd paint a target on my back," Ivor said, turning away.

"You should get rid of that thing. You could advance with your points." Luke watched him walk.

"You wanted to hunt Yut, didn't you? Why?"

"He tried to kill me the moment I arrived. And I hold grudges."

"Fair." Ivor disappeared into the trees. Luke considered him for a moment, then called out:"Got a few minutes to talk?"

Luke sprinted through the forest, weaving between half-collapsed houses as arrows sliced past him. Rain hammered down, turning everything slick and loud. He reached a chest, flipped it open, and froze.

"Boots? You've gotta be kidding me." He snatched them anyway. Something whistled past his ear. Luke dodged aside as a chunk of stone the size of a boulder obliterated a house behind him.

"But I almost hit you!" Yut's voice echoed from the top of a tall structure.

"Guess I'll just try again!" He wound his arm back like a baseball pitcher and hurled another slab. It tore through the air, shearing branches as it went. Luke dove into a house, crashed through the window, and ran. The next impact shook the ground, collapsing the walls behind him. Some kind of super-throw. Moments later, glowing spheres arced out of the forest and exploded near him, sending fragments and dirt everywhere. He ran faster. The village ended at a narrow wooden bridge.

"This is for the Father!" someone yelled and cut the bridge's ropes. Luke sprinted, leapt, grabbed the far edge, and pulled himself up.

"Looks like you can't follow me now!" he called back, just in time to see a massive man hurl a log across the gap, punch it midair, and collapse it into a makeshift bridge.

"What? That's cheating," Luke muttered, bolting again. A builder-type skill. Wonderful. The hunters swarmed after him. His location was public, everyone on the island knew exactly where he was. A massive stone sphere rolled through the forest behind him, pulverizing trees. It suddenly shifted, unfolding into a man who lunged to punch him. Luke ducked. The armored man crashed down in front of him and raised his fists.

"You won't get lucky like you did with Brother Gabri—" An arrow cracked against his helmet, and Luke swept in, slicing the back of the man's leg. The warrior fell, shouting, and his body erupted in stone. He curled into a boulder and rolled away down the slope.

"Where'd you go? Thought I wasn't supposed to get lucky," Luke called, already running again. He slid down a steep embankment, mud spraying everywhere. A tidal wave roared above him, but the water was boiling, thick with steam.

"You guys really don't hold back on the special effects!" He kept running. Five straight hours he spent fleeing anyone who crossed his path. A massive group had formed specifically to hunt him. Hidden high in a tree, he watched dozens of torchlights pass below. This whole region was crawling with people. At least a hundred. All working together. One of them belonged to the Father's group. Luke used the power of the [Predator's Mark] on him. He struck the man earlier, and now he could track him perfectly.

For a few more hours he shadowed the group, keeping a safe distance. It didn't take long to confirm it: the Thai fighters had joined forces with the Father's people. Luke slipped away. From a rooftop overlooking the ruined city, he caught sight of a flicker of chaotic color inside one of the buildings. Looks like someone's getting slaughtered in there. He had no idea how many were still alive on the island, but every single one of them had received the same notification: hunt him down. Ivor had confirmed it.

Even if there were a thousand participants left, most would be waiting for Luke in the city. The "border" to the third zone. Everyone who had already given up on scoring points in the massacre event would be there too, hoping to kill him instead. I could ditch the bracelet. Or hide at the bottom of that flooded abyss. He considered it for a moment. They'd still find me at the abyss. The bracelet broadcasts my position. And if I get rid of it… Then he'd be forced to grind in the kill-event again.

The leaderboard flickered into view. User Rankings! These are the participants with the highest point totals and therefore the greatest chance of winning the challenge! 1st Place: Ivor Aaberg — 137, 588, 734 pts (Bracelets: 4) 2nd Place: Yut Saeten — 131, 331, 478 pts (Bracelets: 4) 3rd Place: Gregory Brown — 118, 789, 611 pts (Bracelets: 4) 4th Place: Madison Sullivan — 116, 444, 874 pts (Bracelets: 4) 5th Place: Luke Moon — 115, 897, 451 pts (Bracelets: 5) Before long, someone's going to overtake me.

Sixth through tenth place, though… completely unknown. Pure luck. No. Best plan is keeping the bracelet and saving my strength for the final challenge. All I need to do is reach the third zone before the rest and start exploring. That was the real advantage this mission had handed him: a chance to roam an entire zone alone, gather resources, skill chests, whatever he wanted. Plan A or Plan B? He made his choice.

Luke passed through the cavern where he'd once found the lake full of river crabs, then continued deeper until familiar stone swallowed the light. The cave where he'd left Zoe. One-in-a-million chance she's still here… but maybe my luck finally flips. He moved toward the narrow opening, then froze at the sound of footsteps in the brush.

"Don't move. Lift a finger and I'll put an arrow through your skull," a voice warned. Luke slowly raised both hands and turned toward the man.

"Hello, Elijah. Looks like we meet again."

"…You?"

"Zoe. Is she here?"