Chương 34: A Lie Worth a Thousand Axes

Ch 34 - A Lie Worth a Thousand Axes [You have slain Snuk, Champion of the Ironhorn Tribe.] [Chaos +20] [Reaper of Chaos: Harvest Mask has been triggered.] [Enemies slain by the Reaper have a chance to leave behind a Mask.] [Equip a harvested Mask to perfectly assume the target's appearance, voice, and aura.] [You have successfully harvested your second Mask.] [Mask Obtained: Snuk - The Champion of the Ironhorn Tribe.] [Chaos +10] Jester checked the rewards he had earned after successfully killing the Bullkin, and yes, it looked like his gamble had paid off. He had obtained the mask, along with a weapon as well. He actually wasn't sure whether using higher Chaos to kill with Chaos Reaping would increase the chance of the Harvest Mask triggering or not. That still hadn't been proven so far, but at the very least, it had been enough to kill the Bullkin in a single strike.

Then again, if he failed to kill it with this skill, the Harvest Mask would not even have a chance to trigger at all. Besides, the Beastkin had already been badly wounded. Someone powerful had already dealt heavy damage to him, and with Fang's help as well, things had become much easier. He then checked his inventory again, where the new weapon was waiting for him. Honestly, this thing was a little ridiculous.

The axe was still the same size it had been when the Bullkin wielded it, making it difficult for him to use. However, now that he had obtained his mask, he would eventually be able to use it as well. [Snuk's Cleaver of Carnage | Rare | Weapon | Two-Handed] [STR+22] [Weight: 414] [Durability: 186/250] [Skills: Tectonic Spin | Earth Splitter] [Description: A massive double-bladed axe harvested from the fallen Champion of the Ironhorn Tribe. The weapon thrums with the beast's residual strength and hunger for conquest, its edge still wet with the blood of a thousand foes.] [Skill: Tectonic Spin] [Whirl the axe in a devastating cyclone, striking all nearby enemies. The momentum builds with each rotation, gaining damage scaling with movement speed.] [Skill: Earth Splitter] [Slam the axe downward with titanic force, cracking the earth and hurling enemies skyward. Deals massive physical damage with guaranteed knockback.] It was a Rare-grade two-handed axe with a Strength bonus that, honestly, wasn't all that impressive. Still, it came with two skills as well. Not bad. Jester turned around and walked for a while. After a few moments, someone slowly stepped out from behind a tree. It was a young woman, an NPC with blonde hair. Her clothes were... well... It was honestly pitiful. They were torn to pieces, leaving her almost naked.

"Sir..." the woman said, bringing her hands together in a pleading gesture. Her pale face made it obvious how terrified she still was.

"I... I don't even have the words to thank you. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't come."

"It's okay. The Bullkin is dead, so you should head back to your village now, right? But I can't escort you there. I still have something else I need to do," he said. The young woman spoke again.

"I wouldn't dare trouble you any further. I'll return on my own, and I swear I'll repay your kindness someday. Once I get back to the village and make sure my sister is safe, I'll come looking for you." Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Jester thought about it for a moment. Letting the girl return alone still felt risky. More importantly, she was just another victim.

"There are already several players visiting your village. They should be able to keep it safe," he said. The girl's eyes widened before she bit her lower lip. A moment later, she slowly shook her head.

"I'm... relieved to hear that," she whispered.

"At least there's hope that my village will be alright. Even so... I know I wouldn't have been able to do anything to help. I wanted to protect everyone, but in the end... I only became another burden for them." Jester reached into his inventory and pulled something out. It was a dark green piece of cloth, large enough to be used as a cloak.

"Here. Use this," he said. The girl hesitated for a moment before carefully accepting it. She draped it over her shoulders, covering at least most of her exposed body.

"Thank you, sir. I will never forget your kindness." [The terror and despair that once consumed her have been replaced with gratitude. After being rescued from certain death, Lucia has devoted herself to repaying the one who saved her life, no matter how long it takes. This decision has been deeply engraved into her heart and will influence her future actions.] [Chaos +15] Jester turned around as Fang slowly approached. The young woman stood frozen, her wide eyes fixed on the massive wolf.

Even though Fang had helped save her, the sheer size of the beast was still enough to make anyone nervous. Jester climbed onto Fang's back before extending his left hand toward her.

"Come with me. It'll be safer this way. Once I've finished what I need to do, I'll take you to your sister."

"Sir..." she murmured hesitantly. After a brief pause, she stepped forward and accepted his hand. Jester easily pulled her up, and she settled onto Fang's back, sitting directly behind the Evil Clown.

"Hold on. We're going to move pretty fast." The girl nodded nervously before wrapping her arms around Jester's waist. A second later, Fang burst forward. The giant wolf raced through the forest, and within moments, the three of them disappeared into the endless sea of trees. A figure suddenly emerged as if carried by the wind. It was a woman dressed in fitted light green armor, with long black hair tied into a braid that reached the middle of her back.

She stepped into the clearing before coming to a stop, quietly observing the aftermath of the battle.

"Someone killed the Bullkin," she muttered as she crouched down to inspect the ground.

"Dark attribute..." she whispered a moment later.

"Wolf tracks... footprints..." Her eyes narrowed.

"What kind of footprints are these?" she murmured.

"... Clown shoes?" She remained silent for a few seconds.

"So... that girl should be safe now." As soon as those words left her lips, her figure faded away once more, vanishing into the wind as though she had never been there in the first place. ** The ground shook beneath the relentless thuds of heavy footsteps as trees were forced aside to make way for a massive figure pushing through the forest. The giant emerged into an open clearing where dozens of crude hide tents had been scattered across the camp.

Bones, broken weapons, and enormous cooking pits were spread throughout the area, marking it as a Bullkin settlement.

"Those damned players..." the towering figure growled. His body was covered in wounds as blood continued to drip from several deep cuts. It was the Bullkin with black hair tied into a braid down his back.

"They ambushed me... and they killed Druk." Several other Bullkin stepped out from the camp, but none of them drew as much attention as the last one. Another giant appeared. Even Snuk, who was already enormous by Bullkin standards, only reached the newcomer's chest.

"What nonsense is this?" the gigantic Bullkin said.

"Where is the other one?"

"They killed him!" Snuk roared.

"Those filthy players interfered with our hunt, blocked our advance, and even tried to kill me. If I hadn't fought my way out and escaped, I would've died alongside him!" The Tribe Chief threw his head back and let out a furious roar. The deafening bellow shook the ground beneath their feet.

"No player has the right to hunt my people!" he thundered.

"They dare spill Bullkin blood as if we are nothing more than prey. Let them come. Anyone who dares raise a weapon against this tribe will be torn apart and left to rot beneath my feet!" Snuk pointed toward the east, his expression filled with hatred.

"There are many of them. Twenty... no, maybe thirty players. They said they would slaughter every Bullkin they came across until none of us were left alive." His voice grew louder with every word.

"They laughed while saying we were nothing but monsters that existed to be hunted."

"They claimed this forest belonged to them now, and that our tribe would be wiped out before the sun set. They're gathering more players even as we speak. They want to surround us, kill our warriors, seize everything we own, and parade our heads as trophies. They won't stop until every last Bullkin is dead!" Goruk, The Tribe Chief turned his gaze toward the direction Snuk had pointed.

"Gather every warrior!" he roared.

"Arm yourselves! We march immediately!"

"Today, we will show those arrogant players the might of the Bullkin! Burn their camps, crush their bones, and wipe out every fool who dares stand in our path! We will not stop until every last one of them has paid for this insult with their lives!" The wounded Bullkin stood there, breathing heavily as he rested both hands on his knees. His massive body was covered in deep wounds, yet a faint smile slowly spread across his face.