Chương 8: A Balloon and a Bad Idea

Ch 08 - A Balloon and a Bad Idea Just as Jester already knew, Raid Bosses were always a prime target for players. The reason was simple. The loot dropped by these monsters was incredibly valuable. Some materials were essential for crafting high-grade equipment, while others could be sold for enormous amounts of money on the market. Either way, hunting a Raid Boss was almost always worth the effort. NPCs, on the other hand, rarely had any interest in these monsters.

Unlike players, they didn't gain Experience Points from defeating monsters.

Most NPCs already had their own roles and responsibilities, and hunting powerful creatures like World Raid Bosses simply wasn't part of their lives. That was why the prince's presence here was rather suspicious. Jester had no idea what reason had brought him all the way into the forest to hunt a World Raid Boss. Whatever that reason was, it no longer mattered. A group of players, whose strength was no less impressive, had finally arrived.

Looking at the newly arrived players, it was obvious they all belonged to the same guild. Each of them wore a silver insignia shaped like a soaring bird on their armor, making it easy to identify them even from a distance. After checking the live broadcast earlier, Jester already knew which guild was hunting this particular World Raid Boss. It was the Silverwings Guild. Jester remained seated comfortably on the tree branch, casually swinging his legs while looking up information about the guild.

"Oh... so they even have Level 200 players." He swallowed.

"The ones they sent here are only their second-string members." If the guild had players who had already reached Level 200, then it had to be one of the top guilds in the entire game. After all, only the strongest players had managed to reach such an absurd level. His gaze returned to the battlefield. By then, the prince and the leader of the players had become locked in a heated confrontation, clearly fighting over the right to claim the Raid Boss. Jester couldn't help laughing. Of course they were.

Whenever multiple parties participated in the same Raid Boss hunt, the Experience Points would be divided among every contributing group, greatly reducing each group's share. As for the loot, there was always the chance that the boss would drop its rewards for the other side instead.

"They're still struggling," Jester muttered.

"This monster is just too strong. But they've clearly made far more progress than before the players arrived." The monster's left arm had already been severed after enduring an endless barrage of attacks. Still, the cost was obvious. The prince's forces alone had already suffered heavy casualties, with countless soldiers lying dead across the battlefield. Jester decided it was finally time to make his move. He jumped down from the tree branch.

His body dropped toward the ground before landing silently inside a patch of dense bushes, where the surrounding leaves completely concealed his presence. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Slowly, that smile grew wider. He dashed forward, weaving through the dense bushes while keeping himself completely hidden by the surrounding vegetation. Once he reached a position close enough to the battlefield, yet still far enough to avoid getting caught in the deadly clash, Jester immediately gave a mental command.

[Rare - Balloon Bomb Activated.] A deflated yellow balloon appeared in his right hand. Jester brought it to his mouth and blew into it as fast as he could. The balloon rapidly expanded until it was even larger than his own body.

"Why do I have to blow it up first? Damn it..." The moment it reached its full size, he let go of it. The enormous yellow balloon drifted into the air, slowly floating toward the battlefield as the wind carried it along. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. [Rare - Balloon Bomb (Active)] [Conjures a magical balloon that triggers a random effect upon bursting. Possible effects include Explosion, Smoke, Flash, or Knockback. Can maintain up to five balloons simultaneously.] [Mana Cost: 145] Jester still had enough Mana to cast the skill again. Even better, this skill could maintain up to five Balloon Bombs at the same time. [Rare - Balloon Bomb Activated.] Another deflated balloon appeared in his hand. With an annoyed sigh, Jester blew into it once more until it became enormous. This time, the balloon was bright red. As soon as it was fully inflated, he released it as well.

The two giant balloons floated lazily through the air, carried by the breeze toward the center of the battlefield. Jester didn't linger. The area was far too dangerous, and a single stray attack could kill him instantly. He immediately turned around and sprinted away, retreating to a safe distance. Just as he escaped the danger zone. Both balloons burst almost at the same time. Jester glanced back over his shoulder.

The yellow balloon burst above the prince's soldiers, showering the area with countless sparkling pieces of confetti that rained down over everyone below. The red balloon exploded near the players' formation, releasing a massive cloud of thick crimson smoke that quickly engulfed part of the battlefield.

"Well... good enough," Jester chuckled.

"At least both of them actually did something." Laughing to himself, he quickly ran back toward the tree. In one smooth motion, he climbed onto the same sturdy branch as before, sat down comfortably, and began swinging his legs again while watching the battle continue. Jester pulled out another piece of Traveler's Wheat Loaf and casually started eating again. As he chewed, loud voices echoed across the battlefield. Even from this distance, he could clearly hear the prince and the players arguing with each other.

The Eighth Prince pointed his sword toward the group of players, his face filled with anger.

"You players! I command you to fall back immediately! Your reckless actions have disrupted the royal army's formation and interfered with our battle!" One of the players immediately stepped forward and shouted back.

"Oh, shut it. Just because you're a prince doesn't mean you get to order us around. This World Raid Boss is our target." The prince's expression darkened.

"You insolent fools! You have no respect for the royal family! Your behavior borders on treason!" Another player snorted.

"Shut up, you arrogant prince. You're barely strong enough to survive this fight. And we're not even citizens of your kingdom. Did you really think your title meant anything to us?"

"You...!" The prince's face turned red with rage as he raised his sword.

"I'll make every one of you regret those words!" [Your actions have successfully incited hostility between two opposing factions.] [Chaos +15] [Both factions have begun attacking one another, causing direct damage during the World Raid.] [Chaos +10] [The Eighth Prince of Valtherion has become a hostile target for the players.] [The resulting conflict has the potential to create large-scale chaos.] [Chaos +15] Jester calmly took another bite of bread while watching the notifications disappear.

"So something that simple is enough to make them turn on each other." He couldn't help smiling.

"They're easier to manipulate than I thought." His eyes returned to the battlefield. The World Raid Boss was already heavily wounded. It probably wouldn't be much longer before someone finally brought it down. Unfortunately for everyone involved, neither side was paying full attention to the monster anymore. Instead of focusing on finishing the raid, the prince's soldiers and the players had started attacking each other, each convinced the other side was trying to steal the kill.

The battlefield quickly descended into even greater chaos than before. Seeing what was happening in the distance, Jester quickly pushed himself back to his feet. He focused all of his attention on the battlefield. The monster was enormous, and its area attacks covered an incredibly wide range. It would be pure suicide if he tried to get any closer. One wrong move was all it would take for him to lose his life. Even so, Jester knew this was an opportunity he could not let slip away.

If he could land the finishing strike on that monster, steal the last hit, and become the one who killed it... A faint smile appeared on his face before slowly spreading wider. He would receive the most precious reward from this raid. The experience alone would send his level soaring far beyond where it was now. Then there was the loot. With everything he could gain from this battle, he would finally be able to leave this place with rewards greater than he had ever imagined.

Still, Jester could not risk exposing himself to the other players. He was nowhere near strong enough to deal with the consequences if they discovered him. At the same time, he could not recklessly move any closer. If he was caught in one of the monster's area attacks, he would only be throwing his own life away. After carefully watching the battle as every second continued to pass, Jester realized he did not have much time left. He immediately looked up at the towering trees and began climbing once again.

His body moved swiftly from branch to branch, and before long, he had reached one of the tallest trees in the area. [Rare - Balloon Bomb Activated.] Another deflated balloon appeared in his hand, and he immediately started blowing into it. With every breath, the balloon grew larger. Bigger. Bigger still. The blue balloon continued expanding until it had grown to an enormous size. Jester grabbed onto it, and moments later, it lifted him into the air, carrying him toward the battlefield.

Waves of energy exploded across the battlefield, crashing outward in every direction. Yet even as the devastating attacks continued, the balloon drifted steadily closer to the center of the fight. Jester only had one chance. Either he would successfully land the final blow, bring this battle to an end, and steal the monster's kill... or he would fail after being struck by one of the monster's deadly attacks. But… He had not made this dangerous gamble without a reason.

He still had one trump card, and he was certain it would make all the difference.