Chapter 466: Assisting Viesta in her Hunt?
After the Jungle Lord’s surprising show of the Drowning Net technique, Lillian had decided to end their spar so that she could go help Viesta with her needs. Of course, that was only when she had healed from her injuries.
They weren’t overly severe, since the Wendigo had used a blunt vine weapon, but the feeling of her body covered in connected bruises in the shape of nets wasn’t the best sensation.
Lillian cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders, looking down at her clothes with a slight frown; they were a mess. Without her chestplate to protect her, the Jungle Lord’s attacks had caused her clothes to be covered in cuts and tears.
Not to the point where it exposed her most sensitive and inappropriate areas, but enough to where the chilly winds flowing around them caused her to shiver.
She looked towards Viesta, who was sitting beside her.
Currently, the woman was wearing a chestplate made out of a glossy, metallic material; something Lillian found to be a rather familiar-looking piece of material.
Currently, they were riding on the Beetle as they strolled through a forest looking for a suitable monster.
That was when she remembered that this was the item that Viesta had requested to be made out of the body of the Alpha Barrel Mole. And with that reminder of the monster, Lillian held her chin in a momentary thought.
She knew that if she had utilised the Black Maw in the beginning, they could’ve won with much fewer issues that had occurred. However, at her current self in time, would she be able to win with pure technique and magic alone?
’If we factor in the earring, then it is a definite win without a doubt.’
The Jungle Lord was several leagues above the Alpha, even with the mole’s overwhelming amount of minions. She was sure that, if it had somehow brought the Jungle Lord down to its second form, it would be reduced to nothing more than fuel for its regeneration.
As Lillian was in deep thought, Viesta shot her occasional glances; she still vividly remembered the intense spar between Lillian and her monster—and the number of times she needed to run away due to the collapsing trees.
She sighed and looked down at her hands; she was being beaten by her juniors faster than she could even process it. Viesta was definitely sure Lillian was in that small percentage of people Beatrice was talking about.
The small percentage that were labelled as geniuses in the field of combat. Or was it because Lillian was an extremely hard worker that she was able to get to this level of strength?
’She’s without a doubt a hard worker...’
Given what she had watched, that was certain. However, she couldn’t help but think Lillian was growing a bit too fast. It took days, weeks, or even months to grasp the Expression of a technique if you weren’t talented enough.
And yet, Lillian managed to grasp the flow and concept in a mere hour of pure fighting.
’I don’t get it... I really don’t...’
Compared to the other main members in the Student Council—around 6, including her and Beatrice—she was undoubtedly the weakest if they were ranked in a list. The only thing that she had going for her was her intelligence and skill with firearms.
As Viesta was cursing her talents and lack of progress despite being a second year, she was suddenly interrupted by a swift swing coming her way.
Dodging to the left and stepping back, she settled her gaze upon the monster before her.
It was a monster with the shape and size of a brown bear and had a vine-like tail that hovered in the air like a serpent. Its fangs were menacing, and so was its hostile gaze.
The opponent that Lillian had picked out for her was a Savage Gnarl. Luckily, the moment she summoned her weapons—her revolver and Soundblaster—the Predatory Aura she felt from the Bear vanished.
She had a fighting chance.
Viesta stepped out of the way again, warming up her legs as she continued to dodge the flurry of sharp swings from the Bear’s claws.
She always had a keen sense for danger, something that had kept her and her group alive during her first Trial.
And because of it, it enabled her to grasp the best moments to attack.
After dodging yet another swing preemptively, Viesta dashed back and flashed her revolver out.
The Bear noticed this and lashed its tail out, aiming directly for Viesta’s heart.
Click.
Pushing down on the hammer and hearing it click in response, Viesta imbued her Echo element into the current bullet in the chamber.
Her eyes reflected the sight of the tail, but that wasn’t something she was focused on. Instead, she was focused on its heart as well, just like how the Bear was focused on hers.
The only difference was that—
BANG!
—It would lose its heart and life faster than it could take hers.
Her bullet, echoing in force, doubled its initial force.
It penetrated through the vine-like tail, destroying it before it could reach Viesta and burrowed through the Bear’s chest, causing it to cave in and create a fatal-sized gaping hole that overflowed with blood.
Since she didn’t have an infinite supply of bullets, she needed to ration them, especially in a place like a Trial.
Blowing the smoke coming from her revolver, she pinched the rim of her cowboy hat before waiting for the notification of her kill.
[You have slain a Savage Gnarl, Jungle Bear]
Upon hearing the whisper of the Jester, she waited a second in anticipation, but found no other following messages. She sighed. This one was no good either.
Lillian watched as Viesta put down the collapsing Bear and smiled. She noticed the obvious look of disappointment on the woman’s face and chuckled:
"No Shard? That’s fine, we can just keep hunting until you get one, miss Viesta."
Viesta nodded, but then watched as Lillian gestured for her to come back on the Beetle. She smiled a bit before shaking her head and raising her Soundblaster to a random direction in the forest.
There was a reason why she didn’t use he Soundblaster in her short fight with the Bear. It was because such a loud sound would ultimately attract a large amount of attention.
Which... Would prove to be a good way to bring in more opponents for her to kill.
DING!
Lillian covered her ears, feeling the sound ringing inside her mind. Then, not even a moment later, she felt the ground tremble slightly; something was coming to them. These were undoubtedly monsters that were awoken by the sound and enraged that they were stirred awake.
As their stomps throughout the forest caused the tremors through the ground to worsen, it gradually became more peaceful and quiet the closer the sound neared.
The number of monsters coming their way has dramatically decreased.
And Lillian definitely knew the reason why.
The monsters that were rapidly approaching them had begun to attack each other; that was the most common reason and the most logical one.
However... It wasn’t only for that reason.
Looking across from her and past Viesta, she settled her gaze on the Jungle Lord casually sitting and leaning his back against a tree; his Predatory Aura drenching the area they were in.
Due to the Wendigo’s overwhelming aura, monsters would obviously be apprehensive about entering any distance near them.
But.
That was only if they were even the slightest bit intelligent or confident in their own abilities despite their instincts.
After a few minutes, something emerged from the wall of trees to the side; it looked to be some kind of...