NOVGO.NET Chapter 395: Hellish Scape? Hellish Scam!
Chapter 395: Hellish Scape? Hellish Scam!
Players swarmed the Tower of Slaughter.
They all wanted to save Timber City: fame, fortune, but most importantly, unfeathered access to the Capital! It would be such an incredible opportunity!
If by some miracle they met the King, they’d be set for life! They’d twirl their little finger, and other players would beg to lick their boots!
’Want a Unique quest from the King himself? Come see me… for a fee!’ This would be enough for anyone to crush their rivals and make countless allies instantly!
Right now, countless eagerly lined up before the Skyland, not minding the sauna-like heat.
“Watch us! My red rose order will be victorious!”
“Sure… Years after us, the Lucky Legionnaires!”
“Bullshit! As if an ape like you could ever—”
As usual, it soon became a dick-measuring contest between many rival guilds. But just as it was about to escalate, many lost interest as they stared a distance away.
Someone was walking toward the Hellish Scape Challenge?!
At first, all of them started scowling with ridicule. What kind of dumbass would try this shitty realm nowadays? There was a reason it was called Hellish Scam on the forums!
“Wow, what a fool!”
“Pfft— Barbecue Incoming!”
“Shhh— Don’t tell him, or it’s less fun!”
They were all making jokes at the expense of the man.
Well, almost all of them. Just as Jack was about to enter, he was stopped by a glasses-wearing youngster. The latter seemed as messy as spirited as he warned:
“Brother, don’t go in there! All that awaits you is death and XP loss. As soon as you enter, you’ll be burned to death by this god-forsaken place. Then you’ll—”
Jack simply raised a hand, stopping him.
“It’s fine. I’m better off experiencing it myself.”
He thought it would be the end, but the youngster was surprisingly relentless. Just as he was about to enter, the latter stopped him once more.
“Wait. Why don’t we go inside the Skyland together? I’ve drafted a few designs to allow us to ride the wind currents! I just need to test it a few more….”
Laughter erupted from the back, something about a failed scientist leading failed expeditions. That’s when Jack stopped. An inventor? How interesting!
He turned a wide grin toward the well-intentioned player.
“How about this? Want to make a bet with me? Not only will I enter this realm, but I’ll also complete it. If I do, I’ll have you work for me. Otherwise, I’ll join your team.”
Instantly, an uproar came from the back. Clear it?! How arrogant! No one had managed to, not even that Demon King guy they had heard so much about!
Only the inventor felt differently…
“…-A-alright! I’ll wait for you!” His eyes gleamed with understanding. No one could be that confident, right? This man was a dreamer, just like him!
Jack entered the portal surrounded by jeers of clueless fools… and sighs from the few silent ones that had realized he was THE Demon King!
Still, would even he be fine in there? …
.
.
.
It was a sea of fire…. truly Hellish!
Jack and wolf found themselves inside a volcano!
A sinuous path of igneous rocks led deeper inside as if welcoming them to their deaths.
The whole thing felt like a gigantic oven of Doom. The air itself was already incredibly deadly, its heat invading their lungs like an inferno!
[Mission: Delve Deeper!]
[Warning! Intense Heat Detected!]
[Congratulations! Burning: You’ve Lost HP!]
Every second, bright red numbers would erupt out of them. -10, -10, -10…!
Poor Moon Moon’s orange fur had already caught fire! “Wooo?!” (H-help!!!) And no amount of rolling on the ground did anything.
“Come closer. Time to fight back against the elements!” Jack chuckled as he activated the (Corrupted) Water Pearl they had gotten in the Mermaid kingdom.
Instantly, a curtain of water rose, protecting them from the heat.
It was as blue as the sea and… Infested with ghosts?! Dark, ghastly beings seemed to swim in it and instantly pounced on them! “Wooo!” (Oh crap!)
But just as they were about to devour Moon Moon, its master stood in their way. The ghost scowled as they disappeared. They wanted to devour life… not this Demonic Soul!
“C’mon, let’s go. Don’t worry about them.”
Not worry about them?! Wasn’t this the soul poison that had taken out even Gargan?! How exciting! Once again, an awed wolf felt boundless pride in following its master.
But as Jack frowned, so did it.
Something was WRONG!
“Dodge!”
BAM!
Just as the two threw themselves to the side, a molten rock projectile smashed the place they had just been to! That thing would have one-shot them for sure!
“AWOOO!!!” Moon Moon went into fight mode, growling at the enemy… except the latter was already gone. “Woo?!” (N-nani?!)
Only Jack had seen it all.
The ambush had come from a rocky wall. A giant stone hand had appeared for an instant, throwing a boulder at the newcomers. It had combo-ed with the heat: how perverse!
“It’s gonna be back soon. Let’s hurry this up!”
“Woo!” (I’ll bite it next time!)
The two kept progressing, delving deep into the Volcano.
For every other step, they’d have to stop to reactivate the water pearl. Then, an attack would inevitably happen! It was as if the land itself was trying to mess with them!
First came the boulder-throwing rock hands.
Then tiny elementals swam out of the lava, hurling fireballs at them.
After that, the rocky pathway turned brittle, holes appearing all over. A single misstep meant swimming in the lava below! This place was a freaking pain!
Their only salvation were caves that’d appear on their path from time to time. As if safe zones, they allowed them to get a few minutes of respite.
Then again… even that was booby-trapped! If they stayed more than a few minutes, the entire thing would collapse on them, their bodies skewered by stalactites!
Before long, they lost track of time, traps, and caves. Everything turned into a blurry mess, the onslaught never stopping!
After barely an hour spent in the Volcano, the duo had escaped death more than 9000 times! As they rested in yet another cave, Jack couldn’t help but sigh deeply:
“No wonder people call this place a scam!”
“Woo!” (How much longer?)
The poor Moon Moon looked utterly pitiful. Its fur was burned all over, its paws were bleeding, and its body was mangled in places. Yet even then, it kept its hopes up!
“Not much longer. Still, there’s something wrong with this place. A normal party wouldn’t be able to survive this. There’s something whack with the difficulty level. It’s like—”
But he was suddenly interrupted by Moon Moon’s antics.
After hearing that they were near the end, the little wolf appeared filled with boundless energy. Not only had it cheered up, but it had begun exploring the cave.
“Woo!” (Look, drawings!)
It happily pointed its bleeding paw at scribbles on the wall.
“Oh? Drawings? What kind of draw— fuck, fuck, FUCK!” It wasn’t just any drawing, but one of a red-winged creature, one with many many scales. D-dragon?!
That’s when it happened.
“ROAR!!!” The entire Volcano trembled as if coming alive…. They were so fucked!!