CHAPTER 156 - PLANNING TO VENTURE OUTSIDE

The people trapped in the cocoons hanging from the ceiling heard movement below and started thrashing violently, trying to catch Han Wu’s attention. He saw them clearly but kept himself hidden. He had not yet learned the language of this world, so rushing to save them would only expose him as an outsider.

Still, he didn’t want to leave them to die. He needed information about this place, and these people might provide it. After a moment’s thought, he launched a Fireball at the ceiling. The blast set part of the webbing alight, and he estimated it would take about ten seconds for the flames to reach the cocoons.

He slipped into a nearby hiding spot to observe the scene in safety. As predicted, the fire soon consumed one of the larger cocoons, and the human tumbled out, gasping for breath. He staggered upright and shouted the names of his companions toward the ceiling. Two cocoons shook in response.

The human quickly freed them, pulling each one down. After surviving the brutal battle, the Blue Blood appeared battered and collapsed into the human’s arms, weeping. The dwarf, however, focused on the other cocoons still hanging above. He scanned them with sharp eyes and realized each one seemed to contain a different person.

Han Wu watched closely, assuming the dwarf would help rescue the others. Instead, the dwarf pulled out two axes and hurled one into a lightly trembling cocoon. The blade tore through it, and blood spilled from the opening. A weakened Tigerman fell out, still alive but barely clinging to life after the injury.

The dwarf stepped forward to strip the Tigerman of its possessions. The human and Blue Blood paused their recovery to assist. Within moments, the Tigerman had been robbed of everything valuable. Without hesitation, the dwarf swung his axe, ending its life instantly.

Han Wu watched them in shock. They are bloody ruthless! They are supposed to be allies in this cave, yet they are killing without hesitation.

The trio had no qualms about it. They killed and stole with eager greed. What they were doing was pure robbery. Still, the three moved with excitement, looting every piece of equipment they could find. Although the gear was mostly low quality, they knew they could sell it all for a good price if they gathered enough.

Moreover, many corpses wore spatial rings. The trio planned to find experts who could decrypt and extract whatever valuables lay inside. They hoped at least one ring held a fortune.

After opening all the cocoons and looting everything, the three left the cave with smiles. They hadn’t slain the wolf-spider queen, but the haul made up for it.

Han Wu kept stalking them for another two days. During that time, the human took advantage of the Blue Blood’s low spirits and, by constantly tending to her needs, managed to become her lover. Meanwhile, the dwarf seemed content on his own. He wore spatial rings on every finger and carried himself like a pompous noble.

The three soon decided to return. They wanted to exchange their loot for money as quickly as possible to feel secure. Han Wu had been waiting for this moment, but he had no intention of letting them leave. If they escaped, he’d have to find a new group to track, and the idea of starting over was too troublesome. As such, he decided to abduct one of them to stop them.

That night, the couple slept while the dwarf stood guard. Han Wu moved silently and captured the dwarf. When morning came, the couple discovered the dwarf was missing and searched the area around their camp. They grew worried when they found no trace of him.

They did not care if the dwarf lived or died but feared losing the spatial rings he wore. Those rings represented a large sum of money. Driven by greed, the two decided to stay and look for any sign of the dwarf in the hunting grounds.

Back in the cave, Han Wu bound the dwarf tightly with spider webs and stripped him of every piece of equipment. He interrogated the dwarf slowly, but neither could understand the other.

The dwarf kept shouting a string of random words. Han Wu guessed the dwarf was either begging for mercy or cursing him. Judging by his angry mood, Han Wu concluded it was the latter. He sighed and crushed the dwarf’s skull with a single punch. Then silence fell over the cave once more.

Without the dwarf, Han Wu continued to follow the remaining two. Through their speech and behavior, he gradually learned parts of the foreign language. He also noticed that every action he took earned him titles.

For example, while cutting down trees to build a fire, he felled a tree trunk the size of his arm and earned an Iron title called Lumberjack. The title was useless because it only increased the speed of chopping trees.

Han Wu chose not to equip it but did not mind collecting more titles to gain information. As he stalked the two, he gathered extensive knowledge about this civilization’s customs and inner workings.

Three months passed before Han Wu finally mastered the language of the hunters who frequented this place. He had already killed the human and the Blue Blood, taking their identification plates from their waists. The plates revealed that the dwarf was a commoner, while the other two belonged to influential families. They had entered the hunting ground for sport, only to be slain by Han Wu.

Han Wu decided to wear the human’s identification plate and attempt to leave. The moment he approached the gate, an alarm blared, and the guard summoned 30 muscular guards to capture him. Several other humanoid sentries also joined the pursuit.

He needed to conceal his strength, so he sprinted into the hunting ground’s depths and swiftly eliminated the 30 pursuers. Now, he was facing a dilemma. He could not remain there forever. To enroll in Imperial College, he had to earn a high grade.

After a night of careful thought, an idea came to him. Since leaving legally was impossible, he resolved to disrupt the delicate balance of the hunting ground’s ecosystem.