Chapter 86: I Decline (1)

Chapter 86: I Decline (1)

What? I decline, Ryu Min asserted firmly.

The response caught the other party off guard, and their expression shifted from anticipation to puzzlement.

Heh, Black Scythe, you might not be aware, but the boss isnt a pushover. Do you see that thing over there; the muscular minotaur?

Everyones attention shifted to a minotaur that exuded an aura of strength, even from a distance.

That creature is the boss we must confront, and I assure you, hes no walk in the park.

How can you be so sure? Have you faced him before?

Yes, not personally, but we witnessed another party attempt a solo challenge and end up in utter defeat. It was a sobering sight that made us realize the importance of cooperation among parties.

Take care of it yourselves; were not interested, Ryu Min responded curtly.

Still, wouldnt it be better if we helped each other out? Well even allow you to deliver the finishing blow first, so consider it

Before he could finish, he was interrupted.

This is the third time. Dont make me repeat myself, Ryu Min retorted sharply.

Alright, my apologies Subdued by Ryu Mins aura, they reluctantly retreated.

As they reached the gathering of parties, discussions, and deliberations commenced.

It seems we wont be able to recruit Black Scythe.

Did you try to recruit them?

We did, but they declined and said we can defeat it on our own.

Whys that? Black Scythe should be part of this or we wont be able to take it down.

Im not sure. Maybe theyre intimidated by the boss, or perhaps one player sighed, trailing off.

Well, it looks like well have to face the challenge alone.

Since Black Scythe declined, we had planned to tackle it independently anyway.

With nods of agreement, the group finally prepared to hunt the minotaur.

With each heavy step, the massive creature, standing at a towering 6 meters tall, emitted a resounding thud that reverberated through the air. It walked with a human-like gait, shouldering a colossal axe.

Five parties cautiously approached the minotaur.

Slurp

From a distance, the creature didnt appear as intimidating, but up close, its immense size was even more apparent.

Do you think we can defeat it?

Well, our group consists of about twenty members.

Despite their words, uncertainty still clouded their expressions.

Hmm?

Suddenly, the minotaur sensed something and turned its head.

The players, who had been quietly advancing, froze in their tracks as if caught in a game of tag.

Kwaaah!

Excitement surged through the minotaur as it spotted the humans, and it charged forward.

Fire! Attack!

They knew that talking wouldnt change their minds about cooperation.

Whether they did or didnt, Ryu Min quietly reflected on the battle he had witnessed.

Its fortunate. If we had defeated the boss too early, we would have squandered the remaining time

Yes, just as Black Scythe predicted.

Hunting slowly and defeating it as late as possible was the right approach.

Without altering his expression, Ryu Min addressed his companions, Weve rested enough; now lets move on.

Follow me.

Once again, the party members exclamations began.

***

While Ryu Min hunted the Centaur,

Other teams joined forces and concentrated on the boss hunt.

Are we the fiftieth party?

I dont know, the rankings arent displayed.

Who cares! Weve defeated the boss, so weve survived, right?

Lets just lie down and rest for the remaining time.

The players within the pillar of light dropped to the ground. Even though they were trapped, they were safe from monsters. The Minotaur didnt seem to acknowledge their presence; they were like invisible entities.

Hey, look at that! Look!

Suddenly, a player holding a scythe appeared, followed closely by four teammates.

Swish Thud! Swish Thud!

With each pass of the scythe, the Centaur heads rolled to the ground.

Isnt that Black Scythe?

They defeated it in one shot?

Heh, thats what youd expect from a level 40 player.

While it was impressive that they had taken down the Centaur with a single blow, the victorious players didnt envy them. They were already winners, having defeated the boss and now resting.

What puzzled them was why Black Scythe was only targeting the Centaur and not the boss.

Why are they not going for the boss and resting early?

Isnt it better to defeat the boss quickly and take a break?

No, theyre below the top 50 now. Theyve missed the top ranks, so theyre probably focused on leveling up.

I see! That makes sense.

Its a shame. I thought he might aim for first place again.

Even though theyre Black Scythe, they cant stay at the top forever.

But they still have good judgment. Theyre clearly trying to gain experience points.

While the group that had already defeated the boss believed they were superior to Black Scythe, they were unaware of one thingtheir record of 11 minutes and 30 seconds in the boss hunt was the longest and ranked last.

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!