Chapter 539 – Prelude to the Hunt

When Audreylinda entered the swamp, Punk and Kane remained unaware of this development as they were advancing at full speed toward the swamp’s center. Their hunting target—the Tar Beast King—was quietly waiting in the Tar Lake at the swamp’s heart, according to the intelligence they had obtained.

The closer they got to the swamp’s center, the more “oilwood” trees grew in the wetlands. These plants, which thrived on grease as nutrients, particularly favored this environment saturated with tar. The entire Tar Swamp served as an ideal habitat for them. Moreover, the presence of the Tar Beast King had driven away all large and intelligent creatures around Tar Lake, allowing the uncut oilwoods to form a dense jungle near the lake.

As Punk and Kane ventured deeper, the pungent smell of tar grew increasingly intense. When a massive lake finally unfolded before the two “adventurers,” Kane, his face turning pale, exclaimed loudly:

“Damn it, I’ve had enough! I’ll generously leave the fighting to you for this hunt, Punk. I’ll take responsibility for protecting Smile!”

After taking a pinched-nose breath, Kane spat out his words rapidly like a machine gun. He then promptly reactivated his Battle Aura to form a protective barrier anew, even dissipating the previous trace of Battle Aura he had used to block the air. As the evidently fastidious knight put it, “Retracting Battle Aura tainted by tar back into my body would make me feel like my muscles are oozing with the stench of tar.”

“Kane, as a spellcaster, I am more suited to protect our ‘key’!”

Punk completely ignored Kane’s exaggerated expression of displeasure. While carefully sensing the movements in Tar Lake, he coldly glanced at the knight who had already drawn his Lance.

Although Kane had indeed seemed to detest the tar smell throughout their journey, Punk refused to believe that the knight he faced lacked the willpower to overcome such a minor discomfort. Thus, Punk concluded—Kane simply had no desire to risk combat!

Kane wasn’t the type of battle maniac who thrived on dancing between life and death. When unnecessary, the cautious knight never took even the slightest risk to engage. Back in Red Roy City, Kane had only accepted the “rear-guard combat” because he believed the Kingdom Protector of the Portercat Kingdom wouldn’t reach the battlefield in time. Punk had long recognized the cunning knight’s wariness, which stood in stark contrast to most combat professionals.

Now… it was evident that Kane had no intention whatsoever of fighting, whether out of safety concerns or… genuine disgust for that tar stench.

Seeing Kane’s behavior, Punk frowned.

Undoubtedly, once the battle commenced, Smile would genuinely require close protection. Otherwise, even an ordinary tar beast could easily claim the fragile girl’s life. So one of them would inevitably have to confront the Tar Beast King, whose capabilities remained unknown. Should he take on this task…?

Noticing Punk’s swiftly chilling expression, Kane also hardened his face and repeatedly waved his hands, saying:”Cyan! Don’t push your luck. Let’s skip the nonsense about you being stronger than me with more survival methods and inherently safer against powerful foes. Just talking about last time—I was the one who diligently charged into battle, and I provided the Master-Level corpse. Isn’t it downright unfair to exploit a ‘life-and-death brother’ like this?”

Though Kane’s tone remained sarcastic and irreverent, Punk could tell the knight was dead serious. The intensifying crimson glow in his pupils revealed Kane’s mounting fury.

Kane’s resentment was understandable. Reflecting on it, since he began traveling with Punk, the knight had faced one misfortune after another, yet gained scarcely a crumb of benefit. Whether in the Raging Wave Desert or Red Roy City, Punk snatched almost all the advantages, while Kane’s investments mostly went down the drain.

Seen this way, Kane’s outburst was justified—his words rang true. Punk’s behavior was indeed profoundly unfair.

But… what kind of man was Punk? A spellcaster who prioritized profit above all. Fairness meant nothing to him. If not for the restraints of the Eye of Judgment contract, his first move would’ve been firing two “Velocity Kinetic Cones” at Kane. For profit, Punk wouldn’t hesitate.

However, upon reflection, Punk recognized that he and Kane were currently allies. Moreover, the knight’s chaotic-evil tendencies could lead to dangerously irrational outbursts. Pushing too far might provoke a disastrous fallout. Forcing Kane onto the battlefield would also make him slack off, dooming everyone.

Thus, strategic concessions would better serve future gains and maintain their beneficial partnership!

Having reasoned this, Punk didn’t persist in arguing over a nearly guaranteed victory. He merely shot a deep glance into Kane’s eyes before coldly drawing the “Staff of Lament and Hatred.”

“I’ll handle this one. But as for Smile… Kane, I hope you won’t hold us back.”

“Me? Hold you back? What a joke! Who was it that abandoned a precious ‘key’ in danger back in Red Roy City? Instead of spouting nonsense, watch your own back—don’t end up as some monster’s snack.”

Kane retorted scornfully, but despite his flippant demeanor, the now-serious knight meticulously enveloped Smile in a 360-degree circular barrier of Battle Aura. Under sunlight filtering through oily leaves, the pale golden barrier shimmered with a soft luminescence.

Punk ignored Kane’s jab, having no interest in pointless banter with the idle knight. The cautious spellcaster instead meticulously rechecked his defensive enchantments:

“Crimson Gem Necklace—fifteen layers of spell defense active.”

“Crimson Gem Necklace activation status—confirmed!”

“Haitzita Magic Box solidified spells—fully charged!””Master-level Robe solidified spell—Fully charged!”

“Staff of Hatred and Lourn solidified spell—Fully charged!”

“Magical Raven Vector… Well, can’t expect too much from this one.”

“Personal mana reserves—At full capacity”…

After repeatedly ensuring all aspects of his condition were nearly perfect, Punk finally stepped expressionlessly toward the nearby Tar Lake. No matter what enemy he faced, a skilled spellcaster would never let their guard down—even when there was only one essentially easy-to-catch big prey here!

(End of Chapter)