Chapter 22 (1/2)

From afar, Park Jin Hyuk picked his ear with his finger.

“We don’t need to think so deeply into it. I mean someone will become the bait.”

The expressions of the party members hardened at the mention of bait. If they had not heard wrong, he meant for someone to become live bait to lure the mutants.

“It’s a joke. If we make a small wound and put the blood in a specific location, I’m sure they’ll come looking for it. We can follow after hiding.”

They would have come up with a precise operation if the opponent were human, but there was no need to go that far with mutants. This was a simple, yet effective method.

“The person who will make the wound…..?”

“Since I brought it up, I’ll do it. Let’s look for a location.”

As Lloyd claimed it, Hicks’ people brightened. They were not scared of making a wound, but they did not like the thought of what could happen if the mutants caught scent of the wound.

Tatak.

The party’s movement became active as they now had a task to complete. They would save time if they succeeded or would have to keep looking if they did not. There was nothing to lose.

***

The party members hid behind a boulder and tree. They had chosen the location to lure the mutants to as an open place about 30m away.

Seukuk.

Lloyd cut his hand with a dagger.

As the sharp blade cut along his palm, blood flowed out.

The flow became stronger as he squeezed his wrist. A small amount might not carry the smell very far even with the wind. and he needed to make it count.

Seuk.

He wiped his hands with a clean cloth and put ointment on it. As soon as he put the medicine on, a scab formed.

He stayed on the spot and used the odorless spray. If he cleaned the blood while he moved, they would not be able to control the smell. He needed to take care of it in one spot.

The party members were waiting behind a projection. The projection was a camouflage item that let objects pass through while hiding up to 10 people.

Lloyd’s party had invested 1000 points on the projection. They had survived a few times because of it. It was compatible with the odorless spray.

“That’s fascinating.”

“There are a lot of cool things when you look through the store.”

It was impossible to look inside from outside, but the reverse was possible. Just as there were items necessary in battle, there were items necessary to survival.

Jiing.

Lloyd joined them. When Henry covered them with the projection, a boulder and tree appeared, erasing all traces of the party. Perfect camouflaging.

From then, they waited in silence for the mutants to appear.

***

They started getting hungry 2 hours after they set up the trap. A strange sound came from one side of the forest. No one suspected that it was a mutant.

Hwak.

There was a fishy smell. The smell of blood. It had been long since Lloyd’s blood had hardened. This was fresh – like that of an animal that had just been slaughtered.

The human sense of smell was not sensitive. But it was clear that it was nearby. And then, in a matter of a few blinks, there was a mutant in front of them.

It is a biped and similar to a human being. The differences were in its sharp teeth, awl-like fingers and toenails, and arms and legs that seemed a bit too long.

‘Cannibal!’

‘There’s no way all 1500 mutants mentioned in the scenario are cannibals?’

Cannibal.

It was the strongest creature in Level 1. Its physical ability was that of a sturdy man, but its speed was supreme.

With a crafty personality, it had the habit of figuring out the opponent’s disadvantage while fighting.

Facing one cannibal was like going up against 3 or 4 mid-Level 1 mutants.

Sniff sniff.

The cannibal looked around and put his nose to Lloyd’s blood. It seemed to like the smell by the way it kept flaring its nose.

Its bumpy tongue licked the blood. The party members shivered when thinking about something so hideous running its tongue along their skin.

Kwajik.

The cannibal ate something it had been holding in its hand. It had been chewed to the point where it was unrecognizable, but it looked like a mutant.