C14 The Cooperation

It was unclear whether the wild boar king was enraged by Landry's successful evasion or by his taunting words. The massive creature turned toward Landry, its colossal frame displaying an agility that defied nature. The wild boar king charged at Landry with its sharp fangs bared, and had Landry been impaled, it would have certainly spelled the end of his adventure in the Mysterious Realm.

Landry, seasoned in combat, rolled swiftly to the left to avoid the attack. The wild boar king halted its charge and viciously stomped with its thick right leg at Landry, who was still off-balance. Unable to rise and evade, Landry had no choice but to roll on the spot. The wild boar king's hoof pounded the earth, leaving a massive crater, yet its assault was relentless.

The wild boar king's left foot followed through, and its enormous head, a formidable weapon in its own right, swung with full force at Landry. Unable to sidestep this time, Landry braced himself with his large blade across his chest, only to be knocked several meters back by the impact.

Landry's physique, likely enhanced by a Strengthening Potion, was robust, but the fact that he was sent flying with a mere headbutt spoke volumes of the wild boar king's monstrous strength. The beast, undeterred, prepared to lunge again, brandishing its massive fangs like spears.

At that critical moment, the creature's advance was halted by a piercing scream. The man of silence had released his fully drawn bow, striking the wild boar king's rear. The arrow vanished into the flesh, leaving a grievous wound that did not close.

The wild boar king's momentum came to an abrupt halt!

Landry breathed a sigh of relief. As he readied himself to charge with his machete, the wild boar king whirled around and bolted toward the mill with unrestrained fury. Despite its injury, the beast's speed was astonishing. Its bristles stood on end, and it emitted a ghastly howl as it closed in on the man of silence with terrifying ferocity.

The man of silence maintained his composure, effortlessly sidestepping to the left to evade the wild boar king's lethal strike before swiftly moving aside.

Yet, the wild boar king showed no signs of mercy, intent on shredding the man of silence to avenge the earlier arrow wound.

Danger loomed! The man of silence's physical condition was clearly not on par with Landry's—he was in peril.

At that moment, a figure emerged behind the wild boar king. Landry, with his machete raised high, delivered a fierce slash to the back of the wild boar king's neck.

The wild boar king's head lurched to the side as its massive frame began to collapse, twitching as if it hadn't yet succumbed.

Landry struck again, this time at the wild boar king's chest, and the beast's twitching gradually ceased. Unrelenting, he decapitated the wild boar king with one final blow. The head rolled to the ground with a clang, the red glow in the wild boar king's eyes flickering before fading out.

Landry, axe in hand, stood before the man of silence, a mere half-meter separating them. With a simple reach, Landry could inflict severe harm, and the tension between them spiked once more.

After a tense exchange of glances, the man of silence finally cracked a smile. He sheathed his saber and extended a hand to the man of silence.

Taken aback, the man of silence hesitated but ultimately grasped Landry's right hand. With a firm pull, Landry hoisted the man of silence to his feet.

Landry chuckled heartily, "See, there's no need for such tension between us." He clapped the man of silence on the shoulder, adding, "Now we can help each other out, right?"

The man of silence stiffened, a dangerous air enveloping him momentarily before vanishing. He nodded in agreement, "Alright, let's work together." Matthew intervened to ease the situation, well aware of the man of silence's prideful nature. A nod was a significant gesture of compromise, and since Landry hadn't taken advantage of his vulnerability, cooperation was possible. Most importantly, neither of them could overpower the other at this point.

"Could I take a look at your saber?" Matthew asked with a hint of curiosity. The saber Landry wielded seemed exceptional.

Card Name: Ruinblade Kai

Category: Weapon card

Quality: Green

Weapon Level: Level 2

Usage: Summon the Ruinblade, capable of breaking through limits up to three times per day.

Note: Infinite ruin, tremendous destructive power, but requires a matching physique to wield.

Matthew read the description intently and was quite impressed. It was indeed a fine item, though he was unsure how to acquire such a weapon card. "By the way, why don't you use Heroes in battle? And how can I get one of these weapon cards?" Their relationship having improved, Matthew felt comfortable inquiring directly.

"It looks like you're a gold card holder. After the mission concludes, you'll have the opportunity to open a treasure chest, which might contain a weapon card. Plus, you'll earn additional points at the end of the Mysterious Realm, increasing your chances of obtaining one. As for not summoning Heroes, they are indeed powerful in the Mysterious Realm, but summoning them there consumes energy, just as it does outside. They can be used without any energy cost only within dungeons," Landry explained, clearly enjoying the conversation.

"I see!" Matthew finally grasped Tina's motives. It appeared she wasn't just aiming to get through the Mysterious Realm; she had greater ambitions.

Having formally agreed to collaborate, the trio made their way back into the forest to locate the rest of the Wild Dog Pack. As the sun neared the horizon, Matthew received a mission update.

"Wild Dog Pack elimination mission complete. Please report back to Gourault Manor to inform the lord and claim your reward."

The man of silence and Landry had received the same notification, prompting them to head back to the manor.

During the journey, Matthew engaged Landry in conversation. Through their dialogue, he learned that Landry was actually an expatriate living in Aetruin, working as a fitness coach. He had acquired the saber during his last venture into the Mysterious Realm but had to trade it for a Strengthening Potion to enhance his physique due to his lack of strength.

As they walked, the man of silence abruptly halted and yelled, "Get down!"

Landry and Matthew instinctively dropped to a crouch. A red playing card whizzed by, narrowly missing Matthew's scalp, followed by a thunderous explosion behind them.

"Please be aware that you have been attacked by a red name player. You temporarily have the right to retaliate without penalty, and should you eliminate a red name player, you will acquire all of their cards and gold coins. Proceed with caution."