Once Human, Now a Parasite

Chapter 591

With only he and Zodiak on the 6th floor, Arthur didn't encounter any problem and caught as many as 30 rabbits all thanks to the treant appearance, which didn't alert any of the furry and adorable white animals .

Moreover, as this forest is vast, he has not heard or saw any signs of fighting which can only mean that Zodiak is either far away or had already finished the randomly given quota . Unlike the rest, Arthur was not in a rush and wanted to wait a bit for Lucy just to see how she's doing .

Obviously, he's not going to openly interact with her, nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt to go a bit slow . He managed to catch thirty rabbits in half an hour, which equals to one per minute, a decent pace, or so he thought .

There was no warning from the system that other contestants have passed the 5th floor, meaning that 'Haven' is not as simple as it seems .

Just like that, an hour quietly and peacefully passed and Arthur managed to reach half of the quota while wandering around and discovering new areas, which didn't look any different from the rest . There were just a few pine trees and a staggering amount of bamboo trees that kind of hindered his movement due to his size .

Anyway, at some point, Arthur stumbled upon two rabbits nibbling some half-grow grass, unaware of the parasite lurking close to them . Arthur maintained a safe distance and used his long-reaching vines that moved underground and swiftly attacked the unsuspecting animals .

Unfortunately, unlike earlier, the situation didn't proceed as smoothly . Arthur expected such an unfavorable outcome when he saw two rabbits at once and, as the tower said, two rabbits can bite .

The meaning is peculiar but enough for the parasite to tread with cautiousness and maintain what he deemed as a safe distance to escape or properly react in case something happened .

The vines that sprung from the ground touched naught but air as the two rabbits magically fused together and became a horned rabbit with a green fur . It was then that Arthur heard a whistling, almost ear-piercing sound, followed by an abrupt dizziness .

A monstrous force had sent his large body flying to the back, breaking all the bamboo trees and stopping only after a whopping kilometer . Arthur's treant form distorted and reverted back to his human appearance, which was all bloodied with his two arms bent to the back .

In just a few seconds, the arms returned to their normal state but Arthur, who was still processing what just happened, was stupefied to see 70% of his health gone . His high recovered quickly restored his health but the mental and physical shock remained for half a minute . He only snapped out of it when he heard the tower's voice speak directly to him .

*Contestant Arthur MoonStar, you completed the necessary requirements to hear more details about the rules .

Two rabbits can bite; A green(50%) bites once, an orange(30%) bites twice, a purple(20%) bites thrice .

Once fused, rabbits attack the nearest source of danger . *

After pondering for a few moments, Arthur changed into a White Tiger that was rather small in size, spiraling lightning appeared under its feet as it roared then vanished, its speed simply astonishing .

***

\"Teacher, what's the purpose of Haven?\"

Saly handed a large bowl filled with popcorn to the Joker while asking him .

\"Well, they're all strong but there is something even a powerful person does not have . \"

The Magician smirked and winked at the white-haired innocent beastmen .

\"What is it?\"

Her eyes grew wide from curiosity and her tail was wagging left and right, clearly showcasing her impatience .

\"Luck, my dear student . It's luck . \"

…

Back on the 5th floor, many grew bored and frustrated as the tower informed them of no task or rules . Many roamed the barren land in search of clues but even after a two hours, which is more than enough time to go around the area more than ten times, not a single soul discovered something of interest .

Forne, G'am Tir, 'X' and Celes were grouped together and waiting for instructions while Lucy and the Void Behemoth were going around .

Unbeknownst to the Black Seat and his party, there was a pair of eyes watching them from a distance . Even with Forne and X's high perception, they failed to notice the gaze of the stranger, who was a woman with a black hair that reached her ankles . She entered the tower alone and none bothered her as she was average in terms of appearance and strength .

She had the cultivation of an average Overgod and excelled in melee combat though she never used any flashy techniques . This unfamiliar woman was, in fact, a terrifying being, the master of Stealth and the founder of necromancy, Xyktia the Assassin .

Her devoted follower wanted to tag along but there was a big chance that Forne would recognize the former White Seat so, in the end, she was left outside .

Unlike the rest of the contestants, Xyktia knew the way to the next floor but refrained from going first to avoid arousing any suspicions . Her identity must be kept a secret until she reaches the last floor and any unwanted attention will be problematic . Sure, she is strong but if she goes around defeating everyone, the Joker will definitely not stay still and she's not someone who can beat him in her current state .

Being imprisoned for thousands of years definitely weakened her and forcefully leaving the prison like this is affecting her, which is why she can't be out forever . If this matter wasn't so urgent, she wouldn't have hurriedly come here .

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait that long as a bulky contestant who wasn't wearing any top luckily found a trigger which enveloped him in light and teleported him to the 6th floor .

The rest went to his spot but it instantly returned to normal, sadly . Nonetheless, pretty much every one kind of understood the way to the next floor . There are hidden spots which can be accessed by stepping on them with moderate force .

All they needed was to find the hidden triggers and go up, which turned out more difficult than they imagined . In the next few minutes, six to seven people found triggers and were also teleported, which only riled up the desperately searching contestants .

\"Ahh this is too boring for a task!\"

Maxine grumbled while going around and randomly stomping spots in the barren ground, a sigh escaping her mouth every ten seconds . The armored dwarf was nonchalantly drinking alcohol, The thief was invisible and searching for a trigger while Tula, the young and quiet magician remained standing like a pillar, his hand clutching his magical staff . He was trying to use his high magic sensitivity to find the triggers, which won't work, unfortunately, as this task relies purely on luck .

The only reason Xyktia was able to locate triggers is because of the magic used to create the tower is the same as the creation magic all the Twelve have and this allowed her to see the constantly moving triggers that are being moved randomly every three to four seconds .

Fifteen minutes after the first lucky contestants were teleported, the Assassin also stepped on a trigger and went to a higher floor, unwilling to waste more time than needed .

****

\"Ha!\"

Zodiak raised his staff and conjured a sturdy black barrier which completely negated the supersonic attack of a green rabbit . Whether it fails or succeeds its attack, the rabbit automatically disappears, however, before it was gone, Zodiak quickly captured it, earning two points .

While Arthur's quota was 120, Zodiak was not that fortunate . The old man needs exactly 790 rabbits, a relatively high number to reach, especially if more contestants arrive .

Arthur won't purposely hinder him but he knew of a few individuals who are antagonistic such as that lancer who pulverized thousands of Cthulhu alone .

******

\"Is there something on my face?\"

Vyncent, who shaved his beard and fixed his dirty and unkempt hair, frowned upon seeing the little girl's intense gaze .

He was busy devouring the freshly roasted meat to fill his rumbling stomach and only noticed her stare a second ago . He wasn't acquainted with her and only knew the brown-haired man, who was actually the Black Devil, Timos .

Thanks to Timos' interference, Vyncent was saved and got some much-needed rest . Surprisingly, the little girl used Water Magic to heal all of his injuries and get him back to a healthy state, further invigorating him .

Obviously, the young man was grateful but confused about why Timos or the girl would help him .

\"Nothing, I just sense a bad aura from you . \"

After thinking for a moment, Vyncent retrieved a strange coin from his pocket and flipping around in order to show it to the curious girl .

\"That's some dangerous thing you got . \"

Timos came from the side and sat opposite of the blue-haired girl while commenting, though his eyes were focused on the fire at their center .

\"I got it from Elias . \"-Vyncent

\"I'm neither demanding an explanation nor in need of details about the coin . It's yours so do it what you see fit . \"

\"I don't know what it does, though . \"-Vyncent

Although he managed to acquire it after Elias died, he still doesn't exactly know its functions . It just felt eerie and seemed inexplicably evil .

\"Lass, what do you think?\"

Timos grinned and asked the quiet girl, who examined the coin from a distance .

\"It seems like a soul transmitter . \"

When hearing that, The Strategist chuckled and corrected her:

\"Not quite… but close . \"