Chapter 222: Predator of the Night

Gray didn’t give the pirates a chance to recover.

While the mage was still staring at the remnants of his destroyed fireball, Gray moved again. His translucent body darted between the trees, taking advantage of the darkness and the confusion caused by EMP Shroud.

"Where is it?!"

"Watch your backs! It’s moving!"

One of the pirates swung his weapon toward a shadow, only to hit empty air.

Before he could recover, several of Gray’s tentacles extended from the darkness.

"Behind you!"

The warning came too late.

Gray activated Overcharge.

Electricity began gathering around his tentacles, illuminating the surrounding darkness with intermittent flashes of blue-white light. The energy intensified rapidly, producing a sharp crackling sound that made the nearby pirates instinctively step back.

Then Gray released it.

A violent discharge of electricity shot through the darkness and struck several pirates at once.

"GAAAAH!"

Their bodies convulsed as the electricity coursed through them. One dropped his weapon immediately, while another collapsed onto his knees, unable to control his trembling limbs. The attack spread through the tightly packed group, catching even those who had been standing behind their companions.

ZZZTTT!

The electrical discharge eventually faded.

Several pirates lay sprawled across the ground, their bodies still twitching from the residual effects.

"D-Damn it...!"

One of the survivors staggered backward, staring at his trembling hands.

"What kind of monster is this?!"

Gray watched them from a short distance.

That should have bought me some time.

However, the remaining pirates weren’t completely helpless.

"Surround it!"

"Don’t let it get away!"

Despite their fear, several of them gritted their teeth and rushed toward Gray. Some raised their swords, while others prepared ranged attacks.

Gray immediately recognized that he couldn’t afford to let them get close.

As the pirates approached, he released another skill.

Neurotoxin Drift.

A nearly invisible cloud of poisonous particles spread through the surrounding area. It drifted between the trees and gradually enveloped the approaching pirates.

At first, none of them noticed.

One pirate continued running, raising his sword as he prepared to strike.

But after taking several more steps, his movements suddenly became sluggish.

"...Huh?"

His legs felt unusually heavy.

He tried to accelerate, but his body refused to respond as quickly as he expected.

"What... What’s happening to me?"

Another pirate stumbled beside him.

"My arms... They’re getting numb!"

The effects gradually spread throughout the group.

Their muscles weakened, their reactions slowed, and their coordination deteriorated. Even those who hadn’t been directly struck by Overcharge began struggling to maintain their balance.

Gray observed them carefully.

’Good. Their physical condition is deteriorating.’

But he wasn’t finished.

Gray activated Terror.

An oppressive sense of dread descended upon the pirates.

It wasn’t simply fear caused by the darkness or the strange attacks they had suffered. The skill forced an overwhelming sense of intimidation upon them, making their instincts recognize Gray as an overwhelmingly dangerous predator.

Their breathing became uneven.

One pirate dropped his sword and stumbled backward.

"W-What is that feeling...?"

Another looked around frantically.

"I can’t... I can’t move properly!"

"Calm down! It’s just one monster!"

The man who shouted those words tried to raise his weapon, but his trembling arms betrayed him.

The darkness seemed to press against them from every direction. They couldn’t reliably detect Gray’s position, their bodies were growing weaker, and the overwhelming pressure made every instinct scream that they were facing something they couldn’t defeat.

"Where the hell is the captain?!"

One pirate suddenly shouted.

"Why hasn’t that bastard arrived yet?!"

"Yeah! Didn’t he say he’d deal with this monster himself?!"

"It’s been too damn long!"

Another pirate clenched his teeth, looking desperately between the trees.

"If he’s so powerful, why is he taking so long?!"

"Shut up! He’ll kill us if he hears you!"

"Then where is he?! We’re getting slaughtered here!"

Their complaints quickly turned into desperate accusations.

They had come here expecting to hunt a monster, believing that their numbers and Jooquin’s strength would make the task relatively easy.

Instead, they were being attacked from the darkness without even understanding where their enemy was.

And the man they had relied on was nowhere to be seen.

Gray watched their increasingly desperate behavior.

’So much for experienced pirates.’

He didn’t underestimate them, however. Even weakened and frightened, some could still launch dangerous attacks if given an opportunity.

His tentacles slowly moved beneath his body.

’I need to finish this before they regain their composure.’

One of the pirates suddenly charged toward him, desperately swinging his sword.

Gray moved aside, allowing the blade to pass harmlessly beneath his body. Before the pirate could turn around, several tentacles wrapped around his torso and limbs.

The man struggled.

"L-Let go!"

Gray tightened his grip.

A sharp crack echoed through the forest.

[LOW PIRATE — DEFEATED — 744 EXP]

Another pirate tried to flee, but Gray’s tentacles quickly caught him by the legs and dragged him backward.

"HELP ME!"

His desperate cry was cut short.

[LOW PIRATE — DEFEATED — 711 EXP]

The remaining pirates grew even more frantic.

Some attempted to attack Gray, while others desperately searched for an escape route. But their weakened bodies and impaired reactions made it increasingly difficult to resist him.

Gray continued his assault.

One by one, the pirates fell into the darkness.

[LOW PIRATE — DEFEATED — 688 EXP]

[LOW PIRATE — DEFEATED — 709 EXP]

[LOW PIRATE — DEFEATED — 541 EXP]

Their screams gradually became less frequent.

Gray didn’t hesitate. Every time another pirate fell, another notification appeared before his eyes.

[LOW PIRATE — DEFEATED — 552 EXP]

[LOW PIRATE — DEFEATED — 801 EXP]

After killing another pirate, a familiar notification suddenly appeared.

[LEVEL UP!]

[You are now Level 54.]

[20 Stat Points available for distribution.]

[2 Skill Points available.]

Gray briefly glanced at the notification.

’Another level...’

He didn’t stop to celebrate. The flare had already alerted the other groups, and he couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

There could still be pirates nearby.

’I need to finish this quickly.’

However, the remaining pirates were beginning to realize that continuing to fight like this would only get them killed.

"Damn it! Stop running around and attack together!"

"Then where the hell is it?!"

"Just hit everything! Don’t let that thing hide!"

Several pirates gathered what little strength they had left. Their bodies were still affected by Neurotoxic Drift, and their senses remained distorted by EMP Shroud, but desperation had driven them to abandon any attempt at precise attacks.

One of them raised his weapon, gathering a thick golden aura around its blade.

Another followed, his entire body enveloped in a reddish glow. The others began channeling their own battle energy, their auras growing increasingly intense.

Gray immediately noticed the change.

’What are they planning?’

Before he could move, the pirates unleashed their attacks simultaneously.

"DIE!"

A massive explosion erupted across the forest.

BOOOOM!

The attacks spread across a wide area, tearing through trees and scattering soil in every direction. Several enormous blades of battle energy swept through the darkness, while another attack detonated against the ground, sending debris flying into the surrounding area.

Gray’s body moved instinctively.

He quickly retreated, using Flow State to sharpen his perception and avoid the incoming attacks. Even so, the sheer coverage of the assault left him with very little room to maneuver.

One of the energy blades passed dangerously close to his body, cutting through several tentacles’ reach before crashing into a tree behind him.

’Damn. That’s a lot of destructive power.’

Gray continued moving backward until he reached a safer distance.

He had initially considered using Arcane Burst to counter their attacks, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

The energy surrounding those attacks wasn’t mana.

It was battle energy.

Gray remembered his previous encounter with the Shadow Knight of Destruction. Back then, he had experienced a similar problem. The opponent’s attacks were constructed from a completely different source of power, making them difficult to interfere with using his mana-based abilities.

Arcane Burst wouldn’t be a reliable counter here.

’So that’s their trump card.’

The pirates continued unleashing their attacks, destroying everything around them in an attempt to force Gray out of hiding.

But then, something else caught his attention.

Through his enhanced perception, Gray detected several approaching presences from a distance.

’...The other groups.’

Their footsteps and voices were becoming increasingly audible. The flare had clearly done its job, and the remaining expedition members were now heading toward this location.

Gray glanced at the four pirates still standing.

They were battered, exhausted, and visibly struggling to maintain their battle energy. However, their area attacks had created enough destruction to make approaching them unnecessarily dangerous.

He could continue fighting, but doing so would risk getting surrounded before he could finish them.

And that was something he couldn’t afford.

’I need to leave.’

Gray activated Phantom Cloak, allowing his presence to disappear into the surrounding darkness. He retreated between the trees, carefully avoiding the approaching groups.

The four surviving pirates remained in the clearing, breathing heavily as they surveyed the destruction around them.

"Did we... get it?"

"Don’t be stupid. Keep your weapons ready!"

"Where is that damn thing?!"

None of them noticed Gray had already withdrawn.

He had killed most of their group, but four pirates had survived.

For now, that would have to be enough.

Gray continued moving deeper into the forest, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the clearing.