novelraw Chapter 292: The struggle for the crown prince has always been like this
Chapter 292: The struggle for the crown prince has always been like this
Today is the 6th day since the start of the Hunting Competition.
After five days of fierce competition, some participants whose strength isn't that formidable are finding it increasingly difficult to raise their scores any further.
During the battles over the past few days, they have continuously depleted the supply potions they brought. The accumulated fatigue from prolonged combat cannot be fully recovered by the meager hours of sleep at night. Gradually, their condition has deteriorated far from their initial peak. Some participants, prioritizing safety, have already ended their competition journey early.
There is a hidden button on the contest wristband. By channeling Qi and Blood or Mana into it and pressing the button, nearby supervisors will come to investigate. After confirming to the supervisor the decision to abandon the competition, the score will be finalized, and the supervisor will escort them out of the Silent Forest.
After all, those participating in this Hunting Competition are young talents from various kingdoms. If they were to unfortunately die, it would be a significant loss.
Of course, even so, it does not guarantee the absolute safety of the contestants. Every year in the Hunting Competition, there are always some who die or go missing due to unexpected incidents.
The participating contestants are naturally aware of this as well.
Anything that can bring benefits often also signifies the presence of risk. This simple principle is something they understand well.
Yet, many contestants came with the hope of making a name for themselves in one fell swoop. However, the cruel reality over these past few days has dealt them a heavy blow. The gap between them and those true geniuses is like an insurmountable chasm. No matter how hard they try, it simply cannot be bridged.
These contestants who have come to terms with reality have thus lost the will to continue striving.Some of them even gave up as early as two or three days into the competition... and in recent days, such contestants have become increasingly numerous.
At this moment, from the original over 12,000 participants in the Hunting Competition, the number of remaining contestants is less than 7,000.
But those capable of entering the top 1000 of the rankings will basically not choose to give up.
Although they cannot compare to those top-tier geniuses, being able to enter the top 1000 of the Hunting Competition's rankings is already an honor in itself. After the competition ends and they return to their respective cities, this record will make their future paths much smoother.
Therefore, the closer the competition gets to the end, the fiercer the competition at the top of the rankings becomes.
Especially that small group at the very front. These individuals are absolute monsters and also possess decent strategies. Over the past few days of point farming, they have chosen monsters that pose little threat to them, making the battles relatively easy and not incurring much consumption.
They are almost all still in peak condition, and the speed of their point accumulation has basically not slowed down.
For these contestants, the real struggle is only about to begin in the next four days.
In the early stages of the competition, everyone chooses a safer approach to steadily increase their points. But now, things are about to change. The closer it gets to the end of the competition, the more suitable it becomes to adopt more aggressive methods.
Venturing deeper into the Silent Forest, hunting higher-level monsters, or even lying in ambush to seize points from other contestants...
The Hunting Competition is about to enter its most intense phase.
Lin Mo's original plan was to continue deeper into the Silent Forest and directly kill those high-level monsters.
He disdained doing things like stealing others' monsters or camping to ambush and steal points. That would be more troublesome for him. In comparison, killing monsters that no one else but him could defeat was a faster way to obtain points.
The higher the level of the monster, the more exaggerated the number of points obtained.
Like that powerful Molten Rock Fire Lion he killed earlier, a single one gave 15,000 points.
If only such monsters weren't so scarce and hard to find, and if the remaining Molten Rock Fire Lions hadn't become more cautious after one was killed by Lin Mo yesterday, otherwise, Lin Mo would have liked to kill a few more.
A Level 10 monster already gives 15,000 points. Level 11 or higher monsters would only have even more exaggerated point values. With Lin Mo's current strength, even Level 13 or 14 monsters wouldn't amount to much in front of him, and defeating them wouldn't be difficult.
And killing just one such monster would most likely directly "end the competition."
However...
Just as Lin Mo was acting on this idea and heading deeper into the forest...
A rustling sound suddenly rang out from the surrounding woods.
Lin Mo frowned, looking around.
A monster preparing to ambush?
"There's a very sharp scent..."
Ellie gripped her sword tightly, her expression extremely serious. "The opponent is very strong!"
"Whoosh—!"
A piercing sound of something cutting through the air rang out. Powerful Ice Element surged in Lin Mo's hand.
"Frost Guard!"
An ice-blue barrier abruptly materialized, blocking the attacker's strike.
That pair of sharp "scythes" struck the barrier, only causing ripples and failing to leave even a trace.
"Oh?"
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised at the attacker.
It was actually a mantis...
A giant mantis standing three to four meters tall.
Lin Mo didn't know much about insect-type monsters. After all, in the areas he had operated in, both past and present, insect-type monsters rarely appeared.
But Lin Mo's impression of the last time he encountered this type of monster was quite deep.
That was during the journey to the Royal Capital, when he happened to meet Eve and the others.
A powerful giant black beetle suddenly appeared... At the time, he had thought it might be a monster that had escaped from a Secret Realm. Later, Lin Mo went back and asked Instructor Flora, who confirmed the possibility of a Secret Realm existing within the Silent Forest and pointed out that Eve had likely entered that Secret Realm before.
But when they encountered that giant beetle, Eve didn't mention any related information.
Was she unwilling to bring up that past event? Or did she simply not encounter that type of monster in the Secret Realm she entered back then?
Or perhaps the Secret Realm she entered back then and the suspected Secret Realm within the current Silent Forest were not the same one.
These matters... he should have asked her about them earlier.
Although she might not necessarily be willing to talk about them...
Lin Mo's thoughts returned to the present. The reappearance of an insect-type monster undoubtedly indicated that there should also be an entrance to a Secret Realm nearby.
But as the saying goes, Lin Mo didn't like taking risks. Rashly entering a completely unknown Secret Realm was obviously not a wise move.
After all, even the legendary adventurer of the past, Lorenth Valania, whose strength was almost unmatched in the world, also became lost in a Secret Realm and has been missing for 20 years now.
Let's just kill this annoying bug and leave quickly.
With a thought, Lin Mo immediately raised his hand. Dazzling lightning flickered in his palm. The next moment, Lin Mo leaped high into the air, bringing his sword down from above towards the giant mantis before him.
"Furious Thunder Descent!"
Turbulent electric light erupted continuously. Blinding blue electric arcs spread across a radius of over ten meters, leaving a deep crater in the ground.
The giant mantis lay in that crater, already devoid of life.
This mantis wasn't as strong as that black beetle from before, being only Level 11.
A monster of this level, in front of a slightly serious Lin Mo, was undoubtedly cosplaying as a speed bump.
That skill just now was an upgraded version of the "Thunderous Descent" Lin Mo had used before. Specifically, it used the upgraded version of Lightning Strike, Furious Thunder Spear, to replace the original Lightning Strike, combining it with Furious Leap Cleave. Its power was greater and more ferocious than the original.
[Furious Thunder Spear] proficiency +90
[Furious Leap Cleave] proficiency +90
Neither skill's proficiency had reached the requirement for an upgrade.
"Let's go, change areas."
Lin Mo didn't plan to stay in this area with uncertain factors for too long. He turned to leave.
Hearing his words, Sherfilia and Finnie quickly followed behind him. Only Ellie remained standing in place, not moving for a long time.
"Ellie?"
Lin Mo looked at her somewhat puzzled.
"There's... another smell."
Ellie's expression gradually turned grave. "It's the smell of decay... deep within this forest!"
Lin Mo was immediately taken aback. "The smell of decay?"
In Area 31 of the Silent Forest, Benerod Preston glanced at his several knocked-out companions, looking warily at the man who had suddenly appeared before him.
"Don't be so tense, Young Master Benerod. Or should I call you... Zane Morin?"
Benerod's pupils contracted. He then put on an expression of relief, asking with a relaxed face, "Are you one of father's men?"
Zane Morin—that was the fake's name, the illegitimate child born to Duke Morin and his mother. In Duke Morin's eyes, he was currently Zane Morin.
"Just a cooperative relationship..."
Cress's face still maintained that relaxed, fake smile. "Your father, Duke Morin, asked me to bring you some messages."
"What messages?"
Benerod showed an intrigued expression.
This didn't require acting. He had long wanted to know what Sted Morin was plotting.
"He told me to have you kill Seth Morin and take his points."
Benerod was directly stunned, his face full of disbelief as he asked, "Why kill brother?"
Even at this moment, he hadn't forgotten to maintain his act.
"Because Duke Morin discovered that someone betrayed him..."
Under the other's narration, Benerod quickly understood the whole story.
It turned out Duke Morin wasn't a fool either. When he had hooked up with Duke Morin's wife back then, Duke Morin had also discovered some clues. However, due to the influence of his wife's family, he didn't bring the matter to light.
Now that Duke Morin planned to leave the Doria Kingdom, he naturally wouldn't care about these things anymore, and it was time for a reckoning.
Because he himself had done such things, Duke Morin was especially afraid.
When he discovered his wife's betrayal, although Seth had already been born, what about before he found out? Who knew if that bitch had started even earlier?
Once the seed of suspicion is sown, it will eventually take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree.
By now, in Duke Morin's eyes, he no longer considered Seth his biological son.
In comparison, Zane Morin, who was confirmed to be his own child, was clearly more worthy of cultivation.
Benerod laughed heartily. "Hahaha—Father really made a... correct decision."
His reaction wasn't inappropriate. After all, from Zane Morin's perspective, this meant he would become the future heir of the Morin Family, undoubtedly a cause for celebration.
The struggle for the heir position has always been like this.
But in reality, Benerod's happiness wasn't just for this one reason.
During this period, he had been extremely cautious, not daring to act rashly, and was still troubled about how to gain Sted Morin's trust and make him see him as the family's future heir.
And now, the very thing he wanted had borne fruit because of the seeds he himself had sown back then.
Duke Morin was like a clown, completely manipulated within the palm of his hand. How could that not make one laugh heartily?
However...
"What does father mean by saying he wants to leave the Doria Kingdom?"
Benerod was still very puzzled about this point.
He certainly knew Sted Morin's plan. The Duke was desperately trying to break away from the Doria Kingdom to evade possible future reckoning.
Then, relying on the resources plundered over the years, he would make a comeback in another kingdom.
But King Kaeo wouldn't let him do that. In Kaeo's eyes, the Morin Family's wealth was all earned from the kingdom's money. In the past, the Morin Family's influence was too great, with too many connections, so he could only swallow his anger. But now that the Morin Family was declining, and he had the support of the heir from the Royal Duke Family of the Empire, what he most wanted to do was undoubtedly to devour the Morin Family, this piece of fattened meat he had nurtured for so long, in one bite. He could both fill his mouth with oil and comply with public sentiment, earning a wave of reputation and public praise. How could he let him escape?
Both his assets within the kingdom and Duke Sted Morin himself were already under King Kaeo's surveillance. There was simply no way to leave!
"This is the content of our cooperation."
After saying this, Cress didn't elaborate further. Clearly, he was much more cautious than Duke Morin.
He scrutinized the "Zane Morin" before him, seemingly trying to discern something.
Benerod didn't dare to press further and could only change the subject. "Just by myself, I can't kill brother... kill Seth."
He performed the shift in mentality vividly, which also made Cress withdraw his gaze.
"It's fine, I'll accompany you."
"That's good then..."
Benerod showed a relieved expression, but his mind kept racing.
Who exactly was this suddenly appearing guy? What was the specific content of his cooperation with Duke Morin?
That bastard... what method did he plan to use to leave the kingdom?
These doubts made his mood grow heavier.
But he didn't dare to show the slightest abnormality.
His intuition told him that this man who called himself "Cress"... was terrifying!