Max Talent Player

Chapter 104

After hunting the Orcanthropes, Song Kiyeol said this:

I have already promised you that. I will prepare it immediately. Useless oil items also came out, but do you want those as well?

That item was Orc Chimera Oil.

[Orc Chimera Oil]

Oil that can be obtained from Orc-based chimera monsters. This flammable substance only reacts to magic coming directly from the hand of a magician. However, caution is advised, as the temporary destructive power is so strong it may inflict great damage to the one creating the magical flame. A fire created from Orc Chimera Oil can only be extinguished by magic.

• Creates a very powerful explosion when coming in contact with poison-attribute components.

• The intensity of the explosion rises in proportion to the concentration of poison.

Valid time: 3 months

Kiyeol called this a useless oil item. It was understandable, since fire magicians were not only rare, but also very unlikely to use this oil while risking injury to themselves. Its expiration date was only three months.

However, it wasnt useless right now. Choi Sung-gu clenched his teeth.

Itll be fine, right?

He had already splashed Orc Chimera Oil all over the place.

Ill be fine, but

To be honest, he couldnt help but worry. He had the title effect of Person of Fire, plus the protection of the Giant of the Sunset. He also had an extremely high affinity with fire. But Kim Hyukjin was different.

Ah, whatever. Im sure itll be fine.

Fire instantly appeared in his palm.

He said I need to light it directly with my hand, right?

He counted down in his heart.

Hyukjin said to slowly count from 10 after his shout.

10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

Now!

Sung-gu touched his flame to the oil that only reacted to magic flame, the Orc Chimera Oil. A booming explosion instantly went off, and flames surged up. The wind happened to be blowing in Hyukjins direction, and an enormous inferno swelled up, rushing down the passageway in the winds direction.

Ngh!

His clothes caught fire, and Sung-gu coughed from the smoke. The explosive power was insane. A slightly acrid smell he couldnt tell was oil or gas permeated the cave.

Goddamn, its hot.

The entire cave turned into a sea of flame. If a fiery hell existed, it would probably look something like this. The flaming hell that had taken over the entire cave raged with heat so intense it could easily melt down a few people in seconds.

Hyukjin is fine, right?

Hyukjin had planned this. Sung-gu decided to trust the plan. He headed towards Hyukjin.

Hyukjin!

The flames were so intense they obscured his vision. He could only see about one meter in front of him. Thankfully, the path wasnt forked. He just had to go straight.

Kim Hyukjin!

His heart stirred with a little urgency.

Where are you? Youre okay, right?!

* * *

* * *

Kim Hyukjin shouted, Choi Sung-gu! Now!

The Predator Tree reacted to the sound, shooting a branch towards Hyukjin as if throwing a snare.

Slice!

Hyukjin swung his sword and cut away the branch whizzing towards him.

Ten seconds.

He told Sung-gu to count down from ten before lighting the fire. It would be a massive flame capable of swallowing even its creator. By now, the entire cave should be drenched in Orc Chimera Oil.

Hyukjin immediately used an item.

[Hobgoblin Perfume]

A perfume hobgoblins apply when playing tricks. It enables a special Stealth. However, overly large movements will cancel the spirit art.

Effect: Transparency spirit art

Duration: 3 minutes

Uses: 1

This item, which he acquired from hunting the Thin Hobgoblin, enabled a transparency spirit art. The Predator Tree was reliant on the same senses as humans.

Hyukjins body immediately vanished.

The spirit art will be dispelled if I move too fast.

The flames would soon come roaring in. He gave Sung-gu ten seconds. In just a few seconds, a literal firestorm created by Orc Chimera Oil and Sung-gu would overtake this cave.

Hyukjin moved very slowly, step by careful step.

Gghhh!

Gghhh!

The Predator Trees branches swayed in confusion. The prey that had been right in front of its eyes moments ago had disappeared. Hyukjin carefully bent to pick up a rock, then threw it into the direction he had walked from.

Clink!

The stone clanged against the cave wall.

Gghhh!

Gghhh!

The Predator Tree rushed towards the sound, and Hyukjins eyes followed the monster as it approached. If he collided into the monster by mistake, the spirit art would be canceled. He carefully assessed the trajectory of its movement and determined that he would barely avoid grazing it. Cold sweat ran down his back.

Lets stay put.

Gghhh!

Gghhh!

The Predator Tree swept a hairsbreadth past Hyukjin, rushing towards the place where the stone had fallen, the place with the corpses created by Pearl Centipedes.

Three seconds now.

Fwoooosh!

Flames shot up. A firestorm raged in, fueled by the Orc Chimera Oil he and Sung-gu had dispersed all over the place. After very carefully sneaking up on the Predator Tree, Hyukjin sprayed Orc Chimera Oil onto the monsters body. He also splashed plenty of oil on the corpses.

His movements were too sudden, it seemed.

[Excessive movement has been detected.]

[The spirit art is being dispelled.]

Hyukjin became visible again, and the Predator Tree recognized that he was behind it.

Gghhhh!

The mouth in the middle of the Predator Trees trunk swiveled automatically to its back in a motion that was the parallel of a humans head rotating 180 degrees.

The Predator Tree extended its branches.

Clamp!

As branches grabbed Hyukjins wrists and ankles, flames traveled up the Predator Trees body. Despite its considerable agony, it raised Hyukjin into the air to swallow him whole. Knowing the more he resisted, the faster it would move to consume him, Hyukjin didnt resist. He intentionally went limp in its grasp.

Sung-gu will call me.

That would confuse the Predator Tree a little more. From the viewpoint of the Predator Tree, it would be like an enemy suddenly appearing from the sea of flames so intense they were impossible to see through.

Gghhh!

Gghhh!

You just have to make a fuss like usual, Sung-gu.

Originally, this trap was meant to kill the Pearl Centipedes. However, it was more than capable of killing the Predator Tree as well. That was because Hyukjin had the Rot Water he obtained in advance from the Poison Witch.

His ankle touched the Predator Trees mouth.

As slowly as a snake swallowing its prey, the Predator Tree persisted in swallowing Hyukjin despite the agony of being covered in flames.

Just then, Sung-gus voice rang out.

Kim Hyukjin! Where are you? Youre okay, right?!

The cave was now completely full of fire. The Predator Tree flinched. Hyukjin didnt miss that very tiny opening, a fraction of a second. He raised his foot a little and kicked the Predator Trees trunk, pushing his body a little further away from the monster. Then, he curled up his body as much as possible while still dangling in the air.

Sung-gu! You huddle up, too! he shouted.

Sung-gu had absorbed the Vulcan Body Tome, so he would probably be fine even if he didnt curl up, but it was still best to be safe than sorry.

The next moment, there was a huge explosion.

BOOOOM!

It was like a massive bomb went off.

Sung-gu hastily dropped to the ground with a yelp, curling up to minimize his exposure to the explosion.

The huge explosion was a stunning finale to the blazing firestorm prelude.

After some time, Sung-gu shakily got up.

Wowee, seriously. Thought I was in a frickin sauna or something.

Then, he approached Hyukjin.

Oi, Hyukjin. Youre okay, right?

...

Hyukjin lay on the ground, unmoving.

Hey! Hyukjin! You alright? Youre alright, yeah? Fuck. Youre not dead, are you?

Still prone, Hyukjin raised a hand, putting a finger to his lips as if to tell Sung-gu to shut up. He healed himself with Cure and Constitution Potions.

Phew, you scared me. I thought you were dead. Whyd you do things so recklessly? And what was that tree monster just now?

A monster around level 40.

Wha?

Sung-gus body trembled. He hastily looked around.

Fuck! Whered it go?

You hunted it just now.

Me? When?

Now that he thought of it, he had a fuzzy recollection of hearing a notice. He was so focused on finding out if Hyukjin was okay, so busy checking if Hyukjin was alive or dead, that he wasnt able to pay attention to it. Now that he had collected his wits, he remembered hearing it.

Predator Tree?

Yeah. The Predator Tree you killed.

Sung-gus mouth closed. It was because he knew what Hyukjin was doing right now.

Hes explaining to the Guardians.

A level 40 monster. That was a foe that should be nearly impossible to kill with two people in the early 30s. Moreover, the process had reduced Hyukjin to such a wreck.

How in hell did I kill it?

Sung-gu was curious, too. Hyukjin opened his mouth.

We made use of the Orc Chimera Oils special trait.

Special trait?

It causes a powerful explosion when it comes in contact with poison.

You had poison with you?

But wait, if Hyukjin had poison with him, he should have exploded, too. Sung-gu blinked, baffled.

There were several corpses created by Pearl Centipedes.

Corpses?

Sung-gu tilted his head.

Wait a sec, youre saying?

Yeah. We made use of decomposition poison. The bodies of the people killed by the Pearl Centipedes were filled with strong decomposition poison.

That wasnt all. Hyukjin had increased the explosive power even more with the addition of Rot Water, a liquid that created poison by decomposing something. This item, which was especially effective on corpses, could be produced by poison classes.

So basically, you lured that Predator Tree or whatever its called this way, let it get covered in flames, and then finished it off with an explosion using decomposition poison?

Yeah.

You could have died, too.

But I didnt.

Werent you closer to the explosion than me?

I was.

Without that, they wouldnt have been able to kill the Predator Tree.

It was 50/50 to begin with. Came down to whether I lived or it died. Thats all.

You crazy bastard. Theres no doubt, youre really gone in the head. I at least have a title called Person of Fire! Do you even have something like that?

Hyukjin gave a casual nod. I do.

I knew it, you dont! Without a fire resistance title like Huh? You do?

...

Sung-gu stared at Hyukjin in bafflement. He didnt think there would be someone else with the Person of Fire title, much less the sovereign Kim Hyukjin. Who would have thought that someone who didnt even have a fire class, but a sovereign class, would have this title?

Sung-gu shook his head.

I really gotta wonder if youre a crazy bastard after all.

His mood lifted. It hadnt even been long since he met Hyukjin, but he became happy anyway. He was happy Hyukjin was alright, that he had the Person of Fire title, everything.

You really are a madlad.

...

Surely you dont have a higher fire affinity or resistance than me, do you?

Having fully recovered, Hyukjin got to his feet. The way he patted himself down made it seem like he had just gone on a light jog around the neighborhood.

After mumbling, Jeez, good thing Im on the same team as this monster, Sung-gu changed the subject. Hey, you monster. That means I just killed a level 40 monster, right?

Yeah.

Holy shit. What the hell? My EXPs nearly gone up to half! Its been going up super fucking slow lately.

Hyukjin laughed. He didnt expect they would be able to kill a Predator Tree here. With the stacked effects of Observers Domain and his title, Hyukjin also reaped a handsome amount of EXP.

Im almost at level 31, too.

It was extremely difficult to raise ones level in the Hell Phase without a strategy. Even people with top-notch talent went up only one or two levels in three months, after all.

[The Whispering Devil is having fun.]

[The Nameless Observer is impressed by your quick wit.]

[The Giant of the Sunset expresses slight interest in you.]

Even the Giant of the Sunset showed a little interest in him now, a fairly big change from before. Originally, to the Giant of the Sunset, Hyukjin was just a thief who stole rewards that should have gone to my favorite.

Just then, Hyukjin heard a notice even he hadnt expected.