The Discarded Son's Skill Market

In front of them lay a group of dead people—every single one of them. There were signs of a battle in the trees and on the ground, but they had all died within a relatively short period of time.

After investigating the surroundings, Joe concluded that they had fought to the death against some dangerous beast.

"If a beast could cause this kind of damage so easily, it would have to be a Rank B. There’s no way there’s one around here."

Zaid looked at one of the corpses and frowned. He noticed something strange about it; however, he couldn’t tell at a glance what it was that seemed odd to him.

He crouched down and looked more closely.

’It feels hollow,’ he thought.

Puzzled, he moved it... it had bones, and the flesh felt substantial.

Where did that sensation come from?

He tried to look more closely, but couldn’t see anything; even his powerful senses didn’t provide much information on the matter. However, he had a strange feeling: he needed to look inward, higher up in his body.

’Master.’ Just then, Valia’s voice rang in his head, distracting him.

"Is something wrong?" Joe came up beside him from behind. "Your belongings were stolen by the beast... it doesn’t happen often, only when they’re very intelligent," he said.

Zaid stood up and nodded at him. "Do you think a beast did it?"

"Well, we’re in a forest full of dangerous beasts... It would be hard to imagine that one of them didn’t do it," Joe replied with a chuckle. "Do you think a human did it?"

"I’m not saying a human did it, but... I was recently involved in a case involving attacks on students myself. We should be suspicious."

"Actually, you’re right..."

While he barely reacted to what Joe was saying, Zaid was talking to Valia.

’Master, one of the team members has gone missing. I know where he is, but there are some pretty powerful people near him.’

’Is it possible to help him escape?’

’Well... if I intervene, I might be able to do it, but if that so-called Red Lord is nearby, then I’d reveal my position and this girl’s life would be in danger.’

Zaid frowned.

Let him die to prevent Alice from being kidnapped, or try to do something—but at the risk of Alice being kidnapped or killed...

"Those bastards have killed more than they should have." Zaid clenched his teeth in fury.

"Leave him be. Don’t stray from Alice," he said with all his weight behind the words.

That young man would surely die. Perhaps he could have saved him—or at least tried—but now... he had to bear the burden of his death.

"Even though I warned them," Zaid told himself, looking straight ahead. Suddenly, he sensed something very close to them, causing him to glance back instantly.

He crossed his arms over his chest, and a thunderous impact sent him flying dozens of meters, where he ended up rolling across the ground.

A powerful beast materialized above the group at that very moment.

The brutality of the impact echoed like a dry clap of thunder, sending up a cloud of dust and dry leaves that obscured their vision for a second.

Zaid, who had been sent flying dozens of meters, had disappeared into the underbrush and trees. For the group, which was still reeling from the ambush, the conclusion was immediate and devastating: the weakest member, who was carrying the backpacks and heavy equipment, had taken a direct hit from a Rank D beast. Instant death, surely.

However, there was no time for lamentations. The beast that materialized before them signaled that it was time for a cruel and bloody battle.

Fur covered his entire body, and his muscles were massive—they seemed to weigh tons and were as hard as iron. He looked like a gorilla, but his back was straight as a spear.

[Forged Iron Mutant Gorilla: Rank D] read the text above its head.

It let out a roar that made the ground tremble beneath its feet. Its imposing appearance commanded respect, striking fear into its opponents.

The team’s tank, that Level 12 Rank E, clenched his teeth so hard he tasted the metallic flavor of blood on his gums. He drew his highly durable shield and leaped forward to draw its attention.

He planted his boots firmly in the damp earth and glared fiercely at the beast.

Behind him...

"Everyone, fall in!" Joe bellowed, drawing his spear and pointing it forward. "It’s a powerful Rank D."

Feeling Joe behind him, the Rank E felt confident. He raised his heavy reinforced-alloy shield just in time. The gorilla’s fist came down like a hammer and struck him. The impact made the metal creak, and shockwaves swept through the area around the tank. The difference in strength sent him practically to the ground, leaving him with one knee in the mud.

A trickle of fresh blood ran from the corner of his lips, but he held his ground with determination, preventing the beast from moving with his skill.

From behind, Joe whispered, "Good job, hang in there."

He prepared to attack.

He wasn’t just a level 21 hunter; his specialty as a DPS lay in speed and critical penetration. In his hands, a lightweight alloy spear whistled through the air and vibrated with the energy channeled from his hands.

Joe didn’t have time to look back. But his heart felt heavy, and an icy chill gripped his body. He couldn’t see his teammate, whom he’d just met, but his death affected him. He thought the guy was a good guy. Quiet, but he did his duty as a support player. Weak, but resilient. Adventurous, but cautious. But that same guy was now dead.

What an unfair life.

’But I’ll avenge you... even though we don’t really know each other.

Zshhhh!

Joe vanished in a blur of movement. His first attack was a sideways feint that grazed the gorilla’s left shoulder, leaving barely a red line on its iron-hard fur. However, it served to divert the creature’s attention.

The monster spun around, trying to crush him with a swipe of its paw, but Joe’s agility outmaneuvered it.

He slipped beneath the massive arm, spinning on his own axis, and channeled his energy into the tip of his spear.

"Time for you to taste a proper attack skill, you damned ape," he whispered madly and activated the Talent granted to him by the 11-Point Spearman.

[Eleventh’s Piercing Thrust]

The spear struck the gorilla squarely in the side, producing a metallic clang as it tried to pierce the creature’s natural armor, sending a loud echo throughout the forest... One after another, 10 more attacks struck the same spot.

BREAK!

A spark flew, and the beast’s armor shattered at the back.

The gorilla staggered forward a few steps...

On the other side, the Rank F members standing behind the Rank E members were pale. Were they really supposed to face a Rank D beast, when they were barely Rank F themselves?

Their legs trembled—not from any impact, but from fear.

Their fears and doubts made them hesitate... Was it even possible to defeat a beast that had surely just killed an entire group just as strong as they were? Would they die?

Despite Joe’s exquisite moves, they still hesitated... He could fight because he was a Rank D, but they were barely at the lowest levels of the power scale.

If they fought, they would surely die!

"Attack! Don’t let him catch his breath!" One of the Rank F fighters suddenly shouted in a panicked voice, but he was the first to rush to help.

Behind him, the remaining two took a deep breath, looked each other in the eyes, and without thinking twice, one drew a bow and the other a mace.

The archer attacked with his most powerful arrows, imbued with energy to make them even more potent. Several arrows fired simultaneously—whether as skills or simply imbued with energy—struck the gorilla’s body. The metallic sound, similar to a stone striking a bell, made him realize it wasn’t all that strong.

Meanwhile, the mace-wielder did his best, helping the tank land powerful, successful attacks that left the gorilla in a passive state.

One of the arrows fired from behind grazed a weak spot near the beast’s ear, eliciting an angry roar.

Feeling cornered by so many "mosquitoes," the gorilla unleashed a shockwave of bestial energy. He pounded his chest with both fists and spun abruptly, delivering a sweeping swipe toward Rank E.

The tank was sent flying backward, completely losing its balance and rolling across the ground until it crashed into a log, its shield dented and its breath taken away.

"Shit," Joe cursed as he saw the breach in the defense. If the tank went down, the F-Ranks would be slaughtered in seconds.

Joe had to pick up the pace. He widened his eyes and waited patiently until he could use his ability again. In the meantime, he doubled the number of attacks he was landing. He became an astonishing storm of thrusts and leaps. He used the agility that came with being a spear user to dance around the monster.

Every second felt like an eternity; his muscles burned from the superhuman effort of keeping this Rank D beast—designed for attrition combat—at bay. His spear became a silvery streak, constantly targeting the gorilla’s eyes, joints, and neck, refusing to back down...

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