Meanwhile, Butler Mendez stood idly nearby, suddenly, his attention was turned to the group of Mana Knights in front of him.
He looked around their intense stare until his eyes met those of Mage Marcus.
"Tell me, does the Dungeon owner, or Baron Wallace, know a lot about his own complicated creation?"
Marcus asked, looking straight at Mendez.
There was an intriguing feeling in the air as Marcus asked him that question, sounding curious and slightly doubtful.
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Mendez could only shake his head weakly in response.
"I'm sorry, Mage, but I don't really know much about Sir Wallace as I only started speaking to him three days ago," Mendez stuttered, sounding uncertain.
However, it was the reaction of the Mana Knights with them that really made the atmosphere tense as they looked horrified when he said that.
To Butler Mendez, these Mana Knights looked astonished, their eyes widening as if they had seen something terrifying.
What had they seen?
What made them react so strongly?
He was curious.
The answer appeared as a holographic projection, flickering and shimmering with a ghostly light.
It was the incredible accuracy with which Baron Wallace defeated the leopard, a feat that seemed impossible to understand.
But the surprises didn't end there.
Wallace smoothly shifted his attention to the dangerous facehugger, a clever and elusive creature within the game that almost killed them many times because of its stealth that can hide from their senses very well.
Yet, with an accuracy that defied the group's belief, Wallace effortlessly defeated the creature with a simple motion of his hand and a simple throw of his knife. And he did that after he killed a leopard.
The Mana Knights exchanged glances, trying to make sense of what they had just witnessed.
How did the Baron have that kind of skill, like he can predict where the facehugger comes from?
When did he learn to fight like that?
The questions filled the group's minds, demanding answers that seemed mysterious and hard to find.
But Mage Marcus interrupted, sounding a mix of resignation and curiosity.
"The only way he could have known about the facehugger was when he saw it kill me, which is not enough or should be impossible for Wallace to pinpoint where they would appear," he muttered, his words barely audible. And then, as if searching for a reasonable explanation, he added, "But how could he throw that knife so perfectly and pinpoint its location? Isn't that supposed to be impossible too?"
Suddenly, every single Mana User—Mana Knight Rederic, Alistair, Cedric, Eldric, Gideon, Ivander, Jasper, and Mage Marcus—was shocked as they saw Wallace in the hologram, walked towards another pack of tree climbing creatures—Baboons.
…
Wallace stood still, staring at the group of large monkeys that towered in front of him. His heart raced with excitement as he got ready to take action.
"Well, my practice and test were over," he said with a cold, mean tone, "time to really raise my level and I choose all of you as a sacrifice to this blade of mine."
Earlier, he had wanted to test his skills from Earth—the throwing piercing knife.
It was a rare ability in this game that had taken up years of years—around two to fiv years to learn.
One of them was Wallace himself, he took two years to master it—just like any other dedicated gamer.
He remembered mastering it because someone had made fun of him, saying he couldn't learn it.
Now that he was here, he wanted to check and make sure he still had that skill and the ability that had once made him stand out from other gamers.
To do that, he had chosen a solitary animal as his target—a big cat called a Leopard.
It was a good choice because it was easy to kill due to its weaknesses for being predictable, sneaky, and alone which made them easier to hunt despite being smart.
As he thought about his past training, Wallace's confidence grew.
Yes, the skill was still there, as sharp as ever.
Like his ability to predict the facehuggers that would appear on his blindspot after he killed a carnivore was one of them too—although that's a newbie skill that everyone would happen to learn eventually.
…
Gideon's eyes widened as he stared at the hologram of Wallace, feeling a surge of fear rush through his trembling lips and limbs.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! What is that? Why are you standing in front of them?" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with agonizing worry.
Eldric, fully aware of the seriousness of the situation, chimed in, as if he hoped invisible hands could be used to question Wallace.
"Is he serious? Is he really standing in front of the group of creatures?"
He knew all too well what it meant! He almost fell to it too—it was Death!
Jasper, his voice filled with trembling dread, added, "Not just that, there might be Facehuggers that could appear after!"
The mere thought sent shivers down the spines of the Mana Knights; they struggled to comprehend Wallace's intentions and the horrifying possibilities that came to mind.
Among them, Mage Marcus knew all too well the terror of facing a group of giant Apes, having succumbed to their relentless attack in his first encounter.
"He really is standing in front of them," he mumbled.
The memory still haunted him; seeing creatures similar to them brought forth vivid imaginations of the horrors that awaited those who dared to stand amidst a raging, intelligent pack of creatures.
Meanwhile, Rederic, the first to level up to eight, shared the same sentiment.
He understood that when it came to defeating a group of intelligent and ferocious beasts, careful assessment of the situation was crucial. It required stealth, blending in, exploiting weaknesses, staying nimble, creating diversions, using the surroundings, and, above all, remaining focused and calm.
However, what Wallace was doing was beyond reckless—it was practically suicide.
"These monsters are not stupid," Rederic thought grimly, his mind filled with knowledge of their cunning and intelligence.
It defied all logic, then, to witness Marcus boldly standing before the creatures, confronting them directly with unwavering confidence, bravery, and at the same time, madness and foolishness.
The question burned in the minds of the Mana Knights:
Why would he expose himself to such immediate danger?
However, despite the Mana Knights thinking Wallace was crazy, they held on to a glimmer of hope that he would pull off something unexpected.
After all, they saw his skill.
It all happened so quickly, displaying his speed, agility, and expertise!
The Mana Knights may have been taken aback by Wallace's surprising brazenness—standing in front of an intelligent creature—but they were not foolish.
They recognized true strength when they saw it.
The earlier spectacle undeniably confirmed Wallace's status as a seasoned warrior.