Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Hey, Zachary, why do you keep distributing mana stones for free?" Aaron asked, his tone filled with frustration.

"Is there something wrong with it? You could think of it as community service," Zachary replied calmly.

"Of course there is. What are you going to do if those useless folks get used to receiving things without any effort?" Aaron retorted.

"What did they do wrong for you to call ordinary people useless?" Zachary asked, frowning.

"The problem is that they're doing nothing! In a situation like this, isn't someone who does nothing useless?" Aaron snapped.

The loud argument in the early morning made Justin rub his ears irritably. Looking over, he saw the two groups facing off against each other.

On one side was Aaron, who had previously approached Justin with a proposal, and on the other side was Zachary, who had passed by without a word. Justin scrutinized Zachary, who was glaring with intensity.

'A picture-perfect handsome guy, huh?' Justin thought to himself.

From his physique to his face, Zachary looked like a young man who could easily be on a magazine cover. In comparison, Aaron, who stood in front of him, seemed plain.

Justin figured it wasn't just his imagination that Aaron looked angrier, perhaps because of the inferiority he felt toward his opponent.

While observing the two, Justin noticed Ethan approach him and whisper.

"They've been fighting like this every day lately," Ethan said.

"Yeah. Instead of wasting time like this, they could just go hunting," Justin replied.

"If one side were significantly stronger, maybe there wouldn't be any fighting," Ethan commented.

"I didn't expect them to be split so evenly like this either," Justin added.

Behind Aaron stood six Pioneers, while behind Zachary were four. Including the two leaders, there were twelve people in total. With the other three Pioneers being Justin's team members, the groups were evenly matched.

Zachary's side was slightly outnumbered, but the difference wasn't enough to create a significant gap in strength.

"Let those who want to fight, fight. Let's just prepare for our hunt," Justin said.

"Oh, right. Weren't you planning to go hunt gnolls today?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah. Now that your archery skills have improved and we have three members at level 10, we should be ready," Justin answered.

"Man, I've been waiting for this. Lately, hobgoblins have been too weak, and I can't even feel the thrill anymore," Derek chimed in, chuckling and cracking his knuckles loudly. Having grown so strong that hobgoblins were no longer a threat, his confidence was overflowing.

"Confidence is good, but don't underestimate the gnolls. One hit from them could break your bones," Justin warned.

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"Do you think I'm a mage like you? My bones won't break just because a hyena hits me. Warriors and mages have different levels of toughness," Derek boasted.

"Oh, really? Then should I hit you with a spell and see just how tough you are?" Justin said, raising an eyebrow.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Derek quickly backtracked, flinching and stepping back. This made Ethan stifle a laugh.

"Justin, everything's ready. I packed all the jerky," Ethan said, approaching and shaking a small pouch in front of Justin. It contained jerky bought from the store as a meal for hunting.

Since the gnoll hunting grounds were too far to return just because they were hungry, they decided to bring food along.

Derek looked at the jerky with some disappointment, clicking his tongue.

"If possible, I'd prefer something a bit more proper, like a hamburger or a sandwich," Derek said.

"It can't be helped. Jerky is high in calories, easy to eat, and doesn't fall apart even when shaken," Ethan explained.

There might have been other foods that met the conditions, but jerky was the best their current budget could afford.

With preparations complete, they got up to leave for the hunt. Unfortunately, both factions were blocking the entrance, arguing, so they naturally ended up facing the two groups.

"Hey, let us pass. Why are you blocking the entrance and arguing so early in the morning? It's noisy," Justin said, annoyed.

"Justin!" Aaron shouted, turning his eyes toward the team, followed by the rest of both factions.

Justin looked at Aaron, who had shouted his name.

"Justin? Are we friends now? Did you decide to drop formalities?" Justin said sarcastically.

"...Justin," Aaron corrected himself, his face flushed.

"Guess I had to force it out of you. Anyway, move aside. We're heading out for a hunt," Justin said.

With a flushed face from the humiliation, Aaron reluctantly stepped aside. It was understandable; after all, Justin's team had the highest levels among the Pioneers. If they turned against either faction, the balance of power would tip.

Zachary, too, seemed to understand this, wearing a complex expression.

"Justin, we haven't had a chance to talk properly yet..." Zachary began.

"I'm not interested in factions, so save your persuasion," Justin cut him off.

"This isn't just about factions! Haven't you heard of noblesse oblige?" Zachary insisted.

"From today onward, I've decided to be a follower of the almighty dollar," Justin replied dismissively.

It was clear that Zachary intended to deliver an inspiring speech, but Justin cut him off before he could even begin. Justin didn't like Aaron, but it wasn't as if Zachary's ideals aligned with his own either.

"Zachary, when you first formed your faction, you didn't come to me, right?" Justin asked.

"I apologize for that," Zachary said.

"I'm not looking for an apology. It means your judgment was spot-on. Even if you had approached me back then, I would have refused. I have no interest in charity work," Justin explained.

Before society had even collapsed, Justin had dealt with all sorts of unreasonable demands while working in customer service. And now, he was expected to do charity without even getting paid? It was ridiculous.

"I have no intention of being a saint or a morally upright person. So stop appealing to guilt. I might be tempted if there's a chance to gain power, though," Justin added.

"...," Zachary stayed silent, unable to respond.

At Justin's blunt declaration of his desires, Zachary closed his mouth. There was nothing he could say to convince someone who valued personal gain above morality.

"Well, we'll be going now. Good luck," Justin said as he and his teammates walked briskly past the factions. Despite the complex gazes they felt from all around, Justin paid no mind. What mattered most to him right now was growing stronger, not getting involved in power struggles.

They arrived at the gnoll habitat quickly. Though they had encountered a few hobgoblins along the way, those creatures were no longer a challenge.

Crossing the boundary of the forest into the field, the team crouched low, surveying their surroundings.

Chapter Discover:

"There they are," Justin said, his eyes glimmering as he spotted shadows in the distance. The gnolls were bipedal monsters that looked like a mix between hyenas and humans.

They were sticking their long tongues out as they prowled around, seemingly searching for hidden prey.

"Nathan , do you think you can hit them?" Justin asked.

"Of course," Nathan replied confidently.

"Are you sure? Isn't it a bit far?" Justin questioned.

"It would be if they were running, but they're moving slowly right now," Nathan explained calmly as he nocked an arrow.

The arrows were the cheapest ones, bundled in sets of ten per mana stone. Still, even such low-quality arrows were enough to pierce through the monsters' hide. The downside was that they were single-use, meaning they couldn't be reused.

Swish, thud!

"Kyaaaah!" the gnoll shrieked as Nathan's arrow accurately pierced its throat.

However, it seemed the creature hadn't died immediately, as it thrashed and let out a shrill scream.

"...It's not dead?" Nathan muttered.

"That's enough. Even if it's alive, it won't be able to fight," Justin reassured him.

Taking out even one enemy in a surprise attack was an achievement. The gnoll, clutching its throat, collapsed, while the five others around it looked over in shock.

"Rrrr!" one gnoll growled.

"Kyarrk!" another hissed.

The gnolls snorted and rushed towards the team. Justin casually pointed at them with his fingers.

"Black Missile, Black Missile, Black Missile," Justin chanted.

Thud, thud!

"Kyaaak!"

"Kiiik!"

Three gnolls hit directly in the head fell backward. One died instantly, but the remaining two survived, writhing and screaming in pain.

The Black Missile spells hadn't managed to pierce their skulls. Nathan , who shot another volley of arrows, was the one to finish off the remaining two.

'As expected, they can't be killed in one hit,' Justin thought.

Just as anticipated, the gnolls' stats had significantly increased. However, the team's stats had also grown substantially.

The five gnolls rushing towards them were reduced to two in an instant. The last two were left to the frontline fighters of Justin's team.

"Haaah!" Nathan shouted as he swung his mace.

Smash!

"Gurgh...!" The gnoll's head shattered under the force of Nathan s mace, and it collapsed.

The remaining one lunged at Ethan but was easily blocked by his shield.

Ethan drove his sword into the gnoll's throat, and it collapsed in a froth of blood. Having dealt with the charging monsters, the team finished off the final gnoll that had been struck by arrows.

"Ding ! With the skill [Automatic Mana Stone Collection], the mana stones from the deceased monsters have been collected."

"Ding ! The collected mana stones are stored inside the inventory."

"Ding ! Regardless of the number, the mana stones occupy only one small slot in the inventory."

Thanks to the recently acquired skill, there was no need to dig through the monsters' hearts. Although they were now facing different monsters, the battle played out similarly to before.

However, unlike before, the team's expressions were slightly heavier. Justin looked at his teammates and spoke.

"So, what do you think about fighting the gnolls?" Justin asked.

"They're stronger than I thought," Nathan admitted.

"I underestimated them; they're tougher than expected," Ethan added.

They had thought hobgoblins were a joke, and that gnolls, though a bit larger, would be no different. However, once they faced them, they found them much stronger than anticipated.

"I put all my strength into smashing its head, but it stayed intact. If it were a hobgoblin, its head would have flown off," Derek said.