NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1823: Giant Forest
Villain Ch 1823. Giant Forest
In the Hell's Gate server, the sun never set on ambition.
The Giant Forest was thick with mana haze and the kind of eerie silence that screamed trap to anyone with more than three IQ points and a working pair of headphones. Giant crows perched in dead trees, watching from above like disappointed parents at a talent show. The foliage twisted upward like arms frozen mid-scream, and even the air smelled vaguely like iron, sap, and something that had recently died badly.
Level 200 monsters didn't spawn here often.
But when they did?
They brought friends.
"Left flank!" Elio barked, sword igniting with holy flame as the first Giant—a moss-covered brute with tusks longer than a grown man's torso—charged through the underbrush, each step pounding like a drumbeat from the abyss.
James was already there, twin arrows flashing like starlight, slipping beneath the beast's swipe and driving a poison-coated blade into its ankle joint.
"Got the tendon!" he shouted.
"Marking the other one!" Noah added, a burst of green glyphs spreading from his bow as he launched an enchanted arrow. It whistled through the trees, curving mid-air and striking the second Giant square in the eye.
"Holy crap, you actually hit something," James muttered.
"Shut up and shoot," Noah fired back.
Elio didn't bother adding a quip. He was too busy tanking the first Giant's overhead slam with a shield so bright it painted the forest floor in golden light. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, splintering tree roots and dislodging a dozen startled birds.
"Sanctum Fortis!" Elio shouted.
The skill pulsed out from his body in a radiant dome, shielding the party just long enough for—
"Aether Lance!"
A voice rang out from the rear.
And there he was.
INeedAHotGF—real name Jacob, unfortunately—hands glowing with violet fire, robes snapping dramatically as he cast his spell like it owed him child support.
A massive ethereal spear of arcane energy formed mid-air, spinning once before slamming into the Giant's chest. A wet crunch. Magic tore through bone and bark-covered hide.
The beast roared. Staggered.
Then dropped like a sack of regret.
"Nice hit," Elio called over.
Jacob just panted, hands smoking. "Wasn't for you. Just… needed the XP."
"Liar," James coughed as he ducked another flailing limb from the second Giant.
Noah loosed another volley, arrows laced with stun glyphs that pinned the second Giant's left leg to the earth.
"Now, Elio!" Noah barked.
"On it!" Elio surged forward. His blade gleamed, runes flickering across the steel like scripture on fire.
One clean slash through the hamstring.
Then a leap—
Boosted by a short-range blink from Jacob's support spell.
Mid-air twist.
Holy sword crackling.
"Divine Judgment!"
The sword came down in a blinding arc.
The Giant's neck separated from its shoulders like a lopped tree limb.
And just like that?
Silence.
Two bodies.
Thousands of gold worth of loot.
And the four of them standing amidst the wreckage like a grungy JRPG cover.
James bent over, hands on knees. "Okay… that was almost fun."
Noah wiped his brow. "If by fun you mean narrowly avoiding being flattened into a human pancake, then sure."
Jacob exhaled slowly, sitting down on a boulder. "We did good."
Elio stood quietly for a moment, staring at the remains.
He didn't say anything right away.
Because even now…
Even after a perfect takedown, flawless coordination, zero deaths, solid loot—
His mind still went back.
Back to the other raids.
To the real pressure.
To Allen.
Allen would've finished both giants in twenty seconds.
He wouldn't need four players. He'd solo them.
He'd use some broken combo, break the system, and walk away while sipping tea.
Elio clenched his jaw.
No.
This wasn't about that anymore.
He glanced at Jacob—at INeedAHotGF—who was fidgeting with his robe sleeves awkwardly.
"I'm happy you came back again," Elio said softly.
Jacob looked up. His expression was hard to read.
A little guilty. A little relieved.
"Thanks…" he murmured. "I… I never thought she'd be that manipulative, you know?"
His voice cracked slightly.
"This was… so bad. Like, I thought she just hated you. But it wasn't just hate. She enjoyed tearing people down. Including me."
James and Noah exchanged a glance but didn't say anything.
Elio nodded. "She used everyone. It wasn't just you."
Jacob looked down at the grass. "I lost friends over her. Almost lost my damn account."
"Hey," Elio said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You're here now. That's what matters."
Jacob nodded. "Yeah."
"Also," Noah added, "your new robes are dope."
Jacob blinked. "Really?"
"No," James muttered. "You still look like a backup singer for a cult."
"Rude."
"But we are glad you're back," Elio said with a grin. "Even if your username still sucks."
Jacob laughed weakly. "I'm thinking about changing it, okay?"
"Too late," James smirked. "You're 'HotGF' forever now."
They were still laughing when the trees rustled.
Soft footsteps—light and fast—crunching leaves underfoot.
Elio turned instinctively, hand brushing the hilt of his sword.
And then a figure burst through the treeline.
Black cloak. Hood down.
Eyes wild.
"Elio!"
It was Gil.
The man was sweating and breathing like he'd just sprinted across a raid boss's territory with aggro on his back.
"Gil?" Elio frowned. "What happened?"
Gil skidded to a stop, chest heaving. "I got news. You need to hear it."
Elio's spine straightened. His heart sank a little.
"What kind of news?" he asked.
Gil didn't blink.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't smile.
The kind of silence that said 'this isn't a joke.'
"It's important," Gil said quietly.
Then he added—
"It's about Sophia."
And just like that?
The forest didn't feel quiet anymore.
The soft chirping of distant pixelated birds cut off like someone yanked a plug from reality. Even the wind seemed to pause, holding its breath between the knotted, moss-laced trees. The air, thick with post-battle mana and the stink of Giant blood, now bristled with something colder.
Suspicion. Dread. And a whole lot of "what now?"