Chapter 86: A Monster Who Hates Being Judged by Its Looks! (Seeking First Subscription)

"Is this… a human?"

"It looks a bit like one, but its skin is too unnaturally white."

"It might be a monster, everyone, be careful."

Joe Root and the others whispered among themselves.

Ben looked at Leo and asked, "Captain, what should we do?"

Leo, however, glanced at Robert. "Ask Robert."

Hearing this answer, Joe Root was a bit surprised.

But since Robert was quite experienced, he immediately spoke up. "Brother Robert, please instruct us."

Robert didn't hesitate and quickly gave his advice.

"Don't go over there. Just stay here!"

He looked at the pale white figure in the corner, and with a meaningful smile, he said softly, "Next, try not to make any noise and don't talk. Just bear with it for half an hour."

Although the group didn't find this suggestion particularly brilliant, no one objected. They trusted Leo, and for his sake, they remained silent.

So, everyone stood still, not moving.

Minutes passed... Five minutes... Ten minutes...

By the thirteenth minute, the white figure in the corner finally moved.

It seemed to have 'figured it out' and slowly stood up. When it fully stood upright, its height was easily over two meters. If it weren't so emaciated, it would have looked 'tall and strong.' Even more striking were its arms—long and thin. When its arms hung down, its fingers nearly touched its calves.

Seeing this, everyone immediately realized that this was no human.

How could a normal person have such long arms?

Furthermore, its nails were sharp, claw-like!

A monster!

Everyone immediately became wary.

When the monster slowly turned to face them, Robert promptly reminded them, "Close your eyes, don't look at it!"

The group was stunned by his command.

Only Leo trusted Robert fully and immediately shut her eyes.

In the brief moment of confusion, Joe Root and the others saw the front of the monster.

Its body was hairless, and its skin was thin and tight, resembling something out of a nightmare. Its limbs were all disproportionate, and its skin was deathly pale. The most terrifying thing was its face. It was hideously deformed, with a mouth full of sharp, shark-like teeth.

Upon seeing their gazes, the monster suddenly let out a horrible howl and lunged at them.

Robert immediately closed his eyes.

Hearing the beast's shriek, he frowned, grabbed Leo, and pulled her into a corner. "Leo, keep your eyes closed. Stay here, and don't move."

Leo nodded, fully trusting Robert.

Turning to the others, Robert spoke calmly, "You were too slow to react. You didn't follow my instructions in time. This monster, you deal with it."

Actually, Robert knew that it wasn't entirely their fault.

This was their first time working together as a team, and they didn't know each other well. There was bound to be some lack of coordination. Plus, these people came for Leo, unaware that she was merely a minor player while Robert was the real powerhouse.

It was understandable that they hadn't followed his orders immediately.

But Robert wasn't angry.

The reason he handed the monster over to them was that, based on his memories, this monster's strength wasn't too remarkable. As long as they were careful, they could deal with it.

The only tricky aspect was this monster's immortality.

If this monster didn't match his memory…

Well, it wouldn't hurt to let them test it out first.

"Aww!!!"

At this point, the monster was already within ten meters of them.

Seeing the monster charge at them, the group tensed up and prepared for battle.

The first to act was the Flower-Flower Fruit ability user, Althea. Her long-range abilities made her perfect for striking first.

Althea crossed her hands and activated her power.

In an instant, a pair of hands grew on the monster's shoulders, seizing its head and twisting it violently.

Unfortunately, Althea's strength wasn't enough to sever its head, but she did manage to make the monster lose its balance, sending it crashing to the ground.

Next came Styen, the Bomb-Bomb Fruit ability user. He nonchalantly picked his nose, flicked the booger at the monster, and it immediately exploded upon impact.

"Boom!"

Though the explosion wasn't very powerful, the monster's defense was formidable. It seemed unaffected by the attack, but it was absolutely furious.

The beast howled and leaped toward them once more.

"I'll do it!" Duminy shouted, stepping forward.

He aimed a punch at the pouncing monster. His fist stretched like a spring and struck the beast directly.

The punch was strong enough to knock the monster back several paces. But once again, the monster was unharmed. It quickly got back up and prepared for another attack.

A round of three attacks had done little to damage the creature.

However, no one was discouraged.

They had been probing its defenses, testing how strong it really was.

"This monster is tough, but its defenses are the only thing remarkable about it. It's a bit resistant to hits, but not too bad otherwise," Joe Root called out.

"Alright, it's time to get serious, everyone!" he added.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Joe Root transformed into a werewolf and charged at the monster, followed by the others, who quickly joined in to gang up on it.

Meanwhile, Robert observed from the sidelines, calm and collected.

Though Leo had her eyes closed, her mental perception was sharp. She could clearly sense everything that was going on around her.

The monster, besieged by the group, began to weaken. It couldn't keep up with the combined onslaught of their attacks.

Brevis, who wielded the Quick-Cut Fruit, seized the opportunity. He raised his arm blade and slashed at the monster's neck.

"Puff!"

The slash managed to break through the monster's defenses, cutting through its neck and leaving only a thin layer of skin intact.

The monster collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Is it dead?" Duminy muttered with a sneer. "I was just getting started!"

The others shared his sentiments, feeling the monster had been an easy opponent.

But Robert only smiled.

"Don't celebrate too soon. This monster is likely some sort of rule-based creature. It's not so easily killed."

The group was taken aback. They quickly looked at the monster's fallen form. Sure enough, the neck that had been severed moments ago was already reconnecting.

Before they could react, the monster stood up again and howled, charging at them once more.

Ten minutes passed, and the group was starting to look pale.

They had killed this monster at least a hundred times already, but it just wouldn't stay down.

No matter what they did, the monster would recover and rise again.

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