Beast Evolution Forge - Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Snipers 1
“That’s the big bad guy? he looks ordinary, barely any high quality armor or weapons.” A girl next to Jon said, also having her sniper locked onto Vell.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, you should know that, after all, you got your ass kicked last week because of it.” He said in a playful tone.

“You know I was caught off guard.”

He snorted, not taking his eye off the scope. “Right. Six guys with basic weaponry caught the great Mira off guard. Totally believable.”

“It was seven, actually,” she corrected, adjusting her position slightly to get a better angle. Her long red hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, a few loose strands dancing in the light breeze. “And one of them had an enchanted dagger. The kind that nullifies mana detection.”

“Excuses, excuses.” His voice carried the easy confidence of someone who enjoyed pushing buttons. “I’ve seen you take down twelve before breakfast.”

Her lips curved into a smile despite herself. “Eleven. And they were half-asleep.”

“Details.” He zoomed in further on Vell, watching as he paused to examine something. “He’s moving cautiously. Smart.”

“For someone who just split from his team to take on a dungeon solo? I’d call that the opposite of smart.” She shifted her rifle slightly, tracking Vell’s movements. “Though I have to admit, there’s something… different about him. The way he moves.”

Jon nodded, his expression becoming more serious. “That’s why the boss wants him. He’s not like the other tower climbers.”

“What’s the deal with him anyway? There’s gotta be easier targets for recruitment.” She tapped a small device attached to her scope. “Energy readings are… weird. Fluctuating.”

“That’s classified.” His tone was teasing, but his eyes remained fixed on their target.

She rolled her eyes. “We’re the same rank, you idiot.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been in the field longer, which means I get to lord it over you for at least another month.” He adjusted his position, stretching his legs where they were beginning to cramp. “Besides, if you knew everything I knew, you’d have no reason to keep me around.”

“I keep you around for your charming personality,” she deadpanned.

“I thought it was for my superior marksmanship.”

“You wish.” She squinted through her scope. “He’s stopping again. What’s he doing now?”

Jon zoomed in further. Through the scope, he could see Vell extending his arm, watching as the skin rippled and changed texture. “Interesting. Some kind of physical transformation ability.”

“That wasn’t in the briefing.” She frowned, her professional curiosity piqued. “Recent acquisition?”

“Seems like it. The last report mentioned him fighting conventionally.” He made a mental note to update their intel. “This complicates things.”

“When don’t things get complicated?” She sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Remember that mission in the Southern Quadrant? The one that was supposed to be a simple extraction?”

Jon groaned. “Don’t remind me. Three days stuck in that swamp with nothing but ration bars and your sparkling conversation.”

“Hey, I told some great jokes during that mission.”

“If by ‘great’ you mean ‘painfully bad,’ then sure.”

She nudged him with her elbow, careful not to disturb his aim. “You laughed.”

“Out of pity.”

Her retort died on her lips as Vell suddenly disappeared from sight, even though they didn’t take their eyes off him.

“Crap!” She panicked, looking around but not spotting him at all.

Jon got to his feet, “We need to leave, right now.” However, it was too late as Vell was already sitting behind them, just watching without saying a word, his expression unreadable. Neither of them heard him approach—a feat that should have been impossible given the forest floor’s carpet of dry leaves and twigs.

Mira’s hand instinctively moved toward the blade strapped to her thigh, but she froze when Vell’s eyes flickered to follow the movement.

“We’re from the guild,” she blurted out, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Just routine surveillance of promising tower climbers.”

Vell remained silent, his gaze sliding from her to Jon. There was something in those eyes—a depth, a knowing that made Jon’s skin crawl.

This wasn’t an ordinary tower climber.

“The guild sending snipers to watch promising climbers, how interesting,” he finally said, his voice calm but edged with steel. He turned his full attention to Jon, ignoring Mira’s attempted deception. “Why are you watching me, and what do you want?”

Jon’s expression hardened, the pretense falling away like a discarded cloak. He knew when a cover was blown, and continuing the charade would only waste time.

“I was sent to capture you,” he replied coldly, meeting Vell’s gaze without flinching.

The atmosphere tensed as the words hung in the air between them. Vell didn’t seem surprised—rather, it was as if he’d been expecting this response all along.

Mira’s eyes darted nervously between them, her hand still hovering near her weapon. This wasn’t how the mission briefing had played out.

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “That wasn’t the mission brief—”

She stepped back from both men, her gaze hardening as she looked at Jon. “You told me this was reconnaissance only. That we were just gathering intel on his abilities for the guild database.” Her voice rose with each word, indignation coloring her tone. “You said nothing about a capture!”

Jon didn’t even glance at her, keeping his eyes fixed on Vell. “It was classified,” he said flatly. “Need-to-know basis.”

“I’m your partner!” Her hand now fully gripped the hilt of her blade, though it wasn’t clear whether the threat was directed at Jon or Vell. “We’ve worked together for three years!”

“And if you want to keep working—keep getting paid—you’ll go along with the mission,” he replied, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “The briefing changed. Priorities shifted. That’s all you need to know.”

The tension between the pair was palpable, and Vell watched the exchange with an amused expression, taking in every detail of their fractured alliance.

“So,” Vell said softly, his fingers flexing slightly at his sides, “Your guild works for the organization too huh.”

“What are you talking about?” Jon asked, his sniper aimed at him.

“Oh? So you don’t even know that? How sad.” He stood up, stretching his arms. “Anyways, you guys don’t seem like bad guys so just leave.” He turned to leave but Mira shot in front of him.

“I don’t know what’s going on but a mission is still a mission. You are coming with us.” Her next shot was aimed directly at his head. “don’t make me pull this trigger.”

He looked at them slowly smiling, “Expert ranks huh, I never met players at your level before.” The air around him was starting to change. They could feel it, this player was dangerous.

“Take out his legs, I will take out his arms.” Jon ordered.

The sound of gunfire echoed through the forest, but Vell was no longer where he had been standing. He moved with impossible speed, his body blurring as he dodged to the side.

Where bullets struck, they found only empty air.

“Fast,” Jon muttered, adjusting his aim quickly. His movements were professional, practiced—the hallmark of someone who had been doing this for years.

Mira circled to the opposite side, establishing a crossfire. “Don’t let him get close!”

He watched them with curious eyes. His skin rippled subtly, metallic plates forming just beneath the surface, ready to harden at a moment’s notice. These two were different from the monsters he’d been fighting—they moved with purpose, with strategy.

[They’re coordinated. Military training, possibly special forces.]

‘Yes, and they’re holding back.’

[Testing you, perhaps. Or they want you alive.]

‘Hahaha, I am being tested by dogs? How annoying.’ He formed to mana balls and threw it at them, exploding on impact. They dodged but more just kept coming, forcing them to make space between them and him, which was a bad mistake.

“So much for professionals.” He dashed at Mira, arriving in front of her instantly. “Hello pretty lady.” He grabbed her by the face and threw her into a tree, making a terrible crunch noise.

Jon watched in horror as Mira’s body collided with the tree, “Mira!” He shouted, his training momentarily forgotten in the face of his partner’s peril.

His hesitation lasted only a fraction of a second before his expression hardened. The playful demeanor vanished, replaced by cold, calculated fury. His fingers moved with practiced precision, retrieving a small metal cylinder from his belt.

“So you can hit hard,” he said, his voice now stripped of any warmth. “Let’s see how you handle this.”

He pressed a button on the cylinder, and it expanded into a long staff crackling with energy. The weapon hummed with power as he twirled it expertly, electricity arcing off its ends.

Vell raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden change. “Finally getting serious?”

Jon didn’t respond with words. Instead, he launched forward with explosive speed that belied his previous movements. The staff became a blur of motion as he attacked, each strike precise and aimed at vital points—joints, nerve clusters, the base of the skull.

Vell’s skin hardened into metallic plates just in time to deflect the first blow, but the staff’s energy discharge sent painful vibrations through his transformed flesh.

[That weapon disrupts mana flow. Clever.]

‘Annoying is what it is,’ he thought, jumping back to create distance.

Jon pressed the advantage, his movements fluid and relentless. Each attack flowed seamlessly into the next, never allowing Vell a moment to counter.

“You’re good,” Vell admitted, blocking another strike that sent shockwaves up his arm. “Better than the monsters i faced so far… in the tower at least.”

“We’re not monsters,” he replied coldly, feinting left before striking from below. “We’re professionals.”

The staff connected with Vell’s ribs, and despite his hardened skin, pain blossomed where the weapon made contact. The energy wasn’t just disrupting his mana—it was somehow penetrating his defenses.

For the first time since absorbing the Chimera Lord’s core, Vell felt genuinely challenged. He was being forced back, step by step, as Jon’s assault continued without pause.

“What’s that staff made of?” He asked, genuine curiosity in his voice despite the situation.

Jon’s only response was to increase the ferocity of his attacks.

Meanwhile, behind them, Mira had pulled herself to her feet. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead, and her breathing was labored. With trembling hands, she retrieved a small vial from her pouch—a healing potion, its contents glowing with soft blue light.

She uncorked it and drank deeply, the effect almost immediate. The cut on her forehead closed, and the pain in her ribs subsided to a dull ache. Her eyes, however, remained locked on Vell with newfound respect and caution.

“Jon!” she called out, drawing another weapon from her back—a sleek rifle with runes etched along its barrel. “Switch!”

Jon immediately disengaged, rolling to the side as Mira opened fire. Unlike the standard bullets they used earlier, these projectiles left trails light as they cut through the air.

Vell’s eyes widened as the first shot grazed his shoulder, burning through his hardened skin like it was paper. “Mana disruption rounds,” he muttered, impressed despite himself.

[These two are better equipped than they initially appeared.]

He shifted his strategy, focusing less on defense and more on movement. His body became more fluid, less armored but significantly faster as he dodged between trees, using the forest for cover.

“Keeping running!” Mira taunted, her confidence restored by the potion and the effectiveness of their weapons. “These rounds track mana signatures. You can’t hide!”

True to her word, the bullets curved in midair, following his path with unerring accuracy.

Jon circled around during the distraction, his staff now glowing with even more intense energy. “End of the line,” he said, stepping out from behind a large oak just as Vell passed.

Caught between Jon’s staff and Mira’s tracking rounds, Vell found himself truly on the defensive. A shot clipped his leg, sending burning pain up his thigh. Jon’s staff connected with his back, discharging enough energy to momentarily disrupt his transformation ability.

For a brief moment, his defense faltered, the metallic sheen disappearing from his skin.

“Got him!” She shouted, advancing confidently, her rifle aimed squarely at his chest. “Not so tough now, are you?”

Jon circled to his other side, effectively trapping him between them. “The guild reports said you were exceptional,” he said, a hint of smugness entering his voice. “But it seems they overestimated you.”

Vell wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, his expression unreadable. These two were indeed well-trained, well-equipped, and now—dangerously overconfident.

“Standard procedure on capture targets,” Jon called to Mira, not taking his eyes off Vell. “Immobilize the limbs first, then apply the suppression collar.”

She nodded, adjusting the settings on her rifle. “With pleasure.”

[They’re getting cocky.]

‘It seems they are.’

Despite the genuine challenge these two presented, a small smile tugged at the corner of Vell’s mouth. It had been a while since he faced opponents who could actually hurt him.

“You know,” he said conversationally, as if they weren’t in the middle of combat, “I was holding back because I thought you were just observers. But now…”

His smile widened, revealing teeth that seemed just a little too sharp.

“Now I think I’ll show you why your guild wants me so badly.”