With a thought, the attribute panel disappeared, and Roya also retracted Engetsu.
Although he had occasionally tested the flame's strength before, testing is never as intense as actual combat. This time, Roya could finally roughly estimate the extent of his own power.
After putting away Engetsu, Roya glanced at the corpse of the brown-backed giant ape and prepared to leave, seeking his next prey.
But before Roya could take even two steps…
The nearby bushes suddenly shook. A rustling sound came from within, as if something were trying to burst out.
"Huh? Again?!"
Roya stopped, a look of surprise on his face.
Even though the creatures on this island were dense, it was impossible to encounter three of them in such a small area consecutively.
Under Roya's watchful eyes, the bushes parted—not with a ferocious beast emerging, but a girl with a graceful figure and pink hair stepped out.
It was none other than Hina, who had previously been upset with Roya for ignoring her advice to carry a gun.
Earlier, Hina had been nearby and had heard the commotion, so she came over.
Holding a gun in both hands, Hina emerged from the bushes, alert. Her eyes fell on the burnt brown-backed giant ape lying on the ground. She froze for a moment before showing a look of shock.
This was… the strongest among the Level 1 creatures, the brown-backed giant ape?!
Unlike Roya, Hina had studied the combat assessment in advance and had a general understanding of the island's beast rankings. She might forget many low-level beasts, but she would never forget the strongest Level 1 beasts.
Even though the brown-backed giant ape had been burned into a pile of charred meat, Hina immediately recognized it.
There was no doubt—this was one of the strongest creatures on the island!
Seeing a Level 1 beast, a king among creatures on this island, reduced to this state, and noticing the surrounding area scorched as if by fire, Hina was utterly shocked.
After a long moment, Hina regained her composure.
Her attention had been on the ape's corpse, and only then did she notice Roya nearby. Her face instantly showed surprise.
"You're here?!"
"…."
Roya gave Hina a deadpan look. He had been standing there for quite a while, and she had only just noticed him. How low was his presence?!
With a slight twitch of his mouth, Roya glared at her, "Why can't I be here?"
Hina snapped back to reality, snorting at Roya's words. "You're really lucky. I don't know how it happened, but this Level 1 brown-backed giant ape was burned to death. If you had met it alive, you wouldn't have survived."
Even she, Hina, would avoid a Level 1 beast in combat; the odds of winning were low. This was especially true for the notoriously difficult brown-backed giant ape.
In her view, Roya was extremely fortunate not to have faced it alive.
Listening to Hina, Roya internally groaned, but outwardly he showed nothing, instead giving his signature harmless smile.
"Um… what do you mean by 'Level 1 beast'?"
"You don't know that?"
Hina looked at him strangely but still explained, "The creatures on this island are divided into five classes. level 5 is the weakest, Level 1 is the strongest. This should be a Level 1 brown-backed giant ape."
"I see. So the brown-backed giant ape I just killed should give the highest score, right?"
Roya had a thoughtful expression. This ape was indeed one of the strongest creatures on the island.
It made sense—if there were creatures even stronger than this ape, new recruits would be crushed instantly, and training would be pointless.
Hina continued to examine the ape's corpse. Hearing Roya, she instinctively nodded.
"Yes. The brown-backed giant ape you killed is Level 1, so its score of course…"
Her voice stopped abruptly.
Suddenly, Hina realized something, eyes widening as she looked at Roya. "Wait, what did you just say?!"
Seeing her reaction, Roya smiled and nodded. "Nothing. Since the brown-backed giant ape I killed is almost the strongest creature on this island, I feel at ease."
Roya thought that if even a Level 1 beast could be incinerated with his fire, no other beasts on the island could pose a threat to him.
But Hina fell silent at his words.
In silence, she walked over, extended her fair hand, and suddenly placed it on Roya's forehead.
"What are you doing?!"
Roya immediately became uneasy.
Hina showed a concerned, slightly clueless expression. "Um… Hina thinks if you have a fever, you should take a rest day."
Pfft!
Roya nearly spat blood at her words.
Luckily, his past experiences with mischievous friends had trained him to maintain a calm demeanor, so he remained composed.
"No need for a rest day. I still need to hunt. Bye." Saying this to Hina, Roya turned and decisively walked away.
Hina watched him leave with a twitch at the corner of her mouth, feeling helpless. How could someone like this exist?
If Roya weren't Garp's nephew, she wouldn't bother with him at all.
But just as Hina prepared to leave, she noticed Roya, who had just entered the bushes, suddenly return!
Hina blinked, even more confused. "Why are you back?"
Roya's expression turned serious. "Waiting for prey."
He had just remembered—the brown-backed giant ape's fire-Roasted meat would attract other beasts soon.
With his fire-enhanced abilities, Roya wasn't afraid of fighting multiple enemies. Whether three, five, or even ten beasts, they would all become barbecue.
Unless a creature could resist fire, Roya's power would leave it virtually defenseless.
Since he could just wait here, why bother actively searching for prey?
"Waiting for prey? Are you crazy?!"
Hina wasn't stupid. Hearing Roya, she immediately understood. Her eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open.
In a forest teeming with beasts, the scent of Roasted meat would attract… not just one or two!
Roya intended to use the ape's corpse as bait. This wasn't hunting—it was courting death. If surrounded by a horde of beasts, escape would be impossible.
Hina couldn't comprehend how Roya's mind worked to come up with such a reckless plan.