* dap *
Reo felt a unique vibration when he set foot into the Dungeon for the first time in his life. As he passed through the Gate, he felt like his body had been absorbed into a whirlpool and sank to the bottom of the deep ocean.
The strange feeling lasted only for a brief moment before Reo's vision was greeted with a scene that truly astonished him. It was a scene that he had never seen in any part of the world, a fantasy world scene that displayed things that didn't make sense and could not be learned using any knowledge.
"This ..."
* fwuosh *
The sound of the barren wind blows and makes Reo's white hair sway. He looked up and looked at the dark purple sky illuminated by a pink cosmic that glowed from a distance. It looks like an ordinary night sky at a glance, but Reo knows it's not that simple.
Many questions crossed his mind as he entered the Dungeon. Is the composition of the air contained in the Dungeon the same as that of the earth? What about gravity in the Dungeon, is it the same as what is on earth? Are the dungeons scattered throughout the world in one megaplanet or are they fragmented?
But Reo decided to forget all that, because in the end all he could conclude from all his questions was only one, there was only one answer that could answer all his questions. It was all because of Magic, as simple as that. Therefore, connecting a mystical and fictional thing like magic with science and logic is a foolish act.
In the end, humanity still cannot understand what magic is completely, where they came from and how they were created. Until now, all they could do was use magic as a weapon to fight the Magic Beasts who invaded the earth through the Gate.
"... incredible," Reo murmured without stopping. He was very surprised by the view of the fantasy world before his eyes at this time, reading it on the Magic Guidebook by seeing it in person was completely different.
"Hm?" Osamu who heard that from the side looked at Reo with a surprised look.
1
"Oi, is this perhaps your first time entering a dungeon?"
Reo who heard that glanced at Osamu and said with an innocent face.
"So what? Isn't this also your first time?"
"Huh ... I've been to the Dungeon several times, haven't I told you before?" Said Osamu, deny Reo's words. He then returned to see Reo who did not look scared or tremble even though this was the first time he had entered the Dungeon.
'But this dude ... He seems very calm for someone who is entering the Dungeon for the first time, no ... isn't he too calm? 'Osamu thought thinking about himself wetting his pants when he first entered the dungeon and encountered a mob of monsters.
Reo then looked back around, the contour of the ground in the Dungeon that he was entering at this time was a moist soil with a fairly high water content, it was like the soil in his native region, Indonesia. While the surrounding environment is dominated by a variety of large and sturdy trees, with purple leaves that continue to remove droplets of water from the tips of their leaves.
An environment similar to tropical rain forests on earth. When Reo was still paying attention to his surroundings, suddenly a voice came from the front.
"Everyone, stop!"
It was Araki, when they heard the voice of the Raid leader at this time, Everyone immediately stopped their steps, including Reo and Osamu who were in the back row.
"We will make a line of defense here, the Magic Beasts will most likely have realized our presence and approached towards here, entering this dense forest is tantamount to committing suicide, so we will gather them and then slaughter them all here."
Araki's words are certainly not without reason, everything has been carefully considered in accordance with what has been taught by the mentors namely experienced Hunter and Hunter Guidebook.
Right now they were all in the world of monsters, their natural habitat, they visited a place that was completely unfamiliar because even humans themselves did not know how big the dungeon really was. Avoiding places like the Forest is a natural thing, it is done to avoid the ambush of the monsters when everyone is complacent.
Therefore, the first thing to do when entering the Dungeon is to slaughter as many monsters as you approach in the field.
"You heard it, right? Quickly enter the line before you die." Reo said, glancing at Osamu who was beside him. As a Healer, he is the most protected person after Porter, who is the person who carries valuables from inside the Dungeon.
In addition to the 16 Hunter who participated in the Raid this time, there are 2 Porters who are C-Rank Hunter participating, even though they are not included in the list of Hunter who are members of the Raid because their presence is optional. They are usually not from the Guild and are a secondary class from Hunter, it is a job that Hunter can do with any class. One of the jobs usually done by an Independent Hunter who hired specifically by the Guild to help the Attack Force.
Therefore, the most ideal position for the Healers and Porters is in the middle of the line, because without their presence, Raid will certainly be more difficult going forward. Hearing Reo's words, Osamu immediately nodded and went into line.
Araki then spoke again.
"Assassins and Scouts, I'm counting on you guys."
Hearing that, Reo immediately glanced at Araki. In Raid this time there were 2 Assassins including himself, and one Hunter with a special position namely Scout. Araki's words are an implied order to monitor the surroundings and lure the monsters out of their habitat.
""" Yes sir """
Then, two people came out of line and began to spread in two different directions. Likewise with Reo who without saying a word immediately jump into the nearest tree in the 3 o'clock direction, and tried to enter the forest.
* fwuosh * * dap *
In an instant, Reo immediately disappeared like a white flash and without making the slightest sound from everyone's view, while Osamu who saw his speed was also surprised.
'That man ... I don't feel any magic energy in his body at all, but it seems I was wrong, it seems like he somehow hid his magic energy, just look at his movements ... And also, an Assassin huh ... What's his name before, Shirogami Reo? '
Osamu thought, but he regained his focus because now the line had formed and everyone was prepared to kill the approaching Magic Beasts.
Meanwhile, Reo who was already in the forest then immediately climbed the top of one of the trees to get a clearer vision.
* breeze *
Reo looks to be able to stand at the tip of a tree trunk perfectly without holding on to anything, his body balance is terrifying. He then saw a stretch of purple forest in front of him, there were no rivers or hills, it was only dense forest as far as the eye could see.
"But I'm really lucky, the first Dungeon I entered was an Outdoor Dungeon with a beautiful view like this," Reo murmured while holding the handle of the katana on his waist.
Basically, dungeons are classified into two types according to their environment. Namely Indoor Dungeon and Outdoor Dungeon. Indoor Dungeon is as the name suggests, it's a Dungeon that is inside a closed room like a cave or basement, has a narrow and closed area. While the Outdoor Dungeon is a Dungeon that is inside an open space, it can be a dense forest, snow forest or a barren desert, the area is very wide.
Even so, these rules are not very relevant because in theory, the Indoor Dungeon also remains in the Outdoor Dungeon. The grouping is only used based on the place where the Gate appears, that's all.
Reo then paused for a moment before he looked down, a lot of objects such as crystals that emit a dim purple light stuck to the branches and stems of trees. That is what people call the Mana Crystals.
'There's quite a lot around here so the Magic Beast's habitat shouldn't be far from here, but so far I haven't seen a single monster at all. 'Reo thought, watching the situation around him again.
'We could have burned this entire forest using Magic to slaughter all the monsters that are here but the Mana Crystal will be wasted. But what we're talking about is an insect monster ... Its giant size shouldn't be ... '
As he was thinking, Reo suddenly realized something. He took his hands off his chin and muttered softly.
"Insect, don't tell me ..."
Reo was then seen closing his eyes slowly and concentrating, a transparent white aura slowly surrounding his body. He is currently strengthening his senses by using Ki.
* zyuuut *
By strengthening his senses, Reo can now feel all living things that have Ki within a 1 km radius, that is enough to drain energy and give a disgusting feeling to Reo, so he is trying hard not to use it. But the situation this time was really strange.
' What? There is no other living creatures besides the Hunters ... This is becoming more suspicious. '
Reo tried to broaden the range of his skills, but as he expected, 1 km was the current Ki limit. And suddenly ...
"* gasp *" Reo immediately opened his eyes and made a serious expression.
"I didn't expected they would came from that place ..."
Reo instantly disappeared from his place like a white flash to report back to the line without making a sound.
Meanwhile, Araki who was seen standing upright while gripping the handle of his sword using both of his hands suddenly raised his eyebrows when he saw a white shadow approaching.
* swuut * * tap *
Reo suddenly appeared in front of him and their eyes met. Araki then opened his mouth.
"Reo-dono."
"Leader-san, they came from underground," said Reo without further ado. Hearing that Araki immediately widened his eyes.
" Are you sure? "
"Are you stupid?" Reo replied.
1
Araki was shocked and confused for a moment, but because of the blind trust he had in his subordinates made him trust Reo's words just like that. His expression immediately became serious and he turned around.
He then stretched his right hand towards everyone.
"Everyone, dismantle the form—" But before he could finish what he was saying.
* crack * * bump *
"Ah!" One of the Hunters shouted as they felt their ground just shake and break. The vibrations are too short which makes even all the people not ready for the surprise attack from the monsters.
Then, the 4 Magic Beasts shaped like large worms with jagged bodies emerged from the ground in a disgusting move. Their mouths look jawless like a lamprey. It was a B-Rank Magic Beast, Giant Worm.
"* Grrrrrrggghhhh *" A strange, snarling growl resounded and made the leaves tremble.
"They came, change the formation into an outer circle, do it !!"
"""Yes sir!""" Everyone shouted in unison and immediately turned their bodies to protect the Healers and Mages from the attacks of the Giant Worms around them.
While Reo was seen immediately pulling his sword and preparing to kill the Giant Worm in front of him in one slash, but--
"* GRRRRRRRR *"
Suddenly the four Giant Worms was writhing crazy and make Reo who was ready to swing his sword raised his eyebrows. And suddenly, the Giant Worm's mouth opened so wide that even a truck could enter it.
Not only that, the sound of screeching and snarling in numbers can be heard before suddenly hundreds of low-level Magic Beast insects type such as iron-legs spiders, giant dragonflies, and even Magic Beast with a relatively small size such as Gigantic Ladybugs and Beetles spewed from the mouth of the Giant Worm.
4
"* Sssssssttt *"
Hissing and growling mixed, making the atmosphere there more chaotic. Seeing the hundreds of monsters that invaded them from above, Araki immediately shouted.
"Everyone, the attack from above is coming !!!"
* clang * * click *
The Tanks that heard Araki's orders immediately positioned their shields upward to fend off all attacks from Monsters that attack from above. The Healers and Mages crouched down and waited for the right time to attack while reciting their spells while the Fighter and Ranger were on the edge of the line to attack the Monsters who trying to enter from the side.
The atmosphere became quiet just before--
"Raaarrgh" The monsters roared with their horrifying voices.
* clang * * clang * * clang *
The clink of iron and sparks were heard when the Monsters used their iron fangs and their hard body parts to pierce the shields of the Tanks. However, it was all in vain. The Tanks are dominated by B-Rank Hunter, E to C Rank monsters like them can't do anything.
While Araki who saw that the Monsters could not penetrate the defenses of the Hunter in the line of thought.
'This is a good opportunity to kill the cause of all this ...'
"Shhhhhh !!"
A giant spider monster then came and tried to devour Araki's head, but Araki only casually twisted his body and with incredible speed cut the spider's body using his large sword.
* swing * * spurt *
Green blood gushed in the air and polluted the ground below, while Araki without wasting much time immediately turned around and shouted towards the Fighter and Ranger who were slaughtering the Monsters trying to sneak into the line.
* fwuosh * * swing * * spurt *
"After the first wave is over, approach it immediately and kill the giant bastard with your weapons !!" Araki shouted, pointing his sword at the Giant Worms.
Hearing that order, the Fighters and Rangers who was focused on their battle just nodded and continued to swing the sword in their hands, and pulled their bowstrings. The roar of death and the sound of blood splattering from the Monsters made the atmosphere there increasingly tense.
'Alright, I'll take care of this side too ...'
However, when Araki was unable to turn around completely and adjust his posture, dozens of giant monsters flew towards him and tried to pounce on his body. Seeing that, he widened his eyes ...
* slash * * slash * * slash *
However, suddenly three flying slashes appeared and immediately cut dozens of monsters into minced meat in an instant. Green and purple blood gushed from their bodies which were cut helplessly, they didn't even have time to let out a roar of pain from their mouth.
* spurt * * clap *
Their mutilated body parts then lay on the ground in front of Araki, seeing that Araki was initially shocked before he glanced to the right and there he saw Reo slaughtering the monsters as if he were stepping on a small ant.
'This is ...' Araki paused for a moment as he saw Reo's sword ability before he opened his mouth.
"Thank you, Reo-dono." Araki shouted, and Reo only said without taking his eyes off.
"Look around you!" He said quietly, Araki who heard that then realized that he was currently in a battle of life and death.
"Yeah !!!" But instead of being afraid, he instead smiled broadly and put on a solid posture, holding a large sword in his hand using both hands.
"Haaa !!" He then shouted with optimism and began to slash the bodies of the Monsters in front of him fiercely but calculated.
Meanwhile, Reo seemed to easily kill a group of monsters that came out of the Giant Worm's mouth using Honjo Masamune in his hand. As he expected, the sword was very sharp. With only a little bit of coating on the surface of his sword using Ki, it could easily cut through the bodies of monsters that were as strong as steel like hot knife through butter.
Reo twisted his body right and left gracefully and efficiently cut the bodies of the monsters. But he was in no hurry to get close to the Giant Worm and kill him even though he could do it in an instant, that's because there were things that Reo was thinking about right now.
'It turns out it's true, only by killing other living creatures, I can strengthen my Neutral Ki. This is quite surprising but it's also a good thing for me, because with this I will become stronger faster the more I kill monsters, even though the numbers are very small, but it still helps ... I guess the numbers are also influenced by the power of the creature I kill. Reo thought without stopping his body and continuing to kill the Monsters.
Reo had originally suspected that Heisatsu's hypothesis would prove to be correct, but that still surprised him enough. If killing other living creatures can make his Ki stronger, does that mean he seizes the will of the creature he killed? Reo can't answer that question.
But there is one big question in his mind, what exactly is Neutral Ki? And how can only he who has Ki with that type.
But Reo removed that from his mind right now, because all he needed to do now was clear this dungeon and win the bet he made with Goto.
"Sssssst !!"
A hiss full of killing intent was heard before a giant praying Mantis whose height reached 2 meters ran towards Reo using its thin legs and tried to crush its body using its big and very sharp hands.
"Shhh--"
* swing *
But before it could finish its hiss, a white flash quickly cut off its two hands which made the green blood burst into the ground.
* spurt *
The praying mantis looked confused and did not have time to react, and its large eyes narrowing before it then felt Its large body begin to lose balance when his two large hands were cut off by Reo. And when it was about to fall forward, Reo caught its head using his left hand.
His golden eyes stared at the praying mantis with a cold and uninterested look, before slowly a white layer appeared and covered Reo's palm.
* zyuuut *
And--
* crack * * spurt *
Reo easily smashes the praying mantis' head with just his grip so that its brain, blood, and eyeballs are scattered on the ground. He crushed the Praying Mantis' head who as strong as a stone easily as breaking a peanut shell, all thanks to Reinforcement Ki which he used in his hand.
Reo then shook his hand to clean the blood that was sticking to his left hand and muttered with a bored expression.
"I think it's time to end it."
And suddenly--
* zyuuut * * buzz *
An invisible spiritual pressure strikes the Monsters in front of Reo and immediately makes them all lose their consciousness and fall to the ground, even some low level monsters that are very small are instantly destroyed due to that spiritual pressure.
3
That is Reo's Domination Ki!
But none of the Hunters realized that because Reo only used it to defeat the monsters in front of him, it was deliberately done because he did not like to expose his strength just like that.
1
* dap * * dap *
Reo then walked casually towards the Giant Worm who kept writhing and stepping on the bodies of the monsters that fell below him, when he stepped on them, the bodies of the Monsters were destroyed and they just died because Reo used Reinforcement Ki to strengthen his legs.
* bump * * spurt *
And after he arrived in front of the Giant Worm, Reo just casually swung his katana and sent an ordinary slash to the Giant Worm's body.
* swing * * spurt *
The Giant Worm's body was easily cut in half and made it roar in pain.
"Grrrrrraaaggghh !!" Even after his body was cut off, his lower body stretched wildly before slowly returning to the ground.
"Hm? He's not dead ... Is he trying to run away." Reo murmured when he saw the strange behavior of the Giant Worm, Reo then tried to re-cut the body of the Giant Worm into small pieces but the Monster had first entered into the ground and cover the big hole where it appears with a soil.
The process happened so fast that it impressed Reo a little. Even so, in this battle, Reo didn't even shed a single sweat. He easily killed these low-level monsters, without even using one of his Shirogami Sword Techniques, and only using basic movements.
"Well I don't know how fast he can regenerate but I don't think he will come back anytime soon." Reo murmured, returning his sword into the sword sheath hanging from his waist.
* srtt * * cling *
"Then ... I guess the others are done with their parts, too." Reo then slightly turned around and looked back.
And sure enough, the remaining three Giant Worms had been defeated by the Fighter and Ranger who were there, even though they also managed to escape into the ground very quickly. The hordes of monsters that had previously kept coming out of the Giant Worm's mouth had also stopped and all that was left were the Monsters that were completely above the surface.
"Mages, fire !!"
And with the cue from Araki, the Mages who had prepared their Spells at the beginning earlier immediately shot a fire magic from their wands and burned the bodies of the Monsters that were in the air, making it charred and dead.
While the Monsters that are on the ground successfully cleared by the Fighter and Ranger easily. And with that, the first wave of monsters has been completely cleared by the Attack Force led by Araki.
*
"* pant * * pant * * pant *"
Araki is seen sitting on the ground while panting, breathing up and down and sweat running down his forehead. His black hair looked wet with sweat, and his large sword lay beside him.
Before he realized that Reo, whose clothes were still clean as before, approached him and held out his hand towards him.
"Hm?" Seeing that, Araki raised his eyebrows before smiling bitterly and accepting Reo's helping hand.
"Hoop ~ Ah ..." Araki then started to stand while carrying his sword and correcting his posture.
"This is just the first wave, you are wasting too much energy, Leader-san," Reo said with an innocent face without realizing that his words might offend someone. But not for Araki ...
"Hahaha, you're right, I was too excited before. You yourself ... you look very relaxed after going through the previous battle Reo-dono." Araki said with a light laugh, he was a chill but stiff person at the same time.
"Yes ..." Reo said in a low voice while looking at the hunters who had seemed to break their formation and relaxed because the first wave of monsters had finished.
Some hunters are seen sitting on the ground and resting their bodies, while some are still able to stand up even though fatigue can be clearly seen on their faces.
"... But it seems like no one has died until now, huh," Reo murmured. Hearing that, Araki also glanced back before nodding.
"Um, thank god." Araki smiled sincerely. The atmosphere became quiet for a moment before he coughed and said.
"* cough * Alright, I think it's time to get out of the Dungeon for a moment to rest and let the Mining Team and Collecting Team do their work before we go to face the dungeon boss."
As Araki said, basically the Raid process in the Dungeon is divided into two phases. Namely the first phase to clear the monsters that are approaching or near the Gate, and the second is to go to where the Dungeon Boss is at the same time clear the Monsters that are with him.
And between the two phases, usually the Hunter who has succeeded in clearing the monsters around the Gate will come out of the Dungeon for a while and rest, and let the Miners and Collectors to do their job, namely collecting Mana Crystals and Magic Cores scattered on the corpses of the monsters .
Because of that now was the right time to get out of the Dungeon and rest for a few minutes.
"You're right," Reo said.
Araki smiled and he then turned around. However, before he could step on his feet, suddenly there was a shout from a distance.
"Araki-san, This is bad!" It was the voice of one of the hunters with a class of tanks in the distance, he was seen standing there with a panicked face. The sound of that shout caught everyone's attention.
Araki who heard that then immediately walked closer towards all of them followed by Reo behind him.
" What's wrong? "
"Th-that ..." Hearing the question from his leader, the man was then seen pointing to the side with a trembling hand.
"What's the matter, say it correctly!" Said one of the hunters who also seemed to not understand what was meant by the man, and the man then said--
"The gate ... The gate is disappearing !!"
Hearing that, everyone's eyes immediately widened and they realized something, the Gate that connected the earth with the Dungeon that was clearly in front of them before had simply vanished.
"What? How come?" Everyone who heard the bad news naturally looked surprised and stood up from their seats. Some people look panicked but try to stay in their place.
"That's right, has it disappeared since we first entered the Dungeon?" Asked one of the Hunters to the man. And the man shook his head.
"No, I still clearly remember that the Gate was still there when we first entered the dungeon, which means the gate disappeared when we were fighting with the Monsters," said the man who immediately silenced everyone.
"Then, we are currently inside the Red Gate, huh," murmured one of the hunters and the man just nodded.
Red Gates are special Gates that, once entered, completely seal itself off and they will only open if the dungeon boss is killed or after a length of time has past. It is noted that even S-Rank Hunters cannot force open a Red Gate.
It was an unexpected disaster that became one of the greatest risks for Hunters when entering a Dungeon, and now all they could do was go to the Boss Room, and kill the Dungeon Boss so that the disappeared Gate could open again. Reo who heard about Red Gate was seen smiling wryly.
"Red Gate huh ... Even though this was my first Dungeon expedition, why did it turn out like this." Reo murmured in a low voice. While hearing about Red Gate, many people looked hopeless, most of them were B-Rank Hunter.
"Red Gate, so we can't get out of the dungeon at all right now?"
"No ... I don't want to die !!"
"You all don't need to panic, all we need to do now is defeat the Dungeon Boss to get out of this place, so calm down." Said the man, who then immediately glanced at Araki.
"So Araki-san, what should we do now?"
Hearing that, everyone's attention was focused on Araki who had just stood silently and seemed to be thinking about something. The atmosphere then became quiet before Araki looked at everyone with a serious look.
"For now, we will take a break first."
***
The hunters seemed to sit and rest there, the atmosphere had returned to normal and everyone had looked calmer than before. They were seen chatting with each other even though they knew that the Magic Beast could come at any time from within the forest. They were seen drinking coffee distributed by one of the hunters.
While Araki, he was seen standing watching the surroundings from the edge of the forest, the expression on his face was serious. And suddenly--
* dap *
Reo appeared next to him in an instant and then leaned directly against the large tree behind him.
"How is it, Reo-dono?"
"Ah ~, Nothing ... Either he disappeared or died, but I couldn't find his whereabouts at all." Reo murmured, what he meant was an Assassin class Hunter besides himself who had previously been assigned to oversee the situation around when they first entered into the dungeon.
Reo has gone to look for him, but the results are nil, he can't find his whereabouts at all.
Hearing that, Araki looked down and feels responsible as a leader.
"I see ..." But he knew, there was nothing he could do about it right now. All Araki could do was hope that he was still alive somewhere, even though the possibility was very small.
The atmosphere then became quiet before one of the Hunter approached Reo and Araki while carrying two cups of hot coffee. He was seen smiling towards Reo and Araki.
"Good work, Araki-san and also ..." The man glanced slightly at Reo.
"Reo."
"Reo-san. Please drink the coffee," he said immediately.
He then gave the two cups of coffee to Reo and Araki. Araki then accepted it and returned the man's smile.
"Thank you, Amami-dono."
The man just smiled before he tried to turn around, but before he could turn around, he felt someone grabbing his shoulder and stopping his movement, it was Reo.
"You ... Aren't you the Scout who was sent to watch the surroundings? Why didn't I see you in the middle of the previous battle, where did you go?"
Reo's golden eyes looked at the man called Amami with a cold look and a deadpan expression, Amami who felt that looked a little shuddering in fear.
"I- I, it seems like I went too far into the forest before, so that I couldn't hear the sound of the battle, I'm sorry Reo-san," Amami said, stuttering.
Reo who heard that was just silent and kept staring at Amami, while Araki was confused what to do because he also wanted to ask the same question to Amami even though he was doubtful. But after a while, Reo released his grip.
Amami who felt that the pain due to Reo's grip had disappeared immediately looked down.
"T-then I'll go first." Amami then immediately turned and returned to the group. While Reo just stared at his back with a mysterious look.
"Calm down Reo-dono, maybe what he said was true."
Reo glanced slightly at Araki beside him and looked at him with interest.
"Do you just believe what he says?"
"Yeah, I'm just trying to believe his words." Said Araki with a smile, he then glanced at Reo and said.
"You must also learn to trust other people Reo-dono."
Hearing that, Reo was silent before he closed his eyes and leaned against the tree behind him.
"I hope so," Reo said casually.
The atmosphere then became silent before someone shouted from the group of hunters.
"Arrrgh! I'm sick of it. With all this, I want to go home!"
It was the voice of the young idol, Karen Kanzaki. She, who was seen sitting while hugging her knees threw the coffee cup in her hand to the side and made splashes of hot coffee hit on Osamu's hand in front of her.
* spurt *
"Argh, why did you do that !?" said Osamu who spilled his coffee after his hand was hit by splashes of Karen's hot coffee.
"I don't want to do anything like this anymore, I want to go home."
"Calm down Karen-sama, we will come out after successfully killing the Dungeon Boss," said one of the Hunter who seemed to be Karen's personal assistant.
But Karen didn't care at all and kept sulking on the ground and crying.
"No, I want to go home now ... Mom !! '
Reo just put on a flat expression and looked uninterested while Araki who was beside him had walked to Karen's place to calm her down. While Reo who saw that was silent for a moment before he muttered.
"I think I will go to keep an eye on the surroundings ," Reo murmured softly.
He then turned and immediately jumped into the nearest tree branch and leave the group, carrying the coffee in his hand.
* fwuosh * * dap * * dap *
He jumped from branch to branch in search of an ideal place, while he was jumping, Reo thought about Amami's words before.
"Didn't hear the sound of the battle he said? And he calls himself a Scout?"
* fwuosh * * tap *
Reo finally stopped when he found a tree branch thick enough for him to sit and read his Shojo Manga. He then sat back with his legs crossed.
He holds the Shojo Manga which has been coated with a very thin layer of Ki and tries to enjoy his time.
2
"Alright, where I was before." Reo then opened the page he wanted and started reading it.
He then began sipping hot coffee in his hand, before suddenly Reo felt something strange and immediately spouted coffee that had entered his mouth before.
* spurt *
He then looked at the coffee cup in his hand with a flat face and muttered with a low voice..
"This coffee ... is this poisoned? But I didn't smell poisonous at all, what kind of poison is this? "
And that's when Reo realized that the situation at this time had really become very chaotic, very chaotic. Reo then immediately turned and looked into the distance.
" Why did the situation turn out like this ..."
Reo murmured slowly, befor suddenly--
"Aaaaaaarrrrggghhh !!!"
1
__________________________
Hunter Guidebook Highlights!!
Red Gates Characteristic :
1) Red Gates are at the very least a B-Rank Dungeon.
2) Red Gates have the appearance of normal gates. It's only after people enter does it reveal itself.
3) Magic Energy stops flowing after a gate suddenly appears, thus measuring its rank is no longer possible.
4) 1 day in a Red Gate equals 1 hour in the real world, i.e. the time ratio is 24:1.
5) Since the Red Gate contains harsh conditions and powerful monsters, weak Hunters of C-Rank and below could easily die, i.e. from burning skin due to sunlight, endless poisonous insects, rotting skin due to frostbite, etc.
* dap *
Reo felt a unique vibration when he set foot into the Dungeon for the first time in his life. As he passed through the Gate, he felt like his body had been absorbed into a whirlpool and sank to the bottom of the deep ocean.
The strange feeling lasted only for a brief moment before Reo's vision was greeted with a scene that truly astonished him. It was a scene that he had never seen in any part of the world, a fantasy world scene that displayed things that didn't make sense and could not be learned using any knowledge.
"This ..."
* fwuosh *
The sound of the barren wind blows and makes Reo's white hair sway. He looked up and looked at the dark purple sky illuminated by a pink cosmic that glowed from a distance. It looks like an ordinary night sky at a glance, but Reo knows it's not that simple.
Many questions crossed his mind as he entered the Dungeon. Is the composition of the air contained in the Dungeon the same as that of the earth? What about gravity in the Dungeon, is it the same as what is on earth? Are the dungeons scattered throughout the world in one megaplanet or are they fragmented?
But Reo decided to forget all that, because in the end all he could conclude from all his questions was only one, there was only one answer that could answer all his questions. It was all because of Magic, as simple as that. Therefore, connecting a mystical and fictional thing like magic with science and logic is a foolish act.
In the end, humanity still cannot understand what magic is completely, where they came from and how they were created. Until now, all they could do was use magic as a weapon to fight the Magic Beasts who invaded the earth through the Gate.
"... incredible," Reo murmured without stopping. He was very surprised by the view of the fantasy world before his eyes at this time, reading it on the Magic Guidebook by seeing it in person was completely different.
"Hm?" Osamu who heard that from the side looked at Reo with a surprised look.
1
"Oi, is this perhaps your first time entering a dungeon?"
Reo who heard that glanced at Osamu and said with an innocent face.
"So what? Isn't this also your first time?"
"Huh ... I've been to the Dungeon several times, haven't I told you before?" Said Osamu, deny Reo's words. He then returned to see Reo who did not look scared or tremble even though this was the first time he had entered the Dungeon.
'But this dude ... He seems very calm for someone who is entering the Dungeon for the first time, no ... isn't he too calm? 'Osamu thought thinking about himself wetting his pants when he first entered the dungeon and encountered a mob of monsters.
Reo then looked back around, the contour of the ground in the Dungeon that he was entering at this time was a moist soil with a fairly high water content, it was like the soil in his native region, Indonesia. While the surrounding environment is dominated by a variety of large and sturdy trees, with purple leaves that continue to remove droplets of water from the tips of their leaves.
An environment similar to tropical rain forests on earth. When Reo was still paying attention to his surroundings, suddenly a voice came from the front.
"Everyone, stop!"
It was Araki, when they heard the voice of the Raid leader at this time, Everyone immediately stopped their steps, including Reo and Osamu who were in the back row.
"We will make a line of defense here, the Magic Beasts will most likely have realized our presence and approached towards here, entering this dense forest is tantamount to committing suicide, so we will gather them and then slaughter them all here."
Araki's words are certainly not without reason, everything has been carefully considered in accordance with what has been taught by the mentors namely experienced Hunter and Hunter Guidebook.
Right now they were all in the world of monsters, their natural habitat, they visited a place that was completely unfamiliar because even humans themselves did not know how big the dungeon really was. Avoiding places like the Forest is a natural thing, it is done to avoid the ambush of the monsters when everyone is complacent.
Therefore, the first thing to do when entering the Dungeon is to slaughter as many monsters as you approach in the field.
"You heard it, right? Quickly enter the line before you die." Reo said, glancing at Osamu who was beside him. As a Healer, he is the most protected person after Porter, who is the person who carries valuables from inside the Dungeon.
In addition to the 16 Hunter who participated in the Raid this time, there are 2 Porters who are C-Rank Hunter participating, even though they are not included in the list of Hunter who are members of the Raid because their presence is optional. They are usually not from the Guild and are a secondary class from Hunter, it is a job that Hunter can do with any class. One of the jobs usually done by an Independent Hunter who hired specifically by the Guild to help the Attack Force.
Therefore, the most ideal position for the Healers and Porters is in the middle of the line, because without their presence, Raid will certainly be more difficult going forward. Hearing Reo's words, Osamu immediately nodded and went into line.
Araki then spoke again.
"Assassins and Scouts, I'm counting on you guys."
Hearing that, Reo immediately glanced at Araki. In Raid this time there were 2 Assassins including himself, and one Hunter with a special position namely Scout. Araki's words are an implied order to monitor the surroundings and lure the monsters out of their habitat.
""" Yes sir """
Then, two people came out of line and began to spread in two different directions. Likewise with Reo who without saying a word immediately jump into the nearest tree in the 3 o'clock direction, and tried to enter the forest.
* fwuosh * * dap *
In an instant, Reo immediately disappeared like a white flash and without making the slightest sound from everyone's view, while Osamu who saw his speed was also surprised.
'That man ... I don't feel any magic energy in his body at all, but it seems I was wrong, it seems like he somehow hid his magic energy, just look at his movements ... And also, an Assassin huh ... What's his name before, Shirogami Reo? '
Osamu thought, but he regained his focus because now the line had formed and everyone was prepared to kill the approaching Magic Beasts.
Meanwhile, Reo who was already in the forest then immediately climbed the top of one of the trees to get a clearer vision.
* breeze *
Reo looks to be able to stand at the tip of a tree trunk perfectly without holding on to anything, his body balance is terrifying. He then saw a stretch of purple forest in front of him, there were no rivers or hills, it was only dense forest as far as the eye could see.
"But I'm really lucky, the first Dungeon I entered was an Outdoor Dungeon with a beautiful view like this," Reo murmured while holding the handle of the katana on his waist.
Basically, dungeons are classified into two types according to their environment. Namely Indoor Dungeon and Outdoor Dungeon. Indoor Dungeon is as the name suggests, it's a Dungeon that is inside a closed room like a cave or basement, has a narrow and closed area. While the Outdoor Dungeon is a Dungeon that is inside an open space, it can be a dense forest, snow forest or a barren desert, the area is very wide.
Even so, these rules are not very relevant because in theory, the Indoor Dungeon also remains in the Outdoor Dungeon. The grouping is only used based on the place where the Gate appears, that's all.
Reo then paused for a moment before he looked down, a lot of objects such as crystals that emit a dim purple light stuck to the branches and stems of trees. That is what people call the Mana Crystals.
'There's quite a lot around here so the Magic Beast's habitat shouldn't be far from here, but so far I haven't seen a single monster at all. 'Reo thought, watching the situation around him again.
'We could have burned this entire forest using Magic to slaughter all the monsters that are here but the Mana Crystal will be wasted. But what we're talking about is an insect monster ... Its giant size shouldn't be ... '
As he was thinking, Reo suddenly realized something. He took his hands off his chin and muttered softly.
"Insect, don't tell me ..."
Reo was then seen closing his eyes slowly and concentrating, a transparent white aura slowly surrounding his body. He is currently strengthening his senses by using Ki.
* zyuuut *
By strengthening his senses, Reo can now feel all living things that have Ki within a 1 km radius, that is enough to drain energy and give a disgusting feeling to Reo, so he is trying hard not to use it. But the situation this time was really strange.
' What? There is no other living creatures besides the Hunters ... This is becoming more suspicious. '
Reo tried to broaden the range of his skills, but as he expected, 1 km was the current Ki limit. And suddenly ...
"* gasp *" Reo immediately opened his eyes and made a serious expression.
"I didn't expected they would came from that place ..."
Reo instantly disappeared from his place like a white flash to report back to the line without making a sound.
Meanwhile, Araki who was seen standing upright while gripping the handle of his sword using both of his hands suddenly raised his eyebrows when he saw a white shadow approaching.
* swuut * * tap *
Reo suddenly appeared in front of him and their eyes met. Araki then opened his mouth.
"Reo-dono."
"Leader-san, they came from underground," said Reo without further ado. Hearing that Araki immediately widened his eyes.
" Are you sure? "
"Are you stupid?" Reo replied.
1
Araki was shocked and confused for a moment, but because of the blind trust he had in his subordinates made him trust Reo's words just like that. His expression immediately became serious and he turned around.
He then stretched his right hand towards everyone.
"Everyone, dismantle the form—" But before he could finish what he was saying.
* crack * * bump *
"Ah!" One of the Hunters shouted as they felt their ground just shake and break. The vibrations are too short which makes even all the people not ready for the surprise attack from the monsters.
Then, the 4 Magic Beasts shaped like large worms with jagged bodies emerged from the ground in a disgusting move. Their mouths look jawless like a lamprey. It was a B-Rank Magic Beast, Giant Worm.
"* Grrrrrrggghhhh *" A strange, snarling growl resounded and made the leaves tremble.
"They came, change the formation into an outer circle, do it !!"
"""Yes sir!""" Everyone shouted in unison and immediately turned their bodies to protect the Healers and Mages from the attacks of the Giant Worms around them.
While Reo was seen immediately pulling his sword and preparing to kill the Giant Worm in front of him in one slash, but--
"* GRRRRRRRR *"
Suddenly the four Giant Worms was writhing crazy and make Reo who was ready to swing his sword raised his eyebrows. And suddenly, the Giant Worm's mouth opened so wide that even a truck could enter it.
Not only that, the sound of screeching and snarling in numbers can be heard before suddenly hundreds of low-level Magic Beast insects type such as iron-legs spiders, giant dragonflies, and even Magic Beast with a relatively small size such as Gigantic Ladybugs and Beetles spewed from the mouth of the Giant Worm.
4
"* Sssssssttt *"
Hissing and growling mixed, making the atmosphere there more chaotic. Seeing the hundreds of monsters that invaded them from above, Araki immediately shouted.
"Everyone, the attack from above is coming !!!"
* clang * * click *
The Tanks that heard Araki's orders immediately positioned their shields upward to fend off all attacks from Monsters that attack from above. The Healers and Mages crouched down and waited for the right time to attack while reciting their spells while the Fighter and Ranger were on the edge of the line to attack the Monsters who trying to enter from the side.
The atmosphere became quiet just before--
"Raaarrgh" The monsters roared with their horrifying voices.
* clang * * clang * * clang *
The clink of iron and sparks were heard when the Monsters used their iron fangs and their hard body parts to pierce the shields of the Tanks. However, it was all in vain. The Tanks are dominated by B-Rank Hunter, E to C Rank monsters like them can't do anything.
While Araki who saw that the Monsters could not penetrate the defenses of the Hunter in the line of thought.
'This is a good opportunity to kill the cause of all this ...'
"Shhhhhh !!"
A giant spider monster then came and tried to devour Araki's head, but Araki only casually twisted his body and with incredible speed cut the spider's body using his large sword.
* swing * * spurt *
Green blood gushed in the air and polluted the ground below, while Araki without wasting much time immediately turned around and shouted towards the Fighter and Ranger who were slaughtering the Monsters trying to sneak into the line.
* fwuosh * * swing * * spurt *
"After the first wave is over, approach it immediately and kill the giant bastard with your weapons !!" Araki shouted, pointing his sword at the Giant Worms.
Hearing that order, the Fighters and Rangers who was focused on their battle just nodded and continued to swing the sword in their hands, and pulled their bowstrings. The roar of death and the sound of blood splattering from the Monsters made the atmosphere there increasingly tense.
'Alright, I'll take care of this side too ...'
However, when Araki was unable to turn around completely and adjust his posture, dozens of giant monsters flew towards him and tried to pounce on his body. Seeing that, he widened his eyes ...
* slash * * slash * * slash *
However, suddenly three flying slashes appeared and immediately cut dozens of monsters into minced meat in an instant. Green and purple blood gushed from their bodies which were cut helplessly, they didn't even have time to let out a roar of pain from their mouth.
* spurt * * clap *
Their mutilated body parts then lay on the ground in front of Araki, seeing that Araki was initially shocked before he glanced to the right and there he saw Reo slaughtering the monsters as if he were stepping on a small ant.
'This is ...' Araki paused for a moment as he saw Reo's sword ability before he opened his mouth.
"Thank you, Reo-dono." Araki shouted, and Reo only said without taking his eyes off.
"Look around you!" He said quietly, Araki who heard that then realized that he was currently in a battle of life and death.
"Yeah !!!" But instead of being afraid, he instead smiled broadly and put on a solid posture, holding a large sword in his hand using both hands.
"Haaa !!" He then shouted with optimism and began to slash the bodies of the Monsters in front of him fiercely but calculated.
Meanwhile, Reo seemed to easily kill a group of monsters that came out of the Giant Worm's mouth using Honjo Masamune in his hand. As he expected, the sword was very sharp. With only a little bit of coating on the surface of his sword using Ki, it could easily cut through the bodies of monsters that were as strong as steel like hot knife through butter.
Reo twisted his body right and left gracefully and efficiently cut the bodies of the monsters. But he was in no hurry to get close to the Giant Worm and kill him even though he could do it in an instant, that's because there were things that Reo was thinking about right now.
'It turns out it's true, only by killing other living creatures, I can strengthen my Neutral Ki. This is quite surprising but it's also a good thing for me, because with this I will become stronger faster the more I kill monsters, even though the numbers are very small, but it still helps ... I guess the numbers are also influenced by the power of the creature I kill. Reo thought without stopping his body and continuing to kill the Monsters.
Reo had originally suspected that Heisatsu's hypothesis would prove to be correct, but that still surprised him enough. If killing other living creatures can make his Ki stronger, does that mean he seizes the will of the creature he killed? Reo can't answer that question.
But there is one big question in his mind, what exactly is Neutral Ki? And how can only he who has Ki with that type.
But Reo removed that from his mind right now, because all he needed to do now was clear this dungeon and win the bet he made with Goto.
"Sssssst !!"
A hiss full of killing intent was heard before a giant praying Mantis whose height reached 2 meters ran towards Reo using its thin legs and tried to crush its body using its big and very sharp hands.
"Shhh--"
* swing *
But before it could finish its hiss, a white flash quickly cut off its two hands which made the green blood burst into the ground.
* spurt *
The praying mantis looked confused and did not have time to react, and its large eyes narrowing before it then felt Its large body begin to lose balance when his two large hands were cut off by Reo. And when it was about to fall forward, Reo caught its head using his left hand.
His golden eyes stared at the praying mantis with a cold and uninterested look, before slowly a white layer appeared and covered Reo's palm.
* zyuuut *
And--
* crack * * spurt *
Reo easily smashes the praying mantis' head with just his grip so that its brain, blood, and eyeballs are scattered on the ground. He crushed the Praying Mantis' head who as strong as a stone easily as breaking a peanut shell, all thanks to Reinforcement Ki which he used in his hand.
Reo then shook his hand to clean the blood that was sticking to his left hand and muttered with a bored expression.
"I think it's time to end it."
And suddenly--
* zyuuut * * buzz *
An invisible spiritual pressure strikes the Monsters in front of Reo and immediately makes them all lose their consciousness and fall to the ground, even some low level monsters that are very small are instantly destroyed due to that spiritual pressure.
3
That is Reo's Domination Ki!
But none of the Hunters realized that because Reo only used it to defeat the monsters in front of him, it was deliberately done because he did not like to expose his strength just like that.
1
* dap * * dap *
Reo then walked casually towards the Giant Worm who kept writhing and stepping on the bodies of the monsters that fell below him, when he stepped on them, the bodies of the Monsters were destroyed and they just died because Reo used Reinforcement Ki to strengthen his legs.
* bump * * spurt *
And after he arrived in front of the Giant Worm, Reo just casually swung his katana and sent an ordinary slash to the Giant Worm's body.
* swing * * spurt *
The Giant Worm's body was easily cut in half and made it roar in pain.
"Grrrrrraaaggghh !!" Even after his body was cut off, his lower body stretched wildly before slowly returning to the ground.
"Hm? He's not dead ... Is he trying to run away." Reo murmured when he saw the strange behavior of the Giant Worm, Reo then tried to re-cut the body of the Giant Worm into small pieces but the Monster had first entered into the ground and cover the big hole where it appears with a soil.
The process happened so fast that it impressed Reo a little. Even so, in this battle, Reo didn't even shed a single sweat. He easily killed these low-level monsters, without even using one of his Shirogami Sword Techniques, and only using basic movements.
"Well I don't know how fast he can regenerate but I don't think he will come back anytime soon." Reo murmured, returning his sword into the sword sheath hanging from his waist.
* srtt * * cling *
"Then ... I guess the others are done with their parts, too." Reo then slightly turned around and looked back.
And sure enough, the remaining three Giant Worms had been defeated by the Fighter and Ranger who were there, even though they also managed to escape into the ground very quickly. The hordes of monsters that had previously kept coming out of the Giant Worm's mouth had also stopped and all that was left were the Monsters that were completely above the surface.
"Mages, fire !!"
And with the cue from Araki, the Mages who had prepared their Spells at the beginning earlier immediately shot a fire magic from their wands and burned the bodies of the Monsters that were in the air, making it charred and dead.
While the Monsters that are on the ground successfully cleared by the Fighter and Ranger easily. And with that, the first wave of monsters has been completely cleared by the Attack Force led by Araki.
*
"* pant * * pant * * pant *"
Araki is seen sitting on the ground while panting, breathing up and down and sweat running down his forehead. His black hair looked wet with sweat, and his large sword lay beside him.
Before he realized that Reo, whose clothes were still clean as before, approached him and held out his hand towards him.
"Hm?" Seeing that, Araki raised his eyebrows before smiling bitterly and accepting Reo's helping hand.
"Hoop ~ Ah ..." Araki then started to stand while carrying his sword and correcting his posture.
"This is just the first wave, you are wasting too much energy, Leader-san," Reo said with an innocent face without realizing that his words might offend someone. But not for Araki ...
"Hahaha, you're right, I was too excited before. You yourself ... you look very relaxed after going through the previous battle Reo-dono." Araki said with a light laugh, he was a chill but stiff person at the same time.
"Yes ..." Reo said in a low voice while looking at the hunters who had seemed to break their formation and relaxed because the first wave of monsters had finished.
Some hunters are seen sitting on the ground and resting their bodies, while some are still able to stand up even though fatigue can be clearly seen on their faces.
"... But it seems like no one has died until now, huh," Reo murmured. Hearing that, Araki also glanced back before nodding.
"Um, thank god." Araki smiled sincerely. The atmosphere became quiet for a moment before he coughed and said.
"* cough * Alright, I think it's time to get out of the Dungeon for a moment to rest and let the Mining Team and Collecting Team do their work before we go to face the dungeon boss."
As Araki said, basically the Raid process in the Dungeon is divided into two phases. Namely the first phase to clear the monsters that are approaching or near the Gate, and the second is to go to where the Dungeon Boss is at the same time clear the Monsters that are with him.
And between the two phases, usually the Hunter who has succeeded in clearing the monsters around the Gate will come out of the Dungeon for a while and rest, and let the Miners and Collectors to do their job, namely collecting Mana Crystals and Magic Cores scattered on the corpses of the monsters .
Because of that now was the right time to get out of the Dungeon and rest for a few minutes.
"You're right," Reo said.
Araki smiled and he then turned around. However, before he could step on his feet, suddenly there was a shout from a distance.
"Araki-san, This is bad!" It was the voice of one of the hunters with a class of tanks in the distance, he was seen standing there with a panicked face. The sound of that shout caught everyone's attention.
Araki who heard that then immediately walked closer towards all of them followed by Reo behind him.
" What's wrong? "
"Th-that ..." Hearing the question from his leader, the man was then seen pointing to the side with a trembling hand.
"What's the matter, say it correctly!" Said one of the hunters who also seemed to not understand what was meant by the man, and the man then said--
"The gate ... The gate is disappearing !!"
Hearing that, everyone's eyes immediately widened and they realized something, the Gate that connected the earth with the Dungeon that was clearly in front of them before had simply vanished.
"What? How come?" Everyone who heard the bad news naturally looked surprised and stood up from their seats. Some people look panicked but try to stay in their place.
"That's right, has it disappeared since we first entered the Dungeon?" Asked one of the Hunters to the man. And the man shook his head.
"No, I still clearly remember that the Gate was still there when we first entered the dungeon, which means the gate disappeared when we were fighting with the Monsters," said the man who immediately silenced everyone.
"Then, we are currently inside the Red Gate, huh," murmured one of the hunters and the man just nodded.
Red Gates are special Gates that, once entered, completely seal itself off and they will only open if the dungeon boss is killed or after a length of time has past. It is noted that even S-Rank Hunters cannot force open a Red Gate.
It was an unexpected disaster that became one of the greatest risks for Hunters when entering a Dungeon, and now all they could do was go to the Boss Room, and kill the Dungeon Boss so that the disappeared Gate could open again. Reo who heard about Red Gate was seen smiling wryly.
"Red Gate huh ... Even though this was my first Dungeon expedition, why did it turn out like this." Reo murmured in a low voice. While hearing about Red Gate, many people looked hopeless, most of them were B-Rank Hunter.
"Red Gate, so we can't get out of the dungeon at all right now?"
"No ... I don't want to die !!"
"You all don't need to panic, all we need to do now is defeat the Dungeon Boss to get out of this place, so calm down." Said the man, who then immediately glanced at Araki.
"So Araki-san, what should we do now?"
Hearing that, everyone's attention was focused on Araki who had just stood silently and seemed to be thinking about something. The atmosphere then became quiet before Araki looked at everyone with a serious look.
"For now, we will take a break first."
***
The hunters seemed to sit and rest there, the atmosphere had returned to normal and everyone had looked calmer than before. They were seen chatting with each other even though they knew that the Magic Beast could come at any time from within the forest. They were seen drinking coffee distributed by one of the hunters.
While Araki, he was seen standing watching the surroundings from the edge of the forest, the expression on his face was serious. And suddenly--
* dap *
Reo appeared next to him in an instant and then leaned directly against the large tree behind him.
"How is it, Reo-dono?"
"Ah ~, Nothing ... Either he disappeared or died, but I couldn't find his whereabouts at all." Reo murmured, what he meant was an Assassin class Hunter besides himself who had previously been assigned to oversee the situation around when they first entered into the dungeon.
Reo has gone to look for him, but the results are nil, he can't find his whereabouts at all.
Hearing that, Araki looked down and feels responsible as a leader.
"I see ..." But he knew, there was nothing he could do about it right now. All Araki could do was hope that he was still alive somewhere, even though the possibility was very small.
The atmosphere then became quiet before one of the Hunter approached Reo and Araki while carrying two cups of hot coffee. He was seen smiling towards Reo and Araki.
"Good work, Araki-san and also ..." The man glanced slightly at Reo.
"Reo."
"Reo-san. Please drink the coffee," he said immediately.
He then gave the two cups of coffee to Reo and Araki. Araki then accepted it and returned the man's smile.
"Thank you, Amami-dono."
The man just smiled before he tried to turn around, but before he could turn around, he felt someone grabbing his shoulder and stopping his movement, it was Reo.
"You ... Aren't you the Scout who was sent to watch the surroundings? Why didn't I see you in the middle of the previous battle, where did you go?"
Reo's golden eyes looked at the man called Amami with a cold look and a deadpan expression, Amami who felt that looked a little shuddering in fear.
"I- I, it seems like I went too far into the forest before, so that I couldn't hear the sound of the battle, I'm sorry Reo-san," Amami said, stuttering.
Reo who heard that was just silent and kept staring at Amami, while Araki was confused what to do because he also wanted to ask the same question to Amami even though he was doubtful. But after a while, Reo released his grip.
Amami who felt that the pain due to Reo's grip had disappeared immediately looked down.
"T-then I'll go first." Amami then immediately turned and returned to the group. While Reo just stared at his back with a mysterious look.
"Calm down Reo-dono, maybe what he said was true."
Reo glanced slightly at Araki beside him and looked at him with interest.
"Do you just believe what he says?"
"Yeah, I'm just trying to believe his words." Said Araki with a smile, he then glanced at Reo and said.
"You must also learn to trust other people Reo-dono."
Hearing that, Reo was silent before he closed his eyes and leaned against the tree behind him.
"I hope so," Reo said casually.
The atmosphere then became silent before someone shouted from the group of hunters.
"Arrrgh! I'm sick of it. With all this, I want to go home!"
It was the voice of the young idol, Karen Kanzaki. She, who was seen sitting while hugging her knees threw the coffee cup in her hand to the side and made splashes of hot coffee hit on Osamu's hand in front of her.
* spurt *
"Argh, why did you do that !?" said Osamu who spilled his coffee after his hand was hit by splashes of Karen's hot coffee.
"I don't want to do anything like this anymore, I want to go home."
"Calm down Karen-sama, we will come out after successfully killing the Dungeon Boss," said one of the Hunter who seemed to be Karen's personal assistant.
But Karen didn't care at all and kept sulking on the ground and crying.
"No, I want to go home now ... Mom !! '
Reo just put on a flat expression and looked uninterested while Araki who was beside him had walked to Karen's place to calm her down. While Reo who saw that was silent for a moment before he muttered.
"I think I will go to keep an eye on the surroundings ," Reo murmured softly.
He then turned and immediately jumped into the nearest tree branch and leave the group, carrying the coffee in his hand.
* fwuosh * * dap * * dap *
He jumped from branch to branch in search of an ideal place, while he was jumping, Reo thought about Amami's words before.
"Didn't hear the sound of the battle he said? And he calls himself a Scout?"
* fwuosh * * tap *
Reo finally stopped when he found a tree branch thick enough for him to sit and read his Shojo Manga. He then sat back with his legs crossed.
He holds the Shojo Manga which has been coated with a very thin layer of Ki and tries to enjoy his time.
2
"Alright, where I was before." Reo then opened the page he wanted and started reading it.
He then began sipping hot coffee in his hand, before suddenly Reo felt something strange and immediately spouted coffee that had entered his mouth before.
* spurt *
He then looked at the coffee cup in his hand with a flat face and muttered with a low voice..
"This coffee ... is this poisoned? But I didn't smell poisonous at all, what kind of poison is this? "
And that's when Reo realized that the situation at this time had really become very chaotic, very chaotic. Reo then immediately turned and looked into the distance.
" Why did the situation turn out like this ..."
Reo murmured slowly, befor suddenly--
"Aaaaaaarrrrggghhh !!!"
1
__________________________
Hunter Guidebook Highlights!!
Red Gates Characteristic :
1) Red Gates are at the very least a B-Rank Dungeon.
2) Red Gates have the appearance of normal gates. It's only after people enter does it reveal itself.
3) Magic Energy stops flowing after a gate suddenly appears, thus measuring its rank is no longer possible.
4) 1 day in a Red Gate equals 1 hour in the real world, i.e. the time ratio is 24:1.
5) Since the Red Gate contains harsh conditions and powerful monsters, weak Hunters of C-Rank and below could easily die, i.e. from burning skin due to sunlight, endless poisonous insects, rotting skin due to frostbite, etc.
