Reo then spends the afternoon trying to contact Mata Hari again, but his efforts are in vain. When he asked various kinds of questions, Reo always got the identical reply as before.
Mata Hari had no intention of revealing her true identity, and that was only natural. Because of that the only thing Reo could do right now was to follow the 'game' that Mata Hari had made, and plan to go to Aobanomori Park located in the Chiba area the next afternoon.
In order to do that, Reo planned to convince Ardian to extend his leave and stay in Japan even longer, as he needed his help to investigate the matter.
After he entered the Gate that would appear in Aobanomori tomorrow, Reo had indirectly stepped into the dark side of modern magic society and he didn't have much experience or knowledge about that kind of community at all.
Because of that, he needed Ardian's connections to make it easier for him to find out the mastermind behind all the events that had happened recently.
Even though Ardian was someone who fiercely opposed illicit trade and something like that, it didn't mean that he would remain silent when he saw a golden opportunity like this. Moreover, the threat that Magic Pump could pose was so dire that the possibility of chaos in society that something like the black market could cause was nothing.
However, in the end Reo's plan could not be realized. That night, Ardian did not return to Shirogami's residence at all, leaving his belongings there including the Magic Pump he had brought from Indonesia as if he didn't need it anymore.
***
The next day, after he woke up from a deep sleep, Reo received a message from Goto that he had officially registered as a member of the Draw Sword Guild. All the money he earned in the Dungeon a few days ago had also been transferred to his personal account.
And the amount of money sent by the Guild into his account really made Reo Flustered, earning a total of 100,000,000 Yen (950,000 USD.) of the dungeon loot, a huge amount of money that had been deducted by taxes and dungeon purchase money.
Reo did not think that he could make such a big amount of money just by doing a Raid. But considering the power possessed by Anaceen that can even put him on the verge of death, that amount of money is quite reasonable.
And at this time, the time on the smartphone screen is 5:30 pm. Fallen maple leaves adorn Reo's shoulders and his silky white hair.
Currently Reo is seen standing near a tree while waiting for a reply from Mata Hari, wearing his white Haori and Honjo Masamune who has been hanging proudly on his waist, Reo looks ready to enter the gate.
Aobanomori Park looks deserted with visitors, considering that this is a busy day in Japan.
"Hhhh ... both that uncle and this greedy bitch, they're all really busy huh ... none of them replied to my message." Muttered Reo with a flat expression.
' Other than that... '
Reo then turned his gaze towards the distance, a transparent white Ki covered his entire body. Using his Navigation Ki, Reo tries to detect the life signs nearby, and all he can feel are some of the presence of park rangers sweeping leaves or patrolling the garden.
' Where that person actually is, she must be not far from this place to watch over me, but within a one kilometer radius from here, I simply can't sense her presence. 'thought Reo.
And while he was thinking in silence, suddenly a notification sound came from his smartphone, bringing him out of his reverie.
* cling *
It was a message from Mata Hari that Reo had been waiting for.
{Have you been waiting for desu ~? Lmao ~, I'm sorry (~ ￣³￣) ~, I have some important business that I need to take care of beforehand and now everything is done so we can just get to the point desu ~.
You must be able to feel the fluctuation of magic energy in the North direction from a distance, right? There is someone who has been waiting for you there, she will explain all the orders that I give.
That's all I want to say, I hope you don't die and end up being the food of the monsters in the Dungeon. Because it would be troublesome enough to clear your tracks, you know? Bye-bye desu ~ (＾ ∇ ＾) ﾉ ♪ /}
Seeing the contents of the message, Reo was silent for a moment before he put his smartphone back in his pocket and glanced towards the North.
"Magic energy fluctuation huh ..."
Reo couldn't feel the slightest fluctuation of magic energy waves in Aobanomori Park right now, it doesn't mean there isn't a gate here, but because Reo really can't do that considering there's no magic energy in his body.
"... Sometimes being a Ki user is quite troublesome huh ~. Well, looks like I should take a walk."
Then, after removing the layer of Ki that surrounded him, Reo started walking towards the place Mata Hari meant.
*
After walking around for a few minutes while avoiding the patrolling park rangers, Reo finally found the Gate.
It was right in the center of the park, which was surrounded by shady trees. So that its existence cannot be seen clearly from a distance. After confirming that it was really a gate, Reo then walked over to it.
The distinctive blue light shone brighter as Reo walked closer and closer towards the Gate.
* breeze *
"A gate appears in a place like this, let alone in the city center, how can this escape the Hunter Association's surveillance ..." muttered Reo quietly, as he walked closer to the gate.
Before suddenly he felt the presence of someone from a distance, who was seen hiding behind one of the large trees there.
* tap *
The grass on the ground rustled as a surge of magic energy swept around and created a gentle breeze. After he was right in front of the Gate, Reo then glanced to the side and said to the figure.
"So what order did that greedy bitch give to you? Can I enter the gate right now? "
However, right after Reo said that--
* cling *
Suddenly, the ice-cold katana blade had stuck to his neck and could cut off his head at any time. However, even though his life is now on the line, Reo doesn't seem to panic at all and just smiles calmly while closing his eyes.
Then, a woman's voice could be heard whispering in Reo's ear with an unfriendly tone, it seemed that she was offended by Reo's previous words.
"Watch your words if you don't want to die."
Hearing that, Reo's eyes opened slowly and glanced back. There he saw a beautiful woman staring at him with a razor sharp gaze.
The woman has black hair with red strands tied in twintails, her two magenta eyes stare at Reo with murderous intent.
She wears tight black latex armor with gold sequins adorning the edges, accentuating her beautiful curves. When compared to Reo, that woman looks much shorter and looks like a teenage girl in general, moreover, her most valuable asset has not bloomed as it should.
But the terrifying movement speed she had showed earlier made Reo no longer able to see the woman behind him as an ordinary person, it wouldn't be too much to call him a professional assassin.
"Okay ~, Chill ~, I'll shut up okay? So can you let me go because something soft just keeps rubbing my back this time." Said Reo with a sweet smile.
Hearing that, the woman's face turned red before her body emitted a terrifying killing intent, her vision darkened.
"If you continue to frown like that, then your beauty will disappear." Said Reo which of course made the woman's mood even worse.
"Y-y ... You are ..." The woman who didn't understand why Reo said such embarrassing things at a time like this immediately changed the direction of her grip on the hilt of her katana and tried to cut Reo's neck.
But before she could do that, she suddenly realized that Reo had slipped from her grasp, and was seen standing in front of her reading the Shoujo Manga in his hand calmly.
Seeing that, the woman widened her eyes.
' What? Since when? '
While the woman was still stunned and unable to process what had just happened, Reo was seen flipping through the pages of the manga with a confused expression.
"Hmm ~ this is weird, I've done everything according to what is here, but why is the response different?" Thought Reo, glancing at the woman in front of him.
This time, her figure could be seen clearly by Reo. The woman was much shorter than Reo, perhaps only 1.65 m tall.
"Hmm ... I don't understand at all," muttered Reo. He then put the manga in his hand back into his pocket before glancing at the woman in front of him.
Reo then smiled sweetly and held out his hand.
"Introducing ourselves is important for our future relationship, so can we forget the previous incident and introduce ourselves to each other, young lady? My name is Reo."
The woman was also silent and just stared at Reo coldly before she put on her katana, not interested in accepting Reo's good intentions at all. Make Reo look like a fool ...
"Um ..." Reo muttered while looking at his palm with a confused smile. The atmosphere became awkward before the woman opened her mouth.
"You can call me Noire, but don't be familiar with me. My presence here is only as an intermediary between you and Milady. You understand what I mean, right?" Said Noire with a cold expression towards Reo.
Meanwhile Reo who heard that thought.
'Noire? Nickname huh ... Seems like it's quite commonplace to do, have I made a mistake by giving my real name? '
"So, ms.intermediary~, are you also going to enter the dungeon with me?" Asked Reo with a smile on his face.
Noire who heard that initially fell silent before she nodded, there was a trace of compulsion behind her actions, but she tried to be professional.
"That's right." Noire answered.
"But don't get me wrong, I am with you not as your bodyguard, but as an observer. I was ordered to watch your every move in the Dungeon and is allowed to just leave you if you are on the verge of death."
Noire then continued her words with an ice cold tone, and a sharp gaze.
"In other words, I absolutely wouldn't come with you to fight any monsters and watch everything from afar."
"Observer, huh? Why would that person bother telling you to do something like that? If it's a matter of loot, then you don't have to worry, I'll hand over all the loot I got in the dungeon to her."
Reo then grinned faintly and his eyes met with Noire's.
"Because all I want from her is information, that's all. The sooner this is over, the better."
"..."
The air pressure around them became heavy, only the sound of the wind breeze and the leaves rustling against each other.
"Of course that's what my side wants too, you don't have to worry about it. All the information is ready, all you need to do is do what Milady has ordered and you will be rewarded."
Reo smiled, before Noire continued.
"But if we're talking about goals, That's right... Maybe Milady wants to know if you passed the qualifications or not."
"Huh? What do you mean by qualification?"
However, Noire didn't seem intent on answering him and walked towards the Gate.
"You will find out about that later, right now you only need to think about how to survive the Magic Beasts who are in there."
Said Noire, pointing towards the gate with her slender hand. However, her gaze focused on Reo.
'This person ... Is he really a Hunter? I didn't feel any magic energy in his body at all, could it be that he was just desperate to do all this? 'Thought Noire.
But after the previous series of events, Noire shook her head.
'No, his calm demeanor and ability to escape my grasp with ease, it's obvious that he isn't just an ordinary person. Reo huh ... I can't find his identity at all on the official website of the Hunter Association, is he a non-hunter awakened like me? '
Apart from False Rankers, there is also another term for grouping someone who is awakened but not registered as a Hunter in the Hunter association. Such people are called the Non-Hunter Awakened or False Hunters.
False Hunters usually work as mercenaries who are tasked with carrying out dirty actions such as killing, destroying, and various other criminal acts, although not a few also decide to just become civilians without getting involved in matters related to magic.
The existence of the Non-Hunter Awakened was closely monitored by the Hunter Association, especially by the Crime Hunter Division.
"Well, if you say so," said Reo, walking calmly toward Noire who was standing right in front of the Gate.
* Zyuuut *
An extremely thin layer of Ki slowly spreads over Reo's body, protecting him from the pressure waves of magic energy that could destroy his normal human body at any moment.
They then stood side by side, before Noire without hesitation stepped into the Gate and her figure disappeared slowly. Leaving Reo who was still standing there alone ...
"Hm ... C-Rank Gate huh, even though this won't be a Raid that manages power but I guess it doesn't hurt to act carefully, right?" Muttered Reo.
However, when Reo was about to step his foot and enter the gate, he suddenly felt something and looked back with a sharp gaze, he stared off into the distance as if he was seeing something.
"Uh ... Maybe it's just my feeling," muttered Reo, turning his gaze back towards the Gate before his figure completely disappeared, entered the Gate.
***
Meanwhile, in one of the skyscrapers in the city of Chiba right now. A little girl looks busy with her computer device.
* tak * * tak * * tak *
The sound of knocking that arose when her little fingers touched the surface of the keyboard echoed in the dark room, her figure could not be seen clearly due to the lack of lighting in the room. The silence didn't change before suddenly--
"Ah !!"
The little girl seemed to flinch and scream with a surprise. The monitor screen showed a view of Chiba City, and she looked stunned for a moment. After a moment of silence, the little girl then opened her mouth.
"That just now ... Did he notice?"
***
* Fwuosh *
A cold gust of wind swept across Reo's face when he first set foot in the Dungeon. The beautiful afternoon view at Aobanomori Park was previously replaced by a dark and humid cave view.
* drip *
The water droplets that splashed in the air broke the silence that enveloped the entire cave.
"Hmm ~ Indoor Dungeon, huh?" Muttered Reo, looking around. His visibility was limited because the only light illuminating them was the light emitted by the Mana Crystal.
*click*
"Why are you just staring there? Let's go deeper, the Dungeon Boss may still be deep in there," said Noire with an indifferent attitude.
In her hand, she was seen holding a kind of short staff with a light element magic core the size of a finger on top. It was enough to replace a conventional flashlight that couldn't be used in a dungeon.
And without saying anything, Reo then started stepping his feet and walking in front of Noire.
The atmosphere then fell into silence as neither of them took the initiative to start the conversation, Reo focused on his path and used Navigation Ki to detect the Magic Beasts around him.
' There are dozens of large size Monsters roaming in this Cave. But since the size of the Dungeon this time seemed quite big, I guess it would take some time to get to the Boss Room. ' thought Reo.
* tap * * tap *
The sound of their footsteps echoed in the cave, the silence was then broken by Reo who opened his mouth.
"By the way, would you mind telling me about the class you have? Are you a Fighter?" Asked Reo, trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere between the two of them.
"I'm not a hunter so there is no nonsense like class or something that classifies my abilities in a particular way." Noire replied coldly.
Hearing that, Reo muttered with interest.
"He ~, I don't know if False Hunters like you don't have a class."
"I'm not saying that all the False Hunters are classless, but as you know, the grouping is done in a way that is not according to the rules of the Central Association and is usually not limited to the five main classes."
"Well, it's the same isn't it? Whether it's officially or not, you still have boundaries that bind you into a certain class," muttered Reo.
"..." Hearing that, Noire was silent and did not deny Reo's words. Meanwhile Reo kept on babbling to build up the atmosphere.
"For example, I am, even though I am a swordsman as you can see for yourself. But because of my fighting style, the Association does not group me into the Fighter class but Assassin ... Which I think suits you too." Said Reo with a cute smile on his face. while continuing to walk.
"Don't talk as if you know everything about me, that's disgusting."
Hearing Noire's insulting words, Reo wasn't offended at all and just said casually.
" How rude~"
Not long after, Noire suddenly felt the presence of several monsters approaching them from a distance. Make her put on a serious expression and say.
"The first wave has arrived," said Noire who then stopped her steps, planning to watch Reo from behind.
Meanwhile Reo who had realized that much earlier than Noire still walked casually while placing his right hand on the hilt of the katana and grinning faintly. His two golden eyes glowed in the darkness.
* dump * * dump *
The sound of footsteps from the Magic Beasts could be heard by Reo very clearly. Before the cave walls started shaking violently. Stone fragments, water droplets, and flying dust rained down on Reo's body.
And suddenly--
"Raaaaarghhh !!" The sound of a deafening roar made the whole cave tremble violently.
Dozens of magic beasts that were shaped like furless dogs with skin that resembled dark rocks on a volcano began to rush towards Reo and Noire like a horde of hungry dogs.
Noire who saw that slightly widened her eyes because she was quite surprised by the Magic Beast that approached them at this time.
"These Magic Beasts ... They are Hellhounds !!? No, Hellhounds are not magic beasts that attack in groups ... Judging from their size which was only slightly bigger than an ordinary dog, then there is no doubt that they are Lava Hounds."
Lava Hound is a D-Rank Magic Beast which is one type of magic beast with the Canine type or race resembling a dog. They weren't magic beasts that could be considered dangerous, as the only thing they had was a deadly jaw that could even crush a rock with a single bite.
"Even though the lava hound is just a D-Rank Magic Beast, but if it's this much ..." Noire then glanced at Reo who didn't stop his steps at all.
Even though her attitude was very annoying and indifferent, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes as she looked at Reo who continued to advance, maybe it was just a human instincts.
'... He will die. '
And when Noire thought that in her mind, Reo who was still grinning then muttered softly in a playful tone.
"Woah ~ this Magic beasts are like dogs and there are also a lot of them !! I guess it would be too time consuming to cut them one by one. Because of that ..."
And then, the world became silent in an instant before suddenly a terrifying killing intent seeped out of Reo's body. Making Noire who was standing behind him felt a chill run down his spine.
'T-this ...'
And then--
* Zyuuut * * Buzz *
An invisible pressure made the entire cave wall tremble violently, and one by one the Lava Hounds that charged towards Reo fiercely fell to their knees and lost their consciousness. The pressure created by Reo's Domination Ki completely left the poor dogs helpless.
Especially after he killed Anaceen, his spiritual energy and Ki had grown significantly stronger, even allowing him to defeat hordes of D-Rank monsters with his Domination Ki alone.
* dap * * dap *
The roars and barks of the dogs that had previously resounded throughout the cave were instantly replaced by a complete silence.
Noire who was watching the incident right before her eyes could only gape. She had never seen a scene like this before, whether when she was doing raids or doing her duties as a bodyguard of one of Japan's most famous informants, Mata Hari.
The scene before her eyes at this moment could only be described in two words, namely Pure Domination.
'Did he use sleep magic or something, no, he himself said that his class was an Assassin. Then what is this? Why did those Lava Hounds suddenly become unconscious !!? ' thought Noire.
And while she was busy processing what Reo just did, Reo's golden eyes shone from a distance and he called out Noire.
"Miss intermediary !! You said before that you wouldn't help me to fight with the Magic Beasts, right?" Said Reo.
Reo's words made Noire aware of her reverie.
"Ah, Uh ... That's right," she said with a little doubt. Hearing confirmation from Noire, Reo then smiled sweetly and said.
"Then, you don't mind if you have to help me kill and collect magic cores from within these dogs, right?"
"..."
***
* tap * * tap *
The sound of footsteps was heard when Izumi and a man wearing neat clothes walked over the wooden floor of one of the corridors of a Japanese-style house. It is one of the houses in the main residence of the Sato family, one of the oldest and most influentials families who control the magic weaponry business all over Japan.
Various types of flowers adorn the garden. But in contrast to its beautiful and charming appearance, the atmosphere in the Sato family is on the contrary, not the slightest warmth emitted by the people who live in it.
Izumi then stopped in front of one of the Mushiko Mado, a Japanese sliding door, before the door was opened by the man following behind her. When the door opened, there was a man sitting seiza in front of the wooden table, with a cup of green tea on it.
It was a sizable room complete with decorations such as a Japanese artistic partition depicting a flock of cranes.
The man is seen wearing rimless glasses, he has average facial features with neatly styled black hair. That man was none other than Osamu Satō. When he saw Izumi's figure, Osamu then said with a flat expression.
"I've been waiting for you since earlier, Izumi-nee san."
Meanwhile, Izumi, who heard his brother's words, just stared at Osamu with an indifferent gaze.
"You can wait outside. Tell my father that I'll be there soon after finishing my business here." Izumi said to the man who was her bodyguard.
Hearing his master's order, the man only nodded obediently. Izumi then entered the room and closed the door.
"I think there is nothing wrong if I say it's been a long time, right ... Osamu?" Izumi said, sitting gracefully in front of Osamu.
"Nee-san, actually I came here because I wanted to discuss some important things with you." Said Osamu, he looked rushed and didn't want to waste any more time. But--
"How long have we not seen each other? That's right, maybe about a month or so ... Looks like you're fine, you also look a little bit fatter, is it possible that you've been eating more often lately?" Said Izumi while smiling, acting like a kindhearted older sister.
"Uhm ... not really, besides--"
However, before Osamu could finish his words. Izumi opened her mouth again.
"Oh right, yesterday I met your friend. A handsome young man with white hair, what's his name again ... Shirogami Reo, that's right ... He looks like a good person, you're lucky to have a friend like him." Izumi said with a smile on her face.
While Osamu who heard that just looked down, and looked at the cup of green tea on the table while muttering.
"We're not friends ... Also, he's not a good person either, you misjudged him."
"Haha ... Your denial makes me even more convinced that you two are good friends. But well, if we're talking about friends, I might--"
But before Izumi continued to chatter, Osamu suddenly shouted which immediately made her speechless.
"Nee-san !!"
The atmosphere in the room then fell into silence, the smile on Izumi's face slowly disappeared and Osamu stared back at his sister intensely.
"Don't try to change the subject. As I said before, there are important things I want to say to you right now." Osamu said with a serious expression.
And when he saw the cold expression on his sister's face, Osamu swallowed his saliva.
* gulp *
Izumi, who saw her little brother's strange attitude, couldn't help but be speechless, it's rare to see someone like Osamu take such an initiative.
'This was the first time he yelled at me like this, it seems like the events inside the Dungeon affected him a little bit. '
"Talking about important things, huh? What kind of important things do you want to talk about to your sister, my little brother?"
Osamu who heard that became doubtful, and choked up. He couldn't get a word out of his mouth, before he clenched his fists.
"I-I ... I've decided."
"Hm?"
Osamu who previously only looked down, then looked Izumi straight in the eyes, and said firmly.
"I have decided that from now on ... I will stop doing my job to restore the damaged magic weapon which will be resold at its original price !!"
Right after Osamu said that, Izumi widened her eyes and could only be stunned.
"... Sorry, can you repeat what you just said? I think I heard it wrong.".
"I said, from this moment on, I will no longer restore weapons or other magic items using my abilities. Not for this family or myself, and my decision is unanimous !!"
* crack *
Cracking sounds could be heard when the invisible pressure makes the air in the room turn heavy. Osamu who saw the cold gaze of his sister could only be stunned.
"You want to stop doing your job to restoring weapons, you say? Do you realize what you just said?"
"O-of course, my decision is-- Ack !!"
Osamu suddenly felt a grip on his neck which immediately made him groan in pain.
"I ask you one more time? Are you aware of what you said just now, Osamu?" Said Izumi with an icy gaze, while Osamu, whose neck was choked hard, could only writhe in pain and tried to break free from his sister's grip.
* tap *
"Ack! Ah! * Pant * * pant * * pant *" After Izumi let go of her choking, Osamu then immediately coughed and breathed heavily.
"Looks like the money you got from inside the dungeon yesterday was quite a lot to make you believe that you can cover all of mother's medical expenses without financial assistance from this family," said Izumi.
Osamu, who heard that fell silent, and coughed, still feeling the pain in his neck.
"Even that money makes you forget your place. You must always remember Osamu, your unique ability to 'heal' any magic item is the greatest asset and secret of our family ... It is both a blessing and a curse for you. If you decide to stop doing weapon restoration, then that's tantamount to betraying your own fate. "Izumi said.
" And if you do that, then I have no choice but to kill you. "
Osamu who heard that didn't dare to say anything, the atmosphere then became silent before Izumi stood up from her seat.
"This conversation is just a waste of my time, with such an unreasonable request, do you think I'll agree to it? You're still lucky I didn't forbid you to wander outside." Izumi said, then turned around and slid the door.
Before she was stopped by the voice of Osamu.
"Mother ... She ... She missed you. She only revealed one thing, she just wanted you, brother, and father to meet her. She just wants our family to be together like before !!"
The atmosphere fell back into silence, before Izumi said nonchalantly.
" Then? "
"Huh?" Osamu who heard the response from Izumi fell silent.
"Anyway, I don't want to hear you discuss this matter again in front of me. Also, come to the main outlet tomorrow, you must immediately finish your works there, our clients are waiting for it."
After she said that, Izumi immediately closed the door and stepped away, leaving Osamu alone in the room.
"Fate, she said? Bullshit!!"
* fwuosh * * crack *
Osamu then shouted and swung his fist at the wooden table in front of him, making it shattered to pieces. Osamu then though in his mind.
'Everything fell apart, in the end I couldn't deny what Izumi-nee san said. '
"F*ck!"
***
* drip *
"I think this is the place ..."
At this time, Reo and Noire were seen standing in front of a large stone gate, up to 5 meters high and it was necessary to see a stunning carving depicting a king standing on the beasts.
"This is just a Dungeon Boss room for a C-Rank Monster, but the ornament seems to say that a king is living in it," muttered Reo, rubbing his finger against the surface of the gate.
Noire who heard Reo's words said.
"If you look at the monsters you fought along the way here, then there is no mistaking that the Boss of this Dungeon is a High-Tier C-Rank Magic Beast, Hellhound."
"I know." Said Reo, even from outside he could feel the existence of the Hellhound inside the room.
Then, without saying anything else, Reo immediately streamed his white Ki into the palm of his right hand and--
* crack * * boom *
The enormous, five meter high stone gate cracked before shattering to pieces, paving the way for Reo and Noire to enter and face the Hellhound who was inside.
Seeing Reo's reckless actions, Noire muttered with a flat expression.
" What a genius knocking way to knocking on the door of the gatekeeper of Hell itself."
Slowly the sound of a dog's growl could be heard, before six blazing red lights flashed from behind the darkness. Seeing that, Reo smiled faintly and muttered ...
"There it is ... Hellhound."
Reo then spends the afternoon trying to contact Mata Hari again, but his efforts are in vain. When he asked various kinds of questions, Reo always got the identical reply as before.
Mata Hari had no intention of revealing her true identity, and that was only natural. Because of that the only thing Reo could do right now was to follow the 'game' that Mata Hari had made, and plan to go to Aobanomori Park located in the Chiba area the next afternoon.
In order to do that, Reo planned to convince Ardian to extend his leave and stay in Japan even longer, as he needed his help to investigate the matter.
After he entered the Gate that would appear in Aobanomori tomorrow, Reo had indirectly stepped into the dark side of modern magic society and he didn't have much experience or knowledge about that kind of community at all.
Because of that, he needed Ardian's connections to make it easier for him to find out the mastermind behind all the events that had happened recently.
Even though Ardian was someone who fiercely opposed illicit trade and something like that, it didn't mean that he would remain silent when he saw a golden opportunity like this. Moreover, the threat that Magic Pump could pose was so dire that the possibility of chaos in society that something like the black market could cause was nothing.
However, in the end Reo's plan could not be realized. That night, Ardian did not return to Shirogami's residence at all, leaving his belongings there including the Magic Pump he had brought from Indonesia as if he didn't need it anymore.
***
The next day, after he woke up from a deep sleep, Reo received a message from Goto that he had officially registered as a member of the Draw Sword Guild. All the money he earned in the Dungeon a few days ago had also been transferred to his personal account.
And the amount of money sent by the Guild into his account really made Reo Flustered, earning a total of 100,000,000 Yen (950,000 USD.) of the dungeon loot, a huge amount of money that had been deducted by taxes and dungeon purchase money.
Reo did not think that he could make such a big amount of money just by doing a Raid. But considering the power possessed by Anaceen that can even put him on the verge of death, that amount of money is quite reasonable.
And at this time, the time on the smartphone screen is 5:30 pm. Fallen maple leaves adorn Reo's shoulders and his silky white hair.
Currently Reo is seen standing near a tree while waiting for a reply from Mata Hari, wearing his white Haori and Honjo Masamune who has been hanging proudly on his waist, Reo looks ready to enter the gate.
Aobanomori Park looks deserted with visitors, considering that this is a busy day in Japan.
"Hhhh ... both that uncle and this greedy bitch, they're all really busy huh ... none of them replied to my message." Muttered Reo with a flat expression.
' Other than that... '
Reo then turned his gaze towards the distance, a transparent white Ki covered his entire body. Using his Navigation Ki, Reo tries to detect the life signs nearby, and all he can feel are some of the presence of park rangers sweeping leaves or patrolling the garden.
' Where that person actually is, she must be not far from this place to watch over me, but within a one kilometer radius from here, I simply can't sense her presence. 'thought Reo.
And while he was thinking in silence, suddenly a notification sound came from his smartphone, bringing him out of his reverie.
* cling *
It was a message from Mata Hari that Reo had been waiting for.
{Have you been waiting for desu ~? Lmao ~, I'm sorry (~ ￣³￣) ~, I have some important business that I need to take care of beforehand and now everything is done so we can just get to the point desu ~.
You must be able to feel the fluctuation of magic energy in the North direction from a distance, right? There is someone who has been waiting for you there, she will explain all the orders that I give.
That's all I want to say, I hope you don't die and end up being the food of the monsters in the Dungeon. Because it would be troublesome enough to clear your tracks, you know? Bye-bye desu ~ (＾ ∇ ＾) ﾉ ♪ /}
Seeing the contents of the message, Reo was silent for a moment before he put his smartphone back in his pocket and glanced towards the North.
"Magic energy fluctuation huh ..."
Reo couldn't feel the slightest fluctuation of magic energy waves in Aobanomori Park right now, it doesn't mean there isn't a gate here, but because Reo really can't do that considering there's no magic energy in his body.
"... Sometimes being a Ki user is quite troublesome huh ~. Well, looks like I should take a walk."
Then, after removing the layer of Ki that surrounded him, Reo started walking towards the place Mata Hari meant.
*
After walking around for a few minutes while avoiding the patrolling park rangers, Reo finally found the Gate.
It was right in the center of the park, which was surrounded by shady trees. So that its existence cannot be seen clearly from a distance. After confirming that it was really a gate, Reo then walked over to it.
The distinctive blue light shone brighter as Reo walked closer and closer towards the Gate.
* breeze *
"A gate appears in a place like this, let alone in the city center, how can this escape the Hunter Association's surveillance ..." muttered Reo quietly, as he walked closer to the gate.
Before suddenly he felt the presence of someone from a distance, who was seen hiding behind one of the large trees there.
* tap *
The grass on the ground rustled as a surge of magic energy swept around and created a gentle breeze. After he was right in front of the Gate, Reo then glanced to the side and said to the figure.
"So what order did that greedy bitch give to you? Can I enter the gate right now? "
However, right after Reo said that--
* cling *
Suddenly, the ice-cold katana blade had stuck to his neck and could cut off his head at any time. However, even though his life is now on the line, Reo doesn't seem to panic at all and just smiles calmly while closing his eyes.
Then, a woman's voice could be heard whispering in Reo's ear with an unfriendly tone, it seemed that she was offended by Reo's previous words.
"Watch your words if you don't want to die."
Hearing that, Reo's eyes opened slowly and glanced back. There he saw a beautiful woman staring at him with a razor sharp gaze.
The woman has black hair with red strands tied in twintails, her two magenta eyes stare at Reo with murderous intent.
She wears tight black latex armor with gold sequins adorning the edges, accentuating her beautiful curves. When compared to Reo, that woman looks much shorter and looks like a teenage girl in general, moreover, her most valuable asset has not bloomed as it should.
But the terrifying movement speed she had showed earlier made Reo no longer able to see the woman behind him as an ordinary person, it wouldn't be too much to call him a professional assassin.
"Okay ~, Chill ~, I'll shut up okay? So can you let me go because something soft just keeps rubbing my back this time." Said Reo with a sweet smile.
Hearing that, the woman's face turned red before her body emitted a terrifying killing intent, her vision darkened.
"If you continue to frown like that, then your beauty will disappear." Said Reo which of course made the woman's mood even worse.
"Y-y ... You are ..." The woman who didn't understand why Reo said such embarrassing things at a time like this immediately changed the direction of her grip on the hilt of her katana and tried to cut Reo's neck.
But before she could do that, she suddenly realized that Reo had slipped from her grasp, and was seen standing in front of her reading the Shoujo Manga in his hand calmly.
Seeing that, the woman widened her eyes.
' What? Since when? '
While the woman was still stunned and unable to process what had just happened, Reo was seen flipping through the pages of the manga with a confused expression.
"Hmm ~ this is weird, I've done everything according to what is here, but why is the response different?" Thought Reo, glancing at the woman in front of him.
This time, her figure could be seen clearly by Reo. The woman was much shorter than Reo, perhaps only 1.65 m tall.
"Hmm ... I don't understand at all," muttered Reo. He then put the manga in his hand back into his pocket before glancing at the woman in front of him.
Reo then smiled sweetly and held out his hand.
"Introducing ourselves is important for our future relationship, so can we forget the previous incident and introduce ourselves to each other, young lady? My name is Reo."
The woman was also silent and just stared at Reo coldly before she put on her katana, not interested in accepting Reo's good intentions at all. Make Reo look like a fool ...
"Um ..." Reo muttered while looking at his palm with a confused smile. The atmosphere became awkward before the woman opened her mouth.
"You can call me Noire, but don't be familiar with me. My presence here is only as an intermediary between you and Milady. You understand what I mean, right?" Said Noire with a cold expression towards Reo.
Meanwhile Reo who heard that thought.
'Noire? Nickname huh ... Seems like it's quite commonplace to do, have I made a mistake by giving my real name? '
"So, ms.intermediary~, are you also going to enter the dungeon with me?" Asked Reo with a smile on his face.
Noire who heard that initially fell silent before she nodded, there was a trace of compulsion behind her actions, but she tried to be professional.
"That's right." Noire answered.
"But don't get me wrong, I am with you not as your bodyguard, but as an observer. I was ordered to watch your every move in the Dungeon and is allowed to just leave you if you are on the verge of death."
Noire then continued her words with an ice cold tone, and a sharp gaze.
"In other words, I absolutely wouldn't come with you to fight any monsters and watch everything from afar."
"Observer, huh? Why would that person bother telling you to do something like that? If it's a matter of loot, then you don't have to worry, I'll hand over all the loot I got in the dungeon to her."
Reo then grinned faintly and his eyes met with Noire's.
"Because all I want from her is information, that's all. The sooner this is over, the better."
"..."
The air pressure around them became heavy, only the sound of the wind breeze and the leaves rustling against each other.
"Of course that's what my side wants too, you don't have to worry about it. All the information is ready, all you need to do is do what Milady has ordered and you will be rewarded."
Reo smiled, before Noire continued.
"But if we're talking about goals, That's right... Maybe Milady wants to know if you passed the qualifications or not."
"Huh? What do you mean by qualification?"
However, Noire didn't seem intent on answering him and walked towards the Gate.
"You will find out about that later, right now you only need to think about how to survive the Magic Beasts who are in there."
Said Noire, pointing towards the gate with her slender hand. However, her gaze focused on Reo.
'This person ... Is he really a Hunter? I didn't feel any magic energy in his body at all, could it be that he was just desperate to do all this? 'Thought Noire.
But after the previous series of events, Noire shook her head.
'No, his calm demeanor and ability to escape my grasp with ease, it's obvious that he isn't just an ordinary person. Reo huh ... I can't find his identity at all on the official website of the Hunter Association, is he a non-hunter awakened like me? '
Apart from False Rankers, there is also another term for grouping someone who is awakened but not registered as a Hunter in the Hunter association. Such people are called the Non-Hunter Awakened or False Hunters.
False Hunters usually work as mercenaries who are tasked with carrying out dirty actions such as killing, destroying, and various other criminal acts, although not a few also decide to just become civilians without getting involved in matters related to magic.
The existence of the Non-Hunter Awakened was closely monitored by the Hunter Association, especially by the Crime Hunter Division.
"Well, if you say so," said Reo, walking calmly toward Noire who was standing right in front of the Gate.
* Zyuuut *
An extremely thin layer of Ki slowly spreads over Reo's body, protecting him from the pressure waves of magic energy that could destroy his normal human body at any moment.
They then stood side by side, before Noire without hesitation stepped into the Gate and her figure disappeared slowly. Leaving Reo who was still standing there alone ...
"Hm ... C-Rank Gate huh, even though this won't be a Raid that manages power but I guess it doesn't hurt to act carefully, right?" Muttered Reo.
However, when Reo was about to step his foot and enter the gate, he suddenly felt something and looked back with a sharp gaze, he stared off into the distance as if he was seeing something.
"Uh ... Maybe it's just my feeling," muttered Reo, turning his gaze back towards the Gate before his figure completely disappeared, entered the Gate.
***
Meanwhile, in one of the skyscrapers in the city of Chiba right now. A little girl looks busy with her computer device.
* tak * * tak * * tak *
The sound of knocking that arose when her little fingers touched the surface of the keyboard echoed in the dark room, her figure could not be seen clearly due to the lack of lighting in the room. The silence didn't change before suddenly--
"Ah !!"
The little girl seemed to flinch and scream with a surprise. The monitor screen showed a view of Chiba City, and she looked stunned for a moment. After a moment of silence, the little girl then opened her mouth.
"That just now ... Did he notice?"
***
* Fwuosh *
A cold gust of wind swept across Reo's face when he first set foot in the Dungeon. The beautiful afternoon view at Aobanomori Park was previously replaced by a dark and humid cave view.
* drip *
The water droplets that splashed in the air broke the silence that enveloped the entire cave.
"Hmm ~ Indoor Dungeon, huh?" Muttered Reo, looking around. His visibility was limited because the only light illuminating them was the light emitted by the Mana Crystal.
*click*
"Why are you just staring there? Let's go deeper, the Dungeon Boss may still be deep in there," said Noire with an indifferent attitude.
In her hand, she was seen holding a kind of short staff with a light element magic core the size of a finger on top. It was enough to replace a conventional flashlight that couldn't be used in a dungeon.
And without saying anything, Reo then started stepping his feet and walking in front of Noire.
The atmosphere then fell into silence as neither of them took the initiative to start the conversation, Reo focused on his path and used Navigation Ki to detect the Magic Beasts around him.
' There are dozens of large size Monsters roaming in this Cave. But since the size of the Dungeon this time seemed quite big, I guess it would take some time to get to the Boss Room. ' thought Reo.
* tap * * tap *
The sound of their footsteps echoed in the cave, the silence was then broken by Reo who opened his mouth.
"By the way, would you mind telling me about the class you have? Are you a Fighter?" Asked Reo, trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere between the two of them.
"I'm not a hunter so there is no nonsense like class or something that classifies my abilities in a particular way." Noire replied coldly.
Hearing that, Reo muttered with interest.
"He ~, I don't know if False Hunters like you don't have a class."
"I'm not saying that all the False Hunters are classless, but as you know, the grouping is done in a way that is not according to the rules of the Central Association and is usually not limited to the five main classes."
"Well, it's the same isn't it? Whether it's officially or not, you still have boundaries that bind you into a certain class," muttered Reo.
"..." Hearing that, Noire was silent and did not deny Reo's words. Meanwhile Reo kept on babbling to build up the atmosphere.
"For example, I am, even though I am a swordsman as you can see for yourself. But because of my fighting style, the Association does not group me into the Fighter class but Assassin ... Which I think suits you too." Said Reo with a cute smile on his face. while continuing to walk.
"Don't talk as if you know everything about me, that's disgusting."
Hearing Noire's insulting words, Reo wasn't offended at all and just said casually.
" How rude~"
Not long after, Noire suddenly felt the presence of several monsters approaching them from a distance. Make her put on a serious expression and say.
"The first wave has arrived," said Noire who then stopped her steps, planning to watch Reo from behind.
Meanwhile Reo who had realized that much earlier than Noire still walked casually while placing his right hand on the hilt of the katana and grinning faintly. His two golden eyes glowed in the darkness.
* dump * * dump *
The sound of footsteps from the Magic Beasts could be heard by Reo very clearly. Before the cave walls started shaking violently. Stone fragments, water droplets, and flying dust rained down on Reo's body.
And suddenly--
"Raaaaarghhh !!" The sound of a deafening roar made the whole cave tremble violently.
Dozens of magic beasts that were shaped like furless dogs with skin that resembled dark rocks on a volcano began to rush towards Reo and Noire like a horde of hungry dogs.
Noire who saw that slightly widened her eyes because she was quite surprised by the Magic Beast that approached them at this time.
"These Magic Beasts ... They are Hellhounds !!? No, Hellhounds are not magic beasts that attack in groups ... Judging from their size which was only slightly bigger than an ordinary dog, then there is no doubt that they are Lava Hounds."
Lava Hound is a D-Rank Magic Beast which is one type of magic beast with the Canine type or race resembling a dog. They weren't magic beasts that could be considered dangerous, as the only thing they had was a deadly jaw that could even crush a rock with a single bite.
"Even though the lava hound is just a D-Rank Magic Beast, but if it's this much ..." Noire then glanced at Reo who didn't stop his steps at all.
Even though her attitude was very annoying and indifferent, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes as she looked at Reo who continued to advance, maybe it was just a human instincts.
'... He will die. '
And when Noire thought that in her mind, Reo who was still grinning then muttered softly in a playful tone.
"Woah ~ this Magic beasts are like dogs and there are also a lot of them !! I guess it would be too time consuming to cut them one by one. Because of that ..."
And then, the world became silent in an instant before suddenly a terrifying killing intent seeped out of Reo's body. Making Noire who was standing behind him felt a chill run down his spine.
'T-this ...'
And then--
* Zyuuut * * Buzz *
An invisible pressure made the entire cave wall tremble violently, and one by one the Lava Hounds that charged towards Reo fiercely fell to their knees and lost their consciousness. The pressure created by Reo's Domination Ki completely left the poor dogs helpless.
Especially after he killed Anaceen, his spiritual energy and Ki had grown significantly stronger, even allowing him to defeat hordes of D-Rank monsters with his Domination Ki alone.
* dap * * dap *
The roars and barks of the dogs that had previously resounded throughout the cave were instantly replaced by a complete silence.
Noire who was watching the incident right before her eyes could only gape. She had never seen a scene like this before, whether when she was doing raids or doing her duties as a bodyguard of one of Japan's most famous informants, Mata Hari.
The scene before her eyes at this moment could only be described in two words, namely Pure Domination.
'Did he use sleep magic or something, no, he himself said that his class was an Assassin. Then what is this? Why did those Lava Hounds suddenly become unconscious !!? ' thought Noire.
And while she was busy processing what Reo just did, Reo's golden eyes shone from a distance and he called out Noire.
"Miss intermediary !! You said before that you wouldn't help me to fight with the Magic Beasts, right?" Said Reo.
Reo's words made Noire aware of her reverie.
"Ah, Uh ... That's right," she said with a little doubt. Hearing confirmation from Noire, Reo then smiled sweetly and said.
"Then, you don't mind if you have to help me kill and collect magic cores from within these dogs, right?"
"..."
***
* tap * * tap *
The sound of footsteps was heard when Izumi and a man wearing neat clothes walked over the wooden floor of one of the corridors of a Japanese-style house. It is one of the houses in the main residence of the Sato family, one of the oldest and most influentials families who control the magic weaponry business all over Japan.
Various types of flowers adorn the garden. But in contrast to its beautiful and charming appearance, the atmosphere in the Sato family is on the contrary, not the slightest warmth emitted by the people who live in it.
Izumi then stopped in front of one of the Mushiko Mado, a Japanese sliding door, before the door was opened by the man following behind her. When the door opened, there was a man sitting seiza in front of the wooden table, with a cup of green tea on it.
It was a sizable room complete with decorations such as a Japanese artistic partition depicting a flock of cranes.
The man is seen wearing rimless glasses, he has average facial features with neatly styled black hair. That man was none other than Osamu Satō. When he saw Izumi's figure, Osamu then said with a flat expression.
"I've been waiting for you since earlier, Izumi-nee san."
Meanwhile, Izumi, who heard his brother's words, just stared at Osamu with an indifferent gaze.
"You can wait outside. Tell my father that I'll be there soon after finishing my business here." Izumi said to the man who was her bodyguard.
Hearing his master's order, the man only nodded obediently. Izumi then entered the room and closed the door.
"I think there is nothing wrong if I say it's been a long time, right ... Osamu?" Izumi said, sitting gracefully in front of Osamu.
"Nee-san, actually I came here because I wanted to discuss some important things with you." Said Osamu, he looked rushed and didn't want to waste any more time. But--
"How long have we not seen each other? That's right, maybe about a month or so ... Looks like you're fine, you also look a little bit fatter, is it possible that you've been eating more often lately?" Said Izumi while smiling, acting like a kindhearted older sister.
"Uhm ... not really, besides--"
However, before Osamu could finish his words. Izumi opened her mouth again.
"Oh right, yesterday I met your friend. A handsome young man with white hair, what's his name again ... Shirogami Reo, that's right ... He looks like a good person, you're lucky to have a friend like him." Izumi said with a smile on her face.
While Osamu who heard that just looked down, and looked at the cup of green tea on the table while muttering.
"We're not friends ... Also, he's not a good person either, you misjudged him."
"Haha ... Your denial makes me even more convinced that you two are good friends. But well, if we're talking about friends, I might--"
But before Izumi continued to chatter, Osamu suddenly shouted which immediately made her speechless.
"Nee-san !!"
The atmosphere in the room then fell into silence, the smile on Izumi's face slowly disappeared and Osamu stared back at his sister intensely.
"Don't try to change the subject. As I said before, there are important things I want to say to you right now." Osamu said with a serious expression.
And when he saw the cold expression on his sister's face, Osamu swallowed his saliva.
* gulp *
Izumi, who saw her little brother's strange attitude, couldn't help but be speechless, it's rare to see someone like Osamu take such an initiative.
'This was the first time he yelled at me like this, it seems like the events inside the Dungeon affected him a little bit. '
"Talking about important things, huh? What kind of important things do you want to talk about to your sister, my little brother?"
Osamu who heard that became doubtful, and choked up. He couldn't get a word out of his mouth, before he clenched his fists.
"I-I ... I've decided."
"Hm?"
Osamu who previously only looked down, then looked Izumi straight in the eyes, and said firmly.
"I have decided that from now on ... I will stop doing my job to restore the damaged magic weapon which will be resold at its original price !!"
Right after Osamu said that, Izumi widened her eyes and could only be stunned.
"... Sorry, can you repeat what you just said? I think I heard it wrong.".
"I said, from this moment on, I will no longer restore weapons or other magic items using my abilities. Not for this family or myself, and my decision is unanimous !!"
* crack *
Cracking sounds could be heard when the invisible pressure makes the air in the room turn heavy. Osamu who saw the cold gaze of his sister could only be stunned.
"You want to stop doing your job to restoring weapons, you say? Do you realize what you just said?"
"O-of course, my decision is-- Ack !!"
Osamu suddenly felt a grip on his neck which immediately made him groan in pain.
"I ask you one more time? Are you aware of what you said just now, Osamu?" Said Izumi with an icy gaze, while Osamu, whose neck was choked hard, could only writhe in pain and tried to break free from his sister's grip.
* tap *
"Ack! Ah! * Pant * * pant * * pant *" After Izumi let go of her choking, Osamu then immediately coughed and breathed heavily.
"Looks like the money you got from inside the dungeon yesterday was quite a lot to make you believe that you can cover all of mother's medical expenses without financial assistance from this family," said Izumi.
Osamu, who heard that fell silent, and coughed, still feeling the pain in his neck.
"Even that money makes you forget your place. You must always remember Osamu, your unique ability to 'heal' any magic item is the greatest asset and secret of our family ... It is both a blessing and a curse for you. If you decide to stop doing weapon restoration, then that's tantamount to betraying your own fate. "Izumi said.
" And if you do that, then I have no choice but to kill you. "
Osamu who heard that didn't dare to say anything, the atmosphere then became silent before Izumi stood up from her seat.
"This conversation is just a waste of my time, with such an unreasonable request, do you think I'll agree to it? You're still lucky I didn't forbid you to wander outside." Izumi said, then turned around and slid the door.
Before she was stopped by the voice of Osamu.
"Mother ... She ... She missed you. She only revealed one thing, she just wanted you, brother, and father to meet her. She just wants our family to be together like before !!"
The atmosphere fell back into silence, before Izumi said nonchalantly.
" Then? "
"Huh?" Osamu who heard the response from Izumi fell silent.
"Anyway, I don't want to hear you discuss this matter again in front of me. Also, come to the main outlet tomorrow, you must immediately finish your works there, our clients are waiting for it."
After she said that, Izumi immediately closed the door and stepped away, leaving Osamu alone in the room.
"Fate, she said? Bullshit!!"
* fwuosh * * crack *
Osamu then shouted and swung his fist at the wooden table in front of him, making it shattered to pieces. Osamu then though in his mind.
'Everything fell apart, in the end I couldn't deny what Izumi-nee san said. '
"F*ck!"
***
* drip *
"I think this is the place ..."
At this time, Reo and Noire were seen standing in front of a large stone gate, up to 5 meters high and it was necessary to see a stunning carving depicting a king standing on the beasts.
"This is just a Dungeon Boss room for a C-Rank Monster, but the ornament seems to say that a king is living in it," muttered Reo, rubbing his finger against the surface of the gate.
Noire who heard Reo's words said.
"If you look at the monsters you fought along the way here, then there is no mistaking that the Boss of this Dungeon is a High-Tier C-Rank Magic Beast, Hellhound."
"I know." Said Reo, even from outside he could feel the existence of the Hellhound inside the room.
Then, without saying anything else, Reo immediately streamed his white Ki into the palm of his right hand and--
* crack * * boom *
The enormous, five meter high stone gate cracked before shattering to pieces, paving the way for Reo and Noire to enter and face the Hellhound who was inside.
Seeing Reo's reckless actions, Noire muttered with a flat expression.
" What a genius knocking way to knocking on the door of the gatekeeper of Hell itself."
Slowly the sound of a dog's growl could be heard, before six blazing red lights flashed from behind the darkness. Seeing that, Reo smiled faintly and muttered ...
"There it is ... Hellhound."
