Fifteen days had slipped by since Asher and his group had first embarked on their quest. Their steps had been long, their battles fierce, and their resolve steadfast. They also found a Shelter Matrix but decided against building one since they had no plans to camp and waste time.
A whirlwind of battles against dungeon creatures and Hunters had forged their team into a well-oiled machine, each understanding the other’s strengths and weaknesses. Ceti was most shocked seeing how powerful Asher truly was.
It was not just his abilities she was most shocked of. It was his expertise in fighting and predicting moves like an expert. Did the late king really appoint someone in secret to train him? Or was it all just instincts he received from his Immortal Bloodline?
Either way, she was glad they had managed to amass 50,000 Deviar Shards, far quicker than they had anticipated.
The moment they collected the last Shard, a symbol materialized in their minds. It was a marker, a small, glowing beacon that etched itself onto the mental map each one of them carried within their heads.
“Everyone can see the marker?” Asher asked as the others nodded.
Asher’s eyes glowed, “We’ve done it,” he announced, his voice carrying a mix of satisfaction and anticipation, “We have enough Shards to forge the Deviar Crystal now.”
Upon hearing Asher’s announcement, Isola gave a light smile, “Thank the devils. I thought this would be harder, but it was quite…easy,” Even though she said this, Isola knew this statement wouldn’t hold for the more dangerous mini-dungeons they have to survive.
Merina chimed in, “That marker… it’s the place we need to go, isn’t it? To forge the Crystal?” she asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.
Ceti nodded with a serious look, “Yes, mother. But what if this location is common for some other group or groups as well?”
Asher’s eyes glinted as he said, “There is only one way to find out. We get this done before more groups reach the 50k mark.”
Ceti narrowed her eyes, not feeling good about this whole thing, especially since they were only 5 with nobody else to support.
During these 15 days, with her keen sense of smell, she had been able to guide her group away from large, powerful groups.
But in this situation, she can no longer do that, nor will this headstrong consort listen to her.
—
Not too far away,
Bathed in the soft, ethereal glow of the sunlight, Hugo Blackthorn and his team stood tall and resolute, their silhouettes a reflection of their relentless determination after finishing off a group of demons along with 10 other Hunters who had joined as an alliance.
Each member of the team was in their late twenties, their youth and vitality a striking contrast to the harsh realities they faced as Hunters.
Hugo and Elara were born privileged, in High-Class Families, while the rest three came from decent Middle-Class Families, yet their eyes held a maturity and resolve that spoke volumes about their experiences and shared burdens.
Hugo, the leader of the team, was a tall, muscular man with short, fiery red hair and piercing green eyes that burned with an unwavering resolve.
His face, rugged and handsome, was etched with a grim determination that seldom wavered.
He looked at the beautiful woman beside him with flowing brown hair and striking blue eyes, “Elara, it’s time.”
Elara nodded with firm determination and turned around, her gaze landing on a lean man, a pretty woman with freckles, and a fat man with a huge tummy, “Marcus, Iris, Gareth…Are you guys ready?”
Marcus nodded with a smile and put up his fist, “Of course. I know things will probably get more dangerous once we advance, but we have got to do this. For our fallen brother and sister.”
Elara and Hugo’s eyes shone with a glint of pain as they glanced at each other.
Iris, who seemed to be shy, spoke up with a firm nod, her eyes landing on Elara with a soft gaze, “We know what you two are most concerned about. It’s coming upon Hellbringer, right?”
Gareth stomped his huge foot on the ground, making a small crater as he said with a vengeful look, “Hah! What are you talking about, Iris? The one who should be concerned is that bastard demon once we crush him beneath our foot.”
“No…” Hugo suddenly spoke up, his voice deep and booming as he added with a dark light in his eyes, “We won’t give him such a merciful death. He killed my brother and Elara’s sister and threw out their corpses with his mark. They were burned alive…” Hugo’s voice shook while Elara’s lips trembled, her eyes glinting with cold light while placing her hand on Hugo’s shoulder as if to console him. The other three also gathered closer, their eyes glistening.
“We know, Hugo. They were like our brother and sister too. We all grew up together, and yet…they were suddenly stolen from us. We will make him feel the same pain we did,” Gareth said with gritted teeth.
“Of course. We will,” Marcus scoffed as he added, “He is just lucky we all were too strong to take quests of his level. But now…in this quest, he is going to realize he is not as undefeatable as he thought. Let’s hope he isn’t dead already.”
“Guys, what happened? Is something going on?” A young man looking around 25 with a small mustache stepped forward and asked with a confused look upon seeing Hugo and his team suddenly engaging in a discussion.
The rest of the 9 Hunters standing behind this man also looked on with curiosity.
Hugo turned to the side, surveying the eighteen other Hunters who had pledged their support, asked, “Sorry, Leon. We got carried away after seeing that we collected 50,000 Radem Shards, and we know where to go to forge the Radem Crystal.”
Leon’s eyes lit up the same as the Hunters standing beside him, “Whoa! That’s great. Congratulations, you all,” Leon said with a wide smile as he patted Hugo’s arm.
“So…is this it? You guys are leaving this mini-dungeon?” One of the Hunters behind Leon asked.
Hugo looked over and answered with a soft sigh, “Yes, once we forge the crystal. But I am sure you all will soon collect 50,000 shards as well and join us later on.”
Leon and the other Hunters sighed since they had been making great progress together, and Hugo and his team were quite helpful and nice even though they seemed quite determined to quickly advance to the next mini-dungeon.𝑜𝗏𝐿xt.𝗇t
Feeling that, they owed Hugo and his team, Leon looked up at Hugo and said with a smile, “It’s hard to say goodbye to you guys. But allow us to at least come with you guys to wherever you all have to go to forge the Radem Crystal. I know we are not strong as you guys, but hey, we are still C and D Rank Hunters. You guys can surely use our support.”
Hugo and his team glanced at each other before Elara spoke up with a concerned look, “Are you all certain about this? The forging of the Radem Crystal… we don’t know if we might come upon any danger.”
An echoing clatter of weapons being raised cut through the solemn silence that had followed her words.
The ten Hunters stood their ground, their faces set in a determined grimace. One of them, a rugged man with a scar running down his face, spoke up, “Even if we can’t follow you to the next dungeon, we are with you guys. To the end. If we come upon demons, we will just get to earn more Radem Shards.”
“Yeah! It’s a win for all of us either way,” Another Hunter shouted out.
This sentiment was echoed by the others, their steely gazes and firm nods a testament to their unwavering support. The camaraderie between Hugo’s team and the 10 Hunters was palpable.
“Whoo! Let’s do this then! Yaaarhh!” Marcus howled with an excited shout as Hugo and the others nodded with looks of gratitude.
—
The green expanse around them was hauntingly silent as Asher, and his group stepped into the marked area. It was a circular clearing in a dense forest, the overhead canopy woven so tightly it dimmed the sunlight, casting an eerie glow on the underbrush. The place was empty, and the solitude was palpable, an island of tranquility amid the wild forest. Or so it seemed.
Asher turned in a slow circle, taking in the serene surroundings.
His expression turned into one of confusion, and he was about to wonder what they were supposed to do here when a message pop-up appeared in his mind, clear and precise.
[ Eradicate the Hunters that plan to forge a Radem Crystal in this place ]
His brows knit together though he wasn’t surprised.
He was about to turn and discuss it with his group when Ceti’s voice snapped him out of his contemplation, “Look there!” She said, pointing at the edge of the clearing where the forest began.
Following her gaze, Asher and his companions watched as 15 figures, armed with weapons and armor, emerged from the dense tree line, making their way toward the clearing.
Their forms became clearer as they stepped into the diffused light filtering from the overhead canopy. They were all battle-ready, their auras coiling around them like ethereal serpents.
The newcomers halted abruptly at the sight of the five demons before them. A wave of wariness washed over them, their eyes moving uneasily between these 4 demons before them.
Suddenly, a gasp echoed through the silence, “It’s Hellbringer!”
“Is that really him?” Another one asked in a seething tone.
“Are you blind? Can’t you see his alias?”
“Hey…nobody survived after fighting him. Should we really take him on?”
“Fuck him! He killed a lot of my friends and our generation thinks he is some undefeatable piece of shit.”
“Yeah! We have Hugo and his team. They can end this fucker with just a slap. So don’t pussy out.”
“Hellbringer…” Hugo muttered, his voice rasping with disbelief and rage. His face drained of color, eyes wide in shock, then quickly filled with a seething fury.
All around him, his companions followed his gaze, their expressions mirroring his shock and fury. They never expected they would run into their most hated demon in a situation like this.