Chapter 37: The Mission Begins
"That was a lucky shot."
The hunter beside him praised Akira's performance, looking at him with admiration.
Akira nodded without showing much expression:
"Yes."
"What's the name of that skill?"
"The Rock Bullet."
The man raised his eyebrows in surprise:
"Really? I didn't expect it to be that powerful."
Their conversation continued, and the hunter's tone carried no hint of mockery. He seemed genuinely impressed. It was clear that he now looked at Akira with a completely different view from the other boys.
Zen, who had been observing from a distance, didn't like what he saw. He wasn't entirely sure what bothered him, but something in the hunter's tone—or in Akira's calmness—made him uneasy.
"Nira, did you see what happened?"
"What?"
"How he killed the monster."
"No, I was focusing on the device."
"Didn't you pick up any signal?"
"No, I didn't notice anything. I was only following our side."
Sera turned to them angrily:
"Aren't you supposed to focus on us?"
"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean… nothing."
The group arrived at the designated area. The armored personnel carrier stopped, and the rear door opened. A Hunters' Office staff member was waiting for them.
"This is the assigned area. Search around and eliminate any monsters you spot. An approximate map will be displayed on your devices. You may work in teams or individually, and rewards will be sent to the leader of each team, so let us know if you are in a group. Finally… respond to any incoming calls from us. That's all. Good luck."
He finished and returned to the driver's cabin.
"Do you want to work in a team or alone?"
One of the hunters asked Akira.
Akira quickly glanced around. Some were talking, while others were moving and reviewing their maps on their devices.
"I'll work alone."
He said it firmly, activated his device, and began walking toward the barren land.
He hadn't gone far before a familiar voice stopped him:
"Hey, may I have a minute of your time?"
He turned. Zen was there with his two friends, along with a man who seemed to be their supervisor.
"Hello, just make it quick."
Zen spoke formally:
"I'm inviting you to join my team."
Akira raised an eyebrow:
"And who's the team leader?"
"I am, that's why I'm inviting you."
Akira pointed to the adult behind them, Rogar:
"Isn't the strongest supposed to be the leader?"
Rogar sighed disinterestedly:
"No, I'm just here as a supervisor to evaluate their performance. I'm not actually part of the mission."
"Is this evaluation part of the training?"
"Yes. Whether you join or not, it will be counted. And don't expect me to help or protect you."
Zen looked at Rogar with annoyance, as if asking him to be quiet, but the latter completely ignored him.
Akira calmly turned his back to them:
"No, I won't join."
"Think about it. You're planning to adventure alone?"
"I just feel you'll bring me trouble."
He said it simply and continued walking without waiting for a response.
Nira watched him with a confused expression, then said:
"Zen, I don't know what you like about this boy… just forget him."
Zen whispered quietly, watching Akira walk away:
"Nothing… I just thought he was like us. I wanted us to work together. But it seems I was wrong."
Elsewhere, Alice followed Akira's steps silently before whispering into his mind:
"Akira… why did you refuse to join them?"
He answered without hesitation:
"They tend to conflict and seem tightly knit. If I anger one of them, the rest will unite against me. They have the safety of their personal guard… and I don't."
Alice chuckled teasingly:
"Ha! Seems your mind has developed a lot since we first met."
"All thanks to you."
"I know."
She smiled, then added in a rare gentle tone:
"But… I won't deny that hearing that from you makes me happy."
Akira paused for a moment, his face slightly red without realizing it. He knew he had said something uncharacteristic of himself.
Hot winds swept across the barren land, carrying the scent of dust. Akira stood at the edge of a half-collapsed building, staring at the horizon while the device in his hands displayed an approximate map of the area.
"Monsters move randomly… they won't appear all at once. Watch corners and passageways."
Alice spoke calmly, as if holding the strings of the scene from above.
Akira nodded and advanced.
---
The first encounter was quick.
Rustling in the debris, and a small creature with a hunched back and an overly wide jaw, resembling a mutated sewer rat, rushed forward without thinking.
Akira raised his hand and fired a rock bullet that pierced its skull, causing the creature to stagger and fall.
[You have killed an unclassified monster]
[+50 EXP]
Five minutes later, he passed a destroyed car, and as he approached, a faint crawl emerged from it.
He fired immediately, without waiting.
[You have killed an unclassified monster]
[+50 EXP]
---
In an open area, some old bones were scattered. Akira began maneuvering around them when he heard footsteps on the cracked asphalt from behind a wall. The creature's legs stretched like a broken wolf. It tried to flank Akira, but a second shot was enough to finish it.
[Eliminated: Unclassified Monster]
[+50 EXP]
---
He sneaked toward the edge of a small hill and saw a slightly different creature. It was a bit bigger, with sharp bony protrusions on its arms.
"That's a Rank 1… don't let it get close, it can jump far."
He took cover behind wall debris, steadied himself, and fired a concentrated rock bullet at the monster.
The creature roared and charged, but the second shot to its chest stopped it.
[Eliminated: Rank 1 Monster]
[+500 EXP]
---
On the opposite side, among the rubble, Akira heard a distant battle—probably another hunter—but he had no time to be distracted. A shadow rose on his left, and a monkey-like creature with cracked skin and knife-like fingers lunged at him.
He dodged with a bend, then fired a precise shot at its chest.
[Eliminated: Unclassified Monster]
[+50 EXP]
---
Akira was searching for another target when Alice pointed to a building roof:
"On that roof… one monster."
Akira steadied himself, raised his hand slowly, tracked the monster along the edge, and then fired.
[Eliminated: Rank 1 Monster]
[+500 EXP]
He continued like this until a notification appeared indicating mana depletion, so he decided to take a break.
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