"Nope," Adrian immediately replied, declining Nathaniel's request."Don't worry, I'm not here to recruit you into the garrison," Nathaniel clarified.Adrian halted, eyeing Nathaniel distrustfully.Noticing Adrian's suspicion, Nathaniel stepped closer, insisting, "I'm being truthful. I have no intention of recruiting you. I simply need your assistance.""Fine, go ahead," Adrian conceded reluctantly. He knew Nathaniel wouldn't give up easily; refusing here wouldn't deter him from seeking Adrian out elsewhere. Realizing he couldn't evade trouble forever, Adrian decided to hear Nathaniel out."Come, come! This way!" Nathaniel said eagerly, extending his hand and gesturing for Adrian to follow."You know each other?" Safiya interjected, approaching Adrian and Nathaniel."We're acquainted," Adrian replied, and Nathaniel gave Safiya some brief instructions.With Adrian reluctantly following, the trio departed from the scene. After some time, they arrived at a spacious garden."Mr. Ad
"Sure, and thank you. I'm truly grateful," Nathaniel said as though Adrian had rescued him from a dire situation. Overflowing with gratitude, he appeared almost relieved."Don't thank me. It's my duty," Adrian replied in a righteous tone."I'll pick you up from your shop tomorrow morning then?" Nathaniel confirmed."Sure," Adrian agreed.With the matter settled, Adrian returned to his shop. In the evening, he gathered Ash, General Hydro, General Pyro, Daybreak, and Stygian. The little studio suddenly became crowded."I've gathered you all here for a very important matter," Adrian began, then recounted Nathaniel's earlier request. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the situation than met the eye."How did Mapleston suddenly become infested with monsters? And how are there numerous ninth-level monsters? Doesn't that strike you as odd?" Adrian questioned the group.However, the rest shook their heads, seemingly unperturbed. Daybreak, in particular, scratched his h
"Stop right there!" Adrian shouted, unleashing a fierce blow at the figure. The person attempted to flee, but Adrian was relentless, swiftly closing the distance. Ash and the others swiftly surrounded the individual, leaving no avenue for escape."Who are you? Why were you lurking around my shop?" Adrian demanded in a fury.The person merely grinned in response, refusing to answer Adrian's inquiry. Adrian observed the figure's peculiar appearance. Obscured by some sort of shadow, the person’s true identity remained indiscernible."You dare laugh at a time like this?!" Adrian's fury intensified upon seeing the other person’s mocking smile. Determined to impart a lesson, he commanded, "Daybreak, Stygian!""Roger," they responded in unison, stepping forward to assist. They launched their coordinated attacks at the dark figure. Despite being human, Daybreak and Stygian possessed ninth-level strength, making subduing the individual effortless.However, the figure emitted a strange
Adrian attempted to glean some information through soul probing, but this proved futile. "I believe this individual is affiliated with a formidable faction," he concluded after a moment of contemplation."We're out of our depth here. Our apologies for the lack of useful insights," Daybreak, Stygian, and the others confessed, unable to offer any significant input.Adrian harbored no resentment toward them, understanding the complexity of the situation. However, Ash appeared troubled, his furrowed brow hinting at a revelation."What's troubling you?" Adrian inquired, sensing Ash's unease.Ash responded, "I've just recalled an organization. It's possible this person has ties to them."Adrian's interest was piqued. "What organization?"Ash hesitated before answering, "I'm not entirely certain, but we call them the dark monster hunters.""The dark monster hunters?" Adrian mused, hearing the name for the first time."They're dubbed as such due to their opposition to righteous hunters
"Is this all the manpower the garrison has? How could you send a little girl like her to undertake such a dangerous mission?" Adrian asked. "I'm not a little girl! I'm the leader of the garrison army's Special Ops!" Safiya retorted."Well, we’re pretty understaffed right now. Since the disaster caused by the mysterious monster king, the monster hunter force in Mapleston has suffered a serious blow. The people gathered here are the strongest people we have," Nathaniel explained."You don't have to explain anything to him, Mr. Nathaniel," Safiya huffed."We might come to a long-term cooperation in the future, so it's better to get to know each other better now, isn't it?" Nathaniel said. Knowing Adrian possessed considerable power, he saw him as a promising candidate for collaboration.Suddenly, Adrian shouted, "Watch out!"Everyone turned to look in the direction he was looking and were stunned by what greeted their eyes: a shockwave hurriedly sweeping toward them. They never exp
There were over a hundred corpses strewn all over the village grounds. "Wh-What the hell happened here?" someone exclaimed, but no one answered him.What occurred here was painfully obvious—these villagers had been killed by fiend slaves."Damn it!" Nathaniel cursed. "We're too late!"Adrian remained calm. He bent down beside one of the corpses and examined it closely. Upon inspection, he noticed something peculiar about the bodies. Although these people were all dead, their appearances and clothes were relatively clean. It seemed that they had not been dead for long."Did they just die not long ago?" Nathaniel asked."I think so," Adrian replied."Let's search the area and see if we can find anything! I refuse to believe that whoever and whatever did this can escape just like that!" Nathaniel ordered."Yes, sir!" Nathaniel’s men were elites of the garrison, and they quickly sprung into action. Immediately, they scattered in different directions.Adrian also ordered Ash and
Soon, they had arrived in a secluded forest. Behind this forest was a valley. As soon as they arrived, everyone was immediately drawn to the scene there when they felt a stronger surge of dark energy. Most importantly, the dark energy seemed alive, spreading in their direction."This place is like the entrance to hell!" someone next to Nathaniel exclaimed. "What's the matter? Are you scared?" Nathaniel asked, "If any of you are scared, you may leave." Everyone was taken aback and shook their heads. "No, sir! We're not scared!" Nathaniel snorted and walked toward the valley. Adrian looked at Nathaniel and nodded approvingly. Nathaniel was a tougher guy than he had expected. While his strength was not notably exceptional, his fearlessness earned Adrian’s admiration. Therefore, Adrian decided to follow. As for the others, they did not dare to slack off and followed suit.Outside the valley, the eerie sensation had already sent a chill down the group’s spines. Upon stepping inside,
They saw a cave in front of them, and there was a gateway made of green stones at the entrance. The cave had appeared out of nowhere, taking everyone aback. "Where did this cave come from? I grew up here but I've never seen a place like this before!""Judging from the gate, it seems to have been here for quite some time. I wonder where this place leads to!"The people around started to discuss.Suddenly, Nathaniel's expression turned stern as he gestured to them to quiet down. While the others remained puzzled, Adrian knew what had happened.Boom!A sudden commotion broke out, and a figure hurtled toward them from the gateway at an incredible speed."Everyone, take cover!" Nathaniel shouted as he unsheathed his sword.The sword's shape was odd, entirely golden as if carved from one piece. Adrian had known Nathaniel for a long time, but he had never seen how Nathaniel fought. It seemed that today he would have the opportunity to witness it.Without hesitation, Nathaniel swung