033

The centre of the town, the Volunteer Union’s building.

Down in the basement, where not even the staff was allowed to come without permission, sat two people. One was an old man, with hair as white as the snow covering the town and eyes a knowing brown.

His white beard reached below his neck and while stroking it with his withered old hand, he asked the young man sitting right in front of him.

“Did you feel it?”

The young man nodded.

“Hmm.”

“Looks like we won’t be able to hide you any longer. It must be the witch’s taming circle. Although I didn’t want to interfere with the swarm, looks like I’ll have to.”

The young man’s head jolted up as he heard that. Although his face was completely covered leaving only his deep black eyes exposed, the worry in them was noticeable.

“You shouldn’t, the witch isn’t an enemy we can take lightly. The union also shouldn’t make enemies with the witch because of me.”

“Haha, don’t worry. Although it is the witch’s circle, it isn’t as strong. Which probably means she isn’t here. She must’ve sent someone else to create it. As long as she doesn’t know who destroyed the circle we’re okay.”

The old man laughed.

“You say so, but don’t you feel something odd with this? Although it is supposed to be on our heads at this moment, I don’t really feel the effect of this circle… or the people panicking, I mean, a circle that size should be visible to the people, right.”

The old man contemplated the man’s words for a second before continuing.

“They wouldn’t really notice it if it was well hidden, but I doubt it is the case seeing as it has such an obvious magic signature. But you’re right. I should take a look.”

“Wait! Take me with you! If the circle is really there, then that means that the witch knows I’m here, or worse, she knows who we’re looking for.”

The man interrupted as he saw the old man getting up to leave.

“No, you cannot come. Your safety is much more important than that individual’s. And from what I’ve heard, that person is able to take care of themselves to, a certain extent.”

“But still, with the witch’s minions running about at a time like this, we should at least ensure that the person is safe…”

“If he doesn’t survive, he doesn’t. Like I said, your life is much more precious than some outsider’s. And in the worst case, even if that person ends up being caught or dead, we have nothing to lose, he doesn’t know who we are.”

“But-”

“No buts. I’m taking my leave now.”

The man sat back down. His frustration evident in his body.

Looking at his body language, the old man was worried that he might do something stupid if didn’t say anything right now. So, grinding his teeth, he said this.

“Fine. If I can, I will try to save him too.”

“Thank you very much, Union Leader!”

“Yes, yes…”

Leaving the man behind, the old man made his way to the upper floor, where the he came out from the hunter union’s room.

Seeing him come back out, Lara, who was still treating the wounded in the huge hall, immediately said.

“Union Leader! Why are you here!?”

“Give me the details of what is happening.”

The old man said stroking his beard.

“Y-Yes, it-”

Lara gave him the complete run down of all that has happened until now, the four gates attacks, the men from the outpost coming to help, the emergence of the Swarm kings, as well the Tier 6 Pike Lord that just made its entrance.

“Dammit! Get everyone else to fortify the union building and the all the people here, start moving the townspeople towards the east side. That place seems the least dangerous. Now!”

He heard a combined loud “Yes!” reverberate around the hall.

“What is union leader going to do?”

“I’ll go to the north gate, but before that, I have something to do first.”

The old man said looking towards the east.

…

Back in the eastern forest, Grant.

I remember now, Aagon did say that the most problematic creatures near the east gate are the snow wolves, no wonder they’ll be the ones to come around when something like this happens.

As I saw the man getting up, I could see him have some difficulty standing, so I took my chance.

While still in the pain of being smashed in the tree, I used [Qi Manipulation] again and loaded my legs with the Qi, I’ll have to slow him and the wolves down, so I can at least use the time to recover my Qi some decent amount.

I jumped straight towards him.

He didn’t expect me to attack him this suddenly as I was incapacitated just a few seconds ago, but this in fact gave me a chance.

With a muscle tearing pain going all through my body, I pressed forwards.

With a round house kick from my right leg, I aimed straight for the head.

He dodged just in time, but what happened next, I wasn’t ready for it.

Just from the corner of my vision, I saw a flash, a very wide and powerful slash came from my right. With my left leg still on the ground, I pushed myself to the side but it wasn’t enough, as the white light moved past my torso, making a fairly deep cut down just below my chest.

HP: 98/425

With one hand covering my bloody wound, I jumped back and saw the thing that attacked me.

“That damn disk!”

“Hahaha, do you like it? It’s a very expensive magic arms. You’ve never even seen a magic arm, right? Dying to one must be your luck then!”

“You talk too much you damn bastard!”

With one hand holding the wound, I concentrated my Qi in that area to tighten the muscles, thankfully that stopped the bleeding for a while.

But I need to finish this quick.

HP: 95/425

My HP also keeps decreasing like this, I’m having difficulty even standing straight.

If he fully recovers with that pill then it’s over for me. The wolves will also reach here in a minute or two.

God Dammit! Is this how I’m going to die? Like this?

In an unknown world, surrounded by enemies?

No!

Something triggered in me this time. My abdomen, it started heating up.

This is bad! I knew what happened last time it happened this intensely. I cannot forget that I was going to attack the guard before this.

Calm. Calm down. A deep breath. The pain was making it hard to do so, but I still managed to do it somehow.

[Skill: Pain Resistance Lv.1 has been acquired.]

[HP increased by 20.]

[DEF increased by 20.]

HP: 98/445

Although it didn’t increase my HP, it did increase my max HP, making my body a little stronger.

I guess that works too. The pain also felt a little manageable.

A smile formed on my face.

The roaring Qi in me was manageable now. As I tried to hold it, my body in advertently started distributing the Qi all over my body.

My vision concentrated in one place, and all I could see was the man.

I wanted answers from him? No need, he needs to die.

The wolves weren’t going to wait for me to question him, and I also want to get rid of the rune.

So fuck it.

“haah…haah….ha!”

My body lunged forwards towards the man. The disk that was floating beside him came to protect him in a second and became a barrier.

I didn’t intent to stop anyway and this thing almost sliced me in half so I was going to take my anger out on it too.

I punched forwards, towards the one place that was just screaming to me that it was a target.

The centre of the disk, there was a crystal there, looked important so I attacked it.

I also increased my weight by around 40 kilos giving my punch some weight.

Crack!

The punch cracked the crystal, although it didn’t destroy it, it still made the magic arm completely useless, as it lost its flight and dropped to the ground. But before it did, I pushed it to the side and launched another punch towards the man.

He was ready this time but that didn’t matter, I punched straight towards him, but he dodged by moving his head downwards.

A mistake.

I took my stretched out arm and pushed it down to keep him in that position, then using my left knee, I gave a well-placed and well deserved kick on his face.

I heard some cracking, but I wasn’t done yet.

I pulled his head to my eye level by holding him by the hair. A well-placed punch filled with the ferocious Qi was planted on his already bloody nose.

Then another punch. Then another, and another, and another…

“You are one tough motherfucker!”

I said to the bloody faced person that I was still holding onto by the hair.

“Cough-You! Cough- even if… you kill… me… you will… still… die… hehe…”

“Maybe, but you won’t be there to see it.”

As I was going to finish him off before the wolves came, I saw something in the distance high up in the sky.

“Is that… a person…?”

I was proven right as the person who looked like a white bearded old man, who looked suspiciously like a person I saw in a young wizard’s movie, came flying over the formation.

He looked at it, while mumbling something, then suddenly, as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience, he slapped the formation with his hand. And,

Creak! Crack!

With the sound of glass shattering all around the forest, the formation was destroyed.

The old man stayed around for a second as if admiring his own work, then flew back, I don't know why, but I felt him looking at me for a second there.

Must’ve been my imagination.

With the formation disappearing, my Qi that was roaring like a lion a few seconds ago also calmed down.

My bloody vision became normal and the reality set in.

I looked at the man I was holding and I felt disgusted. I instinctively let him go.

I looked at my fist that was covered in his as well as my own blood and I felt like gagging.

The painful rune on my neck calmed down a bit. But it still stung like a bee.

“Looks like I really need to kill you to make it disappear.”

I knew what I had to do, but I still hesitated. Thinking about killing someone and actually finishing him off are two different things.

The man who finally looked me was wearing a very amused expression.

“Don’t tell me… that hesitation… you’ve never killed before… hahaha… I can’t believe I lost to someone like you…”

He slowly got up, or at least tried to.

“Whether you finish me off or not… I am going to die… you’re right… I won’t get to see you die today… but believe me… that day… isn’t far…”

The man finally breathed his last.

[6800 EXP gained.]

[EXP cannot be used. EXP Stored.]

[Pain Resistance is now level 2.]

[HP increased by 20]

[DEF increased by 20]

I didn’t see the messages nor did I see that the wolves slowing down. The only thing I did see was the man lying in his own blood.