-Vol 4: To The North Pole!-

-The Darkness that shrouded the Sky!-

Kenshin didn’t know to whom he should curse. If this were a game, he would have immediately logged out of it and would have on the process of uninstalling it. What the hell with all these impossible quests? Couldn’t the system give him some easy to handle mission? Is it trying to kill him or what?

Kenshin was very indignant in his heart when he read about the changed mission status. The first mission was impossible enough, just when he was about to complete it, somehow it changed. The already impossible mission became even more impossible. But, what could he do? Since it was a compulsory mission, he has to complete it no matter what.

To the changed mission, the map had also updated and was now viewing his newest mission location. And the place was none other than the very cave he avoided. At that point it was clear to Kenshin, this system was plotting to kill him. Or else why would it deliberately mark the same place which he had avoided like the plague? Wouldn’t he die if he goes to that place?

But what can he do? It was a compulsory mission, and he couldn’t avoid it at all. If he does, then many people will die. For a second the thought crossed his mind to leave all this matter to the strong ones and be done with it, but if he does that then how will he change anything? If he keeps thinking like a mediocre individual, then how can he change his destiny and live a rich and fulfilling life. More importantly, can he look his sister in the eye after being a quitter like that?

The answer was no. He couldn’t do that. Although the mission was close to impossible, it was still not impossible. He was also sure of another fact, the system would never assign a compulsory mission that was beyond his ability at the current phase. If not, then instead of assigning him a mission to stop the fifth servant from coming, it would have assigned the mission to kill that damn thing. And that would have been impossible for him, even if he was given a year time.

“I will do it! Even if I were to face death, I would do it. Besides I won't die anyway, still have one extra life left with me. Think about the rewards, not only I am able to become rich overnight, but I will also gain a divine skill. After that everything in my life would be smooth sailing!” Kenshin began to brainwash himself in doing the task. He wanted to use these rewards as a motivational point because he clearly knew to be a hero won't motivate him even by a single per cent.

Kenshin never wanted to be a hero, it's not that he hated them. It was more along the lines of hating the philosophy of these so-called heroes. What the point of doing everything for all those unknown people who would abandon you at your worst? What the point of going their recognition when you would lose it with just a simple mistake on your part? What the point of doing anything for these unforgiving crowd?

It was better to do what you can for those who deserves like your family or close friends. Because, in the end, it would be them who were going to help you when you really need it. It may be a pathetic ideology in other’s eyes, but to Kenshin, it was the way of life.

This was the way of life he lived after crossing all the storms of life till now.

But he had never tried to force upon this philosophy to Akari, in his vision these things shouldn't be forced. It's something that appears on its own after going through all the summers and winters that life had to offer. Currently, Akari was just a simple school student, although her life couldn’t be considered luxurious, it was still not pitiful as the other orphans. Kenshin had done his best to not make her a pitiful child, and he succeeded in the end.

Akari, she would soon fly unhindered in the sky and become someone important, at least a public figure. She was after all selected for a special force under government. Those people, the government spares no chances to propagate their achievements among common folk. The rank of a section chief was the least she would be getting after her graduation, which was still way above a city police chief in rank.

Her life was fundamentally different from him who preferred to stay in the dark. But both brother and sister had one driving factor for striving forwards, that’s to protect the other. Kenshin wanted to protect her from all the harms as long as he could while Akari wanted to give her brother, who had sacrificed many things for her peace and quiet life, which was his dream.

Only God knows when they would achieve their respective dreams.

After a few seconds of brainwashing himself, Kenshin walked to the wall on his left and melded with it using his Burrow skill. It was at that time, he was still unknown of tragedy going on outside, he was still unknown of the horrors that would soon unfold upon the earth.

XXX

All the hunters who were caught by that red thread had already given up on their life. In their version, if monsters could be sucked dry within minutes, then it wouldn’t take a few seconds for them to end up like a dried corpse.

They waited, waited and waited…seeing that nothing happening even after a few minutes, they took a breath of relief. But it was too soon for that, as soon as they released their tensed bodies, the lines that were passing by the ground started to glow brightly. Up in the sky, black clouds began to gather around while thunder rolled, making a loud cracking noise. It would strike ground every few seconds, charring it black or melting the ice to the point that even the frozen water underneath it boils like a hot spring.

“What the hell is happening?” a hunter from Shasha Guild exclaimed with a fearful expression as he looked at the continuously blackening sky.

“How the hell should I know? Whatever it was, I can tell its nothing good!” the other hunter who was beyond level 150 said, that too with a fearful expression on his face. If even a person of his strength is afraid of this rapidly changing sky, it could be imagined the conditions of those who were yet to reach level 100.

“It might be the Armageddon coming!” a female hunter who belonged to Tian Long guild muttered under her breath but not less fearful than everyone standing near her.

“Is this work of you guys?” the two ladies who were fighting with the cloaked individual when Kenshin was passing through asked to a battered looking thin male with heterochromatic eyes. Half of his body was gone, leaving only the section above his stomach. It was a testament to his vitality that he was still alive.

“It is…you humans would now perish under the foot of whats coming…hahaahah!!!” the thin man laughed at the top of his lungs before being stomped on the face by the witch looking lady.

“Shut Up! A dying creature didn’t need to spout nonsense!”

“Old man, are you okay?” the middle-aged man asked as he held his right hand above his shoulder while supporting his body out of a hole that had caved in earlier.

“I am fine, just some light injuries. It would probably take a few days to heal but what are these?” the old man asked pointing his fingers towards the red thread that tied to their legs. These two were the same group that Kenshin had encountered after leaving Natasha. The whole area near them was riddled with holes and cracks. Some fissures could be seen here and there. It appears that the fight was very intense here.

“Darling! What are these?” Mrs Adams asked pointing her finger towards the rapidly darkening sky.

“I don’t know. But I bet it was not something good.” Mr Adams replied while he drove the car towards the gate they came through. The situation had changed, they felt that they should first return and alert the branch.

Finally, after a few minutes, the darkness increased to the point that it resembled night. The darkness had utterly engulfed the light. This phenomenon had already grabbed the eye of the all over the world. Various cameras and private reporters hurried towards that camp as soon as possible. They wanted to record as many things as possible regardless of the dangers.

At this time, no matter those who were in the north or those who were on the other side of the earth, a weird sense of dread filled everyone’s heart. It was as if something bad was going to happen and they can do nothing about it.

For a minute, the whole world became silent. Even the animals and birds didn’t dare to make a noise, afraid that whatever was coming would be attracted by their noise and come to them.

In the girl's dormitory of Hunter Academy, Akari and her friends were looking at the darkened sky of the north in their TV. In her hand, she was holding her phone and was repeatedly calling her brother, but he was not picking it. A strange sense of worry filled her heart.

She didn’t know her beloved brother was currently in the north.