As the rest of the hunters went on ahead, Cho Kyung and Lyden took a detour.

Cho Kyung guided him to a black mountain where thousands of Korean people were living.

"This is the town, Sang-eo, which the Hwangsaechi's leader found. He persuaded many people to live here. Although at first, only a few people agreed, and then eventually, it became like this."

Children were laughing, and adults were chit-chatting. They seemed to live a carefree life despite their environment.

"Why chose to live here? I do not think it is possible to farm here. Also, aren't people going to get sick from breathing inside this tower?" Lyden did not see any farmland, nor ranch. He was not sure how the people were feeding themselves.

"Remember the monsters by the tower in the sea? Because of them, there is a food shortage. And because of that other people will fight for scarce food. However, with these aretisites, they can convert the ashes into protein for our body to digest. Thus, we can survive on very little food and remove the toxicity from our body. Occasionally some of them will go back to gather food."

Lyden never heard such a way to use aretisite beside such for combat.

He could see that from the young children to the middle-ages adults all have a star somewhere on their body.

"How can they all be hunters?" Lyden was puzzled by what he was seeing. He remembered that the U.S. government and even China said that if a normal person was luckily to assimilate with an aretisite, then only death will await them." Lyden wanted Cho Kyung voiced on this.

"It is accurate, and yet false. As long they do not use their aretisite after a particular time, then they can become an official 1-star hunter. Although many never even activate it after that here. They are just happy knowing that they have an aretisite to survive the harsh condition here. So going by that, the governments were keeping it a secret from the public for reasons."

Cho Kyung explained. He did not explain to him that at least a dozen children died due to not listening to this advice. It was unfortunate that it had come down to it, but the others learned from them and the death toll decrease.

Lyden thought they would be unhappy living such a bleak place like this, but they seemed content about it as he looked around more.

'With the help of aretisite, humans were able to adapt faster... There was a downside to what Cho Kyung had said though. They needed the ashes to feed on or else the host will die by their aretisite.' Lyden thought as it as a prison in a way.

"Alright, let's head to the base. I want to show you something," Cho Kyung said.

Lyden simply nodded.

They headed to the Hwangsaechi base on one of the black mountains. The two had to walk around in a spiral before they reached a stone door that was double their size.

The door had a black sheen with a craving of a swordfish on it.

Cho Kyung pressed his gauntlet onto the door, and the door released a bright red color like heating a metal.

"Be careful not to touch it. It is hot. You will need a heat resistant aretisite to push the door open." Cho Kyung warned Lyden with a friendly laugh.

"How is it getting hot?" Lyden asked with curiosity.

"It is made with combustion metal that can be found in the mountain and only in this tower. And we made the door to protect ourselves from outside monsters and intruders if there is a need."

Lyden and Cho Kyung stepped past the blazing door.

Then Cho Kyung shut the door, and the two went in deeper. The stone hallway had red-orange veins ran all the way that made it lit with a bright orange color.

At the end of the hallway, there was a lobby with luxurious items that can be found on Earth.

Many people stood in the lobby. There Sim Chul-Soo and the other men waiting around there too.

"There is a ceremony happening now for the new recruits. They will pick out an aretisite and officially become hunters of the Hwangsaechi. You should stay and watch for the time being. I will need to talk to them before they start."

At the other side of the lobby, there the red armored hunters he met before and a tall skinny man. He had a 3-star sigil across his cheek.

'He must be the leader. I do not see anybody that could compare to him.' Lyden was wary of him more than the fully armored hunters since they were all 1-star hunters. 'That curve... It is that woman.' Lyden felt a headache coming.

Lyden saw the female hunters from before, but this time, her helmet was off.

Her skin was tan, big eyes, and flowing black hair. She looked calm and matured compared to how she acted before.

When she saw Lyden, she scowled at him.

'Why is she angry at me? I guess I did kill some of their men, but nobody else does not seem to hold a grudge...' Although murder was a heavy sin, in the world of hunters, death was to be expected.

Anyway, the blame goes to the person who attacked him without understanding his opponents.

Lyden decided to ignore her and walked to Sim Chul-Soo.

"Hey, Sim Chul-Soo."

"Lyden, I did not expect to see you here! Are you here to see the ceremony?"

"Yeah, but I do not have not to know what to expect."

"Right, it is rare for outsiders to know about it. A ceremony is an event that is given to members of the Hwangsaechi who wants to be a hunter." Sim Chul-Soo said. "If we become an official hunter, then our family can try to become one too. The children was able to obtain an aretisite to live here was because of one or more of their parents became a hunter for the Hwangsaechi."

"Then, how does a normal person become a hunter?"

"I do not know yet. I heard that you have to sign a non-disclosure agreement when you become one. Honestly, I am surprised that they let you see the ceremony?"

Lyden shrugged his shoulder. Since Cho Kyung invited him to see, then it must not be a big deal.

"Attention new recruits! We are about to begin." Cho Kyung yelled out in Korean.

Sim Chul-Soo quietly translates to Lyden so he could understand.

"You will come up only when you are called! First up is Kung Kang-Dae!"

Kung Kang-Dae went up and bowed to Cho Kyung. "I paid respect to 5th knight of Hwangsaechi, Cho Kyung" Then Kung Kang-Dae bowed to the tall man, "I paid respect to the leader of Hwangsaechi, Ku Sang."

"Kung Kang-Dae, are you willing to risk your life to protect the Hwangsaechi?"

"Yes, leader Ku Sang!"

"Are you willing to risk your life to fulfill the duties that the Hwangsaechi requested of you?"

"Yes, leader Ku Sang!"

On the table that was standing between them, there were red towels on it. Ku Sang unfolded one, revealing a single fossilized aretisite.

It had a dull white color with black speckles. The fossiled revealed a small creature that looked like a lizard.

"Lay your palm on it, and concentrate on nothing else but the fossilized aretisite before you."

Kung Kang-Dae did as he was told.

Then Ku Sang placed his index finger on top of Kung Kang-Dae hand.

Ku Sang helped Kung Kang-Dae visualize the strings that Lyden saw before. After 15 seconds, the fossil broke opened, revealing a live aretisite. It was a small red creature with a thick red torso and spikes coming out of its spine. Its name was Red Torso Scale Lizard.

Then the aretisite went inside his Kung Kang-Dae.

"Congratulations, you are an official hunter of the Hwangsaechi. As per rule, your family will also get the chance to assimilate with an aretisite."

"Thank you, leader Ku sang"

"But be careful. You are not allowed to use it until 60 days have passed. Only then can you activate it. If you do not heed my warning, then no one can save you." Ku Sang gave an ominous warning to him and the rest of them to take in.

After Kung Kang-Dae left, Ku Sang then proceeded to call the others one by one. Many of them collapsed like Lyden did when he had to assimilate with the 2-star aretisites.

They all failed, and the aretisite was placed back on the towel.

Before it was Sim Chul-Soo turn, only three of them made it.

"Alright, it is my turn. Wish me luck, Lyden" Sim Chul-Soo said before heading to the table.

"Good luck, Sim Chul-Soo." Lyden casually replied before Sim Chul-Soo walked away.