Chapter 100: A Friendly Competition!
Chapter 99
Beep, Beep, Beep!
"Welp! Another mission." Jake sighed as he rose up from his seat, and the others groaned in exhaustion.
It had been three days now since the introduction of their new teammate and the secret meeting between Max and Hunter Elijah.
When Max came back, he refused to tell the others what the meeting was about. No matter how much they asked or pressed him, he kept everything locked tight to himself, which only made their curiosity grow worse.
In these three days, Daki had managed to worm her way into the group surprisingly well. She was sweet, approachable, and cheerful, a personality that clashed with Lana’s bluntness but somehow balanced it out. Together with Jim, she became part of the goofy duo of the team, and their random antics often helped lighten the mood after missions.
Turns out Daki was a C ranked human hunter, and because of that, she was given the standard gear: a long eight-metre whip with a razor-sharp tip and a specialized pair of boots that increased her speed drastically in battle. The whip cracked like thunder whenever she trained with it, leaving small scars across the practice floor.
"Huh?" Jake muttered as he glanced at his comm with a frown. "It’s a portal break at a tier three town, and we’re going to be working with another team?"
"This is going to be fun." Max muttered, rising up with a yawn before strapping his sword back to his waist. His eyes gleamed faintly, almost as if he welcomed the danger.
"Fun or immense danger?" Jake asked as he tucked the comm back into his pocket, his face grim.
"True. Something is odd here." Daki chimed in with a thoughtful gaze. "For two teams to be paired up for a mission, it means the portal break is dangerous enough to warrant combined forces."
"Whatever it is, we are ready." Lana scoffed, her tone laced with that unshakable confidence. Her eyes burned with determination, sharp enough to cut steel.
"Let’s go then." Jake said as he spun around, leading the charge. The group dashed out of the hall and made their way swiftly to the teleportation chamber. The glowing runes on the floor hummed with energy as they stepped into position. In the blink of an eye, light engulfed them, and the world shifted.
__
In a few minutes, the group arrived in a wide expanse outside the tier three town, right on the edge of the battlefield. The air was heavy, tinged with the crackling energy of the unstable portal. Dust blew across the barren land, and the faint cries of townsfolk could be heard from afar, muffled yet filled with terror.
The hunters’ eyes locked on the massive crack in front of them, widening steadily as energy pulsed from it like a heartbeat.
"Huh? Where is the other team?" Jasmine asked, spinning around with narrowed eyes. Her hand unconsciously gripped her weapon tighter, her instincts alert.
A shimmering light suddenly rippled a few metres away.
"Right here." A voice called out. As they spun around, their eyes widened. Their backup had arrived, but the shock of recognition froze them for a moment.
"So, from enemies to temporary allies, huh? Kek!"
"Zach." Max muttered beneath his breath, his gaze darkening as the C ranked hybrid stepped forward, his usual smirk plastered across his face. A group of five trailed behind him, equally armed and ready.
"No time for beef, the mission is more important right now." Jake said firmly, trying to cut through the tension.
"Beef? Ah, nah! I’m above that. Kek!" Zach chuckled, his voice dripping with arrogance as he advanced with his group.
And right on cue, the portal tore open wider.
GROWL!
GROWL!
GROWL!
The earth trembled under the weight of guttural growls. The sound of footsteps echoed as something massive began to emerge from the portal.
In seconds, the first beast appeared— a hulking wolf. It was easily the size of a bungalow, its monstrous form covered in coarse dark fur.
Jagged fangs jutted from its jaw, gleaming with saliva, while its glowing crimson eyes fixed on the hunters with the cold hunger of a predator.
As it prowled forward, more shapes began trickling out. Another wolf. Then another. Dozens followed. The red glow of their eyes multiplied in the dark, and the sound of claws scraping against the ground sent a chill crawling down every spine.
Some of Zach’s teammates gulped audibly, the sound betraying their fear as the sea of wolves continued to emerge from the gaping portal, each beast larger and more vicious than the last.
The battlefield was about to be drenched in blood.
Tring!
{Quest Alert!}
{Complete mission for rewards}
’Nice.’ Max thought with a wide grin on his face as he got ready by pulling his sword out of its sheath. ’Honestly, I think I made the wrong choice of weapon. Should have gone for a pair of gauntlets instead since I fight better with my fists.’
In less than two minutes, about two hundred wolves poured out, each snarling in unison and shaking the ground with their sheer weight and presence. The sound was deafening, a chorus of rage that vibrated in their chests.
"Now I know why they asked us to pair with another squad." Jim muttered as he instinctively took several steps back.
In perfect rhythm, the wolves began their dash, a tide of black fur and glowing red eyes, their growls rising like thunder as they charged forward.
"How about a friendly competition?" Zach suddenly called out, a twisted grin spreading across his face as spikes began protruding out of his limbs, especially his back.
From the nape of his neck down to his waist, a line of jagged spikes jutted out like a deadly exoskeleton.
"The team to take down the highest score of beasts wins. And the loser team drops thirty percent of the crystals they gather." Zach suggested with obvious delight.
"The association asked us to work together, not act separately." Daki snapped sharply, glaring at him with cold eyes.
"We are working together. But this is just a little friendly competition. Unless, of course, you’re all too scared that we would win." Zach’s grin widened as his gaze locked on the wave of wolves barreling their way.
The sound of feathers rustling filled the air, and everyone turned in time to see Lana’s full transformation. Her wings spread out magnificently, her aura flaring as she glared at the oncoming horde.
"Keep up, losers." She growled, then launched herself into the air. Without wasting a moment, she unleashed a storm of feather bullets that rained down like arrows, piercing into the beasts below.
"Didn’t know she enjoyed competition." Jake remarked dryly, and without another word, he dashed forward, blade in hand, to clash with the horde.
"Max." Pix’s voice echoed in his mind. "Something feels off. Zach shouldn’t be acting this friendly, especially with you. I feel like he has a plan."
"Tell me about it." Max whispered under his breath, tightening his grip on his sword while his eyes narrowed on Zach. The hybrid had proposed the competition but was yet to make a single move against the beasts.
"Tch!" Jasmine and Daki bolted forward, their speed blurring as they tore across the field. Zach’s teammates followed suit, all of them diving headfirst into the chaos as the battle officially began.
’I hope nothing goes wrong during this mission.’ Max thought grimly, his mind flicking back to Elijah’s instructions. ’And how on earth am I supposed to use myself as bait? That has to be the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.’
Unfortunately, he didn’t have long to worry. A group of wolves managed to break away from the pack, weaving past the others with blistering speed and charging directly at him.
Even though his thoughts had distracted him earlier, Max was ready. He bent his knees slightly, sword angled forward, preparing to spring into action. His focus narrowed on the first wolf that lunged at him, fangs bared and glowing eyes locked on its prey.
But then...
SWOOSH!
A sharp whistling sound cut through the battlefield, and in the blink of an eye, something sliced through the air and impaled itself deep into the wolf’s skull. The beast collapsed with a loud thud, blood seeping into the ground as its glowing eyes dimmed.
"Keep up, slowpoke." Zach’s mocking voice echoed across the field.
Max’s grip on his sword tightened, his teeth grinding back and forth in silent rage.