*SRHIIEEK!
An agonizing cry tore through the thick, jungle-like forest, silencing the birds' chirps and leaving only an eerie echo lingering in the air.
This was the unmistakable sign that the wilderness around recognized the presence of a dangerous predator.
The ones responsible for such carnage were none other than Reisou and his white-haired companion, who charged through the forest, cutting down every monster they encountered without mercy.
Reisou swiftly eliminated each hostile creature, every strike landing with deadly accuracy. He moved with fluid grace around the chaos, his body growing more adept at handling his weapon.
Even his footwork had improved, and now he could swing his lance without fear of making mistakes.
Meanwhile, his companion, 2B, fought with equal intensity, taking down the majority of monsters and demonstrating her incredible skill with every move.
Crafted as a war machine, the android's combat prowess outshone that of most warriors. Anyone lucky enough to witness her in battle would stand captivated by the sheer grace of her swordsmanship.
As they hunted down creatures and gathered their monster cores, the duo drifted deeper into the forest, completely losing track of time.
By the time they reached the heart of the woods, the warm sunlight had all but disappeared, swallowed whole by the thick canopy overhead.
A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet.
The forest felt eerily calm.
No monsters had shown up for a while now, and Reisou had a pretty good idea why.
'The Gate Boss is close,' he thought, giving 2B a light tap on the shoulder and signaling her to climb up the nearest tree.
He wanted her to scout from above—her vision was sharper, and from a high vantage point, she could spot any threats or signs of the boss more easily.
She gave a quick nod, then launched herself into the air, landing silently on one of the highest branches.
From up in the tree, she spotted a hill that sloped down to a river. On the other side, a faint light was flickering in the distance.
2B took a few more minutes to scan the area, but didn't spot anything else suspicious. Then she dropped back down and reported what she saw to Reisou.
Reisou frowned slightly as he listened. He figured it was probably a Lookout—most likely set up by Hunters to keep watch on the Gate Boss.
Even so, he had no interest in making contact.
In public Gates, running into random Hunter groups out in the field was risky.
You never knew who you were dealing with.
Inside a Gate, rules didn't really exist.
Some people were just trying to survive, doing whatever it took to make a living and pay the bills. Others lived for the thrill of the fight, always chasing the next challenge to grow stronger.
And then, there were those who took pleasure in causing pain and suffering for their own amusement.
Because these different ideals often clashed, Hunters naturally split into factions within the Gates.
Though not officially recognized as guilds, these groups still held a lot of influence, especially in the public Gates.
Based on his limited knowledge, Reisou knew of just three major factions that typically operated there.
The Scavengers, the Militias, and the Renegades were always present around the public Gates. They had enough members to form proper guilds, but they never officially did—mostly because there wasn't a solid hierarchy, and most members weren't that loyal.
Most Hunters preferred to team up temporarily with others who shared the same goals. It just made exploring the Gates a lot easier.
After all, not everyone could one-shot an elite monster by themselves.
The Scavengers usually went after monster cores, just trying to earn enough to survive.
The Militias were in it for the fight, always chasing stronger monsters to push their limits and grow stronger.
And the Renegades? Well... they were just criminals.
Out of the three groups, Reisou probably aligned most with the Militias. Still, he'd made up his mind long ago to stay under the radar during his visits to the Gates, keeping out of sight until he tracked down the Gate boss.
Reisou knew people would be pissed when he killed the Gate boss alone, but he didn't care. Once the boss was down, he and 2B could slip away before anyone could catch them.
He quickly told 2B they should avoid the Lookout and take another route.
She nodded and followed him through a different path.
They walked for another hour before spotting an incredible scene.
At the entrance of a cave, two red bears were fleeing from two swift figures moving like shadows.
Sensing the danger, the larger bear planted itself in front of the smaller one, spreading its arms wide in a protective stance.
The two fast figures lunged at the massive bear, slamming into it with enough force to nearly knock it over.
As they backed off to regain their footing, Reisou and 2B, concealed behind a patch of bushes, finally got a clear view of them.
The two towering creatures looked like wolves—covered in thick fur, with long snouts and glowing red eyes that burned with pure bloodlust. Their mouths opened in angry growls, baring sharp, deadly fangs.
'Two werewolves. One brown, the other gray. Yeah, these are the ones,' Reisou thought, locking onto his targets to complete the last bonus objective.
But the one who should truly finish them off was 2B.
"2B, do you think you can take down those two?"
He leaned close and whispered in her ear, pointing toward the werewolves' direction.
"I can," she answered calmly, without a hint of doubt in her voice.
"Alright, go for it. They seem a bit too strong to handle alone, so if you need help, just let me know," Reisou said, eager to see his companion unleash her true strength.
Ever since the fight with the Fallen King, Reisou hadn't really seen her go all out—especially considering she had a broken arm back then.
"Understood," 2B said nonchalantly, drawing her katana from her inventory.
Meanwhile, the two werewolves circled the big red bear, striking at it from every angle, relentless in their attack.
Cornered and desperate, the bear let out a thunderous roar, swinging its massive paws wildly in an attempt to scare them off.
But the werewolves only seemed to enjoy it.
One continued the assault, while the other slipped past the bigger bear, charging toward the smaller one that was shaking in fear.
*ROOOOAAAAR!
Another loud roar echoed through the air, shaking everything around like a desperate cry mourning the imminent death of its young.
✫| Sum Fdah |✫
Before the brown werewolf could sink its fangs into the small red bear, a white-haired girl appeared, swinging her sword and landing a precise cut across the monster's chest.
The werewolf tried to pull back, but she was faster—delivering a powerful kick sending it crashing backward.
Seizing the opportunity, she unleashed another shadow technique.
✫ | Rerha Orthez | ✫
Black hands shot up from the ground, wrapping tightly around the brown werewolf. It struggled to break free, but the grip was unbreakable.
All it could do was watch as the white-haired girl's blade sliced through its throat, dealing a deadly cut.
*RRAAAHHH!
Seeing its partner fall, the gray werewolf let out a furious roar. It turned away from the nearly lifeless red bear and charged at the white-haired girl.
She didn't even flinch.
Just as the werewolf's claws reached her face, it let out a sharp howl of pain. The gray werewolf collapsed to the ground, writhing and bleeding heavily from a deep gash in its back.
The girl was already behind it.
Without giving the monster a chance to rise, she delivered four clean strikes to vital points. The beast twitched, let out one last breath, then lay still.
"Good job, 2B!" Reisou said excitedly as he stepped out from the bushes, genuinely impressed by her performance.
Now that she was at full strength, unlike during their fight with the Fallen King, it was easy to see why she was considered an A-Grade summon.
Those two elite monsters from a C-rank Gate didn't even manage to land a single blow.
2B nodded in response to his praise and stepped back beside Reisou, but her eyes never left the injured big red bear.
Though the animal was clearly in bad shape, she remained cautious, unwilling to drop her guard.
Reisou watched the animal with curiosity, noticing how the bear's gaze landed on him before quickly shifting to the smaller red bear that had rushed to its side.
"If I knew any healing spells or had a healing potion, I could help… What a shame," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "2B, let's keep going."
As they walked away, the big red bear slowly stood on unsteady legs, its gaze fixed on them until both figures disappeared deeper into the dense vegetation.
But their image was alredy carved into the creature's memory.
In such a cruel place like the Gate, they had received something almost unthinkable.
Mercy.