The man did not say a word as he approached, but his presence bore down on the hunters like a tidal wave.
Paige, who had been acting confidently earlier, instinctively straightened her posture, while Willie swallowed, his casual demeanour no longer present.
Noel, whose attention was fixed on the man, suddenly turned his gaze to the van, and just as he did so, a lithe and graceful figure alighted the van. The van's door eased shut behind her as she stepped down, and Noel finally got a clear look at her.
She was young, likely around eighteen, but her beauty was enchanting—an exquisite face that was reminiscent of a goddess; flawless porcelain-like skin; a delicate nose; rosy lips; and fiery red hair that tumbled down her back like a liquid flame. Her eyes, which were a piercing scarlet colour, seemed to smolder with hidden heat and pride.
Her curves were impossible to miss, from the generous swell of her chest to the pronounced shape of her hips, which was framed perfectly by the slender dip of her waist.
She wore fiery crimson robes that clung to her devilishly enticing body like they were tailored just for her, and they were etched with golden embroidery that shimmered faintly with mana threads.
She moved with quiet poise and charm, each step light and graceful like a dancer gliding across a stage, but there was no mistaking the haughtiness that clung to her like a second skin—evident in the faint curve of her rosy lips and the imperious tilt of her chin—and it was clear that she did not place any importance on any of the Hunters present.
"Who is she?" Noel thought to himself as he stared at her enchanting figure, a stunned look on his face.
He had never seen such a beautiful girl before in his life!
Moreover, from the mana pressure she gave off, Noel could tell that she wasn't an ordinary person at all!
The moment the red-haired man and red-robed girl arrived, a noticeable shift rippled through the air, and even though the pair had said nothing, tension gripped the Hunters tightly, and their instincts kept screaming at them.
These two weren't ordinary.
"Who the hell are they?" muttered a lean man with a bow slung across his back. His name was Brent, an E-rank Hunter, and he had shaggy black hair and a plain face. His eyes, however, were sharp and narrowed, showing how observant he was.
"They didn't come with the association team, right?" asked Luther, a gruff, dark-skinned man with a long blue spear strapped to his back. He was tall and muscular and was geared in fierce-looking armor.
"I don't like the girl's eyes. She's looked down on us the moment she appeared," grumbled a fair-skinned lady. Nadine, a D-rank Elementalist in form-fitting purple robes, was quite attractive with an alluring figure, but she starkly paled in comparison to the red-robed girl.
"Now, now. Don't be so jealous, Nadine. You're beautiful in your own way too." Caris, a flamboyant swordsman with spiky orange hair and cocky grin drawled. He was clad in an orange armor, and from the luster of the armor, it was clear that it was of extraordinary origin.
The last was their healer, Mia. She was a short, freckled girl with glasses and looked like a lovely but nerdy college student, but her nun robes and the holy aura she exuded showed everyone why she could raid rifts with no qualms.
She was a Healer after all.
All eight Hunters—including Noel—turned their eyes toward the pair, who now stood silently in the clearing. The crimson-haired man clad in gleaming scarlet armor radiated a calm authority, and he was like a wall that would never break, while the fiery-red haired girl draped in red robes stood with her chin held imperiously, as though the entire raid and its participants were beneath her.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Yi Wenzhou, the organizer and leader of this party, and we'll be joining this raid as registered participants." The massive man, Yi Wenzhou, said in a clear and even voice that carried easily across the group.
Noel frowned slightly as he stared at the duo. He'd never heard of the name before, and judging by the other's reactions, neither had they. However, after sneaking a glance at Coordinator Huan, the Hunter Association's official who was in charge of monitoring the rift, and seeing his indifferent attitude, Noel knew that the man was telling the truth.
If he wasn't, there was no way that Coordinator Huan would remain silent and keep watching on standby.
Yi Wenzhou looked around the group and nodded in satisfaction after noticing the look of acceptance on their faces, and then he continued with the same calm yet authoritative tone.
"As stated in the recruitment notice, this particular raid falls under the classification of a Special-Purpose Raid. That means while participation is officially sanctioned by the Association, the primary objective is tied to personal interests. As such, you are all here as contracted parties, not co-owners of the expedition goal."
There was no confusion in the eyes of the gathered Hunters, only understanding and quiet approval.
Noel, however, blinked in surprise.
Special-purpose?
He quickly scanned the faces around him but soon realized that no one else seemed caught off guard or surprised by Yi Wenzhou's words. Nadine was already tightening her purple lace gloves, Brent was adjusting his bowstring, and Luther was humming to himself, completely disinterested in whatever Yi Wenzhou had to say.
"I must've missed something." Noel's brows furrowed slightly as he muttered under his breath.
He lowered his gaze, mentally retracing the recruitment post he'd read through. It had mentioned an F-rank classification and generous loot division, but maybe there'd been fine print—something he'd glossed over.
Either ways, there was nothing he could do about it now. As long as the loot was good, he was satisfied with that.
He then turned his attention back to Yi Wenzhou, who was still speaking.
"As usual, we'll be following the standard loot distribution protocol where any mana crystals, relics, artifact or rare items that are found individually will belong to the finder, and in cases where they are found by more than one Hunter, they will be distributed either by mutual interest or rolling." Yi Wenzhou said evenly.
"Most importantly, disputes between Hunters will be handled after the raid. I will not allow any infighting in my party. Is that clear?" Yi Wenzhou asked. His voice was strong and firm, but it was not unkind and arrogant. Only quiet confidence and self-assurance, earned through various years of experience, were present.
"Yes." The Hunters nodded, murmuring their assent quietly, as none of them wanted to stir up any troubles.
Yi Wenzhou gave a satisfied nod and informed them to prepare their gear before walking back to the haughty crimson-haired girl.
She had her arms crossed, and one of her brows were arched in thinly veiled disdain. As he approached, her scarlet eyes flicked to the other Hunters, lingering on each of them like a queen surveying peasants.
"Uncle, are you sure these Hunters will be of any assistance to us?" The red-eyed beauty suddenly asked Yi Wenzhou in a haughty tone.
Yi Wenzhou chuckled softly, like someone who had heard the same tune many times before.
"They're not here for sightseeing." He said patiently.
"They're here to support us and help us achieve our goal. A rift's ecosystem is unpredictable, so we can't afford to be careless."
The red-haired girl scoffed lightly, tossing her red hair behind her shoulder proudly.
"The two of us could handle the entire raid ourselves. I don't see why we need the assistance of other Hunters."
"Yes… we probably could. You're a prodigy, after all." Yi Wenzhou's eyes crinkled with a faint smile.
"However, even prodigies should learn that this world is not pleasant to anyone, prodigy or not." He concluded with a note of finality.
The girl frowned at his words but said nothing. She turned away, clearly unsatisfied, as she knew it was a warning to her, so she didn't argue. Yi Wenzhou watched her for a moment longer before shifting his gaze toward the rift glowing in the distance, his smile fading into something more serious.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Hunters had completed their gear checks. Each of them wore their nerves differently, and while some were silent, others murmured light banter to dispel the tension building in their chests.
Noel adjusted the clasps on his Moonwalker robes, his eyes flicking between the rest of his weapons, and a few seconds later, he confirmed that everything was in place.
"Gather round, Hunters!" Coordinator Huan's voice rang out crisply as he stepped forward with a data tablet in hand, and without wasting any time, he conducted a mandatory safety check on every Hunter present.
Once he finished, Huan stepped aside to reveal the softly shimmering rift gate behind him and issued a strict order.
"Enter at will, but remember—your safety is your responsibility the moment you pass through."
The group nodded solemnly, and began advancing one by one. Yi Wenzhou took the lead, followed by the haughty girl, then Luther and Mia. The last of the Hunters soon disappeared through the veil of light, leaving only Noel and Huan standing before it.
He took a breath, steadying himself, before moving forward. The mana flowing from the rift licked at his skin like static electricity, but he didn't flinch.
He maintained his stoic expression, stepped forward, and vanished into the light.