Chapter 14: Team!
Time always flew by, especially when one was having a good night's sleep.
Soon the night passed.
After a long night, Orion began his day with his usual routine: an hour of exercise, cleaning himself up, and filling his belly with warm, delicious meals.
No sooner had he finished his meal, Victor approached his table, carrying a small wooden treasure box.
Thud!
"Congratulations on becoming a hunter, Mr. Orion."
"Thank you... Uhm, is this your congratulatory gift for my success?" Orion pinched his thigh, practicing his control over his emotions as he offered a polite smile. "You shouldn't have… a simple congratulation is more than enough."
Victor shook his head with a smile. "You guessed wrong, Mr. Orion. The box isn't from me but a delivered gift from my dear friend Fatso."
"Oh." Orion was surprised. He hadn't expected Dave to still go all out of his way to send him a gift.
As Orion accepted the key and opened the treasure box, he was momentarily dazzled.
The items inside stirred vivid memories of his father explaining the alchemical wonders that only hunters or wealthy people can afford and experience.
Inside the box were two vials of healing potions, two stamina potions, two enhancement pills, and two nutrient pills.
"He values you more than I expected." Victor adjusted his monocle as he took in the sight of the expensive alchemy products, each worth between one gold luna to three gold lunas.
"Honestly, I didn't expect this either."
.
.
Thud!
"Didn't I tell you I was lucky? Those orcs couldn't even do a thing, even with their numbers and senses. I slipped away unnoticed, and look, I found a few gold coins along the way."
"Boastful fledgling, do you think your luck will always save you? Ptui."
"Heh, you're just jealous."
Hahaha...
As Orion returned to the Hunter Guild, he was greeted by the lively buzz of hunters boasting about their luck or the money they earned from completing their missions.
He smiled.
Standing on the left side, Orion faced the huge bulletin board stretching several meters wide, where missions were posted in abundance.
The missions were divided into seven ranks, from the lowest F to the most dangerous S rank.
Also...
Monsters were classified into ranks, ranging from F, the weakest, to S, the strongest. For instance, a normal ogre typically fell within the C to B ranks, depending on its numbers and overall threat level. However, once mutated, these creatures became variants, their strength soaring to new heights.
The extent of their mutations determined their rank, turning them into far greater threats.
Scanning the description, Orion came across several F-rank missions offering a few silver Luna; some involved gathering goblin organs, gathering specific herbs, and even escorting a caravan.
"What a shame."
"What are you pitying about...hahaha."
Randel jumped toward Orion with a hearty laugh, giving him a bear hug. Behind him came Louis, Rose, and Jean.
"Louis, see! It's Orion—my trait did not fail me, haha."
"Uh... Can you put me down first?" Orion felt helpless in the grip of the energetic guy.
"Oh! Sorry, haha. By the way, let me introduce you to my best friend, the always serious older brother, Louis. The red-haired beauty is Rose, a new friend of ours, and the shy, silent orange-haired girl is Jean." Randel leaned in and whispered, "Just so you know, Rose is the daughter of the city lord, so don't do anything stupid or it might be off with your head."
Cough!
Orion looked at Randel, then at Louis, who just sighed, as if to say the guy was irredeemable from his energy and thoughts.
Louis didn't even bother speaking while Jean Shyly hid behind Rose as she listened to the conversation. Meanwhile, the confident noble daughter of the city lord nodded at him.
"I think we should go. The others might be waiting for us," he said awkwardly.
"It would be great if I could join a team without Randel," Louis mumbled.
"Hey... Hey dude, don't be so heartless… Come on, future brother-in-law," Randel said with a grin.
"Over my dead body," Louis scoffed, shivering at the words of his friend.
Wrapping up their conversation, Orion, Randel, and the three were guided to the room where they had previously completed their assessment.
The room remained unchanged, but the atmosphere was markedly different. Out of the fifty participants, only nine had truly embarked on the path of hunters.
As for the others, they either failed the assessment or tragically lost their lives during the promotion.
Orion took his seat, patiently waiting for his probationary captain, while Randel, ever the social butterfly, began mingling with the others, bringing energy and life to the room.
But unlike before, the other four seemed indifferent or quite difficult to engage and please. Their expressions and movements radiated a sense of unwavering discipline, with every emotion meticulously controlled, leaving little room for vulnerability.
Thud!
Not long after, Natasha opened the door, allowing nine imposing men to enter and take the stage. Their presence exudes experience and thick madness as if they were beasts in disguise.
Among them were Terry, Navarro, and Marco.
"Good morning, fledgling," Navarro said with a sly grin, his sharp gaze sweeping over the young cubs. "Today marks the beginning of your journey as true hunters. Under the guidance of the three captains and the support of our teams, you all will be divided into three groups… Consider yourself lucky because the guild master approved of my request, and you, young cubs, will have the privilege to decide which C-class mission your team will complete, but be warned, they may be death."
Clap!
"Now let's begin."
With that, Navarro immediately called Randel, Louis, and Jean to his team, giving them a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the group. Once they had settled, he led his team out of the room.
On the other hand, Terry's team was Sead, Mary, and Peter; guided by him, they also left the room.
Meanwhile, Marco, who had enough, remained silent, offering no words at all. As the last team remaining it became clear that Orion, Rose, and Mark were his responsibility to guide.
Cough!
"Forgive my captain, young ones," a middle-aged man with shoulder-length hair said warmly, offering them a kind smile. "As you can see, he's... very special in some way."
The man exudes a noble aura and a gentle, caring warmth.
The other member of the team, a big guy with bulging muscles and a bald head, flashed them a grin as he approached. His movements were oddly graceful, each step almost resembling a dance.
"It's already clear you three will be our cubs, so let us introduce ourselves."
"And since this is my idea, I'll start," said the big guy. "I am Beric Green, titled 'The Mad Cheetah of the Midnight.'"
Cough!
"I am Lauel Snow, titled 'Voice of the Midnight'... cough… Since the captain prefers silence, I'll speak on his behalf. He is Marco Blue, titled 'Silent Observer,' and leader of the Midnight."
The Midnight was the formal name of Marco's team, consisting of only three members. Despite the small size, it was one of the seven strongest teams of hunters in Crimson City.
Beric grinned and gestured. "Now it's your turn."
"Mark Blue, son of a knight serving the Crimson City Lord."
"Oh, a knight's family, then that means…Haha... In the end, the city lord couldn't stop his treasured daughter."
Rose pretended not to hear Beric's words, her gaze fixed on Marco as she spoke resolutely. "Rose Sterling."
Sigh!
"Orion Evercrest, uhm, I'm from the Crimsonleaf village."
Lauel inspected Orion before asking. "Are you the son of Zeno Evercrest?"
Orion's eyes widened in surprise. "You know my father?"
"Though your father wasn't born in this territory, he is one of the strongest and most promising hunters out there," Lauel said thoughtfully, a distant look in his eyes as he recalled the absurd scene of the strong man carrying a baby while slaying several variant ogres left to right. "Even the guild master recognized his potential. It's a pity he turned down our guild's offer and chose to stop his progress…So tell me, how is your father?"
Orion fell silent before responding. "He's dead… he died protecting the village."
"Oh… I'm so sorry to hear that."
Lauel and Beric exchange glances, their expressions shifting, before turning toward their silent captain.
Rose and Mark, on the other hand, look at Orion, surprised to hear the guild master respected by everyone had recognized someone. Their thoughts diverged, each forming different ideas. 'Report,' 'Strong,' 'I'll be even stronger,' and 'I'll be second.'
Clap!
"Alright, there's no point in this silence, so let's get started and find us some good C-class missions, shall we?" Lauel said.
Beric chuckled and added, "Just to inform you three, I hope you take it easy when choosing the mission since we're already old... Hehe."
"We will do our best," Orion replied as he looked at his new fledgling companions.
Mark said nothing, and Rose just nodded in agreement.