Chapter 11 - Meeting the Strongest

Months passed in a blink of an eye and thanks for this span of time, I now have the name---

For the record, thanks for Akigaia and the support of his Guild, I can now do my job done and also has now some spare of new clothes.

Although not my type of clothes, this is better than nothing, and that Tea Shop uniform I once had? I surrendered them to Ashashi but he insists not to take it. Well, I love wearing it actually.

And yes, this time around I only doing the part time-job in our business as I found happiness in life. And what was that?

Bounty hunting of course!

Even one or two infamy? wait for me to hunt you down! That's why after my notoriety sets back to zero, I raised my head high while entering the City who is liberated from the insignia of a criminal. The cityguards who wants to arrest me last time? He can only look at me from afar. As if you can touch this mighty me! Hah, loser!

Thanks to this that I became popular. Probably? Its not that I'm popular but the moniker I used during bounty hunting. . ."The Absolute One!"

Although Akigaia and his guild, knows that man's true identity---which is none other than me of course. . .majority of the people didn't know his true nature. Even the Tea Shop didn't, so I'm happy doing this job secretly, yet boldly. As for Akigaia, well, I call it quits. . .we helped each other out so after helping me getting out of that misery, we part ways. Hmm, not literally though as we are still in contact with each other. He also asks for another favor but that is for the future plan. Who knows, I might reject his offer.

I also received quests or missions from time to time other than Bounty hunting, whilst made my life inside this city become colorful and easier, it was also thanks to Akigaia and his Guild that I can exploit some missions exclusive only for Locusts. . .Thanks to it, I felt that they are indeed different from the people of this world. Still, I don't like majority of them.

And after all that said and done? I don't know why though, but there is still something within me, the feeling as if I am forgetting an important chapter of my life--as if some part of my existence is missing, like that of a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. But what is that?

I am happy in my current life yet something is missing. I don't know, I'm quiet baffled.

Maybe because of this why I only left partially in our Tea Shop. Because from time to time, I serve as an employee, talk with my companion and laugh with them like an old days which remind me of who I am from the past. . .

I'm good with my current lifestyle but why is it? What is that missing piece!? Ahh! so frustrating. Maybe I should start the mission given by that Rhino?

Moments later while thinking, I am now in front of the Bounty Hunting mission board, wearing a thin helmet, bandana and a mask underneath, and blood-colored robe to hide my identity, I picked 5 pieces of paper and rip them all to pieces. After then, like the last time, it also happened but this time, only 3 reds are blinking.

Hmmm? Where's the other 2? 2 of those 3 are together and looks like a party and one is alone from the field where concentrated of monsters I once train, after all, I and other soldiers didn't slack off and always train if we have time.

But, is that separate red dot, alone? I guess not majority of people I hunt is a party of two or more as I killed them sneakily or frontal assault.

Just that, I only killed those who have the bounties on their head and retreated, take another bounty quest again and found out that the one I killed is the same party from my current hunt. So after that frustrating process, whenever I hunt, I ripped 5 papers or two.

"Ah its here!"

As I arrived in the said area, the people in front of me raised their hostility. This time, they're 5-man party consists of different classes.

Oho, so they're ready, huh. According to the sigil engraved from armor or clothes: "Ordeal, huh" I mumble.

Akigaia told me to be wary from this group of people, as although few, they are a bunch of 'Rankers' that could raid boses without the need from the third party. Or so he said.

Well, like I care tho. I smell not a tiny bit of 'strength' from any of them. In any case, I can outrun anyone if I got cornered. Ahh, why am I thinking that kind of thing in front of this fella, anyway. Running is not an option to begin with.

SWISH!

After taking a few steps, I sprinted towards my target: another 5 are lurking behind the tree as if I'm the mouse who fell into their trap. Oi oi, your hostility is piercing me, you can't hide your presence, you know?

Hah, Not that I will that tell to this newbie.

They intercept me by pouncing and raining their skills one after another. Mage raised its staff and starts chanting, their vanguard covers its whole body and crouch and stand like an impenetrable wall with shield facing me.

"Thanks for the welcome"

Instantly arriving at the back of their mage and slit its throat, then kicked the vanguard's butt, thereafter parried the warrior's frontal cleave and counter, aaaand its done~

After the somersault at the back of their formation, my rusty blade is now bathed with blood.

Their mage and the warrior flopped down and slowly plunged through the ground. Dead.

"Allen, Xaiopi! Ahh!"

The assassin screamed belatedly after his teammates fall and followed my trail. Well, he's fast but not enough, I slapped him using the back of my fists as his face contorted with body rotated to the side, creating a pounding sound, slamming unto sections of trees. I heard the crunchy sound of bones from every collision.

Ouch that hurts alot. Whilst making my face changed like a guilty criminal. Ahh, I'm not a criminal, I'm a bounty hunter.

●○●○●○

Arriving at the designated spot for my third target, I waited for another 5 more minutes before the refresh time for the mini-map to hammer inside my head again.

Monsters here shouldn't belittled as the average is less than at least fourthy percent of power of that Gorilla boss that Akigaia and his guild raided the last time. So I might be surprise if my target is soloing this area the whole time.

I shouldn't be, afterall from my observation, Locusts are growing overtime. I reckon, the last month until the present date, their average battle efficiency is---they could at least raid Eighties and lower rank soldiers from my village. That was a raid and not one-on-one, so yeah, I can still see their progress.

As I keep on walking forward, I smell the familiar scent entered in my nostril not far away and also getting nearer.

This smell. . .is a smell of blood who killed hundreds of thousands of people up to date.

"As I thought"

I stopped as if nailed my feet to the ground, making an eye contact to the familiar face I wish not to see for the second time of my life.

"Hohoh, a soldier who have keen sense of smelling blood, what a turning point of event" From his remarks, my eyebrow twitched. What is it this time? Why is he here of all places? And according to his reaction, he is not even a bit of surprise as if opposing his own word.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" I ask what's running on my mind. His presence alone made the nearby trees shook as the air is violently whistling. Or is it my imagination?

"Heh, I'm on my Quest, why? Is it unusual?"

Of course its unusual, and what Quest? Is it about the Locusts? I couldn't help but open my eyes wide awake. Don't tell me this person is my target!? No...no way. I subconsciously half-stepped back from that thought.

And with smug looking face, he followed: "Heh, the Guardian actually summons me, its just that, rumors made me come here to take a look"

Perplexed I asks again, "Rumor, and by Guardian you mean the one who oversees the Central continent? The Dryad?"

The half-half of Dryad and Orc, and the one who called, the Guardian of the Origin. One of the 5 strongest beings, residing at the very center of the continent---or should I say, the 5 who represent each continent to form the balance in between.

It is said that before completely becoming the slaughtering monsters, Orc has a demonic blood and mix of an animal, a Boar. Epic says that the characteristic of the savage Orc and its physical trait originated from the Boar and its intellect comes from its descendant, the Demon. Or so according to history.

Scholar contradict it but the moment an Origin called Ygg, emerged who receive the calling to protect the highest tree from the central continent. Epic become the reality after admitting, that it is indeed the child of a Dryad but with mix of an Orc.

As for the Dryad, it is an elemental guardians of elves but prefer solitary life. And now, it guards the so called God Tree or commonly known as, the Yggdrasil, or the Origin Tree.

Other than---they're the kind of lustful race of course, so I won't be surprised if Dryad had a mix race in it.

Anyway, that Tree is supposed to be protected by an Elves---but for some reason, the latter was kicked out from its domain. That, is the story written from books and sang by Bards. Even my knowledge is limited in that regards. But the main question is, is that Dryad still alive until this point?

Hearing this man in front of me, I might reconsider.

After all, this man is also one of those so called, strongest. "Heh, you're knowledgeable for a mere soldier, huh" he sneer while answering.