Outdoor training area
Later that evening...
"Alright, guys what's it going to be? I already told you what I think…now let me hear what you guys have to say" Jacob asks his HOA squad of 10 hunters
A female hunter was the first one to speak out
"I agree with a boss I think we should clear the rift ourselves…I understand there are dangers with any rift but as hunters, we must take these risks! That's why I will join Jacob in clearing the rift"
Her name is Alyssa Fullmint and she is the B-ranked female hunter belonging to Jacob's original crew
She had been under Jacob's wings the longest so she knew that her boss could do wonders. She had actually seen it once before….and since then she has always been in love with Jacob
"I will also participate in this fight! I want to see firsthand the HOA Legend, the Arcane Mage Jacob Rogers!" A male HOA hunter answered from behind the group
Everyone turns to see who it was
"Teddy!"
Jacob calls out to his friend from when they first started working at the HOA as rookies
"So you are the one they sent as our support!"
"Haha that's right…" Teddy said with a less-than-enthusiastic face
"Since the tragic event at KonHall yesterday, where we lost three of our best A-ranked hunters and their squads…..., the agency wants to make sure this B-ranked rift goes smoothly to save some face.. "
"Well..Having another A-rank Hunter is a big confidence boost to everyone in the squad" Jacob gives him a pat on the shoulders
"Now then anyone else would like to clear the rift?"
After the other HOA hunters realize that they have another A-ranked hunter in the squad, they all agreed to clear the rift
"…I need the money and a B-ranked gate would be a huge bonus..so I will also join in!" Another HOA hunter replied
"I will join too!"
"Me too!"
"Count me in as well chief!"
Jacob smiles. He didn't expect that everyone would agree to clear the gate
'Everyone put their faith and life in my hands…and as their leader…I can't let them down!'
Since there are now eleven HOA hunters, one of them will have to stay behind and they chose the rookie
"Alright, everyone! Let's go back to our rooms and get some rest for tomorrow. It could be a long and hard fight so I want everyone well-rested! And Tony, since you're not participating in clearing the rift, you will guard this area tonight!"
All of the HOA hunters except for the rookie left the stadium to their temporality living space in the East Wing Dorms right next door.
….
Later, a little past midnight…
East Wing Dorms
Jin was sleeping soundly in his bed when suddenly
Bam!Bam!
Two loud knocks hammered on Jin's dorm room door
Although Jin heard the initial knocks, he did not get up to check who it was
'Leave me alone demon!'
BAM! BAM!BAM!
Three knocks pounded on the door this time
"HEY, NEW STUDENT! If you want to see your friend Alex again, go to the outdoor training stadium if not we will beat his ass in!"
'That sounded like one of the Henchmen of the two brothers from before…...I guess I have no choice but to get up..'
Jin sighs then grab his blazer and leaves for the stadium
Outdoor training stadium
The stadium is decently well-lit up at night. The HOA hunters were fast asleep in the dorms while the rookie Tony was left to watch over the rift
The Ming brothers paid Tony a hefty fee to go on a break from guarding the rift
Seeing how his earnings might get cut short from not participating in clearing the rift and the rift isn't active until the morning, Tony easily agreed
The reason why Lou Ming decided on this location was because of the B-ranked gate and also no one would disturb them
"Look at this beautiful rift brother! It's magnificent! One day we will be able to clear rifts like this and be legends in this world!" Lou Ming exclaimed in excitement
The Father of the Ming brothers works directly under Mr.Tadaka who was now the Vice President of the Ashaki MegaCorp
Mr. Tadaka found out about the fight at the dining hall and thought of a plan to get rid of Jin once and for all
Mr. Tadaka told the Ming brothers' father who told Lou Ming that if the boys were able to get Jin expelled, he would gift a high-grade B-ranked cyber-ware to the brothers which are worth millions.
A high-grade B-ranked cyber-ware is created from a B-ranked cyber crystal, which is dropped from a high B-ranked rift after hunters had cleared it
B-ranked rifts are rare and hard to come by nowadays, which is why when Lyna solo cleared the critical A-ranked rift, it was such a spectacle for the world to see
Their father told also Lou Ming that Jin was secretly a no-mana which means Jin isn't a threat at all!
Lou Ming was bubbling inside just thinking about the high-grade cyberwar that he had been fantasying to get his hands
Since they were only getting one B-ranked cyber-ware, Lou Ming didn't tell his older brother Tou Ming about his plan to make Jin leave the academy
Just then, Jin walks into the stadium
The Ming brother watches him walk toward them to where the gate was
"Well well well the man of the hour finally shows up!" Tou Ming yells out
Jin didn't say a word to them at first but then he sees Alex injured and tied up laying on the floor
"Why are you doing this? What did Alex do to you to deserve this?"
"Ha! This peasant didn't tell you anything? Why don't you tell him Alex!...No? Ok, fine I'll tell him! "
"His trash of a father stole money from my father's company! What a pathetic excuse he had saying his wife was dying and he needed the money for her surgery HA! Like we care! Now I own this low life at the academy because his father is trash!" Tou Ming shouted out
Alex was crying throughout the whole speech and remained silent. It was all true…his father had stolen nearly a million dollars to help his mother who was in critical condition. She was one of the many victims of a plague attack years ago.
"Now I'm going to skewer you really good!"
"Wait!" Lou Ming stops Tou Ming in his footsteps
"How about we make a deal new student…We will let this dog go and all you have to do is leave the Academy! If you leave the Academy, this little doggie's debt can even be forgiven and we will throw in ten thousand dollars!" Lou Ming shouts out
"No little brother! You promise me I will have my revenge!" Tou Ming cries out
"Shut UP! This will benefit both of us I promise you!" Lou Ming scolds at his elder brother
Jin taken a little surprised when he heard Lou Ming try to strike up a deal
'Why would they try to make a deal?….just to get me to leave the academy?…why am I being targeted again!'
He thought about the offer for a moment and then replied
"Sorry I will not accept your deal. It's a great deal for Alex but I will not suffer the consequences for someone else's mistake"
"What did you say no-mana?!"
Lou Ming was in disbelief
He for sure thought Jin would accept the offer
After a moment of silence, Lou Ming started chuckling and said
"Ha..ha..ha no…you will leave this academy after today! Doesn't matter if you want to or not!"
"Brother! Back to the original plan! Make this no-mana regret coming to his Academy! Oh also when we're done with you new student, this dog here will be gutted and his body parts will be fed to the pigs!"
Lou Ming points to the tied-up Alex on the ground
All of a sudden the ground starts trembling
The air around them was slowly becoming suffocating
The brothers turned around and saw blacks sparks flying out of the rift
The rift had suddenly become active!
Tony was outside the stadium smoking when suddenly the ground trembled underneath him
Then he runs back inside and sees that the huge rift was active
"Oh, shit!!!! The rift….it's becoming active all of a sudden! I need to inform the squad lead!" Tony forgets about the deal he had with the Ming brothers and runs to the dorms to get help
Once a rift is active, hunters have a limited amount of time (usually 24 hours) to enter before they turn critical
Back at the rift…
A chilling voice calls out to TouMing and only he can hear it
"FFIIILTHYY HUMANN, YOUUU WILLL DO MY BIDDING!! PPiCK UP THAT TRASH NEXT TO YOU AND THROW HIM INSIDE!!"
"Uh.." upon hearing the voice, Tou Ming lost all track of thought and looked to his side. Alex was laying there in tears when Tou Ming grabs him by the neck
"Brother, we can take care of this trash later! Right now let's crush the no-mana!" Lou Ming shouts
However, Tou Ming was unresponsive and picks up Alex by the neck
"Hey hey relax….I understand what Alex's father did..but that doesn't mean you should take it out on his son who did nothing wrong" said Jin
The sinister voice calls to TouMing again
"YYYYYYYEEEEESSSSSSS THRRRRROOWWWW HIIIIMMMM IINNNnSSSIIIIIIIIIiiiiddde!!!!!"
"W-W-Whatt is going on b-b-brother?"
Tou Ming was discombobulated he didn't know where he was at or what was going on
"What do you mean? Brother are you okay? Why are you sweating all of a sudden?" LouMing asks
This time the voice screamed at him
"YOUUUUR SOUUUUL ISSS MINEE!!! DOOOOOOO IT NOOOOOOWWW!!!"
"I…I.."
Before TouMing could udder another word, he went into a full trance
Then he tosses Alex inside the rift
!!
…..