(The Next Day)
As I went to sit down on my chair for the 4th time already in the fourth day, I waited for the same events to happen just like last time while power coursed through my body at every single moment as even a common Gift that I wield could rival those of uncommon and sometimes even rare with how strong I have become from the Gifts I got from a campus full of talented students all around the world.
The only thing left is to solidify my hunter association and be the main one to handle all rifts and monsters as I become the source of income for most people in the world, you control the source of money means you control the people, and if you control the people, you control the world.
I know if the world banded against me, I would still be defeated even if I have this many Gifts due to how inefficient I am with the number of Gifts I have, compared to someone who only has one, I might as well be trash if I competed head-on against them if we have the same Gift.
As the clock ticked down each second, Sora got into the room, I said the same words with the same actions as last time, and everything went smoothly along with Zoran as I waited for the arrival of the dear looper Kim Jong-ga.
And like clockwork, he did appear a few seconds earlier than last time as if he also follows the same actions just like me to optimize the results, I already know what to say throughout the whole day if Jong-ga does the same actions as yesterday.
But everything is already under my control due to one simple thing, I can read their minds.
With a grin inside my mind, I activated the Gift I got yesterday and went to focus on Kim Jong-ga who was walking toward us but something surprised me.
The Gift… doesn't work.
I hurriedly set my focus on Sora but just like last time, I couldn't read their minds.
With desperation, I turned towards Zoran, and luckily, it did work as I read his mind like an open book 'I wonder what I should eat for lunch later.'
But these events confused me more, what is the thing different about those two and why can't I read their minds?
It's like a barrier I can't go through whenever I tried to use the Gift on them, with a mental sigh, I just watched Jong-ga sit down with a smile as we greeted each other just like last time with Jong-ga saying some other things here but it generally went the same as yesterday.
With a mental checklist, I check them off one by one with the following events, the status, the boy shouting about the rifts, me saying "Orcs!" and finally us four leading into the fight.
This time, Jong-ga was far more efficient with his actions as he bulldozed through his enemies with his blood and I still didn't see his system just like last time which further annoyed me more along with Sora… no mind reading, no system… Can I actually not see their status in the first place?
As that thought donned on my mind, I finally realized how seemingly lucky both of them were as I shot a light arrow towards a giant centipede heading towards me with its body exploding from impact.
Then Hope appeared, he decimated the monsters and soon rifts closed one by one in only a few hours as I finally got past the roadblock and finally see what lies ahead.
"Good job you four, but the fight isn't over yet, there are still rifts outside and we need to help the civilians get into a safe spot, but it seems like… a certain group has appeared," said Hope in a peculiar tone as Jong-ga became confused but I know what is happening.
"Students! Those who need healing, go to the infirmary! And those who can still fight! Follow me out of the campus! Rifts are still outside spewing monsters!" shouted Hope as he crouched down and flew out of the campus and on top of the walls while we nodded at Sora who picked us up and got on top of the wall with Hope and we finally saw what was happening outside.
"W- what!?" said Jong-ga in surprise as he saw a group of people wearing suits of armor, wielding weapons that seems to be made for combat as they slaughtered high-rank monsters with ease in the distance with Jong-ga's mind started to be filled with questions.
'W- who are they!?' thought Jong-ga as he watched them easily take care of A rank monsters with their gigantic weapons while another group wearing white robe-like armor went to heal the heroes all around the area and also helped the civilians get into a dome-like barrier as they seemed to be a very organized group with clear roles.
One seems to be the fighters who went to deal with the monsters while the other group was the support who went to reduce casualties with the help of tech with Jong-ga gulping at their display of might as the whole city hurriedly got cleaned off by them.
And that was not the end, another group appeared wearing a uniform that says Hunter Agency on their clothes went to gather the corpse of the monsters as Jong-ga became more shocked because the Hunter Agency shouldn't exist by this time.
"W- who are they?" said Jong-ga with wide eyes.
"We got into contact with them a few minutes ago, they called themselves… the Hunter Agency," said Hope as the five looked at the civilians safely getting out of the barrier domes with no casualties with Akihiko sighing by the side.
"Phew, it seems like my family is safe," said Akihiko while wiping away his sweat while Jong-ga looked at the people wielding weapons and wearing armor with confused eyes.
'D- did they go back in time just like me? That's the only plausible reason, they could be considered B rank hunters and they could even take care of A rank monsters with ease, but how were they able to get those gear? How are there so many of them? Unless… I changed the timeline due to my actions' thought Jong-ga with wide eyes as he realized his meta-knowledge from now on would be obsolete with the appearance of this new unknown group.
As the five watched them get the corpses into some vehicles, the person wearing red armor went to grab a mic from a guy wearing the Hunter Agency uniform as they heard his voice throughout the city.
"Civilians of Hope City! There is no need to panic! The rifts are all officially taken care of! We will also take care of the damaged infrastructures free of charge! But please stay at the designated areas first as our team will get to fixing the city first!" shouted the guy wearing red armor as the civilians said their thanks while the people wearing uniforms went all around the city as one by one the city got repaired with the assistance of Gifts while Hope started to speak.
"Let's talk to them, you guys want to follow me?" asked Hope.
"Yeah!" said the trio.
"Yeah," said Jong-ga with a soft voice as they got on Hope's body and with a kick, they jumped off the wall towards the group of hunters in the distance and landed right in front of them.
"Hello!" said Hope with a smile as the hunters looked at them with their covered bodies until the red armored guy took off his helmet and Jong-ga finally got to see his face which he didn't recognize one bit, this means this is a person who was supposed to be dead but now he seems to be the leaders of this group.
"Hello there mister Hope, it is our honor to meet you," said the man who has short black hair and black eyes, he wasn't handsome but there was that thing about him that makes him charismatic.
"May I know who you guys are?" asked Hope as the four got off Hope's body and onto the ground.
"We are called the Hunter Agency," said the man while pointing at the people wearing uniforms that have the word Hunter Agency written on them.
"I can see that, what I want to know is who are you guys under" asked Hope with a smile.
"Oh, that would be revealed later once we finished off clearing the other rifts in the country," said the man as a hologram lit up beside him that showed them a map of the whole country or continent of Spes which is a whole continent that Hope made possible with his name.
"Wait, you mean you guys are currently helping the whole continent?" asked Hope with wide eyes because if that was true, then it means they have a force far more powerful than previously thought.
"Indeed, our team is currently all around the continent, and later, we hope to expand to other continents," said the man as trucks soon arrived beside them.
"Boss, the city is all good to go, we can help the others out now," said a man wearing the same uniform as the others as the man nodded and put back his helmet.
"Please wait for the news in around a few hours, we promise that we are not a threat and instead we genuinely want to help others," said the man as they entered the truck along with the gigantic weapons that they carried with one hand and soon, the five watched them drive off into the distance.
'The Hunter Agency… who truly are they?' thought Jong-ga with confused eyes as he looks at the city that was now all and new with the damage previously done now fixed.
AN: This is 1664 words, you're welcome.
The Sword of Damocles hangs above each and everyone one of you with its ever present threat of despair, so send me some power stones with your power of friendship and save the thousands perhaps even millions to come who will read this masterpiece immortalized in the tunnels of time.
(April 3, 2022 – 130th day of writing)