I felt a significant burden, I didn't know why but it felt that suddenly, a great ton of boulders is launched at me from the skies from the Heavens as the Hunters who remained with me decided to make me the leader.
" So what are we going to do, leader? " one of the Hunter asks me as I lead them on killing the monsters using almost everything we have and what we can do despite still having to spare some energy.
As she says that, I can only go silent for leading a large group of people is not my forte, but the [Twelve Eye of Time] back then shows me that I need to learn to lead a large group of people for future needs which also a hard task since I was never fond with managing people before or even talk things to them.
"( What should I say to them...? )"
"( Should I reveal my strength to make them confident that it is the right choice to make me their leader? or should I make a strategy while knowing them much more in order to ease my managing task right now? )"
"( My group here is not that strong, despite most of their valuable abilities as Tankers and Healers. )" I thought to myself as with the tools we had, we decided to clear every section on the 4th Floor with our ingenuity instead of using our might.
With that, I decided to take our time to discuss each other's strengths, starting with me as I partially revealed most of my abilities as I also told them that I'm a [Late Bloomer], a Gifted mortal that has been Gifted so late in my teenage years and I told them that I haven't met my god who Gifted me, which they just accepted it for they also had never met with the gods that Gifted them their powers.
As I tell them, they then told me about themselves as Twenty of them begin to reveal what others need to know about them since I allow them to keep their confidential secrets since we are all Hunters despite we're on the same side for now.
When we finished our discussion, we then begin to plan our way to clear every section on this floor as I ask some of them whose Ranks are higher than me about the terrain of the 4th Floor which is filled with bones and corpses just like the Ruin Dungeon.
As we analyzed the terrain, we then decided to walk our way as we already had a clear assumption of what kind of monsters existed on this Floor which we all shared the assumption that the monster that existed are all the Maneater type, the type of monsters that eats humans as we can see the corpses around us had bite marks and lost limbs.
Unlike the type of monsters that like combat like Goblins and Orcs, these monsters are the type that people tend to be more careful with since it is our very human instinct to fear being preyed on by those kinds of monsters.
After some time, we defeat many Maneater monsters like the Ghouls, Insectoids, and Cyclops. The group can now properly able to cooperate in many desperate times despite the lack of strength as I coordinate them to defeat level 62 monsters which are above their levels but still not as dangerous as it seems since I've scanned them to have no dangerous ability whatsoever.
" Simon, shoot the arrow in the eye, now! " I told Simon, the only archer in the group who happens to be the most valuable person I need in my group right now since a Range Weapon user is great for attacking the enemy far away in order to avoid direct combat.
[ Demon Cyclops Boss Defeated ]
[ EXP Gained ]
[ Looting Items ]
"(These are some items that could possibly be useful in the future but it seems, for now, we have to move quickly despite I want to take time to analyze my skills. )" I decided to see the acquired rewards later as I also see that the System also notifies me that I got another skill.
"( Later... )" I immediately told my group to loot everything they need and everything that they can bring while we explored more sections from the vast 4th Floor of the Abyss Tower.
" Hey Ragna, are you sure this is the right path? "
" It seems that we're traveling in circles... "
" Well, I can't really say for sure but this trail of blood is the most definite navigation that we have right now. " I tell them to still follow the long trail of blood in the ground as I instinctively believe that the blood is fresh human blood that died just recently which could mean two things.
First, we are going to enter a monster lair section and second, we're going to meet some of the hunters who split up with us earlier which could increase the numbers and strength we had right now.
"( I hope that there are some survivors that we can ally with, in this trail we followed... )"
"( For a great unity of an alliance is needed in a place like this as we have to abandon our needs in order to stay strong and survive. )"
We then still follow the trail of blood and came to the nearby lair of the monsters which is empty as it seems the monsters who own it are out for the hunt in this Floor Area, but it seems I was wrong for I see some minor bug monsters comes from the ground which we immediately decide to defeat them, including me who immediately use the
As my group begins to defeat more monsters, many of us begin to think that we will clear the 4th Floor sooner or later, but sadly, we were wrong, and when I say it, we were not just so wrong regarding this matter, but also so screwed.
" Gyaahhh!!!! " said a female C Rank Hunter from my group.
" A Human Corpse!!! " she screams while pointing at the corpse's location which we immediately respond by approaching it cautiously.
Per my coordination, the strongest in our group including me decide to approach the corpse and touch it using the tip of our weapons for safety procedures as I also ask them to cover their nose and mouth with a sheet of their cloth just like me as we turn back the corpse which belongs to.
"( This is...!!! )" I shouted in my mind as I instantly recognize the corpse's identity which was that B Rank Hunter who brags about himself for being strong enough to clear the 4th Floor earlier (the arrogant Hunter in the previous episode).
"( Great, now we're screwed... )" I state this as I begin to hear the people that I led screaming in fear after seeing and recognizing the B Rank Hunter's corpse which immediately destroys their confidence and mentality that I tried to build many hours earlier.
"( Shit, now we have to start to build their confidence and mentality from zero again.... )" I say to myself after seeing this behavior as her panic moment immediately shattered the optimism that we've built after defeating a lot of monsters.