Chereads / Luminous Marble / Chapter 9 - Master Hunter

Chapter 9 - Master Hunter

"Electricity is 200 credits, gas is 430 credits, the office rent is 500 credits, not to mention yearly taxes. If you don't land a job soon, you'll be forced back to the Chaos Dimension." Alexandria said in a monotone tone.

I don't know why she's telling me all of this, I am well aware of my financial situation or lack thereof. After I returned back to Earth from the Chaos Dimension, I was shocked to find out that the planet Earth has changed drastically.

By drastically, I mean it might as well be a different planet. Humanity has been replaced by superhumans, animal humans, and even cyborgs are common. That's not to say that there are no normal humans anymore, but they are rarer than a Tsuchinoko.

Then there's me, a special snowflake known as an Acolyte to the Avatar of Chaos. Geez, thinking about all of that makes me feel like some smelly comic book nerd.

Besides humanity and the planet changing, the animals changed as well. Instead of lions, tigers, and bears, they were all replaced by literally fucking monsters!

The locals call these monsters Ashuras and let me tell you something: these things are no jokes either.

I once saw an Ashura tear a guy in half with just a swing of its paw, killing him instantly.

Too bad for them, I am way stronger than any monsters. So, I did what any logical woman with superpowers would do in my position.

I opened a monster-slaying business.

Or should I say Angelus opened the business, I am just the one who works here full-time.

It's called Millennium and we only specialize in killing Ahusras. The main purpose was to kill the last Master on Earth, but that thing went into hibernation because it disappeared completely and I can't detect it. That, or it is the universe's most skilled hide-and-seek player.

The office itself is nothing too special, just a desk where I usually sit, and a couch where the others sit. There's an upstairs room where my bedroom is, but I hardly ever use it. Ever since I became an Acolyte, I never really needed sleep and only did it out of sheer boredom.

I've been doing this for the past five years so that I was able to make a name for myself in the Republic (the city that I live in).

Sometimes Artemisia would help me on jobs, while Angelus and Alexandria did as they pleased.

This brings me to my current dilemma. I was so good at my job that I wiped out all of the Ashuras in the surrounding vicinity which affected my income.

"Oh man, what am I going to do now?" I said as I buried my face in my hands.

"Instead of complaining about your misdeed, why don't you do something about it." Angelus offers his wisdom in his usual asshole ways.

"How do you expect me to do that?" I said with a hint of sass.

"Do you expect me to hold your hand every time you're in a bind? Figure it out yourself." Angelus said as he lay down on the couch.

"You could always try leaving Republic City and opening another Millennium elsewhere," Artemisia suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea, Artemisia! But there's one problem: I lack the funds to open another location. If any of you are willing to help me out, I will really appreciate it."

I said, putting on the sweetest, innocent voice that I can muster.

"Not going to happen," Alexandria said.

"I already spotted you once so you can open this office. I won't help you another time." Angelus commented

"I would help you Norah, but I don't have any currency on me. Something so abstract means nothing to me." Artemisia remarked.

"Fuck me then, it looks like I'm screwed three different ways."

This has got to be one of the lowest points in my life ever since the first armageddon.

Just then, as if Destiny herself had taken pity on me, the bell jingled indicating a customer had just walked in.

The customer is a female Nephilim, with golden, curly, blonde hair that reached her shoulder. Pale skin, ethereal blue eyes, and her wings were the purest white I have ever seen.

I was filled with envy. She is so thin and pretty that I feel like I am nothing more than an orc who can do nothing but destroy.

With all of that being said, I am nothing but a professional so I kept those thoughts to myself.

"Welcome to Millenium. How may I help you?"

"Hello, my name is Sephora and I would like to hire you."

"Is that so? Didn't you hear the news? There are no more Ashuras around here for me to kill."

"It's a good thing that I am not here to hire you to kill mere Ashuras. I want you to kill a Master."

My ears perked up when she ushered those words.

"Excuse me, did you just say you want me to kill a Master?"

"Yes. My kind is aware that it was you who killed Exodus thousand of years ago and we would like for you to perform a similar feat in modern times."

I don't know how Nephilims know that, but at this point, I am so desperate for a job that I am not even going to question it.

"If you want my Servant to kill a Master, then that's going to cost you a lot of money. I hope your kind can afford it."

Sephora turned her head to face Angelus, who was still lying down on the couch.

"My people are willing to pay you anything. You may or may not know this, but I'll inform you all the same. The planet Earth is on its last life and everything including Ashuras themselves will be wiped out."

"Are you serious? Is it Terrene?" I asked, raising up from my chair.

"No. It is something alien entirely to the Monarch. It was the Cybers who first detected this life form, And it is coming at a rapid pace, they believe it will reach us in a week."

"If that's the case, then why hire Norah here if you all are going to die one way or the other?" Alexandria asked, coldly.

"We Nephilim would like to have a solid victory over the Monarch and her Masters before we all die. Surely you can grant us that, can you not?"

Jesus, I didn't expect this grim news today. And here I was worried about how I am going to pay the bills. If this is the case, then there's no way I could refuse her, besides the fact that I still have a bone to pick with Terrene.

"Alright, I'll do the job! Now, let us discuss the payments."

The world may be ending according to Sephora, but I will still like to get paid for it.