Right now, I was on the phone with Mr. Reed informing him about the events earlier in the day. I was outside of a nearby hospital located in Tennessee, waiting for Darion to finish getting treatment. It was nighttime, around 7:28 pm.
"Basically, the Dungeon was a D-Rank Dungeon at first, but was on the verge of evolving to a C-Rank Dungeon? Not only that but you also two were attacked by a heavily built man and a woman?" Mr. Reed clarified.
"That is correct." I replied.
"…"
"…"
I heard a long sigh from the receiving end and a creak of an office chair. "We'll talk about this in greater detail tomorrow morning. I want to hear the rest, start to finish. I'll contact you later. Keep your eyes peeled and stay safe."
BEEP!
And that's that. Today has been a long day. I just want to rest already.
"Well? What did he tell you," said a voice behind me. When I looked over my shoulder, Darion was walking toward me with his left arm now in a cast. At the front door of the hospital was a nurse waving goodbye to us. I smiled and returned the favor.
"Mr. Reed wants to meet with us tomorrow morning to talk about what happened. How's your arm," I asked, pointing at the cast.
"…What do you think?" He answered sarcastically.
"Well. Sorry that I asked." I mumbled. Superhumans can heal from injuries much faster than regular humans. Darion's arm will be good as new tomorrow while it would take others a maximum of six weeks. We can't regenerate lost limbs, sadly enough.
We stood there in silence, looking up at the night sky. The brilliance that is stars were little in number today. The breeze was slightly chilly but comforting at the same time. It was getting kind of awkward as time went on, so I was about to open my mouth until he spoke first.
"Hey. Why do you think they were targeting us?" Darion said.
Aren't you a talkative one today…
I didn't answer right away as I thought of the best way to answer. "…There are those who commit evil acts in this world, Darion. They are either sadistic animals who are only in it for the thrill or those who have no other option and do the things they may or may not enjoy. Sometimes both. What I'm trying to say is that we have no way of exactly knowing until we hear it from the person itself." I answered carefully.
I heard Darion snorting loudly to my left. "Whether they have no other option or what. I don't care. I won't die an early death until I accomplish my goals…"
In the corner of my eyes, I could see him clenching his fists. Since it was dark, I wasn't able to take a good look at his facial expressions, but I can somewhat guess what he was feeling.
An overwhelming feeling of determination.
"What are your goals?" I quietly asked. Darion looked straight into my eyes but quickly turned away.
"It's getting late, see ya tomorrow, old man." Darion said. He then left me alone without so much as sparing me a glance.
****
DING DONG!
…
DIING DONG!
Mmm…
BANG BANG BANG!
Huh? Wuuz happening?
A loud banging noise awoke me with a violent jolt.
"Joel! It's Sophie!" said Sophie in a frantic tone.
Sophie? What is she doing here so early?
I groggily reached out to a stand near my bed and turned on my phone. "It's 7:23 am…" I grumbled. Even though I didn't feel like getting up, Sophie would just keep on ringing the doorbell. Still drowsy from how little sleep I got, I slowly got up from my comfortable sleeping quarters and wandered to the front door, opening it.
"Yes-"
"Are you hurt? Do you feel any pain? What happened?!" Sophie cried. She was rapidly asking me questions while inspecting every inch of my body with worry.
"I'm fine. Thankfully I wasn't injured." I said, rubbing my eyes.
Sophie placed a hand on her chest and sighed. "Phew… that's a relief… when I heard you and Darion were ambushed, I came rushing to you both as quickly as I could! I visited Darion first and his arm was in a cast! I then thought to myself, what about Joel?"
"Slow down. First, come on in. Don't want you waiting out here."
"Excuse me then…" She muttered softly. After she stepped inside my home and locked the front door, I walked to my bathroom.
"You can go have a seat somewhere while I go get ready." I informed her as I entered my bathroom.
"Alright… I'll just sit at the counter."
Locking the door, I went on with my business, brushing my teeth, a quick shower… the usual. I always have a set of clothes ready to be worn inside the bathroom; a dark-blue button-down shirt with black jeans. My phone, which was on the sink countertop, started to ring as I finished putting on my pants.
"Parker."
"It's Reed, I want you at the usual spot by 10 am. We'll continue our discussion from last night."
"Yes Sir."
BEEP!
I walked out of my bathroom and closed the door from behind. I spotted Sophie looking at photos mounted on my refrigerator.
"Was that Mr. Reed? I heard your phone ringing." She asked without looking up.
"Yea… he wants me to meet him by 10 am. It's about what happened yesterday." I said as I sat down on my counter stool. I lived in a single-family home in Los Angeles. The reason for that is because it's in proximity to the meeting place. The walls were painted white and free of stains. The kitchen and dining room stood near the front entrance while the living room was on the far end. It was just your ordinary four-bedroom home.
Sophie was quiet for a bit, the corners of her mouth curling as if she was hesitating to speak.
"…I'm sorry." She finally let out.
I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Sorry? What are you sorry for?"
"For not being there with you and Darion. If I was with you guys, we would've easily handled the assassins and captured them…" Her voice shook with emotion. I understand the sorrow she is feeling, not being there for those you care about. I know it all too well.
"Sophi-"
"Yes, I know. It is all in the past now. All we can do now is make sure this doesn't happen again, right?" She said with a sad smile.
"…Right."
"Okay."
Sophie moved away from the kitchen and was now standing in front of the door, preparing to leave. "Well, let's go, shall we?"
I took one last look at the cheerful faces in the photos, the feeling of regret rising from deep within once again. I shook it off and suppressed that terrible feeling back within my heart and looked back at Sophie.
"Yep. I have a feeling we'll have more work to do..."
****
The sounds of bickering could be heard beyond the metal door. I can barely make out the muffled voices, but it sounds like Mr. Reed and Leo are arguing about something. Sophie and I shared glances before Paul ushered us inside. The whole room fell silent upon our arrival.
"I could hear you guys a mile away. What were you talking about?" I joked.
Mr. Reed was not amused. "Take a seat first, Joel, Sophie."
"Okay…" I said with a frown. The atmosphere was awkward and heavy like I was navigating through a thick, muddy swamp. Camila seemed pissed off since she was scowling as if she had just touched dog feces, Sam was a little more fidgety with his fingers, and Darion was straight-faced as always. Leo and Mr. Reed, on the other hand, were stressed. I took my seat right next to the worried Leo.
"Glad you're safe Joel. It must've been hard for you, huh?" Leo whispered as he patted me on the back.
"Thank you, but I'm fine. Let's get on with it." I said with a smile.
Mr. Reed nodded grimly and turned his head to me. "He's right. Let's commence the meeting. Joel, give me all the details."
"It'll take a while. Anyways…we were told it was a D-Rank beforehand but that wasn't the case later. The task we were given inside the dungeon was to destroy a small fort run by Demogoblins. It was easy, of course, and it didn't take long to neutralize them. The strange part though was when we hadn't received the completion notification from the system. That was when it appeared; it was a Demogre, but much bigger, stronger, and it wielded magic with its skin color being a mix of gray and red and two horns on its head. It was an entirely new species of Demogre, so we called it Chieftain Demogre."
Leo was shocked at this new revelation as his eyes bulged with astonishment. "An entirely new species and it was stronger than a regular Demogre?! In a D-Rank dungeon?"
"No, you got it wrong. It wasn't exactly a D-Rank dungeon when we fought it at the time. It was a pseudo C-Rank Dungeon. I was informed that the colors were a swirl of orange and yellow."
Leo adjusted his glasses nervously as his lips quivered. "I-it cannot be… You must tell me more about it after…"
"Leo… focus. I know you love researching Dungeons and Monsters and all that, but Joel has yet to talk about the most distressing part." Mr. Reed said sternly.
He took off his glasses and was wiping the foggy lens with a napkin tucked into his pockets. "Yes, Mr. Reed. I just got excited there for a moment. Carry on, Joel."
"Mhm… after completing the dungeon, we both hopped onto the awaiting helicopter and sat there, waiting for takeoff. Everything was normal from then on, until the Pilot noticed something strange coming our way. It was rocks of all sizes being thrown at us by somebody. We couldn't dodge the onslaught and the Heli took a major blow. All I could do was grab Darion and jump off the smoking vehicle. The Pilot was far too gone to save…"
BANG!
Everyone jumped at the unexpected disturbance and simultaneously looked at the source of the noise. Camila's fist was lodged right into the table and a big hole was formed.
"Perdona, do not mind me." She mumbled in an icy tone.
"Note to self, buy a sturdier table…" Mr. Reed murmured.
"As I was saying… we got out of there mostly unscathed, but Darion suffered from a dislocated arm and had to hold his spear with one arm. As we were talking amongst ourselves, a dagger came flying at us. We defended against it easily, but we couldn't find the assassin's direct position, so Darion was fed up with it and decided to…cut the whole area into pieces…"
"W-wow… good thinking Darion." Sophie stammered. Darion simply grunted at Sophie's compliment.
"Thanks to that, we found the assassin, but they started to flee. I threw Darion at her and he managed to stop her dead in her tracks. While interrogating her, I noticed a tattoo on her neck, and it was an Oni mask. Before I could ask her what it was, her accomplice saved her and escap-"
Leo and Mr. Reed shot up from their chairs, their faces pale and sweaty. "Did you say Oni-mask?!" They shouted in unison.
I furrowed my brow and decided now was the time to grill them for answers. "You two obviously know something about the Oni-mask with how you reacted. Not only that, but you were also arguing about something earlier."
Both glanced at each person in the room and sat back down. Mr. Reed opened his mouth first. "I guess it's about time you all knew about it. I wasn't sure if they actually existed which is why I haven't mentioned them, but now I know they aren't a hoax. Leo, if you would."
Leo nodded and stood up from his seat while clearing his throat. "Yes. The assassins who attacked you both are from a vile worldwide organization called Shadow Oni. They are filled to the brim with wicked superhumans who accept target bounties on those who are famous or infamous. The people who create these bounties are mostly corrupt officials and the rich. Mr. Reed made me in charge of finding who these people are and bringing them all to justice."
We all looked at Leo and Mr. Reed back and forth with bewilderment. How could you keep something of this magnitude a secret? It doesn't make sense…
"You tell us this now? Are you idiots or what?" Darion snorted in disgust.
"D-Darion! Don't call them idiots out loud…even if you aren't wrong in the slightest…" Sophie blushed as her voice trailed off at the end, casting her gaze down at the table.
Darion glanced around the room and shrugged at our shocked faces. "Someone had to say it. Since this involves me, I have every right to be angry. Mr. Reed and Leo didn't trust us enough to disclose this type of information to us. It makes you think- what else are they hiding from us?"
No one refuted what Darion had said as Mr. Reed just stared at him. "You're right. I have no excuse for not warning you guys of them. It is a lapse of judgment on my part. Please do not be mad at Leo as I had him swear to secrecy. I apologize…"
"Hmph." Darion hasn't accepted nor rejected his apology and looked away, staring at the ceiling. A cold chill enveloped the room, even though there weren't any windows. An unforeseen force was pressing down on each and every member's shoulders as they glanced at one another. Unease and skepticism were practically glittering in their eyes.
If I don't say something now, the morale of The Six Hunters will plummet, and so will our trust.
"So, what happens now, Mr. Reed?" I said quickly, wanting to change the subject.
"Firstly, if this ever happens again, we should have a safety precaution in check for every member. We would need a sort of communication device everyone will have on hand in case of emergencies, like an SOS signal. Leo will keep researching the Shadow Oni and will update everyone else from now on. I will speak to the president about this matter. We cannot show that organization we are aware of their existence, though it's highly likely they already knew. Other than that, continue your life normally. But keep an eye on your surroundings. You are dismissed." Mr. Reed was the first to get up and exit the room, the six of us still seated.
"So… I know this is shocking for everyone here, but as The Six Hunters, we cannot show fear. If we are scared, so will the people. Leo, I know you will do your absolute best, so don't stress about it, alright?" I said.
"Pshh. Who said I was stressing? Espionage is my forte. I'll keep you guys posted. Later." He gave me a light tap on my shoulder and was out of the room. Sam waved at everyone and followed Leo. Darion was next as he left without a single goodbye.
"W-wait for me, Darion. Bye Joel," Sophie said. She gave me a curt bow and bolted out of the room to catch up with Darion.
Oh? Is Sophie still worried about him? I mean, he is the one who got hurt after all.
With them gone, it was just me and Camila left. I'm surprised she's still here. Usually, she's one of the first to go talking about reservations she made ahead of time. Camila is a busy woman. She is a fashion model after all.
"Joel." Camila whispered softly.
"…Yes?" I answered carefully.
"Would you care to join me for dinner later?"
****
There was a mob of paparazzi outside the restaurant taking pictures of us through the window. They arrived like a pack of hyenas. They weren't the only ones as customers and staff had their phones out and recorded every second of the scene playing out before them. It was kind of uncomfortable with so many eyes on you when you're just trying to relax with a friend.
Camila sensed my nervousness and waved at the onlookers. "You get used to it Señor, as long as they aren't all up in your personal space that is." She continued nibbling her Abalone dish, savoring each bite she takes. Every time I look at her, she carries herself like a calm, and elegant lady. Imagine my surprise when she bashed a hole into the table and had a glare that could kill a man!
"Camila. What were you mad about earlier?" I finally asked.
She places her fork back on her plate and wipes her mouth with a napkin. "Let's just say... I couldn't keep my cool after hearing about your experience with these assassins. My colleagues were attacked after all."
"I understand that but you're usually so calm and collected. I didn't think it was that big of a deal for you."
She rested her chin on her palm and peered right into my eyes. A beautiful woman like her staring with those gorgeous eyes of hers would make anyone swoon. "You know, Joel. I respect you a lot. When I heard that Mr. Reed wanted to appoint you as the leader of The Six Hunters, I thought it was a mighty fine idea. You seemed like the best fit. You understand how others feel and think of them before yourself. I think those qualities are something the best kind of leaders possesses."
"Is this why you wanted to have dinner with me? To give a small pep talk?" I scoffed.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and chucked afterward. "I'm not giving you a pep talk. I'm simply voicing my thoughts about what I think of you. Am I not allowed to do that?"
"You are but..."
BZZT!
Camila looked down at her phone and narrowed her eyes. She clicked her tongue and rose from her seat. "I have some business to attend to. Thank you for joining me for dinner, Joel. Don't worry about the bill, I paid it ahead of time. Ciao~" With a blow of a kiss, she exited the restaurant, the paparazzi following her along as she entered a black limousine and sped off into the distance.
"Man... why are they such a handful..." I sighed.
RIING RIING!
"What is it now?" I mumbled. As I peeked at my phone wondering who was calling, it was a number I didn't recognize.
"Hello?" I said slowly.
A nervous tone on the other end spoke up. "...Hi. Is this Mr. Parker? It's Sara, Sara Rossi."
Sara? If she's personally calling me, that means...
I assumed a gentle tone and replied. "Hello, Miss Rossi. This is Parker. What do you need?"
"I'm calling to schedule a meeting. I want to know more about being a Dungeon Conqueror."