Chapter 37: The Demons' Maze (4)
Since Hunter had around five minutes left to heal his leg, the duo held back their killing intent and instead focused on the battlefield unfolding not too far away from them.
Hunter and Seraphina counted at least thirty people fighting against four-legged monsters similar to wolves. Those monsters were easily defeated by Seraphina and her trump card, so they weren't feeling threatened yet.
But, as they understood that the rest of the participants had all right to struggle against them, they were also bemused by Aza's appearance.
She was similar to Oona, the beast woman Hunter had killed. In other words, she was like a male bodybuilder from Earth on high steroids, her muscles bulging out from her clothes. As her main defensive equipment was a leather vest, her arms, the main weapons, were at full display to threaten monsters.
Which were already used against them, as her hand was clenched around a long mace from which the blood of monsters dripped.
"What is she waiting for?" Hunter whispered his question to his crimson-haired teammate, voicing his genuine thoughts.
Understanding where he was coming from, Seraphina nodded and narrowed her dark eyes, reflecting the main target of their brewing killing intent.
The beast woman wasn't doing anything at all… but could have already done much more. After all, Hunter and Seraphina had enough time to recollect themselves from the fall, hide in the corner, fight the dangerous monster, and even come here with just enough time for Hunter to heal the precarious wound.
With so many people around her, Aza should have already dealt with those monsters and progressed, leaving messages to other participants in her wake!
Which… she did not.
"Has she noticed the other threats around?" Hunter whispered again… "For instance, if she knows about C Ranked Monsters, she might be saving her strength. No, I refuse to believe that. All because of that convenient timing."
"You're forgetting one thing… we can't sponsor other participants. She must have come from the outside," Seraphina brought up a good point!
Hunter widened his eyes, "That's true… I failed to see through that. Still, so much to learn…"
He had been trying to follow Aimee's advice and see through participants and demons' invasion… well, it wasn't hard to do that as things were too suspicious from the start. Nonetheless, he forgot about that obvious point, which was the sponsor system was enabled only for the viewers.
Was it still available for them after entering the spirit's domain?
If it was…
"You've been thinking about a lot already," Seraphina surprisingly threw in a few comforting words before drawing out her hiding skill, "Surprise attack."
"Yeah… the best tactic against opponents possibly much stronger than us."
Having said that, Hunter waited for Seraphina to entirely veil him in her powerful concealing mantle.
And soon, these two walked in the battlefield, going straight to the linchpin of humanity's survival.
-
Surrounded by monsters and weak humans using their feeble innate skills to the fullest to fight threats, Aza appeared unperturbed, standing straight with her eyes seemingly casually going from one monster to another.
She sometimes stepped forward to smash her mace against four-legged monsters.
Which, for whatever reason, failed to kill them.
Nonetheless, her strength was more than the combined force of all aspiring hunters around her. After all, she was already a hunter and someone sent here to help those in need.
And speaking of those people, everyone celebrated when Aza took a step in, showcasing her strength. It gave them so much hope that a few of them already wanted to join the Beast Domination Guild to become like Aza.
'Miss Aza decided to come here… even if this place is the middle of the demons' invasion!'
'We are circled by the monsters only the best of the best can hunt! And she's here alone!'
'I love her! I'll become her number one fan after joining the union!'
Having altered reality because of Aza's struggles, the participants inwardly respected her more and more as she assisted them in this perilous stalemate.
Unaware that they were entirely swindled by her, as Hunter and Seraphina knew the real strength and rank of those monsters!
And these two were… already on the tail of their main enemy.
At last, when Aza was within her reach, Seraphina thrust through her invisible mantle, her sword slithering for the neck.
However, as though aware of some rats from the very start, Aza reacted instantly, swinging her entire body in Seraphina's direction!
In less than a second, the white sword and the long mace met, entering the battle of attrition and strength.
Which Seraphina was already losing as her sword and little hands were trembling.
She exchanged a glance with her target, getting irked by the sneer and superior glean in Aza's eyes.
Still, Seraphina didn't think of retreating to change position yet.
She wasn't alone, after all…
With his presence hiding in the leftovers of disappearance mantle, Hunter prepared momentum from a different side, his right hand already balled and loaded with tons of strength!
It felt so heavy and cold in this black glove that Hunter wouldn't be surprised if his right hand was now steaming and blue or even purple.
This so much power and weight was chucked straight at Aza's side, with the intention to break her ribs and bones!
Which… didn't happen, as Hunter momentarily thought he had struck the cave's wall instead. Immense pressure and force rebounded back to him, cracking his fingers and going even further, grinding his entire arm.
He was stuck, rooted to the ground.
"Here you are… the killer of my little sister," Aza's bestial but quiet tone descended upon Hunter, drawing his attention to her twisted by fury and sadness face. "I'll take my time killing you."
As the roar of a ferocious bear echoed from Aza's thick muscles, Seraphina was forced to give up on her first battle against her, getting thrown away by nothing but an innate skill.
She took a few steps back and gazed at the woman with rocking eyes, "She's this strong?"
What was her strength and status, actually?
Hunter was asking the same question while getting drowned in the mighty presence of the beast woman.
Lifting her dominant hand, Aza swung her mace at him, leaving gaping wounds on his stomach and chest before hurling him to the four-legged monsters.
"Let the monsters gnaw on his bones for a short time," Aza ordered the gathered aspiring hunters, giving them no room to even think about this entire situation.
And honestly, there was no need for it.
She was their only hope to leave this maze. Even more, she had been with them all this time, fighting by their side to keep their lives intact.
In their eyes, Hunter and Seraphina reaching from the shadows to kill Aza were the real threats.
"Miss Aza! I have an innate rope skill! Let me bind him to the ground!"
Aza sneered, "Do it. Show me how capable you are. If you can keep him bound until he dies, I'll take you to my guild."
"As you wish!"
Following that declaration was a wave of agitated aspirants, all wanting to get a free ticket to Beast Domination Guild. Worse, as monsters sensed the tasty blood of Deathless, their red eyes littered him from head to toe.
In an instant, the situation turned into hell for Hunter and Seraphina.
"Do your job, everyone. I'll deal with the female traitor first…" Aza turned her attention to a crimson-haired woman and sneered at her. "Didn't you see the command? We're obliged to cast our differences and work together to escape this demon invasion… what were you thinking, disgusting woman?"
Seraphina clenched her sword and drew a guard, "That you're a disgusting piece of shit."