Chapter 16 - Tutorial (Hunter) - 2
Vesper controls his breathing and nods in response.
"Very good. Can you speak?" the woman asks.
Vesper shakes his head.
"Alright. I see you're voiceless. That's unfortunate, but it's better than losing your eyesight. That would've been a death sentence," she remarks casually.
'...'
"Anyway, it's good to know you're not deaf. Otherwise, we might have left you here and waited for a replacement from the supervisors. At least now we have a member of our team who can carry things."
"???"
Vesper tilts his head, brimming with questions for them. He scans his surroundings, noticing the campfire in the midst of a dark forest at night. The sky is devoid of stars, and there's no sign of any creatures within the forest, except for the peaceful crackling of the campfire.
The team's captain rises, gripping his scythe and addressing his teammates.
"We should head to the plaza before the meeting time. We'll discuss our next objectives and hand over the newbie to the judge. They will train him and reassign a him a new team."
The female reaper dances in joy, clapping her hands. "Finally! I can't wait to hunt some newcomers. Grandpa Yuu, do you know which stage we're entering?"
Their leader shrugs. "No clue. Ever since the 70th trial was announced, we haven't received any updates from the judges. But we know there aren't many survivors this round, so our workload might be light."
The female reaper clicks her tongue. "I feel sorry for Alanna. How did this new guy replace her? The higher-ups can be so confusing sometimes. And we still need to find out how he knew about the ritual."
"Maybe Alanna told him," suggests the giant.
"Possibly," agrees the leader.
The female reaper turns to Vesper, crossing her arms and introducing everyone.
"Alright, newbie. Since we'll be together for a while, let's get along, okay? I'm Risa. That big guy is Vane. And our leader here is Yuu. Remember to use honorifics when addressing us, got it?"
Vane, the large grim reaper, chuckles. "As if he can talk."
"…Fuck. You're right. Dammit! Fuck the system!"
Vesper looks at them with confusion, unable to comprehend their conversation. He stands up and eyes their cloaks with envy, realizing he's been naked since arriving in this mysterious place. He longs for a fancy garment like theirs.
The team captain, Yuu, turns towards Vesper and gives him a slight nod, gesturing for him to follow.
"Come with us. We'll explain how things work in this world," Yuu says.
The group sets off into the forest, and Vesper nervously follows them. As they walk, he reflects on the ghost woman's last words from that unforgettable night.
"Trust no one!" he recalls, mulling over the meaning of her warning as he gazes at the grim reapers.
During their journey, Yuu looks back at Vesper and imparts some basic knowledge.
"This place is called the 'District Campfire.' In each district, there are between four and a hundred members, depending on the team's size. Our team used to have a hundred members, but most were lost in previous turn."
Vesper listens attentively, noting the significance of "District Campfire" and "Turn" in this context. He wonders how long they've been here but refrains from asking.
"We're overseeing the terror-mode tutorial zone this round due to our numbers. Alanna used to advise our team. Did she tell you about the conversion process and our existence?" Yuu asks.
Vesper realizes Alanna is the grim reaper from the haunted house but hesitates to reveal what he knows. However, since it seems inconsequential, he nods and confirms Yuu's assumption.
"I understand. Thank you for being honest," Yuu says, relieved.
Meanwhile, Vane expresses annoyance. "That cunning woman really abandoned us. She told us to recover from the last round, but she ascended herself. We should've eliminated her and taken her runes. She had some valuable ones!"
Risa counters, "Alanna isn't the type to prioritize self-interests over her ideals and goals. However, whenever she acted impulsively, things always turned out in her favor. This time seems no different. She must have been planning something unusual without consulting us once again. I doubt she simply ascended and moved on."
Vesper find this discussion intriguing, yet it doesn't address why "Alanna" instructed him to find wait for her. He also yearns for more information on how he could return to Earth.
Uncle Yuu clears his throat, halting the gossip.
"Whatever schemes Alanna may have, they are no longer our concern. We'll focus on our upcoming missions and targeting the top rankers of this turn. Let's not forget the shame of how the previous turn's top rankers decimated our team."
"…Yeah, that brain-dead boxer. What was his name?"
"Fist of Death Star something. I forgot." Vane muses.
Vane and Risa's demeanor shifts, emitting a palpable aura of malicious intent that chills the air around them, causing the temperature to drop drastically.
Vesper exhales a frosty breath, rubbing his arms and body as the icy weather continues to affect him even in the afterlife. He looks at the two grim reapers with murderous intentions, hoping they would cease using their powers soon.
Yuu sighs and changes the topic, returning to guiding Vesper.
"Where were we? Ah, yes. It may sound strange, but you must let go of moral ethics and human reasoning now. We are aligned with the Supreme Judge, the judges, and the hunters. Our duty is to hunt down any humans, aka survivors we encounter, and you'll be taking many lives in the future. However, as a newcomer, you'll likely undergo a hunter tutorial to familiarize yourself with the process."
Risa chuckles, "You'll be amazed. They provide extensive resources for newcomers, and our runes are far superior to those of the survivors."
'...'
Yuu continues, "Once we reach our destination, you'll receive further instructions. I doubt they'll immediately send us to a real battlefield or a group hunt, especially since you've just joined us. If they follow the same system as the last turn, you'll be separated from our group and redeployed to the same tutorial zone you came from."
Vesper swallows nervously and nods. He secretly wishes he could return to the previous district, where he was familiar with the map layout.