Oliver found himself back inside the park, although instead of the summer sun, he was greeted by darkness and the beautiful moon staring down at him. He looked up towards the night sky filled with stars and eventually shook his head. Instead, he focused on his surroundings and simply waited a few minutes before a man in a black suit walked up to him.
"Oliver?"
"That would be me."
"If you could, please follow me."
Oliver simply nodded and was led into another waypoint, one of the many entrances into Amano City. Very quickly, he found himself back at the Mystic Association. He was sitting in front of an old man who had a single golden monocle over his eyes.
"Please place everything down on the table."
Oliver simply followed instructions, placing everything down onto the table, and the man quickly got to work. Within the hour, he had appraised everything and gave Oliver a price, a price for everything.
"The Lifestones would fetch around 200,000. The other stuff can easily fetch around a million. If you would like to look through them, I can inform you of their uses."
Oliver nodded, and the man started to explain the uses of the various items he had gotten. While most weren't very useful, a few of them had their uses. However, Oliver was more concerned with money at the moment.
"Sell it all."
"Alright! In total, after the Mystic Association's cut, you would be receiving $1,020,000."
"Mhm." Oliver nodded and left the Mystic Association as they completed the rest of the procedures. After he left, he went to the Fenrir store to pay off all the debts he had, leaving him with just above $800,000. He looked at his stacked bank account with no changes in his expression. Instead, he went home and went to sleep, not bothering to shower or brush his teeth. For the next few months, Oliver entered a period of unnatural hyperactivity. He went to martial arts training and swordsmanship training. He read up on the various benefits and other aspects of being a Rank 2 Associate. He thoroughly immersed himself in the world of the supernatural, and after a few months, summer was coming to an end.
Oliver stared into the mirror with a proud smile. The air around him was fundamentally different than a few months ago. If before he was a crafty rabbit, he now looked like a lone wolf. An air of confidence surrounded him, although such confidence was thin.
"Okay!" Oliver had been packing for his move in for a few days now. While he thought about simply bringing most of his items through his subspace, he decided against it and only stored his most important items there. While he also got ready to leave Midnight City and step into the wide world. Midnight City was located in the only empire of the continent, the Empire of Ariel. It was merely a background city in the grand empire, while the most prestigious institution was located in the Capital City of Ariel, Undine. The trip itself would take a few days; however, he was ready for his campus life. He looked at his home one last time before he left for the airport, ready to take a flight towards the Capital.
As Oliver got ready to head toward the Capital, the Capital itself was bustling with rumors and mysteries. One such mystery was the rumored killer that was on the loose, a killer that had killed over 500 people. Some might ask how they know it's the same killer. Well, the killer leaves a strange symbol, a symbol that is represented by a mouth full of teeth. The scariest part? The bodies are deformed and broken apart with various teeth marks over their bodies.
The police were at their wits' end until they finally made a breakthrough.
A young police officer was called into the chief's room. Her body stood upright and her chest was pushed out. She bowed slightly in front of the chief of police and asked,
"What did you need, Dad?"
"Sigh, Ash, this is a professional setting."
"Oh, right! Ahem! I'm here, sir."
"Good. I have a new mission for you. You will be enrolled in the prestigious Immortal Institution. I'm sure you're aware of the backing of that place, so don't act too overboard."
"Uhm, but I never applied. Moreover, I don't want to go to school."
"The killer the press has stupidly named The Monster is there."
"Huh?"
"We're not sure whether they're a student, a teacher, or what. However, we have sufficient proof they are there. Your job is to find them and gather evidence on them. Do not, and I really mean, do not engage under any circumstances. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good, only a select few know about this operation nicknamed Hunter. Now, get ready, as the school year is about to start."
Ash looked at her dad with confusion about the eagerness he showed in her attendance. However, she just assumed it was about the mission and left his office to go pack. She was fully aware of the monsters that lurked under their city and this world, and considering the crimes, she assumed the killer did too.
The police chief watched as his daughter left his office, and he didn't know what to feel. He was being forced to send her on this dangerous mission, a mission he wouldn't hope for anyone's son or daughter. Yet, he was also joyful that she would be able to attend a place that was highly selective even to the supernatural! He hoped this opportunity would help her grow, and he desperately hoped she wouldn't encounter the Monster, even though that was her mission. He could see his wife hitting him if she ever found out about this. He chuckled slightly, praying for the safety of his daughter, even if it meant the Monster still roamed free.
While he may be the police chief, the duties and responsibilities of being a father and husband came first.
XVII
A/N
We're finally at the end of the First Volume!! This volume was mainly to set the stage of the actual story and action! The next volume is set to release in at most a week, however, I doubt it will take that long. That's all from me, and, good day to you gentlemen, madams, and others!