"This is very confidential information, but I believe we can put our trust in you since you're now a VIP member of the association," Ethan began, slightly lowering his voice. "There's been a sudden increase in the dungeon appearances lately. According to the Dungeon Analysts, the frequency of dungeon emergence is increasing, and the number of monsters outside the boundaries of cities is rising at an alarming rate. S-ranked cities are now dealing with nearly twice the amount of monsters as before."
His tone became even more serious as if he was disclosing the most important part now,he continued, "That's why a meeting was called, bringing together all the chairmen from every branch of the World Hunter Association."
I could tell from his expression that the situation was no good,in fact dire, and the fact that the association was sharing this with me showed that they were expecting something.
"The World Hunter Association hasn't made it public yet," Ethan said with a tone that was somewhat serious, "but it won't be long before even B-rank cities are elevated to S-rank danger levels,"he paused for a moment,"Monsters are steadily increasing and and ratios shows that they will soon breach the borders of human civilization."
His words carried some weight.The threat wasn't just for high-ranking hunters anymore,it was like the calm before the storm. Even cities relatively considered normal would soon face the same amount of monsters as higher ranking cities. It was clear that the situation was escalating rapidly.
"So, we're in need of strong hunters,"Ethan said, his eyes reflected hope.
I just nodded, taking in his words without saying much in return. It felt more like a matter of fact than anything else. They needed capable hunters, and I happened to be one of them and I knew exactly where this conversation would lead at the end.
He didn't say it outright, but I could understand what he was getting at. I chose not to respond, keeping my thoughts to myself even after hearing all the information he provided.
While I didn't mind the idea of joining the association as I knew the power dynamics of various faction in C-rank cities especially in Cobalt City. Here, the Hunters Association held more power than the guilds, since most prominent guilds were located in A and S-rank cities.Only a handful of strongest guilds had branches in multiple cities.
The biggest drawback to joining the Hunter Association was clear to me,once I joined, there would be no turning back,no freedom,and that lack of freedom was something I couldn't accept lightly.
"I can't guarantee that I'll join," I stated firmly. "I prefer to be free, and working under someone isn't really my preference. So, you'll have to abandon that idea." I made my stance clear, setting my terms clear without any hesitation.
"Sorry, it was foolish of me to ask you to join the association only after our first short meeting," he said with a slightly sad expression. "I understand..you're young and want your freedom,"he said after a slight pause.
I would've joined the association if it wasn't for my past life.I wanted to live a better and free life completely opposite of my last one. I had been an office worker in a bank that was worked to the bone, and I wasn't eager to relive that in this second life. "I can do much more in this life"
As we were conversing with each other, a sudden knock on the door interrupted our conversation. A man in a suit entered, holding three skill books.
I wasn't surprised to see them, as I had already agreed to help, knowing that there would be a handsome reward for taking all the trouble waiting at the end.
"Now, Mr. Zephyr, choose one of these A-rank skill books as your compensation," Ethan said as the man elegantly placed the skill books in front of me on the table.
[Phantom Mirage],[shockwave fist],[Spiral Sphere]
As soon as my gaze fell on the skill books, my eyes gleamed with a hint of greed. "I wish I could learn them all," I thought to myself, but I quickly let the thought pass as if it was never meant to be true. "I guess I'll have to be satisfied with just one."
Although all the skill books were classified as A-rank, I knew that even within the same rank, all of them are not equal, there are clear differences in power and utility. Out of the three, two skill books that immediately stood out were [Shockwave Fist] and [Spiral Sphere].
Both seemed powerful, but without being able to see their descriptions,since the description of the skills is revealed only after it is learned,I was left guessing at their full potential. It was a bit frustrating, knowing that I could only choose one of them without fully knowing what the extent of its power would be.
After a moment of careful thinking, I made my decision about which skill I should be choosing.The [Spiral Sphere] was the first skill book that caught my attention.There was something about [Spiral Sphere] that intrigued me, my gut feeling hinted that it would prove to be a powerful asset. Trusting my gut feeling, I looked up at Mr.Ethan and said, "I'd like to choose the [Spiral Sphere]."
I picked up the [Spiral Sphere] skill book that was lying on the table in front of me. Mr. Ethan gave a quick nod to the man, instructing him to take the other skill books back to the shop. The man swiftly picked them up and exited the room without a word, leaving me and Mr.Ethan alone to continue our conversation.
"Mr. Zephyr, if you ever have a change of mind, our doors will always be open for you," he said, smiling warmly, trying to leave the conversation on a positive note.
"Okay, if I were ever to join a guild, I would consider the association first," I said as I stood up, preparing to leave the association. He bid me farewell as I exited the room.
I left the association with the skill book in my hand.I took a taxi straight to my apartment as the sun was slowly setting.
I arrived at my apartment, followed my usual routine of freshening up, and then went straight to bed. Holding the skill book in one of my hand, I murmured, "Please surprise me."
The skill book was quickly absorbed into my chest as I heard the familiar notification sound in my mind.
[You have acquired A-rank skill Spiral Sphere]
I muttered, "Status window," eager to see how it would look after acquiring more power. The status window popped up in front of me, I scanned the details, very excited to see how the mana stone had changed my stats and abilities.
______
[Name: Zephyr Aetheris (Harry Hudson)]
[Level:20]
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"Holly molly," I muttered, staring at the status window in astonishment. It was like looking at the status window of a completely different person. The drastic changes in my status window over the course of past few hours were nothing short of incredible. My stats had surged, and the increase in the proficiency of my skills added a new layer to my strength.
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Enjoy