"Alright. This should be safe here," Lucia muttered as she surveyed their camouflaged warcraft. Despite the tight security of the warcraft, she preferred to be cautious since the craft lacked an invisibility function.
"If anything happens to my baby, I'd be bankrupt in moments."
Her overprotectiveness drew laughter from Alisha and Yang, who couldn't help but tease her.
Lucia turned to Summer, her tone more serious. "Summer, we'll need to proceed on foot from here. It's too dangerous to fly over the forest. The location you want to reach is about 50 kilometers deeper into this forest."
"I understand," Summer nodded, already steeling himself for the journey ahead.
Suddenly, Silver's voice cut through the air. "On the left!" he shouted, immediately raising his sniper rifle.
"Thwip!"
A silenced shot rang out, and a large monkey's body fell to the ground, startling everyone.
The group instantly became alert, weapons and gear at the ready. Summer, however, hesitated. He debated whether to draw his sword from the space bracelet. The spear and space bracelet were valuable and eye-catching item, and he was wary of arousing any greed among his companions. Trust was still an issue, as he was well aware that enough greed could corrupt even the most honest person.
He knew he was alone and powerless; it wouldn't take much for them to turn on him if they wanted. While the organization tracked their missions to ensure customer safety, he knew it wasn't foolproof. There had been cases where black escort teams staged accidents, and after some compensation, they were free of any consequences.
"Whoa, a silver-toothed monkey? Nice one, Silver," Yang commented as he approached the fallen beast, examining it closely.
"Yeah, but the real question is whether there's a Gene Crystal inside it or not," Alisha added, her tone curious.
"Who knows? We'll have to check to find out," Silver said calmly. "Yang, get to work. Let's see those muscles."
Yang nodded and pulled out a small knife, carefully cutting into the monkey's tough skin with practiced ease. Despite the creature's hardened exterior, Yang's strength and the sharpness of his blade made the task look effortless, slicing through it like tofu..
After a while, Yang sighed in disappointment, wiping his knife clean. "Nothing here, guys."
The others barely reacted, as if they had expected the outcome.
"Well, yeah," Alisha shrugged with a slight smile. "What do you expect from an Omega-phase evolved beast? If it had been a Gamma beast, we might have struck it lucky."
"Don't get too excited," Silver interjected, pouring cold water on her enthusiasm. "Remember, if it had been a Gamma beast, it would have been a lot harder to take down."
Humanity had developed a ranking system for evolved beasts and mutant creatures, using the ancient Greek letters to categorize them based on power and threat levels:
- Omega < Gamma < Delta < Beta < Alpha
Each category was more formidable than the last, with creatures in higher tiers possessing a range of advanced abilities, enhanced physical capabilities, larger sizes, and sometimes even elemental powers. As they moved up the ranks, the difficulty of dealing with them increased exponentially, making encounters with higher-tiered beasts a much more dangerous proposition.
"Alright, enough time-wasting, guys. Let's move. We've still got a few hours before sunset, and we need to keep it quiet as always," Lucia said, her voice firm but calm.
Yang stood up, and the group ventured deeper into the forest, their footsteps barely making a sound. Despite their quiet movements, they were swift, moving with the grace and lightness of feathers. This was thanks to their advanced control over their bodies—a skill honed through countless hours of training. Among them, Silver was the fastest, likely due to his speed-type gene abilities that complemented his role as a sniper.
On the other hand, Summer found it challenging to keep up, despite his years of training. His speed was superior to that of an average person, but compared to these Gene Evolvers, he was struggling. Out of consideration for his situation, the team adjusted their pace, allowing him to catch up. After all, their main mission was to protect him.
After about three hours of strenuous running, Summer's endurance finally gave out, and he collapsed onto the grassy land, breathing heavily. The group halted, giving him time to recover.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Summer," Yang said sympathetically, crouching beside him as he handed a water bottle . "I don't know why you're so determined to go there, but take it easy. You should've told us earlier if you were getting tired."
Alisha, already seated on a giant tree root with her greatsword resting on the ground, gave him a grin. "But I have to say, you're one hell of a guy, Summy. Keeping up with us for three hours straight is no easy feat."
"Huff... I'm fine... just need to catch my breath," Summer managed to say, reaching for the water bottle that Yang handed him from the supply pack. He took a long drink, trying to regain some strength.
Silver's sharp eyes scanned the area for any possible danger. The spot where they stood was dimly lit, as the thick canopy of long trees overhead blocked much of the sunlight, leaving them in a shadowy gloom.
"Sssssss.."
A faint, unsettling sound reached Silver's ears—a sizzling noise, almost like a hiss. His special hearing gene ability allowed him to pick up on sounds that others couldn't, and now, he focused intently on it. The sound of something grinding against the rough bark of the tree trunks above them grew louder and more distinct, sending a chill down his spine.
He glanced upward, and what he saw froze him in place. His heart pounded as the sight registered fully—a massive, coiled form, slithering silently through the treetops, its scales glinting faintly in the dim light.
"Guys, watch out!" Silver shouted, his voice laced with urgency as he instinctively reached for the trigger of his heavy sniper rifle. The others, who had been engrossed in conversation, snapped to attention, their relaxed demeanor evaporating in an instant.