Emrys hurried through the streets, finally reaching the small cottage that he called home.
As he entered, his father looked up from the stove, a warm smile on his face.
He was cooking a hearty meal, the aroma of roasted meat and steaming vegetables filling the air.
Emrys' saw his mother sitting on the chair, her face pale. She smiled faintly at Emrys with her sunken eyes.
"Ah, Emrys! Come give your father a hug!" his father exclaimed loudly, opening his arms wide.
Emrys smiled faintly, feeling a sense of relief. His father's successful hunt meant they would eat well tonight, and maybe even have some money left over for his mother's medicine.
The family sat down to a hearty meal, with Emrys' father helping his mother to eat.
Emrys told them about his day, leaving out the parts about the bullies and the guild.
His father's tired eyes and warm smile put him at ease, and he felt grateful for the loving family he had.
After the meal, Emrys excused himself, feeling exhausted from the day's events. He retreated to his small room, the only sound he heard was the creaking of the old wooden bed as he lay down.
As Emrys lay in bed, his mind wandered to the mission tomorrow.
He wondered if there was a possibility of making enough money to ensure his family would never be poor again. He thought about joining the B-rank hunters, C-rank hunters, and even the prestigious A-rank hunters, but his face fell as reality set in.
People like him, weak hunters from poor families, would never be allowed to join the esteemed ranks.
They would always be looked down upon, relegated to the lower echelons of society. Emrys felt a pang of sadness, knowing that no matter how hard he tried, he might never be able to break free from the cycle of poverty.
He thought about the guild's strict hierarchy, how only the strongest and most talented hunters got to join the higher ranks.
Emrys knew he didn't stand a chance, not with his limited skills and lack of connections. The thought weighed heavily on his mind, making it hard for him to drift off to sleep.
In the end, after several hours passed, he was finally able to sleep peacefully.
The next day, Emrys arrived at the designated location, a rugged terrain on the outskirts of the village.
He was there to meet the E-rank hunters for the mission to fight deadly beasts. As he approached the group, he couldn't help but notice their imposing appearance. They were all tall, muscular, and exuded an aura of confidence.
It was the first time he was joining E rank hunters and he had been used to fighting with fellow F ranked hunters.
Emrys felt a twinge of intimidation as he realized that these hunters were not only strong but also familiar. They were the same bullies who had tormented him yesterday, always looking for an excuse to mock and belittle him.
As he approached, they turned to face him, their eyes filled with disdain. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" one of them sneered. "Look who decided to show up. The silver-haired weakling."
The others snickered, their eyes scanning Emrys from head to toe. "What are you doing here, Emrys?" another hunter asked, his tone dripping with condescension. "This is a mission for real hunters, not pathetic F-rankers like you. You're just going to get in the way and get yourself killed."
Emrys felt his face heat up with anger and embarrassment, but he bit back in retort. "I'm here to hunt, just like you," he said simply, bringing out the guild map which the guild officer had given to him. "Let's focus on the task at hand."
The E-rank hunters burst out laughing, their mockery echoing through the terrain. "Oh, you're here to hunt? That's pathetic, coming from an F-rank hunter like you!" one of them jeered.
"You think you can handle intermediate beasts?" another hunter sneered. "You've never even been on a mission with real beasts before. You're just a naive little boy playing at being a hunter."
Emrys refrained from speaking, trying to ignore their taunts.
"Intermediate beasts are not to be trifled with," one of them warned. "It takes people with powers like the Mages or strong hunters like us to take one down. And we're not even talking about the strongest ones. We're talking about beasts that can defeat the strongest man with a single swipe of their claws."
The E ranked hunters closed in around Emrys, their faces menacing. "We're nine hunters strong, and we're still not sure if we can take down the beasts we're after. What makes you think you can keep up with us, silver head?"
Their leader, a burly hunter with a cruel grin, leaned in close. "You should back out now, Emrys. This mission is way out of your league. You'll just get yourself killed, and we don't need some weak F-rank hunter dragging us down."
The others nodded in agreement, their eyes gleaming with contempt. "Yeah, go back to your village and play with the other little boys. This is a mission for real hunters, not some F-rank wannabe like you."
In the hunting profession, Level F hunters were always at the bottom of the hierarchy. It was an unspoken rule that the lower your rank, the more ridicule and scorn you faced from society.
He was already used to the unfair treatment and their words didn't get to him.
Emrys stood his ground, looking at the hunters straight in the eye. "You can mock me all you want, but without me, this mission is cancelled. Village law states that we must be in a group of ten to take on intermediate beasts. If I don't follow you, you'll be short-handed and the mission will be scrapped."
The hunters snorted, but Emrys could see the faintest glimmer of concern in their eyes. They knew he was right.
One of them, the burly hunter who had been leading the taunts, sneered at Emrys. "Fine, silver head. You can follow us. But don't think for a second you're going to be fighting alongside us. You're only good for one thing - carrying our equipment."
The others nodded in agreement, their expressions unyielding. "Yeah, that's all you're good for. You'll be our pack mule, nothing more."
Emrys felt a surge of anger at their words, but he grinded his teeth to stop himself from uttering abusive words.
He was going on the mission, no matter how humiliating the terms were.
And who knows, maybe he could prove himself in the field.
As they set out on the mission, the hunters handed Emrys their equipment, piece by piece. But it wasn't just the essentials they gave him - they loaded him up with every single item they had, including unnecessary tools and heavy supplies.
"Here, silver head, carry this too," one of them said, dumping a heavy sack of rations on Emrys' back.
"And don't forget this," another hunter added, handing him a bulky first-aid kit.
Emrys struggled under the weight of the equipment, his shoulders straining beneath the load. But the hunters just laughed and teased him, enjoying his misery.
"Come on, Emrys, move faster!" their leader taunted. "We don't have all day to wait for you to catch up."
Emrys gritted his teeth and moved forward, the weight of the equipment threatening to topple him over.
He knew they were doing this on purpose, trying to break him before they even reached the intermediate beasts. But he refused to give them the satisfaction.
With a deep breath, Emrys adjusted the load and continued on, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.
The hunters snickered and joked among themselves, but Emrys just kept moving.
The group arrived at a massive cage, the entrance to a vast underground cavern. The leader, a burly hunter with a confident grin, held up his tracker and announced, "This is it, boys! My tracker's telling me that we've got intermediate beasts inside. And I know the information is solid , we'll find what we're looking for in there."
But one of the hunters, a lanky man with a skeptical expression, spoke up. "Hold on, shouldn't we be careful? The map says this place is a little more...unsettling than we thought. Maybe we should head back, check out some other locations?"
The leader shot him down, his voice dismissive. "You don't know anything, Jax. I've been doing this for years, and I know what I'm talking about. There are three intermediate beasts in that cave, and if we take them down, we'll be splitting a pretty penny amongst ourselves. More money for all of us."
The hunters exchanged nervous glances, but the leader's confidence was infectious. They nodded, one by one, and followed him into the cavern.
Emrys couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into a trap, he spoke up, his voice firm despite the weight of the equipment on his back. "I think Jax is right, sir. The map doesn't indicate that this place is safe. Maybe we should consider alternative locations?"
The leader's grin faltered, and he turned to Emrys with a scowl. "What did I just say, silver head? I know what I'm talking about. We're not going to let a little risk scare us off."
Emrys protested. "With all due respect, sir, I think it's wise to consider the potential dangers. We don't know what's inside that cave, and rushing in blindly could get us all killed."
The other hunters exchanged uneasy glances, and Jax nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Emrys is right. Let's not be reckless about this."
The leader's face reddened with anger, but Emrys held his gaze, refusing to back down.
For a moment, it seemed like the leader might lash out, but then he snarled and turned away. "Fine. We'll proceed with caution. But if you're all so scared, then maybe you shouldn't be a hunter after all."I