"Alright, the first thing I need to do is go to the main headquarters and see what missions are available for me."
The day had started brightly, and for the first time in a long while, he wouldn't have to work; he could enjoy the beauties of the city.
"My main goal is to complete the Volundr test, but I'd also like to see if I'm cut out to be a hunter."
Martyn was on his way to the hunters' main headquarters. This place was where hunters who didn't affiliate with any faction went to find missions.
It was located in the central zone of Neo Tyran, a place Martyn had rarely visited.
"Now that I have money, I should get something to eat." Feeling his stomach growl, the boy veered off and stopped at a sweet shop.
Upon entering, he was instantly overwhelmed by aromas that teased his appetite: delicate strawberry, strong vanilla, among other scents that made Martyn wobble with happiness.
"Mmm, and what about this one? Are you sure it's different from the other?"
("Huh... I know that voice.") Martyn was drawn to a familiar voice, and turning his head, he found its owner.
"Miss, you've been choosing a cake for 18 minutes. Please, leave if you're not going to buy anything."
One of the staff members complained about a woman who couldn't decide on a simple cake.
"Sorry, but they all look so delicious," replied the woman, not taking her eyes off the pastries.
Martyn recognized the girl: silver hair and a Greek faction insignia; she was the one who had helped him before.
"You can get the chocolate cake with luminous stones. I heard it's good." Feeling indebted to the girl, Martyn decided to help her out.
After all, if it weren't for the coin, he might never have been chosen by Odin.
"Really? I want to try that. Please, give me three pieces of the chocolate cake with luminous stones."
With her doubt resolved, the woman had finally made her decision.
("Wow, she has quite the appetite.") Martyn smiled as he waited for his turn.
"By the way, what are you doing here? It's rare to see a Greek near the main headquarters."
Although hunters could go wherever they pleased, it was quite unusual, given that the girl was apparently in her combat uniform.
"Well... the main headquarters asked our guild for help. They said they needed a strong hunter to stay in the area. It seems there's a reconnaissance mission today."
The girl finished explaining just in time as her order was handed over.
"Alright, I have to go. Here, take this." With a warm smile, the girl handed Martyn a piece of cake. "It's my way of thanking you for helping me. Bye."
Martyn was left speechless and simply accepted the gift. It seemed there was a serious problem if they needed a Greek hunter in the area.
After enjoying the wonderful piece of cake, Martyn headed to the hunters' main headquarters.
Upon arrival, Martyn couldn't help but think that this was the most normal-looking headquarters owner he had ever seen. It looked like a large stadium, but upon entering, Martyn noticed the futuristic design inside.
"Good morning, hunter. I'm Jenny, and I'll be assisting you today. How can I help you?" The girl greeted him with incredible warmth, but to Martyn, this was just a facade.
"Yes, I'm a novice hunter, and I'm here for my first mission. Here you go." Martyn handed over his hunter insignia to the woman, who began analyzing it.
The more she read the information, the more wrinkles formed on her face. After reviewing everything, she decided to speak:
"I see, you're an impurity. Seems you think luck will help you become a hunter." And there it was, the sharp, disdainful tone Martyn expected.
"Yes, I am. I would like my first mission," Martyn replied calmly, not willing to get angry over this.
"Yes, impurity, I'll get it." The woman, without much enthusiasm, finished confirming everything on the screen. "Oh, seems you're in luck. There's a rather easy mission, and they're short one member."
The woman begrudgingly acknowledged Martyn's good fortune and then sent the mission details to Martyn's smartphone.
"As you can see, it's just a reconnaissance mission. You only need to go with a group to confirm something in a forest. That's all," the woman finished, placing Martyn's insignia on the table, not wanting to touch him.
"Alright, thank you very much. I'll go right away." Martyn thanked her and then headed to the mission location.
***
"Seriously, an impurity is coming? I can't believe it."
"Yeah, it's like they're saying our lives don't matter. It's so frustrating."
"Still, it's just a scouting mission."
A conversation was happening among several hunters at the designated spot, totaling six of them.
"Good morning, I'm here for the mission." Martyn arrived and was met with disdainful looks from everyone. It seemed they all knew an impurity was joining the group.
"Oh, hi, welcome to the group, I'm Henry." A boy about Martyn's age approached to greet him.
The group was composed solely of young people, apparently all novices.
"Nice to meet you, Henry. So, what are we supposed to do?" Martyn asked, ready for anything.
"We? You're a good comedian. What could you possibly do?" Henry instantly scorned Martyn. "Relax, I'll let you carry the weapons."
Henry mocked him, and the others joined in, laughing. Martyn wanted to hit them but knew he had to hold back.
"Alright, now that you're here, I'll explain the mission," Henry said, grabbing everyone's attention.
"A team of novices like us got lost in this forest. Our mission is to confirm they're in there, then notify the headquarters, and they'll send a higher-level hunter. They say one is already prepared."
("I see, that's why the girl was here, it was for this mission.") Connecting the dots, Martyn continued to listen.
"Okay, with that clear, give Martyn your weapons, and let's head in." Ready to move, Henry handed his sword to Martyn, followed by the others doing the same.
It made him very angry, but he decided not to show it too much.
After that, the group ventured into the forest. For some strange reason, just entering, Martyn felt a peculiar sensation.
"What do you think is in the forest, Henry?" A girl asked Henry as they walked.
"I don't know, probably a monster. I bet you anything they were just weaklings," Henry boastfully criticized the hunters who had died.
"I see, I think that's true, haha... Uh," the girl stopped after stepping on something.
"What's wrong? Did you sense something with your powers?" Another group member asked.
"A weapon just spoke to me, it's nearby, that's what it's telling me," the girl explained while leading the way. It seemed her blessing allowed her to do that.
"There it is..." The girl stopped, pointing ahead. Henry decided to confirm.
"I see... it's not just any monster," Henry said, confirming what was in front of him.
It was a humanoid monster with a tall and slender body, its skin blue as the sky and hair white as snow.
"It's an Ice Kaldvargr, that explains everything," Henry explained, seeming knowledgeable on the subject.
An Kaldvargr is a monster that usually doesn't leave its natural habitat, but there could always be exceptions like now. The monster was drinking water.
"Alright, we just need to call headquarters and explain," one of the hunters said.
("Damn, did we already find it? This mission was too quick, and I couldn't collect anything,") Martyn complained. He had hoped to take the Volundr test.
"Call? No way, I'm not giving credit to anyone else. We're going to hunt it ourselves, guys," Henry said, drawing his sword.
"What? We don't know how strong that thing is; it wiped out an entire team," one of the members protested against the idea.
"Oh, come on, don't be scared, it's not that strong of a monster," Henry, accompanied by one of the guys, drew his weapon.
("Well, what he says is true, but I need to complete my test,") Martyn walked forward, not wanting to miss the chance to become stronger.
"Damn, you guys are the worst," the girl finally accepted and drew her bow.
"Alright, with that settled, let's get it," Henry took the initiative, moving towards the monster, which was distracted. As he approached, he swung his sword at it.
Quickly, the monster reacted and tried to dodge the attack, but Henry's sword extended in size, managing to cut it.
"Now!" Henry signaled, and everyone was ready to attack. While Henry distracted the monster, the others moved into position to surround it.
("Good, we've got it. Maybe with its blood, I can make a rune,") Martyn thought, drawing his daggers to attack.
[Warning]
[Danger]
"Huh, what the hell...?" After the system's warning, Martyn, guided by his instincts, looked back and saw the silhouette of a hooded girl in a black cloak.
She had dark purple lips, a staff, and a tattoo indicating she worshiped dark gods.
In the blink of an eye, the entire forest disappeared from everyone's view, now there was only snow and a great blizzard.
"What the hell just happened? Where's the monster?" Henry asked angrily, the Ice Kaldvargr had vanished.
"Uh... Henry," one of the girls approached with a grim face. "The signal isn't working."
"Not working? Wait
, does that mean... we're trapped inside a rift?"