In the dimly lit Guildmaster's office, Frost Icelandra stood in the center, his muscles tense as a wave of cold air swirled around him. A dense layer of freezing ice coated the walls and floor, remnants of his rigorous training.
He thrust his palm forward, and a massive shard of ice erupted in response, its sharp edges glistening like crystal. Satisfied but calm, he exhaled, letting the ice dissipate into a mist.
The sharp knock at the door interrupted his focus.
"Come in." Frost called, his voice steady and commanding.
A young Hunter stepped inside, his expression tense and serious. "Guildmaster." the Hunter began, bowing slightly.
Frost turned to him, brushing a stray strand of blue hair back into place. "What's the report?"
"It's... unusual, sir." the Hunter said hesitantly, clutching a folder in his hands.
"We've received several complaints from the northern district. Citizens have been disappearing without a trace over the past few weeks. And..." He paused, his voice faltering.
"And?" Frost pressed, his mismatched eyes narrowing.
"They were found, but not as themselves." The Hunter hesitated again before continuing. "The ones who went missing have been discovered, but they've... changed. They're no longer human. Each one was found as a... mutant monster."
A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the faint crackle of Frost's ice in the air.
His expression darkened, his gaze sharpening as he processed the information.
"Mutant monsters.." Frost repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, Guildmaster." the Hunter replied, placing the folder on Frost's desk. "Eyewitness accounts and reports from Hunters who've encountered these creatures confirm it."
"The victims retained some human features, but their bodies had grotesque mutations. It's unlike anything we've seen before."
Frost opened the folder, skimming through the photographs and documents inside.
The images showed horrific creatures twisted amalgamations of human and beast, with elongated limbs, warped faces, and unnatural growths. Each one seemed like a mockery of its former self.
"Were there any survivors?" Frost asked, his voice cold and precise.
The Hunter shook his head. "No, sir. The mutants were hostile, attacking anyone on sight. The Hunters sent to investigate had no choice but to eliminate them."
Frost closed the folder, his jaw tightening. "What about the cause? Is there any indication of what's behind this?"
"We're still investigating." the Hunter admitted. "But there are rumors... some believe it might be tied to the dungeons. Others think it's the work of someone maybe a rogue Hunter or an organization."
Frost's eyes flickered with a dangerous glint. "Rumors won't solve this. Send a team to the northern district immediately."
"I want every detail about these incidents locations, patterns, anything unusual. And keep this quiet. If word gets out, it'll cause panic."
"Yes, Guildmaster." The Hunter nodded, turning to leave.
As the door closed behind him, Frost leaned back in his chair, his mismatched eyes fixed on the folder in front of him.
He tapped his fingers on the desk, his mind racing.
"Mysterious disappearances, mutant monsters." he muttered to himself. "Whoever or whatever is behind this... they're going to regret crossing my path."
The ice in the room grew colder as Frost's determination solidified, his thoughts already turning to how he would handle this mysterious growing threat...
____________________
The portal swirled and spat the trio out, depositing them onto the cold, hard floor of the Hunter Academy training grounds.
Hugo, Yuno, and Shine staggered to their feet, each looking like they had just survived a hurricane, an earthquake, and a volcanic eruption all at once.
Their clothes were tattered, their hair was a mess, and their faces were smeared with dirt and sweat.
Yuno collapsed onto his knees, panting like he'd just run a marathon. "I can't... feel my legs... or my arms... or my dignity..."
Shine flopped onto the ground next to him, staring up at the sky. "So... this is what it feels like to die... Not bad."
Hugo leaned against the portal frame, clutching his side. "Can you two stop being dramatic? We survived, didn't we?"
Yuno shot him a glare. "Barely! I got electrocuted, set on fire, and smelling disgusting gas! My soul hurts, Hugo!"
Before Hugo could respond, the sound of a sharp cough caught their attention. The trio froze, slowly turning their heads to see their assigned instructor standing just a few feet away.
He was a tall man with silver hair slicked back neatly, his stern face carved with lines of experience and authority.
His piercing eyes seemed to see straight through them, and his arms were crossed in silent judgment.
The silence dragged on for a painfully long moment.
"Look at you three." the instructor finally said, his deep voice dripping with disapproval. "Is this what you call the pride of future Hunters?"
Yuno immediately sat up, attempting to look composed but failing miserably. "Uh, no, sir! This is what we call... character building!"
Shine gave a weak thumbs-up from the ground. "Yeah, lots of character built here, sir."
The instructor's eyes narrowed. "Character building, huh? And what about your teamwork? Because from the state of you, I'd say you barely worked as a team."
Hugo flinched, feeling the weight of the man's gaze. "W-We did work as a team!" he stammered. "It's just... the Bone Hydra was... a bit much."
"A bit much?" Yuno blurted. "It tried to turn us into snacks!"
The instructor raised an eyebrow. "And yet, you're here. Exhausted, bruised, and battered, but alive. Which means..."
The trio leaned forward slightly, holding their breath.
"You survived." the instructor finished with a smirk.
They all collapsed back in relief.
"But." he added sharply, making them flinch again. "don't get comfortable. This was just a C-rank dungeon simulation. If you're this pathetic against that level of challenge, you'll be nothing but fodder in a real dungeon."
Yuno groaned loudly. "Can't we just get, like, a participation trophy and call it a day?"
The instructor ignored him, turning on his heel. "Get cleaned up. You'll get your evaluations tomorrow. And if I see any of you slacking, I'll personally make sure your next simulation is twice as hard."
As he walked away, the trio slumped together in a heap.
"I hate him.." Yuno muttered.
"No, you don't." Shine replied, still lying flat on the ground.
"Yeah." Hugo added, sighing. "He's just doing his job. A cruel, heartless job..."
The three sat there in silence for a moment before Shine spoke up. "So... snacks?"
"No." Hugo and Yuno said in unison.
Suddenly, the instructor stopped mid-step and turned back to face the trio.
His sharp eyes fell on their wrists. "Before you collapse into a pile of complaints, hand over your bracelets. They're programmed to record your monster kills."
Yuno groaned but obediently pulled off his bracelet, tossing it into the instructor's waiting hand. "Do you have to remind us how little we probably scored?"
"Shut up, Yuno." Hugo muttered as he unclasped his bracelet and handed it over.
Shine, still sprawled on the ground, held up his wrist lazily. "Feel free to take it off for me, sir. I'm conserving my mana energy."
The instructor gave Shine a cold glare, and Shine immediately sat up, laughing nervously. "Just kidding!" He quickly removed the bracelet and handed it over.
The instructor examined the devices, his expression unreadable.
After a few moments, he pulled a sleek tablet from his coat pocket, scanning each bracelet in turn. The trio watched anxiously as numbers flashed across the screen.
Finally, the instructor snapped his tablet shut and handed them a screen card. On it, in bold numbers, was their total score: 328 points.
Yuno leaned over Hugo's shoulder, his jaw dropping. "Three hundred and twenty-eight?! Is that... good?"
Shine squinted at the card. "Feels like it should be good. Right? I mean, that's a lot of numbers."
Hugo frowned. "I'm not sure. It depends on the point requirement..."
The instructor interrupted, his commanding voice cutting through their chatter. "You'll find out tomorrow during the assembly hall session. That's when we'll reveal the point requirement for candidates to advance."
"Until then, get some rest. You look like you've been trampled by an army of mutant elephants."
Yuno threw his arms into the air dramatically. "Finally, someone sees what we've been through!"
The instructor gave him a flat look. "Rest up. You'll need it. Tomorrow's not going to be any easier." Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode away, leaving the trio to collapse into an exhausted heap once again.
Hugo stared at the screen card in his hand, his expression tense. "Three hundred and twenty-eight... I hope it's enough."
Shine gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, though his own hand was trembling from exhaustion. "Hey, we survived a Bone Hydra. Whatever happens tomorrow, we've got this."
Yuno groaned, lying flat on his back. "Can we celebrate after we find out we're not eliminated? My legs won't even let me stand right now..."
Hugo gave a small nod, pocketing the card. "Let's go. We need to rest."
With that, the trio slowly dragged themselves off the training grounds, their minds racing with uncertainty about the upcoming assembly.
____________________
Then the three trudged into the building, barely holding themselves upright as exhaustion weighed them down.
The lobby was quiet, the dim lighting amplifying their fatigue. Without a word, they stopped at the hallway that split off toward their respective rooms.
"Finally." Yuno groaned, leaning heavily against the wall. "I'm going to pass out the second I hit the bed."
Hugo rubbed his temples, his expression still tense. "Don't oversleep. We need to be ready for tomorrow's assembly."
Shine gave a faint grin, though his steps wobbled as he headed toward his room. "Don't worry about me. I'll probably be asleep before the door even closes."
"Goodnight." Hugo said simply, his voice barely above a whisper as he turned toward his own door.
"Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, guys." Yuno muttered, waving a hand lazily before disappearing into his room.
With a quiet click, each door shut behind them.
For the first time all day, silence enveloped the trio, leaving them alone with their thoughts and exhaustion.
As the weight of the day settled in, they all collapsed onto their beds, wondering what tomorrow would bring.
Continue...