Chapter 90: The Calm before the next Hunt!
Chapter 90
Inside the clan base, the monitors were left in shock as they had been glued to the screens, watching the battle outside from start to finish. They had been anxiously biting their nails, muttering in suspense at every blow, until the very last moment. And now, after what felt like hours of heart-pounding tension, they finally exploded in cheers.
"They did it! The D and C rankers actually managed to take care of the portal break!"
"Damn! I’m shocked. For a B ranked portal to be handled, a B ranked Reaver is normally required, but they actually managed to do it without one? This is insane!"
"This is the SilverFall Clan." A deep voice suddenly boomed across the room, causing all the monitors to whirl their heads in unison. Their eyes fell upon a man who had just stepped in.
He was quite short, standing at barely 5ft. A scruffy white moustache covered his upper lip, while the top of his head was completely bald, leaving only tufts of white hair around the sides. His sharp features were accented by a faint scar running beneath his left eye.
He wore a perfectly fitted coat bearing the SilverFall clan’s symbol proudly across the chest, the fabric tailored with precision and neatness befitting someone of high rank.
"Master!" the monitors exclaimed together, standing straighter as they watched the man walk into the room with calm, confident strides.
"You shouldn’t be surprised," the master said casually, his voice steady and firm. "My children are not such weaklings that they cannot overcome a threat as small as this."
His gaze turned to the glowing monitors, where the images of the battlefield continued to play, each of the Reavers’ faces etched with fatigue but also with determination.
"We are the SilverFall Clan. And like a waterfall, we flow and adapt to whatever situation we find ourselves in.
Water can be harmless, but water can also carve valleys and crush mountains when angered. That is how my children are. Do not underestimate them again."
The master’s tone was commanding, and everyone in the room immediately nodded along, shame and pride warring on their faces. Then, the old man’s eyes softened, and a small smile tugged at his lips as he kept his gaze fixed on the screens.
"I’m proud of them all," he said with quiet satisfaction. Then, without warning, he let out a loud yawn. "Now... yawn! I... I feel slee... sleepy." His words slurred as he yawned again, and before anyone could react, he collapsed backward onto a chair, snoring loudly.
"Classic master," one of the monitors muttered, shaking his head with a tired chuckle.
—
Meanwhile, outside, the battlefield was silent, almost eerily so. Everyone present stared in disbelief, unable to process what had just happened.
"That’s it? We... we won?" one Reaver asked, his voice trembling as though afraid saying it aloud would jinx them. All around him, people stood frozen, their gazes shifting from one another to the massive corpse of the beast that lay sprawled on the ground a few metres away.
"We actually beat a damned B ranked beast together!" another exclaimed, the shock and excitement in his tone unmissable.
"Are we sure that we even won?" came a doubtful voice from the back. It was a fair question, for each time before, when they believed the beast was finished, it had clawed its way back up with renewed rage.
As if answering their fears, the portal from which the beast had emerged suddenly began swirling violently. Its surface warped and rippled before snapping shut in an instant with a loud crack.
"We... we did it?! We actually did it!" a female Reaver screamed with joy, her voice breaking as she began hopping up and down like a child, unable to contain her happiness.
Not everyone, however, shared the excitement.
Rina fell to her knees, her body shaking as sobs poured out uncontrollably. The reality of what had been lost hit her harder now that victory had been secured. The love of her life, Renzo, was gone, his sacrifice etched forever into her heart.
Aria noticed and immediately rushed to her side, kneeling and wrapping her arms gently around Rina.
"It’s all going to be okay," Aria whispered softly. "I’m so sorry you lost Renzo, but I want you to know that his sacrifice wasn’t in vain.
The person he gave his life to protect is still alive, even if unconscious. So please... stay strong for him. I know Renzo, and if he were here, he wouldn’t want to see you like this."
Her words were firm, yet kind, and she squeezed Rina’s trembling hands tightly.
"It’s... it’s fine. I’m not crying anymore," Rina said shakily, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Though her smile was forced and unsteady, there was a spark of determination hidden in her expression now.
—
Meanwhile, Zen stood motionless, his sword dripping black blood as he tried to catch his breath. His vision was suddenly filled with a flood of glowing system messages, one after the other.
{Congratulations! Host has completed his quest and the B ranked beast is dead}
{Rewards will now be distributed...}
{Rewards received: +5 STR stat; +5 AGI stat; +5 free stat points; +500XP; first time killing a B ranked beast reward: +200XP; +2 new skills}
The notifications kept piling up in front of him, filling his sight, yet Zen didn’t move. His lips slowly curled into a smirk, and though exhaustion weighed heavy on his shoulders, the thrill of victory burned bright in his chest.
’Heck yeah! Now this is what I’m talking about.’ Zen chuckled inwardly as he skimmed through the notifications. He did not have time to check them properly because Jace approached, managing to push himself to his feet.
"Great job, brother." Jace said, forcing a smile and patting Zen on the shoulder. "Looks like you are growing stronger, and I like it."
"Yeah." Zen replied, nervously chuckling as he rubbed the back of his head. "You okay though?"
"Yeah. Just a minor injury, nothing major." Jace answered with an awkward chuckle, and then Ryker stomped over.
Ryker wore a deep frown. He hovered close for a moment, leaning in as he passed.
"Your Veil is trouble. Better keep it in check, because I would not want to be stranded in a fight without mine again. Also, you do not want to draw the wrong attention to yourself with that." Ryker warned before stomping off, still looking battered.
’Huh? What was that?’ Zen thought, frowning. ’Why should I worry about anyone? I just got an OP Veil that cancels others.
I don’t know about them, but looks like I just got an advantage over any crazy Reavers. So what could go wrong?’ He shrugged and smirked, trying to sound confident even as curiosity nagged at the back of his mind.
_
Far away, in an unknown place and on unfamiliar land, a gigantic tower scraped the sky. Inside, near the top, a meeting was underway. Shadows hunched around a long table. Faces could not be seen clearly, but the voices were sharp and unnerving.
"So a Veil that cancels other Veils has been found in the game?" a masculine voice sighed with disbelief. "Sheesh. Truly he lives up to his bug status."
"So what should we do about him?" another masculine voice asked. "If he is allowed to grow stronger with that Veil, he could rupture reality itself, or worse, break the game."
"What should we do? Game Lord?" a feminine voice prompted.
"Kill him." The response came cold and mechanical. The voice sounded androgynous, toneless and final.
"You have a clan that is as powerful, if not more powerful, than the SilverFall, right? Xavier." the robotic voice continued.
"Yes, Game Lord. My clan is actually stronger than that old fool’s clan." The first masculine voice replied, amusement laced under the arrogance.
"Good. I do not care how you want to handle it. Eliminate that bug called Zen as soon as possible before he becomes uncontrollable." The robotic voice was clipped and efficient.
"And what will be my reward?" the man asked, eager and greedy.
"You will be allowed back to reality for a full week if the job is done," the robot said calmly. "After the week is over, you will be pulled back here."
"Sounds good to me." The man chuckled at the promise of freedom like a child promised candy.
"Great. We are clear then. Kill the kid for me."