X-Rank Hunter

It took a long while before Jim could finish recounting what happened to him a while back. And took Charley another long while before she could process the words.

Jim didn't know why but it seemed that instead of being surprised, his mother was getting more and more gloomy the more she learned about his current situation.

But of course, Jim didn't tell everything. He left aside his near-death experiences when fighting the apes, the extent of his ability to use and absorb blood, and the identity of the blue light as one of the Four Greatest Hunters. It was a little too shocking after all.

But Jim was really wondering why did his mother was getting sad instead of being shocked.

He told a story of how did the blue light helped him survive the Ape-type beast, tamed the beast behind him, and tailored a story of how Jim, no, how did the blue light save the little girl beside him. All of it was credited to the blue light.

Of course, he didn't tell what was the real identity of the blue light.

But his mother didn't even try to ask anything about the blue light but instead, she became silent for a long while and stared at her son with desolate tears hiding behind her eyes.

It was obvious to say that she was thinking about something else.

She knew that Jim was not telling everything or making up some lies but it didn't concern her that much.

At that moment, the room was completely silent. If a needle was dropped to the floor, one could easily hear its sound.

Jim was bewildered seeing his aggressive mom acting that way, he could only helplessly watch his mom do her way.

On the other hand, the girl beside him felt awkward, not knowing what to do or say.

Bantay who felt deaf in the silence was just about to break the awkward silence when Charley suddenly spoke up, "Sigh, it seems like I can't really do anything against it."

Her voice really was filled with desolation, refusing to accept that she was about to lose something very important. But knowing that 'it was something that must happen', she could only put away her sadness and see the better and bigger picture.

"What do you mean mom?" Jim really was getting more and more confused this time.

In the past several days, Jim noticed that his mother was getting sadder and sadder and Jim thought that it was because she missed her family who was apart from her. Her husband and her son and daughter had all left for their own reasons and only Jim was left alone with his mom.

But seeing the sorrows in his mom's eye, Jim felt that there was another and deeper reason behind her mother's sadness.

Charley stood up and walked closer to Jim. She then immediately grab his hand to put him in her embrace and said, "Listen, son, no matter what happens in the future, you will always be my son and I will always be your mother."

"Huh?" Jim was caught off guard by the sudden action of his mom.

Why are you being like this? Of course, you are my mother and I'm your son, I'm not denying that alright?

Even if you always beat me up, I still love you!

You are saying this that as if something is about to happen. I really felt uneasy you know.

Charley knew that this was the right time to tell some secrets to her son so he released her son from her embrace and hold his both shoulders to stare at his eyes.

"Listen, son, you might already know it but the blue light you mentioned earlier is one of the Four Greatest Hunters called 'The Life'. He is the one that dominates the power of Life and he has chosen you to be the next one that will hold his title and power." Charley paused for a moment and continued with a grim look,

"But nothing is free in this world. Exactly on the third day starting from when the blue light revealed itself to you, you will know the price."

"..."

"So you know about my ability mom? And everything that is happening to me from the start?" Jim muttered to his mom in disbelief.

That time, Jim was the one who was surprised instead. He was trying his best so that he could hide everything that happened to him from his mom especially the identity of the blue light but never in his wildest imagination that his mother already knew about it. Although what she knew was not the exact thing that happened to him but still, it really was hard for him to believe it.

She even knew the identity of the blue light that he didn't know about. He never expected that the blue light was actually called 'The Life'.

If I knew that you already know it, I wouldn't even worry that you will worry about me.

And the blue light is actually called The Life? And I'm gonna hold this title and his power? No wonder my ability is relevant to the power of Life.

However that time as well, one thing that left Jim in complete apprehension was the price that his mom was talking about. It seemed that he would only know about it exactly on the third day from when Jim met the blue light and suffered to death.

More than one day had already past and later at midnight was the second day. So meaning, tomorrow midnight was the time when he would learn about that price.

"I wonder what it is..." Jim couldn't help but feel that something that he would never accept was about to happen...

Behind Jim was Bantay who just learned that 'The Life' who gave him power was actually one of the Four Greatest Hunters. He was thinking about that title ever since he heard of it and upon learning that it was actually one of the Four Greatest Hunters, something like a fragment of memory invaded his mind.

Bantay felt a little light-headed and he couldn't help but stagger backward to regain his balance.

Jim was just about to ask his mom to just tell him what was that price she was talking about when he noticed that his connection to his tamed beast was somewhat quivering a little. He then turned his gaze behind him and there he saw Bantay in an unsteady state.

"What's happening to you?" Jim asked worriedly.

"I'm fine master, don't worry about me. I just felt a little dizzy." Bantay replied. But at the same time, his thought was wandering, trying to chase that fragment of memory that was becoming so blurry.

"Did I really lost my memory?" Bantay thought contemplatively, "Come to think of it, I don't know where I came from and how did I ended up here in this place. I don't even know where, when, and how did I lose my power, I only know that I possessed great strengths in the past..."

"Is that so?" Seeing that Bantay was fine, Jim believed his words. He then asked Bantay regarding his name, "By the way do you have a name? I can't call you 'my tamed beast' forever right?"

"That..." Immediately, Bantay's face darkened. He really was thinking if he should just tell his master that he didn't have any name.

"It seems like you don't have any name right now." Seeing the reaction of his tamed beast, Jim could only assume that he didn't have any name yet. So he just decided to name him, after all, he was his tamed beast.

"Alright, let me think, I will call you..." Jim paused for a while, thinking for the best name for his tamed beast.