X-Rank Hunter

"Do you mean to say that 'The Life' has already made a move?" The old man asked with his eyes narrowed in incredulity. It seemed that he as well didn't want to believe in what he just learned.

"Yes father, please be here tomorrow. It seems like tomorrow is the last day." Charley sighed deeply in discomfort.

"So fast? Why did you only inform me just now? You know how far away we are right?" The old man complained.

"I'm sorry father, It's just only a hunch on my side at first when I found Jim strangely lying unconscious in his room and I as well really don't want to believe it so I didn't inform you immediately."

"You really has gone soft... and stupid." The old man shook his head and sighed deeply as he continued, "You know that I cannot travel in there at a very high speed right? Jade is with me, she still is so young to handle the windblast or long-range teleportation."

"Yes, father I know that, I'm really sorry. But you can ask that 'bird' to come with you right?"

"Ugh, that damn bird? So this is your plan? Sigh, fine then, I will make an exception this time and try to talk to it. Ok, I will now make some preparation and leave right away."

"Thank you, father."

After informing his father regarding Jim's departure, Charley closed her book and the book disappeared from her hand right away. Massaging her temple with her hands, she sighed deeply as she turned around to go back with her son and the other kid.

****

Going back to when Charley left to her room...

"Just what's happening here?"

As the girl couldn't ask anymore at Charley, she then turned around and put her gaze to the boy beside a man that appeared to be his tamed beast.

It really was making her lose her sanity upon realizing that the man before her was actually a beast in human form!

She really was wondering as well how could this boy had a tamed beast far stronger than his own. They were talking about a beast that could morph into a human form here! It was an SS-rank beast! It really was inconceivable to see a kid possessing such a beast.

Even if his family helped him tamed that beast it really was impossible for a beast to submit to a master far weaker than itself. Besides, just how strong was his family to be able to help their child tame such a beast?

"Just who are you all?!" The girl was really full of curiosity this time. At first, she just wanted to learn how did the boy in front of her was able to save her. And find her wolf. But upon learning many things, she really wanted to peer through everything she could learn.

She stared at the boy intently, curious about the other party.

"This..." Jim scratched his head in embarrassment as he said, "I'm Jim Jabat, and we only belong to a simple family so you don't need to worry about it."

"You mean you're the famous trash of Maharlika Summoner Academy?" The girl asked in disbelief. She really was shocked beyond words this time.

Simple family my ass!

How could I not know the famous trash who came from a very strong family but remain as a weakling?

For other's information, this Jim was really pretty famous. But not because of his strength, but because of him being a trash.

His father was so strong that even the King himself couldn't put any pressure on him. The same went for his mother who was rumored that she retired herself on a whim. His grandfather was the guild master of the second strongest guild and his younger brother and sister was not ordinary as well.

Only this kid, Jim Jabat, was the most useless among them all!

But what she was seeing right now destroyed every rumor about the other party. He was so unordinary that he could tame an S-rank beast! Even she herself, a C-rank hunter could only tame a single A-rank beast with the help of her family and that was already considered a genius among geniuses.

But this boy actually...

If I am a genius then what is he?

And if he is a trash then what about me?

This time, the girl really was starting to wonder if she was living her life in a lie.

"Ugh." Jim however, really wanted to cry this time knowing that the girl before him actually knew about his identity as a trash.

Am I really that famous? Why didn't I know it?!

How could I show off to this girl if she knew that I am actually a trash?

Suppressing his urge to cry, Jim was just about to refute those words when he heard the girl murmuring to herself,

"Wait a moment, 'Biga village', Jim Jabat," The girl narrowed her eyes trying to recall about something. A moment later, she found her eyes widened in realization as she asked, "This place, is this village is one of the Shadow Lands of the Kingdom?"

Jim was taken aback by the sudden question of the other party as he nodded his head and replied, "You can say so."

"Really?!" The girl asked as her hand trembled in excitement.

Though the name Biga village doesn't ring a bell for her, it didn't take too long for her to realize that something was strange. She then guessed about the identification of the village but she never thought that she was actually correct.

What was Shadow Lands? It was a place hidden in the Kingdom and it didn't have so much significance to the kingdom and its people since those who were living in this kind of place were either those who didn't have any good reputation or those who were retired or exiled hunters.

That being said, people didn't put so much attention towards it or perhaps, they even were avoiding it. People of the Kingdom, hunters or not, knew that there was a place called Shadow Lands, but they didn't know how many were there and the name of each land.

"If I am in one of the Shadow Land of the Kingdom and you are that famous trash, Jim Jabat, it only means that... your mother is actually the 'Queen of Illusion'?!" This time, the girl's eyes were sparkling in admiration as she stood up from her seat. How could she not admire one of the strongest women in the Maharlika Kingdom!

Ever since the civil war 15 years ago, this woman showed great strengths far surpassing most men. She made most men fell under her feet, and almost no one could remain their sanity upon seeing her charming beauty back then in her youth.

The Queen of Illusion was the idol of every young woman and every young girl like her. If she could just learn something from her even for a short time, or be on her good side, the girl would be so glad that she could die without regrets.

Seeing the reaction of the girl towards his mom, Jim could only sigh and put on a bitter smile as he replied, "Yes she is the so-called Queen of Illusion, Charley Jabat."

"Really?" This time, the glow on her eyes became brighter, excited to see Charley once again.

Now she knew why was the other party was so confident that she would not tell to anyone everything she just learned.

It was because almost everyone wanted to be on her good side and would shudder in fear if they were put on her bad side.

Meanwhile, after introducing themselves to the girl, Jim realized that he too didn't know who was the girl before him. So he mustered all his courage and asked the other party, "By the way, who are you?"

"Me? Oh right, I still haven't introduced myself to you all, my name is..."

The girl was just about to introduce herself but halfway through her words she saw Charley coming towards them. She immediately halted what she was about to say and rushed towards Charley to greet her respectfully.

"I didn't know that you are actually the Illusion Queen, pardon me for my insolence." Bowing deeply, the girl really wanted to be on her good side.

Seeing this, Charley could only smile as she patted her head, "Come on, there's no need for you to do that. Let's sit there first and talk about some matters."

She then walked to the sofa and beckoned for her son to sit back as well.

"Yes ma'am!" The girl followed behind and sat as well beside Jim.

"Oh right, I still don't know you, can you introduce yourself to us now?" After all of them took a seat, Charley stared at the young girl and asked.

As she wanted to be with her good side, the girl replied unhesitatingly and respectfully, "I am Sheiyn Cruz, ma'am."

"Sheiyn Cruz?" Jim repeated those words and engraved them to his heart, afraid that he would immediately forget about it.

On the other hand, Charley smiled a bit when she found out that her guess was correct. She thought it from the very start, only after hearing the surname 'Cruz', Charley did convince that she was right.