X-Rank Hunter

Rumbling!

The dark clouds continued to gather and lightning crawled inside. The wind blew from all directions as heavy rain was threatening to be poured down.

Thud!

The door was opened and a man entered in a rush.

"Village Chief, I think Tita Charley is up to something again." A man in his thirties reported in panic.

As the sudden event was happening outside, he immediately rushed to the Village Chief after learning what was happening.

"Yeah. That crazy woman is always doing things on her own." Inside in that building somewhere in the village, a man with a look in his early thirties was sitting leisurely with his feet above the table, not being bothered by what was happening outside. But seeing that the villagers were in a panic, he couldn't help but make a move himself.

"Tsk, this is really frustrating, why did they assign me to this damn mission with this crazy woman," The man complained as he stood up from his seat to go outside and see the commotion. "And that lazy bastard, he probably is still idling around right now in the village gate."

Damn it!

As forced as he was, he had no other choice but to make a move. Because he knew full well that this would attract unnecessary trouble.

The man was not too tall, probably about seven feet in height. He had a well-built body and was clad in a beast skin. His eyes were sharp as a tiger and a short fang was revealed to both sides of his upper jaw.

As he walked outside, the world was shaking in his every stride. The man who reported couldn't help but fall back on the floor with his trembling body. Even the bad weather was as if shuddering upon sensing his presence, as if ready to run away at any moment.

He saw the villagers in fear, gazing in one direction. In there, he saw something like a pillar of silver light that was piercing through the sky. The aura it exuded was pressuring, and ordinary humans would fall on their knees when exposed to it.

He gazed in there for a moment and narrowed his eyes before disappearing from the thin air.

****

In the village gate...

The village guard, Jason, was still sitting on the same spot when he felt a sudden outburst of energy inside the village. He couldn't help but stand up from his seat and turned his gaze to where the outburst of energy came from.

"This spell again? Just what is that woman doing? Is she even thinking?" Jason muttered in frustration. He narrowed his eyes for a long while hesitating to come over. Gritting his teeth, he then decided to go in there as he disappeared in the thin air.

****

In the front yard of their house, Jim was watching the commotion made by his mother in astonishment. Bantay beside him had already gulped a handful of saliva in disbelief.

Even though the pressuring aura that was coming out from their house was really extraordinary, the house still remained standing high and mighty, as if it didn't bother it from what was happening.

Just as the two were watching, two persons appeared near them. Bantay knew one of them but he was unfamiliar to the other person. Although he was unfamiliar, he knew full well that this person was at the same level as the other person he knew about, Jason.

"Brat! What's happening here?" Upon arrival, the man clad in beast skin asked impatiently. He really was frustrated!

"Tito Sam you're here! You too Tito Jason!" After seeing the two, Jim immediately greeted them as he continued, "As you can see, mom is casting a spell to cure someone."

"To cure someone?" Sam repeated those words in disbelief.

Just who is that lucky person who receives special treatment from this crazy woman?

And this feeling really is familiar!

When the man clad in beast skin named Sam arrived, he immediately noticed that the spell Charley was casting, was the spell she cast three years ago to cure her daughter.

The only difference was that it was slightly weaker than the spell she cast three years ago. Probably because she used some of her World Energy to cast another spell to protect her daughter from harm who was just two years old at that time.

Nevertheless, it would be enough to attract unnecessary trouble if this went on.

Sam shifted his gaze to Jason as he chuckled, trying to annoy the other party, "You finally went out from your turf."

"Shut up and just prepare for the onslaught!" Jason replied impatiently, as he thought, "Just who is that little girl to be cured by Charley?"

When he arrived, he only saw Jim and Bantay. The girl with them from before was nowhere in sight so he immediately assumed that the one that Charley was curing was that girl.

But why all of a sudden? She can at least warn us so that we can prepare beforehand!

Is her ego running on an errand again? Or is she doing this on a whim?

Jason really was bewildered but at the same time frustrated. He really didn't know what to do against the other party.

But seeing the situation, he could only make a move himself. He raised his right hand and a ball made by his World Energy came out from his palm. It was a light blue and it grew bigger and bigger before flying high up above. When it came into contact with the silver-colored light that was striking the sky, immense energy immediately formed, forming a barrier of light that was covering the entire yard of Jim's house.

The pillar of silver light that was piercing over the clouds couldn't reach there anymore as the barrier prevented it to do so, making the barrier of the village became stable once again.

The weather was changing and the rumbling of the thunder quieted down. The wind chased the dark clouds away as the strong wind didn't come back. The sun was then again hung up high above, glancing below with a smile.

The weather really changed too fast!

However, something happened that they were expecting to come. It was a portal! And an orange one at that and a little bigger! It was an S-rank gate and a level 2 one at that! It was appearing outside the village not too far away from the village gate, ready to cause havoc at any moment!

"It has begun!" Sam who felt the portal forming outside the village, remarked excitedly. His grin could reveal his fang lengthening as his vibes became so much similar to a beast.

However, he was just about to go and enter the portal to cause destruction in his wake but barely after taking a step, a voice of a woman sounded.

"Stop there you beast, don't even try to make a move against my prey, or else I will skin you alive!" The voice warned in coldness as she continued in a calmer tone, "You also, Kuya[1] Jason, please step aside on this as well."

It was Charley! And her voice was so cold that even Sam felt a shudder down to his spine. His excited self, immediately turned into fright as he could only gulp a mouthful of saliva.

What the hell!

Just what is the problem with this crazy woman?!

If you want them, then fine! It's all yours! It's not that I'm gonna lose something. Is there really a need to threaten me?

Sam really was angered this time, but he didn't show it and only revealed a smile that wanted to cry.

Jason was taken aback as well by the sudden action of Charley. Although Charley was still respecting him, he felt that she would go insane if he refused to let the other party do her way.

"Just what is the problem with this woman?!" Jason thought as he looked in his surroundings trying to figure out what was happening.

When his gaze landed on Jim, he immediately noticed that something really was different from the other party. It was just a hunch from him at first when he saw Jim entering the village a while ago. But now that he took a closer look at him, he found out that something really was amiss.

He came closer to Jim and asked the other party to ascertain his doubts, "Tell me, kid, did some kind of being called 'The Life' shown itself to you? It is something like a blue light probably with the same size as my fist."

Jason pointed his fist to the other party as he spoke.

"You know about the blue light as well?" Jim was taken aback.

Just how many people knew about it? Am I the only one who is completely oblivious to it?

"So it really has appeared huh. No wonder your mother was so angry." Learning about the current situation, Jason mumbled to himself.

He turned his gaze to where Charley was and uttered in coldness, "I will let you handle the portal but once a beast that came out from it tried to enter the village, don't blame my blade for cutting them all down in a heartbeat."

After which, he disappeared in the thin air only to appear at the village gate and be seated on the same spot once again.

"Hey, wait!" Sam who was left behind was just about to stop Jason but he was already too late. "What the hell. What am I supposed to do now?"

Sam really didn't know what to do. He shifted his gaze to where Charley was only to feel a shudder down to his spine.

Damn it!

Gritting his teeth, Sam disappeared in the thin air as well. As reluctant as he was, there was nothing else he could do.

He realized as well why Charley was so angry and he knew as well that this crazy woman was going to vent all her anger to those beasts inside the portal.

Poor beasts!

It's really a pity that I cannot enjoy the feast as well.

I can only hope that many beasts or demons will come out from that portal.

Afterward, Sam appeared as well on the village gate and stood up to the other side.

"I said wait!" Sam said in frustration. "I will take every beast that will come out from that gate, and you will remain here and be seated, understood?"

"..."

"Do as you please." Jason responded in a low voice, not caring about the arrogant behavior of the other party.