Three days ago, Chala arrived in a small village. He entered the inn and saw a slender woman with strawberry blond hair. He tilted his head, taking in the regular features of her face. It’s her. Helios' star student. He slowly walked to a corner and sat to observe. What is she doing here? His fingers absently drummed on the table. Helios, what are you hiding from me? He took a deep breath. He was on patrol with no set route. That was an opportunity to follow Helios' envoy and gather intel.

  The hunter had been following Jessica for two days now. It was not often he used stealth to track a target. This skill was utilized by the weaker hunters, who needed the element of surprise on their side to win a fight. Still, Chala knew he was one of the best. The woman had no idea he was here.

  The scholar's movements were confusing. She walked through the village, looking intensely at some people, then moved on. It was the third place they visited, a small settlement of just a few houses. Locals struggled with the ground, trying to make things grow, getting just enough to avoid starvation. There were fewer people, and Chala had to be more cautious not to be seen now. He muttered, “We’re on the edge of the map. What is she looking for?”

  And then he saw it: Jessica walked with determination toward a man sitting on a bench. She sat and talked with him. The hunter couldn’t hear the words, but that was unimportant. He sensed it, a very weak mist power in the man. Not strong enough to ever be a threat. But still something slightly stronger than the regular individual. Chala looked in the direction of the College, so far away. A wave of anger rippled through his expression before dissipating. You old fox. You told me she had only a weak detection ability. You lied. She has the strongest detection power ever seen. Just the best tracker we could ever dream of. His expression was set in a cold determination. You shouldn’t have left this treasure out of your sight. You’ll lose her now.

  The next day, Jessica appeared anxious. She kept looking toward the wilderness. Chala frowned at the change in attitude. He looked at the horizon. What is she sensing? I don’t detect anything over there. She frantically bought a few supplies and started walking toward the unknown, stepping off the map. The hunter followed like a shadow. That’s somewhat the direction of the circle, but it’s very far. Why would she be attracted to an old battlefield? The Scholar was walking toward a forest and entered it. She walked a long time before stopping for no apparent reason, nothing special was happening there. The woman sat on a log. Chala squinted, curious, and stepped forward. Jessica's head snapped in his direction. Haha, I almost got caught. She is a sensitive one, he thought. Then he felt it too. A portal is about to open. His mouth curled into a cruel rictus. Oh, my dear, you’re in for a world of pain.

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  The hunter slowly moved to a better spot. Slightly uphill. Perfect view. Close enough to intervene if he wished. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the lobsters. You’re lucky to get those weaklings. Let’s see how long you last. He saw the claws snap on her legs, blood soaking her clothes instantly. Yet she remained standing. Impressive, you have tenacity. Then he chuckled as she started using the spheres. That’s what you gave her to face the threats out there? You’re a madman, Helios.

  The struggle continued. Monsters were punched away before crawling back in the fight. For her absence of training, she has a good eye for timing, she just lacks power. Then she fell, her scream echoed in the forest. Good, don’t give up, never give up. The woman’s fist gleamed bright pink, she smashed through a creature, killing it. Chala gaped in surprise. Then as she collapsed under the monsters’ onslaught, he stepped forward, quickly built momentum, and jumped into the fight.

  Mid-air, he activated his shadow gloves, long oily tendrils swiped through the air. In quick movements, he has sliced through ten of the creatures. The last one jumped for his throat. He caught it with one hand, arm extended, and let it struggle with his tentacles. Jessica slowly raised her head and took in the figure looming over her. “Master Chala?” she muttered in disbelief. When he was sure he had her attention, the hunter clenched his fist, killing the nightmarish lobster with a sharp squelch sound.

  Jessica crawled toward the log and sat on it. She was too exhausted to speak. Her hands looked like those of a stranger. Still alive? She winced and let out a small scream as fire spread through her legs. She looked down, Chala was pouring a white liquid over her wounds. He looked at her and saw the smoldering fury behind the thin slits of her eyes. “We have to patch you up, it won’t hurt for long,” he said in a calm voice.

  When he was done, Chala got up, walked a few paces away, and sat on a boulder. Jessica took a bottle and slowly drank some water. The fire in her legs had dwindled down to a low throb. She looked at her savior and bowed her head, “Thank you for saving me, Master Chala.” She hesitated slightly before adding, “You felt a portal would open and came to close it, didn’t you?” Chala slowly said, “No, no one can sense those low-level portal openings from far away.” Then he locked eyes with her “Until today.”

  The young female shook her head. She shivered at the dark man’s words. Did he follow me? Did he watch? She didn’t dare ask the question, not now. The tears were close, she pushed them down. Oh, no, certainly not, she thought, cold fury coiling in her guts. The hunter got up. He slowly walked towards her and extended a hand. “Join me Jessica, become a hunter.”

  The star student looked at the hand in disbelief. “What? You’re crazy! Why would I do that?” Chala withdrew his hand and took a step back. “Your Grandmaster sent you on an impossible quest with the wrong weapon.” He picked up a shard of glass, “Those were the last ones, weren’t they?” Jessica opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. She slowly nodded.

  The Master Hunter turned his back and started to walk away. “Your dear Grandmaster used you, and you almost died.” Jessica felt her temper flare up, she got up and screamed, “You would use me too!” Chala stopped and looked back. “Yes, that’s true.” Then he nodded toward the broken sphere. “But I’ll give you real power to achieve victories. Not a diluted version of a subpar one.” Then, without another glance, he resumed walking. Jessica shook her head. She looked at the ground, her teeth clenched. Her gaze wandered on the broken piece of glass and the butchered monsters.

  With a sigh, she began limping after her new mentor.

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