After a long walk through the treacherous path of withered trees and dried-up rock environments, Xuan was becoming more exhausted with Soo Jin on his back.
Unlike the sanctuary, the skies outside were blood-red, and a big black wormhole swirled atop it.
"Strange that we haven't run into any of the other guild members," said Ji Woo, because throughout the walk, they had not seen any other hunters in search of the gene.
"Maybe they've all reached the gene before us. Quicken your pace."
Xuan wasn't really bothered if anyone got to the gene before him. Since they were sent by their guild organization, it was a sure thing that they wouldn't consume the gene.
So he still had a chance of stealing it under their noses without leaving a trace—so he thought.
"Aren't you exhausted?" asked Soo Jin.
"Oh, me? No, I'm not. But if you're tired, you can step down if you want," Xuan replied.
"No, no, I'm not. I was just worried 'bout you, that's all."
Xuan gave an unseen, frustrated face. If you really cared, you'd use your common sense that I'm fucking exhausted, thought Xuan.
"Are you from around the sanctuary? I haven't seen you until today. What's your name? Will you be free after this hunt?"
Xuan was getting bombarded with a series of questions, and it seemed the three hunters in front of them didn't care. It was as if they'd walk away from him if he was too slow.
"It is my first time in Teras, and I'm Xuan Chen. And yes, I'll be busy after this hunt," said Xuan.
"Oh, I wanted us to go out for coffee. Won't you be free?"
Before Xuan could say no again, they arrived at a cave. Stunning everyone at the entrance were series of dead red ants with purple liquid staining the cave wall.
Purple glowing cores were seen in their dead bodies. Whoever had killed these beasts didn't care about the monster cores.
And it was even a purple-type monster core, which could amount to fifty red cores.
For a beast to have a purple monster core meant it must have been really strong, and the size of the ants was abnormal, to begin with.
"Tsk, they've already reached here. Let's go."
Xuan couldn't explain his unusual hearing ability, but he could clearly hear movements as if something was coming towards them. Directing his head towards the sound, he yelled,
"On top of us!"
When he looked at the top of the cave, he saw a hole, and some glowing eyes were staring at him.
Boom!
Ji Woo quickly looked up and burst out a tremendous amount of flame that burned through the hole, causing roasted ants with cores to fall, some incinerated down to ash.
"Sharp eyes. Thanks, man, from the Phantom Hive," said Ji Woo.
"You saved us, Xuan Chen. I owe you my life," said Soo Jin.
Xuan rolled his eyes, and they began walking ahead. Deep inside the cave, glowing blue crystals lit the rest of the way.
But then, they saw a man sitting against the wall, blood covering his black suit—his blood. He was barely alive and could only warn them.
"Don't... don't go any further. Members from the top guilds are getting slaughtered like nothing. We couldn't see where it was. It just came and left only headless bodies apart," the hunter coughed out blood, similar to Soo Jin.
"He's poisoned by the fangs. What about the gene? Which guild has it?"
"Didn't you hear what I said? They were all slaughtered like nothing."
Xuan's eyes widened when he heard that again. He recognized the man as one of those from the Blue Sea Guild because he had seen him outside earlier.
"I already contacted the backup guild," he coughed blood again, and veins crawled at the side of his eye.
"The poison is going to kill him soon. No need to stay with him. Come on, the gene is still in there."
"Are you sick? Didn't you hear what he just said?" Ji Woo quickly replied.
"We've come too far," the spiked-haired leader overruled him. He glanced at Soo Jin and added, "Don't forget your sister is also affected by the poison. You need the blood of the monster as the antidote, or soon she'll—"
"That's enough," Ji Woo cut short the man's sentence and walked past everyone.
"Soo Jin and the Phantom Hive member can stay behind. We'll go in."
Putting one and two together, Xuan realized the girl on his back was Ji Woo's little sister.
The three hunters stood at the black steel gate with gold intricate designs on it. The light from outside escaped into the dark room,
only revealing a portion of a purple egg on an altar. Xuan was now close. He could see the gene. It was now a matter of stealing it.
"Rest your back properly. I'll assist them," said Xuan. When he dropped Soo Jin, he felt her body was very cold and getting pale.
"Xuan Chen, will you be back so we could go for coffee?" the beautiful girl barely said. She was gradually losing her breath.
"Yes. Just stay awake for me till I get back," said Xuan, receiving a smile and a nod from Soo Jin.
Damn, I just lied again. Once I steal the gene, I'm fucking off this place completely, thought Xuan.
The four of them entered the room, and after looking around—
Voom!
Purple flakes on each pillar gradually lit up. The pillars led to a throne—an empty throne.
"Jesus, there's a lot of mess," said the unspoken hunter among them. Seeing how blood was everywhere and beheaded bodies—it was a massacre.
Aren't these supposed to be hunters from the top guilds? Xuan thought.
"There's the gene!"
"I'll go get it," Xuan quickly volunteered himself, and as he ran past them, the spiked-haired leader caught his wrist.
"No need. The Devil Guild is already here."
Xuan felt chills go down his spine. His heart was definitely begging to escape his chest. When he was turned around, he saw the ant monster on top of the door, holding someone's head.
"Monster!" Xuan yelled again.
Accompanying his words, the ant monster let go of the head. Its eyes glowed blood-red, its powerful mandibles dripping blood.
The moment Ji Woo noticed it—
Boom!
He released hell on the ant, but the ant didn't move. It just shielded itself with its pair of wings.
Only smoke escaped its form, and the next was its attack—
Brzz!
A red laser escaped its eyes, so fast and unpredictable, it ripped the spiked-haired leader in half, filling the room with a stench of blood and heat.
Simultaneously, the unspoken hunter leaped towards the ant king, and his palm turned into a white saw. He slashed at the location of the monster, creating dust and falling debris that now blocked the door.
However, the monster wasn't there. It had used its wings and sped away from the attack. Ji Woo started looking around, feeling wary with the monster out of sight.
"Ah!" the unspoken hunter yelled because he was taken off his feet. As Xuan and Ji Woo looked up, his head fell down before his body.
"Xuan, get the gene and eat it now!"
Xuan stood from the ground and began running towards the gene. Ji Woo didn't need to tell him twice because that was his initial plan.
Maybe Ji Woo had realized the enemy was too strong and needed backup. Consuming the God gene would give them the advantage—two against one. But before he could reach the altar—
Brzz!
"Ahhh!" Xuan yelled, and Ji Woo couldn't react.
The laser moved in a zigzag manner, targeting Xuan. His right leg was detached from his body—
Kweuk!
His eyes involuntarily formed tears, his body hitting the ground so hard that his breathing stopped for a moment.