Chapter 43: Bad feeling

"Fine, you can come with us." Leon gave in. He looked around and then continued speaking. "You see, we are going behind a group of higher-ranked hunters and some other hunters who will be leading the expedition.

I personally just want all of you to gain some more experience and whatnot."

He pulled out all the turtle pendants and handed them to each and every one of them. "This will ensure that you don’t die." He stopped there. Then he pulled out a green clover pendant and handed it to Lucia. "You are our healer. This pendant will allow you to increase your ability to heal for a full twenty-four hours. It takes half a day to recharge when it has been used up."

"I also have a ton of potions and more stored away for when we get there, each one I have carefully curated to ensure that we make it out alive somehow."

"The way you speak of this gate, it makes it seem like it is a very dangerous gate."

"Yes, it is," Leon replied. "It’s an unknown gate, a new one and a permanent one. We have to make sure that we are secure before running into it," he explained.

He turned to look at Lily. "What weapon do you use?"

"I don’t. I have trained in martial arts for a year now," she said.

Leon palmed his face. "Sigh, you, Sophia, and Lucia have to get battle suits at least," he suggested.

"I already have an armor set," Sophia pointed out.

"What type?" Leon asked.

"I had it made from the body of a horned crocodile."

"I’m sorry, but that’s too low, Sophia. I’ll have to get you something better. If you want body armor and still want a normal armor set, it’s fine, but there has to be a change. We will be heading to the gate in three hours, so we still have some time to get it for you," Leon said, leaving no room for arguments. He did not want the blood of anyone at all to be on him in any way.

[•••••]

The gate was located at the outskirts of town. It sat there as a swirling vortex. The gate sat at the edge of the clearing, a vortex of swirling dark blue light, slowly turning like a whirlpool in the air.

A makeshift fence surrounded it. It was made of metal posts and chain links, with guild guards stationed at intervals along the perimeter. Warning signs hung from the wire. Since it was an unranked gate and nobody knew what was inside, the guild was not taking any chances with curious onlookers.

Leon scanned the crowd.

There were a lot of hunters. They stood in small groups all around the clearing, dressed in a wide range of gear, from battered leather to gleaming plate. Some of them were checking their weapons. Others were drinking from flasks and talking in low voices. Everyone was ready, and the air hummed with nervous energy.

"Leon."

He turned around.

Kate was walking toward him, dressed sharply in a dark coat, her heels clicking against the gravel. She stopped in front of him and folded her arms.

"I have a lot to do, so I won’t be here for a while," she said. "But I’ll be keeping myself updated on whatever happens inside the gate."

"Understood," Leon said.

She gave him a short nod. Then she turned and walked away, her coat swaying behind her, and a driver opened the door of a black car for her.

Leon let out a breath.

Right away, he felt it. Two stares on the back of his neck, burning through his shirt. He did not have to turn around to know whose they were.

He sighed and slumped his shoulders.

’They’re still on this.’

Sophia and Lily had not stopped giving him looks since the day they found out he had a rich woman helping him with investments. He was not sure how to explain it, and he had not tried.

A few moments later, footsteps approached.

A party of six was walking toward them across the gravel. They were led by a blond man with deep blue eyes, wearing a full set of armor with a bodysuit showing underneath at the joints, and a sword strapped across his back. He walked with his chin high and his shoulders back.

He stopped in front of Leon’s group and smiled.

"Greetings," he said. The greeting sounded normal, but there was slight pride behind it. "I’m Ray."

He paused, as if waiting for them to react.

"I’m an A-ranked hunter. One of the best A-ranks in this town and in the city at large."

He made sure everyone around them heard it. A few hunters nearby glanced over.

Ray looked at them, taking his time.

"I haven’t seen you around before," he said. "Are you new hunters?"

Leon knew exactly how some hunters behaved and how pride got to them. He took a slow breath.

"Yes," he said. "This will be our first expedition as a party."

Ray burst out laughing.

He turned to his teammates, three women and two men, and all of them smirked. He laughed until he had to wipe his eyes.

"Your first expedition? And you chose this one?" He shook his head. "Do you not understand how easy it is to lose your life in a place like this? You can tell just by looking at you that you’re not very strong."

"I’d rather you didn’t..." Lucia began quietly.

"No, no, let me finish." Ray held up a hand. "If you know what’s best for you, you’ll go home and live. Don’t go in there and get yourselves killed."

Leon rolled his eyes.

"I’m not in the mood to be cuddly today," he said. "So if you don’t get your blond, low-budget-looking ass out of my sight, I’m going to make sure it doesn’t enter that gate."

Ray’s smile vanished.

He stared at Leon, confused for a moment, then angry. His teammates stopped smirking.

"Who do you think you are," he said slowly, "to stop me from entering a gate? Do you want a death wish?"

Leon let out a laugh.

"I will."

He did not actually plan to do anything. He could, but he did not want to. He only wanted to rattle the man’s chains and see how far they would go.

"I might not be the strongest hunter around," Leon went on. "But I have what it takes to keep someone like you out. If you want to test it, keep talking."

Ray wanted to call his bluff.

He did not want his party to see him back down from a newbie. But he also had a lot riding on this expedition, and he did not want to risk any of it over a stranger. So he held Leon’s stare for a few more seconds.

"We’ll meet inside," he said finally. "Maybe whatever is protecting you out here won’t protect you in there."

He turned and walked away with his party following behind.

The gate flared brighter. A guild guard waved his hand, and the vortex stabilized, steady and ready. The hunters began to gather in front of it, forming a rough crowd.

A man stepped up in front of them.

He was a representative of the guild, dressed in the grey uniform. He raised his hands for quiet.

"Listen up. This gate is unknown, and this is its first expedition. We hope that everyone will keep themselves safe to the best of their ability. Everything has been provided, and everything has been prepared to make sure it goes well."

He looked across the crowd.

"We ask that no one move on their own, in any way, shape, or form. Stay with your parties. Stay with the group."

He stepped out of the way.

The hunters began to file into the gate, one party after another. Leon looked at the others, then walked forward with them. Sophia, Lily, Lucia, Robert, and Rika followed close behind.

They stepped through the portal.

The light swallowed them. A cold tingle ran across his skin, and then the ground came back under his feet.

They were standing in a dark, warm hallway.

The walls were made of stone and rose high into the darkness, with no roof in sight. The floor was stone too, uneven and damp. The air smelled of rot and wetness, thick enough to taste. A few torches and glowing crystals set into the walls flickered, throwing weak patches of light.

Leon looked around slowly.

"I have a bad feeling about this place," he said.