This is the second day after Alina started selling snacks on Jalan Ambarkasih which is the newest Monster Gate to appear. No one has been able to solve it so far.
From people's talk, it was said that there had been two small groups of hunters coming in and out with disheveled appearances. No one saw any of them carrying any of the artifacts that were always the norm to show off on their way out. It didn't matter if the artifacts obtained were common things, just like the storage ring. This is done as a promotion for those who want to buy the artifacts obtained. So that, after being registered with the Hunter's Guild, the artifact would sell quickly.
"Is that a sign?" Nathan muttered when no buyers came to Alina's merchandise.
"Could it be that there was something in there?" Alina who had just finished serving a customer answered Nathan's murmur. She herself did not really know the situation usually experienced by the hunters behind the Monster Gate. So as for the matter of thinking about the various possibilities related to this Monster Gate, she didn't really know much.
“There's a possibility, they haven't finished any of the monsters in it, so they didn't get any artifacts. As for the other possibility, it could also be that this time's monster didn't drop the artifact after finishing…” Nathan looked at the group of people who had just arrived after giving his analysis results.
"Who are they? I feel disgusting abominations, like wild vampires and ungrowth werewolves..." Nathan said pointing at the hunters who had just arrived and asked Alina's opinion about them.
“They are the Star Eyes Team. I heard from people, the team leader is a white lizard…” Nisa came alone, it seemed she had time to rest and stop by Alina's merchandise. Suddenly, she answered Nathan's confusion after she heard it.
“White Lizard? I've heard of it too. People said, that person didn't care about the lives of the other people who were with him during the Monster Gate expedition. There's always a group member lacking after going on an expedition with the Star Eyes Team...”
"Moreover, those who don't come back are people who have just been recruited..." Nisa also added again after nodding in agreement with Alina's explanation just now.
“Dangerous people, eh?” Nathan muttered after getting the meaning of the White Lizard.
...
Hall of Illusion Forest
From the gate, appeared several human figures wearing typical equipment usually used by hunters. This was the third time this place had a group of humans arriving.
The shady and public-looking trees are the main sight of this place. Although the leaves were appropriate as a hiding place for insects, there was no visible life there. As if, all kinds of trees and plants here are just displays.
Silence.
Only the sound of footsteps that sounded heavy with the equipment as it hit the ground. Everyone seemed to be concentrating and wary of their surroundings. It was clear they were feeling tense now, afraid that a surprise attack might come.
Before they entered this Monster Gate, some information had been obtained from the two groups that had tried to enter. It had been said, there was something strange about this Monster Gate. Although, it was known that the monsters living in this place were just ordinary packs of wolves, but none had yet been able to cripple a single one.
The Star Eyes Team, one of the strongest independent teams capable of overcoming a Monster Gate with difficulty C level without requiring additional external support for at least an entire month.
Monster Gate Expeditions were always long. Even the fastest has been set a record by a team from the top union in the entire Pasundan region for two weeks and two days. Obviously they are not a team to be underestimated. But, don't forget that they challenged the Monster Gate with a difficulty two levels higher than C level. Meanwhile, they only recruited a few C to BC rank hunters.
Actually, weird.
According to the previous two groups, the monsters that attacked them were just ordinary packs of wolves. However, the difficulty level is B. That's what caused the Star Eyes Team to be provoked into an expedition into it.
The team leader, the White Lizard thought that this Monster Gate was actually only difficulty level C and below. But, for some reason the Hunter's Guild hid the facts. To be sure, he thought there was a possibility that the Hunter's Guild would restrict low-ranking hunters from conducting Monster Gate expeditions with a difficulty higher than D difficulty. In order, the casualties from the expedition would be reduced.
The one in the front, he seemed to be someone who had high endurance, judging by his heavy equipment. The man raised one hand after stopping, and everyone else stopped too. He had just received a signal from a scout who was always one step ahead of the others that something was coming.
Most people immediately understood and swiftly prepared their fighting stance-horses. As for the others, it seemed that they were people who had just been recruited by this team, not responding as quickly as the original team.
No one spoke. They communicate through small gestures and eye gaze. It was not much different from the people who had just been recruited, because this knowledge was actually general knowledge that all hunters had to know. So that, in situations like this, they can still communicate well even though it is only a simple sign language.
While everyone was thinking and waiting for something to appear, they didn't realize that they were actually surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of wolves. Not only on the ground or on the stilts, the wolves stare intently at their prey, on tree branches in fact countless pairs of eyes glow yellow. This indicates that in addition to the color of the fur on their dark body, they are reliable predators.
Moreover, this Monster Gate seemed to have been timed to always be dusk and close to night time. Quite supportive in the hunt for the monsters that inhabit this Monster Gate.
These people are in a very dangerous situation!
“Aarrgh!”
It seems that something has happened to someone. They clearly knew who it was. He was the Scout of the Star Eyes Team. Not long after that someone's scream of pain was heard, a sound like something falling was heard.
Something is getting clearer!
Both the Star Eyes Team and the recruits were tense, moreover the most tense was the man standing in the front. He was the one who knew the Scout the most who he knew was a reliable scout, whereas now it seemed that something had happened to his close friend.
'Impossible, right? There was no way he would be caught by a monster. What's more, it's just a wolf!' thought the man at the very front screaming inwardly.
“Everyone, calm down! I'm sure he just tripped or something. But, we have to-"
"Ah!"
Before the Star Eyes Team leader could finish his intentional emphasis on not being too loud, the person at the very back was attacked.
Suddenly, it made everyone shocked and more alert which was no exception with mixed feelings of fear and anxiety. Everyone's mind is messed up. There was no longer any visible coordinated movement before, moreover they did not feel there was time to communicate through body movements and eye gaze.
Time seemed to be slowing down.
No!
It was the hunters' movements that slowed down. Then, sharp clawed legs appeared from all directions at normal speed ready to tear apart the people who were at the very edge of the formation.
No one seemed ready to dodge or even to parry it. It is definitely predictable what will happen next.
They were no longer alive!