X-Rank Hunter

A while ago...

"I will definitely find you to the ends of the Earth!"

After eating the red bird to death, Janine's anger didn't subside at all. And it appeared that she became even angrier. She felt that she wouldn't be satisfied until she ate the brat who stole her first love.

That brat was surely daring! How could that brat run away just like that? Was he even a man? The more Janine thought about it, the more she felt her frustration going out of control.

She sucked some air through her nose but she couldn't smell that brat within the thousand meters at all. Teleportation? Janine could only think that that was surely the case. It appeared that this brat really had an ability. An ability to escape!

So knowing that that brat was not within her smelling range, Janine didn't just stand idly in there to wait for the other party to come back. And also, Janine was thinking that there was a very high chance that that brat would not come back anymore.

But who cares? If that brat wouldn't come back, then she would just search for him on the four sides of the world. She would definitely find him no matter what!

That being said, Janine made a step forward as every stride she made could shake the world. As if a giant was walking on its way. Although there was no terrifying aura or heavy pressure that could pin down the surroundings, through her sheer physical prowess, the world seemed like to bow down to her.

After some time, and when Janine was just about to speed up, she suddenly smelled another presence of a human being in her range. To be more precise, it was actually a kid around her age. She shifted her gaze in the direction of where she found the kid as she noticed that this kid was actually staying in the same spot.

Janine didn't think much as she ran in the direction of where the kid was. After some time, she finally reached her distance of where the kid was. But what made her a bit astonished was that this boy was actually sleeping on the branch of a certain tree.

"Hey, brat!" Janine called out, "Hurry up and wake up! Did you see a little boy that passed by in this place?"

No response.

Janine didn't receive any response at all making her veins popped out on her head uncontrollably.

"Don't make me repeat myself!" Janine said while trying her hardest to control her emotion. After a moment of pause, she added, "I'm asking you if you see a..."

But before Janine could even finish what she was about to say, the boy suddenly disappeared with a blur before a cold voice from her behind sounded next,

"Are you looking for death? Who told you to disturb my sleep?"

Surprisingly, the boy was already standing behind Janine and was actually already pointing a dagger at Janine's neck.

Who else could the boy be other than Ben Cosa?

When he woke up a while ago, he found himself in a place unknown to him. His memories were still intact as well making him doubt if the curse was true or not.

But then, it didn't change the fact that he was being transported to a place that he didn't know at all. He tried to search around only to find nothing but the presence of a normal forest. There was nothing strange from the surrounding trees and the beasts in the area were all low-level. If there was something that he needed to be careful about, that would be nothing was worth giving any awareness to.

So then, for a couple of hours, Ben searched across the area only to find things that were not worth mentioning. Not only that, it was as if the entire area was an endless forest where mountains, cliffs, rivers, and other types of landforms could be found here and there. It was so much similar to the Maharlika Kingdom from before the civil war transpired in the kingdom. So peaceful, and the invasion of the demons and Otherworldly Monster Beasts was nonexistent.

Although Ben didn't see the Maharlika Kingdom from 15 years ago by himself, it wasn't hard to learn about it with the technologies and innovation they had today. And besides, some part of the Maharlika Kingdom, the Shadow Lands to be precise, was said to have many similarities compared to the Maharlika Kingdom from before the civil war.

So after Ben sized up the place he was in, Ben halted his movements. He knew that the other X-rank Hunters were here as well in this place. And knowing that they were likely to meet sooner or later anyway, Ben's sloth triumphed upon him as he suddenly felt that he wanted to sleep.

That being said, Ben decided to go to a certain tree as he slept on its branch and as he enjoyed the surroundings. Fresh air grazed past on his body accompanied by the song of the little birds joining him on the tree.

But then, he was just about to fall asleep for real when suddenly, he felt a dangerous presence entering his range and was actually coming at him. Ben was alarmed. He could tell that the one who was coming at him was a human around his age, but why was the other party coming at him? Did he provoke the other party somehow? But that was impossible, he didn't even do anything to incur the wrath of anyone other than traveling across the area.

But then, a sudden thought came to his mind. The one who was coming at him was probably one of the X-rank Hunters! And Ben was thinking that the other party was definitely targeting him to put out a fight.

But Ben couldn't care much about it. Fighting someone without any reason? That was too bothersome. Ben was too lazy to even bother himself on something like that

That being said, Ben continued to sleep as he didn't put any care to the one who was approaching him. Even though the other party was dangerous, and seemed as if pissed, Ben was confident that his strength didn't pale in comparison against the other party. 

But then, Ben was still hoping that the other party wouldn't bother him. He didn't want a meaningless fight just to see who was stronger. What if you were stronger? Or what if he was stronger? What would they get upon achieving such pity things? Fame? Praise? Respect? That was nonsense. If he couldn't even save his mother, then what was the use of all those things?

His only target now was everyone in his family, especially his younger brother who he couldn't defeat even once. Everyone else was just garbage for him, including this kid who was coming in his direction. Although the other party appeared to be dangerous, one must not neglect that he himself was a dangerous existence too.

That said, was really just hoping to not bother each other and have a peaceful sleep instead. But if the other party was insistent and try to bother his sleep, then surely, that was a good reason to put out a fight, right? It had to be known that sleep was very important to him.

But it appeared that his wish was immediately shattered the moment the other party arrived. She immediately yelled at him ordering him to hurry up and wake up. And it only made Ben frustrated right away.

What the heck was with this brat? Couldn't she have some common sense? Couldn't she wait for him to wake up first before asking such a nonsensical question? A little boy passing by? Why would he care?

That being said, Ben pretended to not hear anything at all as he didn't even move an inch. He was just hoping for this girl to hurry up and leave the area.

But it appeared that this girl was so insistent as she even raised her voice and yelled at him again.

Ben was annoyed. He didn't wait for the other party to finish what she was about to say as he impatiently made a move. He appeared behind the little girl and threatened the other party to hurry up and leave if she didn't want to die.

On the other hand, the little girl, Janine Kastel, was a bit surprised seeing that the boy he was asking was too daring to even threaten her. The other party had even pointed a dagger on her neck making her agitated.

Janine grinned. This guy surely wanted a good beating! She then slowly turned around as he grabbed the edge of the dagger with her bare hand.

Ben was startled. What incredibly powerful physical strength! Ben couldn't even retract the dagger from the hand of the other party.

But before his astonishment rise to another level, he heard a cold voice saying, "You're threatening me? You've got guts..."

Sapak!

Before Ben could even make sense of what had just happened, he had just found himself furiously rolling on the ground as it appeared that this rolling would end forever.

That damned brute! Ben cursed to himself. No matter how hard he clenched his teeth, he just couldn't stop rolling.