X-Rank Hunter

"Damn it! I'm outside again?"

Janine's frustration reached its limit when she found herself just outside the pillar of silver light again. And when she thought about how she ended up being in here, she couldn't help but grit her teeth. That attack was really way too ferocious. If not for her strong body, then who knew how many broken bones would she have now after the long roll she suffered.

Thankfully, she only received few skin scratches and little internal injuries due to the punch she received. But still, it was annoying just thinking how she ended up being like that.

Tsk! Janine couldn't help but spat a mouthful of red saliva as she wiped the blood dripping out from her mouth. How could that mere beast send her flying? That was really a disgrace to herself! Never in her life was she being humiliated like that. Especially when they were talking about how she was being defeated in the battle of Physical Energy.

Janine couldn't accept this. She should be the strongest in terms of physical power. How could that beast defeat her?!

But well, beast tribes were the real ruler of Physical Energy so there was nothing strange being defeated by a beast in terms of Physical Energy. And besides, the one who sent her away was an S-rank level beast so it really was natural for an F-rank like her to be defeated by that beast. So just why in the world was she making a fuss over it?

In any case, Janine was determined to avenge herself. She would definitely not let this beast slide in any way.

With that in mind, Janine stepped forward. Veins popped out on her knees as she bent slightly on the ground. Janine took a deep breath as she readied herself to rush back and beat up that beast already.

But before she could even disappear to display her incredible speed, the pillar of silver light that looked like a barrier had suddenly wavered as it slowly dissipated in the thin air.

What was happening? Janine suddenly widened her eyes. Her intention to rush back on that place was immediately halted. Never did she expect that something like that would happen. Not only the pillar of light was slowly disappearing, but even the suppressive aura was dissipating as well making Janine doubt if she was just dreaming.

After a few more moments, the pillar of silver light had finally disappeared from her sight and not even a trace of the suppressive aura was left. Janine didn't know what but she could tell that something really happened at the time when she was being sent away.

Janine then narrowed her eyes as she focused her attention on the place where the pillar of silver light was before. And when she did it that way, the first thing that caught her attention was something she would never imagine in her life.

Both Jim and Ben were now floating in the midair, a meter above the ground. But what was astonishing about it was that the both of them had as if no more strength left in their body as they were as if being strangled by something invisible. Both of their body stood straight but Janine could see that both of them was struggling to break free.

Not only that, but there was also someone standing in front of them and was leisurely watching them suffer. Janine frowned at what she just saw as she was unhappy seeing it.

What were these two fools doing? They let themselves be caught just like that? How shameful of them! From how Janine interpreted what she was seeing, the little girl standing right in front of the two was their opponent that defeated the both of them in a battle.

Two against one? Were these two really that weak? No matter how many times Janine clicked her tongue and shook her head in displeasure, what she was seeing was just too unsightly. Just how did these two ended up in that state? It was only a few minutes after she was gone and she would just found these two being defeated just like that? Just what really happened at the time when she was being sent away?

Janine couldn't help but think deeply about what really happened a moment ago. But no matter how much she thought about it, she could only conclude for the two as being too weak.

Tsk! Too annoying. Janine had then again clicked her tongue in displeasure as she felt that she should at least save these two fools. She couldn't care anymore about how did things end up that way. All she frustrate about right now was her sense of responsibility if not pity about saving these two.

****

What really happed a few moments ago when Elaine showed herself...

"W-who?" Amidst his fright, Ben had finally managed to let out a word. But deep inside, he was scolding himself to just move already. Just why was his body refusing to listen to him? 

Ben was certain that there was definitely someone standing behind him. After all, he could feel the other party's back touching his back.

But why in the world could he not do anything against it. Not only that, he could even feel his body shaking in fear, the feeling that he only felt from his younger brother whenever he was facing him. Just who in the world was the person behind him?

But before Ben could even receive any reply from the other party, a red bee suddenly rushed towards Elaine. Elaine then fixed her gaze on it as she wondered what was that thing. But before she could even figure out anything, and when the red bee was only a meter away from her, it suddenly disappeared on sight making her eyes widened a little. But then, just after a moment, instead of the bee, a kid suddenly appeared right before her making her eyes widened even more. Not only that, the kid who had just suddenly appeared was already throwing a punch against her and was actually targeting her pretty face.

This kid... Elaine was surprised to see that there was actually someone in the world who would not hesitate to harm a pretty face like her's. This was really interesting. Elaine couldn't help but smile seeing that the fist of the other party was about to land on her face.

But then, as the punch was about to land on her, Elaine who was supposed to be hit by the punch suddenly turned into rubbles and then fell on the ground. It went without saying, the punch didn't land on her but instead, it went directly right on the back of Ben's head.

Ugh... Jim who threw out the punch found his mouth twitching from what had just happened. He went there to save Ben but who would have thought that he would end up hitting the other party instead.

Thankfully, even with his full strength, the damage he could display was far too weak compared to Janine as he only caused Ben's head to bend down. If Janine was the one who made that punch, then surely, Ben would roll furiously on the ground as the hope of him for being alive was slim.

Even so, Jim's punch still hurt the other party as Ben even felt slightly dizzy from that punch. Just what the hell had just happened? Ben could only hurriedly turn around to see who the heck had hit him as he was thinking what kind of revenge would he prepare to give back to that fool who hit him.

To his shock, when he turned around, he found Jim right in front of him. The other party's fist was even still pointing at him as it was obvious that he was the one who hit him.

"You! You!" Ben found his veins popping out on his forehead as he pointed his forefinger towards Jim angrily, "You! Why did you smack me?!"

"I..." Jim smiled bitterly. How would he explain this to him right now? "I didn't do it on purpose. Believe me, I am here to save you."

"Save me?" Ben repeated those words furiously as he doubted about it.

"Look here," Jim suddenly turned serious as the thing he was about to say was as if holding the truth itself. After a moment of pause, he continued, "You were too scared earlier and you couldn't even move a muscle. So I came here especially for you just to wake you up."

"That..." Ben couldn't retort it at all. Indeed, he felt frightened earlier, and only after he received the punch of Jim did he recover his composure. Did Jim really smack him to save him? Ben thought that it was possible. That said, he could only reply to Jim, "I-is that so... Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Jim said as he walked closer to Ben and then patted his shoulder. "After all, we are friends, right?"

After Jim said those words, he walked past Ben as tears were now streaming down on his cheeks. Thankfully, he came up with a nice reason that calmed Ben down from his frustration.

"Y-yes..." Ben responded. This was what real friends be like. Trustworthy in times of trouble!

Even so, why did he felt that something was amiss? Ben couldn't figure it out at all. Nonetheless, he couldn't care much about it anymore as he instead focused his attention on the one who appeared earlier and caused him to be frightened.

That girl was really dangerous. Ben felt that he should definitely give his all when facing the other party. With that in mind, Ben swept his gaze aroud to search for that little girl. This time, he would definitely land a blow against her.