The glow of the rune faintly illuminated the ground, and Riccardo immediately noticed it, spinning around.
He carefully watched the direction of the still-glowing tree but couldn't see anyone.
I can't see them... but I'm sure they're watching us...
"Dana, someone's here. Go wake the others, slowly."
Dana noticed the tension in Riccardo's eyes, and it instantly put her on alert.
"Got it..."
She quickly moved toward Estrella and Dalai, while Riccardo remained perfectly still, his sword pointed toward the tree with the illuminated rune.
How many are there? Should we run or stay? Too many unknowns... this is a terrible situation.
"Hey, Ruben, isn't that him? The guy who killed those two former allies of ours... what was his name again?" a voice whispered from the tree.
Even though Riccardo couldn't see them, he could hear them clearly.
"If I remember correctly... Riccardo Aliberti. He's pretty famous around here," Ruben replied.
"Really!? What luck!" the first voice exclaimed.
"Hey, keep it down! He heard us! You idiot, David!"
A violent rustling came from the branches, followed by one of the boys falling out of the tree.
"Ow! That hurt! Was that really necessary!?" David complained from the ground.
Riccardo watched him with a puzzled expression.
"It's your fault, David! Your voice is annoyingly loud. If you weren't strong, I would've killed you a long time ago!" Ruben replied as he climbed down from the tree.
David got to his feet and looked at Riccardo with an air of superiority.
"So, what do we do with him? The usual?"
"Obviously... we kill him!"
The two drew their swords and began circling around Riccardo, trying to surround him.
A few seconds later, they attacked.
But an arrow shot through the air, forcing Ruben to stop at the last moment.
"Woah! That was close!"
David stopped as well, clearly annoyed.
"You had teammates!"
"Sorry, you didn't give me time to warn you," Riccardo replied sarcastically.
"Hah! Funny guy!" Ruben sneered.
"Riccardo!" Dana shouted as she approached with Estrella and Dalai.
"What's going on here!?" Dalai asked, tense.
"Be careful... they're Hunters!"
"Hunters?" Estrella asked, confused.
"You use that name too?" Ruben said.
"What else would I call you? You hunt down and kill other subordinates."
"Isn't that what all of us are supposed to do? To survive, we have to level up. And in the end, only one person wins!" David replied provocatively.
Riccardo tightened his grip on his sword.
"You're nothing but human trash..."
"What? You think we're doing something wrong?" David asked, his anger rising.
"No. I think what you said is correct... if you were actually doing it for that reason."
As Riccardo continued speaking, David's and Ruben's expressions darkened, causing the others to tense up.
"But I know exactly what kind of people you are. You're not killing to achieve victory. You're garbage that kills because you enjoy it. You have no hesitation, no remorse."
David and Ruben exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.
"Did you hear that, Ruben!?"
"Oh, I heard him! Ha... and why would we feel remorse? There's no such thing as sin when it comes to killing in this place!"
Dana watched them nervously.
They're insane!
"Alright, David. Let's kill them and get out of here. I'm tired of listening to this."
"Been looking forward to it!" David replied as he charged at Riccardo.
Riccardo blocked the first strike, while Ruben tried to take advantage of the opening from behind.
With a swift movement, Riccardo kicked David away and stepped back just in time to avoid Ruben's slash.
"You're fast and quick to react... I expected as much from the famous subordinate in the white hoodie," Ruben said as he advanced.
An arrow grazed Ruben's right cheek, opening a small cut.
He stopped for a moment and touched the blood on his hand.
"Just a reminder—he's not alone!" Estrella shouted firmly.
[Skill Activated: Sylvan Step]
[Sylvan Step: The user's body becomes lighter after every successful shot. (Up to three stacks)]
[Effect: +8 Agility, +5 Endurance]
[Passive Effect: Resets upon taking damage]
Dana and Dalai charged directly at Ruben from the front.
He watched them with amusement.
"Now this is interesting!"
Ruben continued charging toward Riccardo, completely ignoring the other two, leaving them stunned.
"Dana! Dalai, watch out!"
Estrella warned them just in time.
The two noticed David attempting to strike Dalai with a horizontal slash.
Dalai managed to block it, but the force behind the attack pushed him back several meters.
What ridiculous strength!
He quickly recovered from the impact.
"Sorry, but the three of you will be dealing with me!"
"Get out of the way!" Dana snapped.
She thrust her sword forward, but David knocked the blade aside with one hand, making her lose her balance for a moment.
"You're slow!"
David immediately counterattacked, but Dalai stepped in and forced him back.
"There are three of you, but even if you combined your levels, you probably still wouldn't reach mine!"
Dana studied him carefully.
He's right... he feels about as strong as Riccardo. We don't stand a chance against him!
For a moment, she glanced toward Riccardo, who was engaged in an intense battle against Ruben.
We need to help him first, then take on the other one together.
Riccardo and Ruben exchanged sword strikes at an astonishing speed, weaving between trees whose runes lit up one after another.
Ruben suddenly disappeared behind a tree, attempting to launch a surprise attack.
Riccardo wasn't fooled.
He dodged the strike and drove a punch straight into Ruben's face, stunning him for a moment.
Ruben touched his nose and immediately realized it was broken.
Then he chuckled.
"Look what you've done! How are you going to make up for that?"
"If you come any closer, I'll punch you again. Maybe that'll fix it."
"Hah! I like your sarcasm more and more! But let's say you repay the damage with your life instead!"
Ruben and Riccardo were about to clash again when the tree to Riccardo's left suddenly lit up.
He immediately retreated.
Another one has arrived...
"Ruben! David! The boss wants you back. That's enough for today!" a female voice called out.
Ruben stopped at once, visibly annoyed.
"Eira! You always show up during the best parts!"
"Not my fault. But if you want to disobey one of his orders, be my guest."
Eira stepped out of the shadows with a challenging look.
Her skin was pale, her eyes a misty light gray, and her white hair fell just past her chin.
She radiated a provocative, almost enchanting aura.
Ruben let out an exasperated sigh.
"No, I could never do that..."
He sheathed his sword.
Riccardo watched as Ruben started walking away.
So now they even have a leader...
"Come on, David. You heard him. Let's go," Eira urged.
"No! Let me kill at least one of them first!"
David stepped in front of Dana, Dalai, and Estrella, who could barely remain standing.
He grabbed Dalai by the throat.
Dalai tried to fight back, but David caught his arm with ease.
"I've made my choice! You're the one dying today!"
His grip around Dalai's neck tightened.
Dana tried to attack him, but David drove a kick straight into her stomach, knocking her to the ground.
Eira watched the scene, then noticed something.
The light from the runes was moving toward Riccardo's sword.
He stood perfectly still, poised to deliver a vertical slash.
The blade was becoming enveloped in a dense glow.
Eira stiffened.
"David, move!"
David turned around, confused by the warning.
But he didn't even have time to understand what was happening.
A blade of light sliced through the air just inches from his body.
"Shit!"
The impact kicked up a cloud of dust.
When it settled, David emerged with only a shallow cut on his arm.
"What the fuck was that!?"
"You heard your superior. He told you to get your ass out of here... before I do it for him!"
Riccardo shot him a murderous glare.
David looked surprised for only a moment before breaking into an excited grin.
"You're awesome! I can't wait to fight you again!"
He quickly retreated.
Dalai let out a relieved sigh.
Seeing David and Ruben leaving, Eira turned a calm gaze toward Riccardo.
"We'll be on our way."
Riccardo remained still for a few moments.
He listened to their footsteps fading into the forest.
They're leaving...
Only then did he walk over to his companions to check their condition.
"Are you all okay?"
"Not at all. He just beat the hell out of us..." Dalai said, still angry.
"You did everything you could," Riccardo replied as he examined the wound on Dana's arm.
She looked dejected.
"Is this the level you had to face while living here?" she asked.
"No. They're even stronger now..."
Riccardo looked her straight in the eyes.
"But unfortunately, this is the level you need to reach if you want to survive in this world."
"We have to leave this place!" Dalai exclaimed nervously.
"Yeah... it's too dangerous," Estrella agreed.
Riccardo continued treating Dana's arm, but noticed that she had clenched her fists.
Then he looked up and saw the determination in her eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"No! We're not leaving!" Dana declared.
The other two stared at her in shock.
"Did you realize we're nowhere near strong enough for this place!?" Dalai snapped.
"I realized it. I felt it firsthand! But running away won't keep us alive for long!"
"So you actually want to stay here!?"
"Yes! We'll grow stronger together so we won't be the ones being hunted!"
Dana turned toward Riccardo.
"Are there mythological creatures around here that we can fight?"
"Yes. There are several creatures nearby that are appropriate for your current level."
"And the other subordinates won't attack us while we're fighting them?" Estrella asked.
"Not anymore. For most people around here, those monsters no longer provide enough experience to level up quickly. That's why we shouldn't have any problems."
"You heard him. What do you think about staying?"
Estrella and Dalai exchanged another uncertain glance.
Then Estrella let out a small sigh.
"Alright! I'm okay with staying!"
She stepped over to Dana, leaving Dalai as the last one who had to decide.
He still looked conflicted, but eventually met the eyes of the other three, who were waiting for an answer.
"Damn it... fine. I'm in too!"
Riccardo stood up and looked at each of them in turn.
"It won't be easy... but I know we can do it. Are you ready?"
The others nodded.
As they confirmed their decision, the first rays of dawn began filtering through the trees.