Free Hunt II

Walking through the general market, Brandon looked for things that could help him in the free hunt. He walked for a while until he found a mask shop.

There was a wide variety, and Brandon was looking for one that interested him, but Luzbel was the first to speak up.

[Master, how about the red mask with a horn on the right?]

Brandon looked at the mask for a minute, contemplating himself. It wasn't bad, but there were others that caught his attention. "Do you want this mask, really?" he asked.

[Yes, it'll contrast with my demon name.]

Brandon thought for a moment. He had named himself after Catholic mythology and Lucifer.

Lucifer had become one of his favorite characters, but he liked the name Luzbel more, so he gave it to his AI. He wasn't a believer in any gods, after all, few people still had religious beliefs.

Moreover, there were races so powerful that they could create an alternate universe on their own, or even create life. So the concept of gods was attributed more to the existences that were at the top.

"Old man, I'll take this," said Brandon to the shop owner. He was an elderly rat man, hunched over and with a cane, with white hair that contrasted with his beard.

"Hio, hio,, this choice… It's weird to see someone actually like this mask. It's been here for a while, but people always avoid it, it doesn't have a bit of art," said the old man, stroking his beard as he walked.

"That'll be 25 Star Coins, young man," the old man said.

"25 Star Coins? Are you a scammer, old man?" Brandon complained, feeling like he was being ripped off.

"My store, my prices. When you have a store, you can set your own prices," the old man laughed.

A vein was already popping out of Brandon's forehead from frustration. 'Hey, do you really think this mask will look good on me? Wouldn't it be better to go somewhere else?'

[*I think it would look quite good on you, master. Plus, we don't know the prices of other places nearby, or if other masks here have a lower price. *]

Brandon took out his tablet and transferred 25 Star Coins to the old man, then took the mask and was about to leave the shop, but the old man spoke up.

"Until we meet again, young man," the old man smiled.

Brandon didn't think much of it and left the shop. This old man has been around the first hunting area for a long time. When he advances, he doesn't think he'll see the old man again.

He returned to school and received a notification on his tablet.

[Pandora: Free hunt participants, you can now go and collect your hunting equipment.]

Brandon wanted to go immediately, but he stopped. He had already told Dereck and Jin Na that he wouldn't go, he didn't want to bother them, although he could just tell them that he didn't want to go with them.

Brandon waited until nightfall, then went to the storage facility and presented his identification. Once it was confirmed, he entered the warehouse where there was a variety of weapons and combat suits.

"You can only take two weapons and one combat suit, remember that," said a soldier.

Brandon grabbed one of the suits and put it on. It was too big for him, but as he pressed his chest with his hand, the suit began to shrink and fit him perfectly.

The suit was flexible, but he didn't like it much. He preferred to feel soft and calm, but this black, tight-fitting suit was the opposite of his taste.

He had to accept it, this was his first time going out and he didn't know what dangers awaited him out there. For weapons, he took a pistol and a short sword.

He had thought about what kind of weapons to use and this was the best he could come up with. He wanted to take a bow as well, but he was already carrying too much and they only allowed two weapons.

Leaving the place, Brandon went to his room and left a farewell letter to his roommates, telling them that he was going on a free hunt.

Although he didn't want Dereck or Jin Na to find out, his roommates would soon realize he was missing and it would only take asking around to find out he had gone on a free hunt.

He took a backpack with some belongings. The school had given them 500 Starcoins to buy the necessary supplies since they would be on their own immediately after leaving.

Brandon put on a hooded coat and left the room to meet with the others who were departing.

Each person was given a bracelet that would notify the school of their location and status, and they also had a map of the explored areas. Despite all races coming together to create the map, they had only explored less than 10% of the hunting area in the first dimension.

Everyone was transported outside of the school to an area with a forest of giant trees. Brandon had seen Dereck, but kept his head down to avoid being spotted.

When they arrived, everyone got off the truck.

Those who had groups started to gather, while others decided to go solo or try to join a group. It was strange for someone to approach you, as there was no protection from the school, making even fellow students potential enemies.

Brandon wasted no time, and soon the blood and adrenaline began to pump through his body. His hands trembled, and his heart raced as he stood in front of the forest, which seemed like an abyss. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

"It's time," he told himself as he walked towards the forest.

Once inside, it was difficult to even see the tops of the trees. Looking around and realizing no one was there, Brandon opened his backpack and put on his devil mask.

Electricity started to flow through the soles of his feet and with a great push, jumped and began to move at a speed that he almost believed was impossible.

He had to stop and use the power of his eyes to dodge some trees. The pure lightning power in a weak body was not something he could handle.

He began to run while releasing small bursts of electricity, which made him run quite fast, but nothing he couldn't handle.

When he used the power of thunder, the energy moved freely and without obstacles, and the energy consumption was minimal.

Being so pure, no energy was wasted, which was a blessing. While running, he suddenly heard a screech and turned around to see what it was.

There he saw a giant red cricket. "So, I've entered the area of the giant crickets," thought Brandon.

He stopped and drew his sword, not underestimating his enemy, as it was not a human but a beast that acted on instinct and without reason. They both stared at each other, before the cricket decided to take the first step.

"¡Come on!" shouted Brandon, tightly gripping the handle of his sword.