Agreement & Start

After two days of preparation, Cyrus was finally ready for his first expedition. He followed Dr. Hinks' instructions and arrived at the designated time and location for his mission. The gate he was assigned to, the 'Wintertide Peak' Gate, was located on the outskirts of New Ashes, in the northwest. This gate was one of the few uncleared gates within New Ashes' territory and was relatively close to its border. The area was bustling with life, as this event was a well-known topic within the hunter's world. Many hunters, both unknown and established, came together to face the unprecedented danger within the gate.

The hunters gathered near the entrance of the gate, either chatting or waiting in silence for the Gold family's announcement and the start of the expedition. Cyrus, being less experienced, followed suit and quietly waited in a corner hoping to avoid any disturbance. However, his peace was short-lived as a group of five individuals approached him. As they drew nearer, Cyrus recognized them and his anger and hatred began to boil within him.

"Hmph! So you came after all, Cyrus was it?"

"..."

Cyrus arrived to meet Aurora Gold, who recognized him despite his attempts to conceal his appearance. He remembered her as the spoiled granddaughter of the man he had dealt with before. However, Cyrus was more concerned about the people lurking in the background than Aurora herself.

"Hey! Miss Aurora just spoke to you. Why aren't you bowing your head?" Brutus yelled, getting flustered.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Brutus. This young man seems to be an acquaintance of Madame Aurora," someone else interjected.

"That's right, Brutus. They might be friends. Don't be so quick to judge," another added.

Feeling anger rising within him, Cyrus thought of the culprits who had nearly caused his death. They were standing next to the pompous princess, Rebecca, Clair, Brutus and Cloutr. He wanted to burn them while keeping them alive, making them experience what he had almost suffered. But he knew that wasn't the right thing to do. If he did that, he would be no different than them. He promised himself to never compromise his moral values. So, instead of acting out his anger, he decided to do something different. Even though he knew who they were, they didn't recognize him. He had never shown them his face, only his name. And from the looks of it, they hadn't connected his name with the incident that almost cost him his life.

"Well, you did challenge me," Cyrus said calmly.

"Hmph. You acted all strong and tough in front of me and my grandfather, even though you're just a lowly bumpkin. I still don't believe you've killed the Ant Queen on your own. That's why I've challenged you to come." Aurora replied with disdain.

"Well, here I am, accepting your challenge. But it can't truly be considered a challenge without giving away something to the winner, can it?" Cyrus suggested.

"That's right! You dared steal my [Dimensional Storage] gift that grandfather was supposed to give me. If I kill the boss before you, then you have to pay back the skill book's value to me." said as she proposed this wager.

"Then if I win... let's see... you and your party members have to crawl to the floor and scream at the top of your lungs 'We're sorry for being so useless'." Cyrus added with a smirk.

"What, you bastard! As if Miss Aurora would ever accept such-" Brutus started to protest, but Cyrus interrupted.

"Hmph. Okay, sure," she said confidently.

"But Miss Aurora..."

"I understand your concern," replied Miss Aurora. "But trust me, I have no intention of losing to such a lowlife. I come from the prestigious Gold family and have been nurtured since birth. There's no way I could lose. Besides, I allowed you to join my party because you have a favorable reputation within the hunter's association. Do you doubt my judgement?"

"N-no, of course not."

"Then it's settled. Let's go, the competition is about to start."

"Wait a minute! How do I know I can trust you?"

"Hmph, you're really that suspicious? Fine. System, mediate a contract between us."

[Contractual Agreement!

Party A: Aurora Gold and her party members.

Party B: Cyrus Strongmen

On **** date, Party A and Party B entered into an agreement. The purpose of the agreement was for the Contractor to acquire the skill book [Dimensional Storage] from the Contracted within a 12-month period, and for the Contracted to have the Contractor recite the words "We're sorry for being so useless" at a specific volume and designated time.

In consideration of their mutual obligations, the parties agree to the following:

The winner of the 'Wintertide Peak' gate must be obeyed by the other party in performing their requested action (winner's heed).

Failure to comply with the agreement will result in dire consequences, including the deletion of the non-compliance party's Awakened Ability.

The contract does not have a specific end date, but it will be considered void if neither party can clear the gate and a third party does.]

[Do you wish to accept the Contractual Agreement: (Yes/No)]

Cyrus was surprised to discover that there was a function within the system that he didn't know about. He had assumed that it only displayed his stats and skill information.

"I should explore this further." he thought.

"Yes." he replied to himself.

The group of hunters then began to walk away, with Clout, the party leader, turning his head for a brief moment to look at Cyrus.

"Did he recognize me?" Cyrus wondered.

Just after their agreement, a sudden announcement broadcasted near the entrance of the gates, marking the start of the event.

"Thank you for joining us today. As you all know, today's competition has been sponsored by one of our beloved founders, the Gold Family," the announcer said.

"Before we start the expedition, let us welcome Mister Gulliver Gold!"

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers.

"Thank you all for participating in today's competition. We are grateful to have so many of you here. As you may have already heard, the goal of the competition is to defeat the guardian of this gate and present proof of victory. The winner will have the opportunity to choose one item from the Gold family's vault, which boasts an impressive selection. It's important to note that only one person will be declared the winner, even if you're part of a group. Additionally, please keep in mind that by entering the gate, you are assuming responsibility for your own safety."

'Those bastards are fully aware that most hunters in this area operate in parties, They don't plan on making this easy for them. It's inevitable that blood will be spilled at some point.' Cyrus though.

The event began with a shout from the announcer, causing the participants to cheer in excitement and rush towards the starting point.

"Come on, let's hurry and get ahead of the others!" one participant exclaimed, while others shoved and pushed to make their way through the crowd.

As the chaos ensued, one confident participant thought to himself, "Let them rush all they want. In the end, I'll be the one to claim victory." Cyrus said to himself.