27 Chapter 25
[Toneri's POV]
"Is this... Correct...?" I muttered.
Currently, I'm laying inside a room in a hotel here in Japan. And oh yeah, yesterday was the day that the conference for the gate clearing was held.
Shortly after Albert left, Matsumoto Shigeo, the Japanese Hunters Association Chairman, appeared and all the other hunters in the lobby entered a room where there was a stage in front.
Matsumoto started off with a formal greeting and then moved on to the main topic which was the situation with the gates.
He also exposed some things that I thought should be kept a secret which was: The rapid increase of gates in every part of the world, the amount of new hunters awakening, and the concentration of mana in the atmosphere increasing. He told them that these problems should not be feared and should be faced as it is the job of us hunters— to protect humanity from the rampaging monsters... Or something like that.
I didn't really listen that much and just ate the food served to us along with Ryuu and Albert. Apparently, the two also didn't care much about it as they were already aware of it.
I believe Ryuu as the theory of him somehow being connected to the Monarch of Destruction is still present so I need to keep an eye on him at all times. Who knows? Maybe he'll go berserk someday and Antares will show up out of nowhere. I don't want that.
As for Albert... He's still suspicious. I don't have much stuff to prove my suspicions about him but... No matter how I shake the feeling, it's still there... As if my instincts want me to keep a guard up for him. So there's that.
Anyways, Matsumoto's speech ended with us being promised of compensation. Of course, Yuri Orlov laughed at his seat as he said "With me around, why would you need other hunters for?" Which angered the other hunters present; if they weren't angry enough.
I mean, I get where he's coming from with that ability of his... But I guess this is where someone drunk with his own power will get you...
Anyways, After that, there was an... After party? I don't know... Some Japanese hunters along with some foreign hunters got drunk after the whole conference... Quite weird actually.
As for me? I greeted and bid farewell to the jap hunters I know. After that, I explored Shibuya City a bit more before finding a hotel to stay in.
And here I am now. Sitting on top of the bed, lotus-positioned. I was currently meditating and focusing my mind on something.
I know this place isn't the most appropriate of all places, which I know. But I'm going to test out something.
"Alright... Let's do this." I muttered
I then made a hand sigh and smoke appeared in front of me. Soon, the smoke disappeared and a perfect replica of me appeared. It was a normal shadow clone.
I inspected my clone for a while and nodded. I then gave it a VERY specific order, adding that it should be careful.
After giving it my orders, it went out of the hotel room and went somewhere I told it to go.
What was my order? Simple. Since the amount of Nature energy in Japan is 2 times the amount of that there in South Korea; I decided to complete the sage mode here. As for the clone I sent? I ordered it to go somewhere secluded and abundant in nature energy to absorb.
That's right. I'm doing Naruto's style. Gaining help from shadow clones.
Other than that, I also ordered some... Stuff. That will definitely help me later.
I don't know how efficient the clone will operate but I hope that my plans for it will succeed. Since a normal shadow clone is not as strong as the shadow clones from Kage-Bunshin, Wood Clone, or any other clone that is advanced, I have a slight worry that something might happen to the clone as it is fragile and obviously not as strong as the aforementioned advanced clones of the upper ranks.
And since it is only one clone... Oh boy...
'Something tells me that this plan will fail...'
Some may call me a madman for entrusting something like to a mere clone... But I am determined to finish learning the sage mode before the end of this month.
Anyways... After doing that, I have nothing that much to do. The event of mass gate clearing will happen in two days and during that time, we're free to either go to the Japanese Hunters Association main branch to ask some questions or go anywhere we want. As for me... There's not that much to do.
*Sigh...*
Letting out a sigh, I laid down on the bed behind me and started thinking about some plans.
Since it had already been a day... I can safely assume that Jin-Woo has already defeated the architect... And with his shadow monarch aura leaked, the other monarchs will surely come to South Korea and look for him... Of course, I won't be too bothered as if they try to cross paths with me, I'll just sense them and have some time to prepare for some plausible fight... However, some of the monarchs do have those annoying ways of transportation... Namely, the ability to conjure a gate portal anywhere they want and close it.
'Now, that will be a problem...'
"The only thing I hate the most are enemies that run away from a fight." I muttered in annoyance. I'm not saying this just because I fought some monsters in the gate, I'm also saying this from experience as a Le*gue of Legends player. I'm the type of guy you can find in the game that will chase the enemy to the other side of the map just to kill them, I guess.
Anyways, moving on from the monarchs problem, there's something that has been bugging me lately...
There's this... Weird feeling. I don't know how to describe it but it always feels like I need to do something... As if I'm chasing against time...
'Bloody hell, when did I start feeling this way...?'
I shook my head as I tried to get those thoughts off my head. Standing up, I left the room and decided to explore around a bit.
[General POV]
*Click*
Closing the door behind him, Toneri walked down the long corridor leading to an exquisitely-designed elevator at the end.
After a few moments, he arrived before the elevator and pushed the button on the side, and waited.
*Ting*
It didn't take long for the elevator to arrive and open to reveal another person who was in it who seems to be... Lost in thought? 'Oh well, not my problem, I guess.'
Entering, he pushed the 1st-floor button and stood on the opposite side of the guy that was lost in his thoughts.
Surprisingly enough, the elevator isn't even stopping at the other floors indicating that not too many people are leaving their rooms.
"How can I do this... Oh no... Should I have backed down? No... I already registered... Oh no..."
Toneri couldn't help but look at the other person who was standing inside the same elevator as he was. He was quite tall. Darkish-brown hair and brown eyes. If he has to be honest, he looks like your average Joe that can be found when walking in public places.
Out of curiosity, Toneri asked him. "What's wrong? You're trembling quite awfully."
He was startled a bit and jumped out of shock then looked at Toneri. "Oh... I didn't notice someone else was there... Sorry."
'What the hell? This guy seriously has a bad sense of perception...' Toneri thought
He then breathed slowly and answered his question. "I-I participated in the mass gate clearing event... With my g-guild..."
"And? You don't seem quite confident about it." Toneri replied, a bit more interested in the man's story.
"T-That is true... I-I'm only a C-Rank Hunter a-and the gates we will be clearing are rumored among our members as A and B-Ranks..."
'Oh, I see. I think I understand his situation a bit.' Toneri thought, understanding the man's situation.
"And you want to back down, don't you?"
"Y-Yes... But the guild leader said that if anyone of us leaves... He'll kick us out of the guild..."
'The oppression type, huh?' Toneri thought. 'And he can't do anything about it. A pity. I wanna help him but I don't even know the guy.'
*Sigh...* Toneri let out a sigh, seeing a vague image of him from his past life in the trembling man.
'I can't help him so I'll just try to lift his mood with a joke...' Toneri thought, half-serious and half-jokingly
"Then, have you tried praying? Who knows, maybe it will give you the courage and confidence you need."
"I-I already did so... God, Jesus, Buddha, Jade Emperor, Odin, Osiris, Anubis, Zeus, Obelish, Turbaned, Zarathustra, Maria, Sealed Exodia's Left arm, Right arm, Head, Shoulder, and Feet! I prayed to them all!" He replied, making Toneri impressed with all the stuff he just said.
'Damn, how many gods were those? And what was that with Exodia...?" Toneri though
At this moment, a sudden thought flashed across his mind that made him laugh at his own idea.
He then shook his head half-amused and patted the person's shoulder. "Why don't you try praying to the fool?"
The person was taken aback for a moment and looked at Toneri a bit dumbfounded and asked: "The fool? Who's that?"
Then, Toneri tried to keep his laughter inside and replied.
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
The Mysterious Ruler above the gray fog;
The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
After finishing such mysterious words, the elevator made a 'Ting' sound indicating that they reached the 1st floor. Seeing this, Toneri winked at the man and said "Try remembering what I said and test your luck."
After that, he left.
Meanwhile, the man who just heard such mysterious words was lost in his thoughts once more. "The fool... That doesn't belong to this era..."
Having muttered of those words, the elevator door once more closed.
Toneri didn't know that the man he just advised today would be well-known in the future for what the just said.
But of course, that would be a story for another time.
•—•—•—•—•
A/N: Okay... My small vacation with the rest of my family members was a bit... Ruined. Firstly because I fainted with heatstroke while laying down on a rock. I mean, I was just sunbathing so wtf happened??? Perhaps it was because I was exhausted from biking with my cousins... I dunno.
And yes, I have been indeed been reading 'The lord of the Mysteries' and I must say, I love it. I'm currently at chapter 159.
And uhh... It might perhaps be changing my vocabulary a bit... If you noticed that, please forgive me.
Anyways, that's it. Bye.
