Chapter 9. Ghost town.

[A/N: From this chapter onwards, our MC will no longer go by the name Ryan but will be known as Ethan Callahan. Please make a note of this to avoid any mix-ups.]

After a brief respite, Hyejin stood up, her movement marking the end of their break and the beginning of their continued hunt.

The others took a cue from Hyejin's actions, rising slowly, gathering themselves, and preparing for another round of hunting before they called it a day.

The young man who was the firearm expert with a sharp dagger at the ready, ventured toward the site where they had previously battled the pack of three-eyed wolves. It was time to claim the spoils from the fallen creatures.

He was ranked second to last in terms of strength within the group, just above Ethan. Since Ethan lacked the physical capability to slice through the thick skin of the three-eyed wolves, the job of harvesting the spoils of war fell to him.

After meticulously extracting all that was of value from the carcass of the three-eyed wolf, he placed the bounty into a bag which was subsequently entrusted to the group's porter, Ethan.

Just as they were about to set off, Ethan stopped them. There remained the carcass of the three-eyed wolf that he had vanquished. He would not allow his hard work to simply go to waste.

In the world of hunters, an unspoken rule reigns: there is no equality in the wild, only equity based on contribution. By slaying the three-eyed wolf, Ethan had earned a bonus that would likely exceed the day's earnings of his role as a porter.

Ethan then led the group to the location where he had taken down his quarry. The wolf's body lay buried under a mountain of rubble, its bones shattered by the weight of a collapsed structure, yet the fatal blow had been dealt by an iron rod that had pierced its chest.

Surprise registered on the faces of his companions at the sight of the dead beast, particularly Hyejin's, who turned toward Ethan with a look of sheer bewilderment.

The three-eyed wolf was a creature at the corruption level, a demonic beast of a level higher than that of an unawakened human-like Ethan. And yet, he had managed to kill it.

Although he had not engaged it in direct combat, the achievement was significant. Few unawakened individuals could claim to have bested such a terrifying foe, much less someone without combat or weapon training, who would typically be frozen by fear.

The truth was, the real Ethan would never have managed such a feat. It was Ryan, who had once lived as a powerful, experienced hunter in another life, whose spirit now inhabited Ethan's body, that had made this extraordinary act possible, despite Ethan's weaker physical form.

As their initial shock subsided, the group's unawakened firearm specialist began to lift the rubble and proceeded to carve out the important parts of the three-eyed wolf with his dagger, placing them into the bag in Ethan's care, alongside the other parts they had already collected.

With that task completed, the group did not tarry. They set forth, delving deeper into the desolate city to proceed with their hunt. The day still held many hours, and as hunters, they desired to pursue as much game as possible to maximize their profits.

*****

The sky had begun to darken by the time the group concluded their hunting expedition, prompting their return to the sanctuary of their human settlement.

Venturing out in the abandoned city come nightfall was a risk they could not afford to take, for it was when the most perilous demonic beasts emerged. Only the exceptionally powerful would dare to linger in the abandoned city after dusk, as doing so was tantamount to a dance with death.

This forsaken place had earned a second name: Ghost Town. At night, spectral demonic beasts, believed to be the spirits of those who perished during the city's apocalyptic downfall, roamed its desolate streets. While no one could confirm these tales, it was widely accepted that these ghostly creatures only appeared under the veil of darkness, shunning the light of day.

These phantoms were notoriously difficult to confront. Without light, fire, or some means of purification, one would find battling these spirits to be a formidable challenge.

The ghosts wielded no physical form like other demonic beasts; instead, they launched assaults on the mind, delivering attacks that were far more challenging to counter.

Before the true nature of these ghosts was understood, there had been incidents of individuals returning from overnight stays in the abandoned city, seemingly unscathed, only to turn violently against their fellow humans, especially the unawakened, without arousing much suspicion.

It was only after the full discovery of the ghosts' abilities that their capacity to possess human beings came to light. Hence, no one dared to spend a night within the Ghost Town for fear of becoming a vessel for these entities.

The group made swift progress in their departure from the Ghost Town, making their way toward the Silverdale Shelter. The terrain leading to the shelter sloped upwards as if they were ascending the side of a hill.

Before long, the Silverdale Shelter came into view.

The shelter was encircled by a formidable, thick metal fence, built to withstand significant force. It would take a powerful explosive to make even a dent, and something far more devastating to breach it. Despite this, one could see numerous guards patrolling atop the fence, ever vigilant.

Even with the sturdy metal barrier, the safety of the shelter's inhabitants was not guaranteed. A sufficiently strong demonic beast could potentially tear through the fence and overrun the haven, so the guards remained constantly on alert for any such threats.

As they reached the gate of the shelter, it creaked open with the grating sound of iron against iron. Yet, the group did not immediately enter, standing as if awaiting something.

At that moment, three male guards emerged from the gate, each wielding a long baton-like metal rod, and approached the group.

Without prompting, members of the group began to reach into their pockets, each retrieving their respective hunter badges.

Hyejin was the first to present her badge to the guards. It was fashioned in the shape of a shield, featuring a center inlay of bronze that signified her status as a seasoned hunter.