To the Gathering (1)

—"No, no Director! You're mistaken!"

Jay hastily denied Thomas' assumptions. But then again, the outrageousness of the situation was just too much to be unfazed. 

Thomas groaned and coldly uttered, "You're fired if I don't like your answer."

Thomas has known Freya as a woman who despised the weak. Even if the Earth falls today, she wouldn't rent lower dungeons for cash. Once, she was offered to clear a Green Dungeon at the borders of the UK but she declined, causing the land to be occupied by sea monsters. 

—"It's not what you think Director but I have a hunch."

Thomas didn't reply and let the words flow. 

—"She must have found the Awakened we're looking for."

Thomas slammed the table. The hair on his neck stood up, "What!!? Didn't we have 5 agents monitoring her movements? They should have reported it to me!!" 

Hearing the Director's outrage, Jay shuddered. In all actuality, this was her first theory about why Freya Taylor would rent so many low rank dungeons.

She's not dumb enough to attract the association's attention. But even then, she risked being exposed. Meaning, those dungeons might have been truly important. 

It wouldn't be a coincidence. That Awakened cleared the trial dungeon. Thus, he's on the run after attracting attention from many groups. Now, he would need a dungeon to further level up. Freya Taylor offered him a deal in exchange for this dungeon. 

If Hans was here, he might be surprised by Jay's accuracy.

—"We have agents stationed there Director but you are forgetting that she's a Mage. Evading our sights is easy for her."

Thomas held his head completely lost for words. The gathering would be held 3 days from now and for sure those powerful guys would surely compete for that particular Awakened. 

"Sigh—, very well, continue your mission. Perhaps your guess wasn't right. As long as it's not confirmed, we'll assume that the Awakened hasn't been acquired yet." 

—"Thank you, Director."

Tut—, tut—

The call hung up. Thomas leaned back and massaged his aching head. The sound of water bubbling in the aquarium filled the room as everything seemingly went silent. 

.........… 

7:45 pm. 

Philadelphia, USA 

22nd Dungeon Run. 

Hans brought the scimitar down, beheading the last werewolf alive. The blood sprayed on the ground like a fountain. Hans checked his status window. 

Tri-ring—

[Name: Hans Luther

Age: 23                 Level: 42      

Race: Human (84%), ??? (16%)

Potential: ??? 

Strength: 104             

Agility: 75

Stamina: 70

Mana: 68

Unused stats: 160

Talent: Unlock at Level 100

Innate Skill: [Endless Plunder (C)] 

Plundered Skill: [Body Enhancement (B)], [Mind's Eye (E)], [Acrobat (D)], [Hide (C)], [Berserk (C)], [Lurk (E)], [Dragon Kick (A)], [Turtle Shell (B)], [Fire Control (B)], [Umbral Steps (C)], [War Cry (D)], [Stealth (D)]

Skill: [Mirror Clone (B)]

Mana Property: Evil.] 

Hans only leveled up by 20 despite raiding 22 Orange dungeons. The exp required was too enormous for an orange dungeon to provide. If this was a yellow dungeon, it wouldn't take 8 runs to level up to 50.

"Fuu—" 

Hans groaned in pity. His eyes darted towards his plundered skills. Aside from the newly acquired 'Stealth', he didn't plunder anything. According to Plundy, it's much better if he plundered powerful skills instead.

These low rank skills would be forgotten as he grows stronger. No need to collect more. 

'Now where do I distribute this?' 

His attention caught the 160 unused stats. Due to the monsters being too weak, Hans didn't bother to allot the stat points he got.

'Mana and Strength.'

These are the two attributes he needs to grow. Mana is a must. His skills continued to grow in numbers. Hence, he would need a tremendous amount of Mana if he wanted to cast those. 

Immediately, Hans added 60 unused stats. 

[Mana: 128]

Next, for strength, Hans allocated 50. Extra power and defense would truly help him fight stronger monsters. 

[Strength: 154]

The remaining 50 stats were divided evenly to agility and stamina. He can't just leave those two after all. 

[Agility: 100

 Stamina: 95]

Shortly, Hans closed his eyes and felt the changes in his body. His perception had grown really well. Sensing mana is as easy as breathing to him now. Although faint, he could feel the brimming mana coursing through his body. 

His bones and muscles seemingly hardened, tougher than before. If he encountered those 3 A-class bodyguards once again, Hans was sure that he wouldn't be beaten to a pulp. 

With the agility strengthening, the world seemed to be slow in his peripheral vision. His legs felt like it was brimming with unmatched speed though the sensation only lasted for seconds before it vanished. 

Lastly, stamina. Hans felt nothing. 

'I guess, this would be my last dungeon for today.'

He's tired, not just physically. His mental exhaustion was just too hard to handle. Raiding 22 dungeons consecutively was already considered a great feat. But still, he should also prioritize rest. 

Hans packed the mana crystals inside the storage bag. 

Now that he's done here, it's time to go home. 

......... 

The moment he went out, Hans' skin crawled. 

'Hmm…' 

With his eyes narrowed, his perception spread through the area. The dungeon was surrounded by towering trees, ideal terrains for those assassins. 

'What was that?' 

He already felt this sensation back in New York. A sensation of someone watching his figure from somewhere. 

'An assassin?' 

That would be impossible. His appearance was already much different than the previous him so there's little to no chance of assassination. The gaze seemingly intensified yet Hans did not sense any evil intent. 

It's more like… interested? 

His eyes swept around but didn't see anyone suspicious. The moon is present but it seems like the place was shrouded in darkness. Hans let out a full burst of mana and the gaze abruptly vanished after that. 

"..." 

Sensing no other presence, Hans shook his head and walked away. He looked back one last time before vanishing in the shadows.

....... 

Huff—

Huff—

"Haah—, Who is that guy?" 

Jay placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart crashing through her ribs. It was beating fast that it felt like she might suffocate anytime. 

The Director gave her a go signal thus, she tracked all dungeons that Freya rented until she saw a man entering one of those. 

The man is tall. He's probably well over six feet wearing a hoodie and a face mask obscuring his features. Deciding to observe the man, Jay stayed and hid in a large tree. As a former frontliner, her hiding skills were still top notch. 

15 minutes later, the man stepped out of the dungeon seemingly unscathed. 

Her eyes bug out. Orange dungeons that took hours for a D-class party to raid ended in a mere 15 minutes. What's more the man looks like he didn't even try. 

At that moment, she suddenly felt a probe in the surroundings. 

'Did he notice my presence?!' 

That's absurd! Even an S-class colleague praised her hiding skills. Once, she even evaded the sight of an S-class fugitive. Now, does this man easily sense her presence? 

Her gaze intensified. She was ready to run. With her feet positioned in a running stance, it would be easy to escape. Suddenly, a burst of black mana burst from the man's body, assaulting her location. Having no option, she proceeded to run and never look back. 

'What was that!?' 

She was sure that the man's mana contained an evil aura and its pressure was already as strong as her. Jay does not want to fight an unknown. What's more, that man must have a connection with Freya Taylor. 

Caw—, caw—

The night birds chirp loudly. Her skin shivered in fright. As the distance got farther and farther, the mana pressure instantly vanished. 

Huff—, huff—

Jay flopped on the ground, her strength seemingly seeped out from her very bones. 

........... 

The next day. 

As the clock turned seven, Hans woke up energetic. The sun shone on the window giving a slightly warm atmosphere to the house. Hans raised his hand and rubbed his sleepy eyes before walking towards the bathroom to prepare. 

"Freya said that there's a total of 43 dungeons."

He just hoped that the last 21 would be enough to push his level to 50. He put his hand inside his pocket and pulled the key he obtained from the trial dungeon. 

[Trial Dungeon Key (A) 

— A key to the trial dungeon. 

Requirement: Level 50.

Description: It was said that the trial dungeon contains treasures.]  

With this, he wouldn't need to pass those boring level quests. Additionally, since this key is exclusive to him, he might even get a decent boost in power like the last time. 

As Hans prepared his breakfast, a voice awakened him in dazed. 

"Good Morning."

His muscles tense up. As a subconscious response, Hans immediately positioned in a defensive stance and activated his auxiliary skills. 

"Fufufu~, how cute."

Hearing the feminine voice behind him, Hans turned around. A woman wearing blue jeans and long sleeves sat on the empty couch. With her features clearly shown, Hans determined who the woman was. 

"Freya?"

Why is she here? 

As if sensing his doubts, Freya quickly spoke. 

"What? Am I not allowed to come here?" 

"No, I mean, you're trespassing my house."

"Heh~ says the guy who intruded my room last night." Her voice contained a certain sarcasm. 

Freya stood up and inspected the house. Hans leaned on the kitchen sink with his hand crossed to his chest, observing her movements. 

"Why are you living in this apartment? Don't you have money?" 

In her opinion, since Hans is a strong Awakened, he should be able to afford first class houses. Additionally, this worn down apartment appears like it would be destroyed with one pinch. 

She picked up a photo frame with Hans' old picture. Her eyes widened in surprise. She looked behind and stared at him fiercely. 

"Y-you! You are… Hans Luther?" 

"I am."

"Then why didn't you tell me?!" 

Hans tilted his head as a response, "Am I obligated to?" 

Freya sat heavily on the couch. A little over 20 months ago, they also received the news that an Awakened with an SSS-Class potential came from the US. Trying to win the guy, Freya even went to the US secretly by herself only to get the news that Hans Luther lost his potential after his core was pierced by a monster. 

"I see… you regained your potential huh? And…" Her eyes swept around the tiny place, "You must have been doing your best to hide."

"I did. How did you even find my place?" 

Freya clutched her stomach and chuckled, "Fufufu~, the title of the Strongest Mage isn't just for show."

But no matter how much she hid her expression, the shock still remained in her head. 

However, for Hans, it's a different story. He underestimated her capabilities thus his identity was easily busted. 

'She must have put a tracker on me.'

No matter how he thought about it, the only reason she was able to find his house was a tracker. He didn't notice it. Plundy seemed out of question as well. Now, he needed to turn the tables and somehow manage to convince her to hide his true identity. 

'Even 2 months is enough.'

By then, he'd probably be strong enough to fight an SS-Class. 

"Are you worried?" 

Hans flipped the egg on the pan and raised his head. 

"I am."

"Hmm… you don't have to worry. I'm not gonna tell anyone."

"I will believe it for now." 

Freya stood up and went over to the kitchen. Seeing her observing how he cooks, Hans remembered the abomination he ate back at her house. Unknowingly, Hans let out a stifled laugh. 

"Why are you laughing?" Freya asked. Her pupils narrowed sharply. 

"No, nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, anyways wanna have breakfast?" 

"Eh?... Alright."

Shortly, the two ate peacefully while conversing about the upcoming gathering in the next 2 days. 

.......

And just like that, 2 days passed by. 

Hans finally reached level 50.