You Didn’t Listen, Did You?

The street noise was deafening. The alarm kept blaring, its metallic echo hammering into everyone's ears. 

People were running in all directions, many screaming or carrying small children as they desperately sought shelter. 

Some simply froze, their eyes filled with panic, unable to react to the chaos around them. 

A few police officers, wearing reflective vests and shouting into megaphones, tried to organize the crowd, pointing toward nearby shelters and issuing urgent instructions. 

Leonar observed it all with a relaxed demeanor, his hands in his pockets and an air of nonchalance that completely clashed with the chaotic scene. 

"This looks like an anthill someone accidentally stepped on," Leonar quipped with a smirk, sidestepping a woman running toward him with tears streaming down her face. 

Under normal circumstances, he'd be running with the other civilians, but now he had Eleonora as his insurance policy. 

"Is this really the time for jokes?" Eleonora asked with a mildly serious tone. 

Leonar just shrugged, unbothered by the chaos. 

When Leonar's eyes landed on an officer directing a group of civilians toward an underground entrance, he decided to approach. 

The officer, a burly man with sweat dripping down his face, looked at him with a mix of confusion and impatience as Leonar planted himself in front of him, partially blocking his path. 

"What are you doing just standing there?" the officer shouted, pointing a finger at Leonar while trying to usher a group of people into the shelter with his other hand. "Get to the shelter, now!" 

Leonar raised a hand in a laid-back gesture, as if the officer's urgency didn't apply to him. 

"Relax, relax. I'm a hunter," Leonar said confidently. "I just wanted to know what's going on and where I can help." 

The officer blinked a few times, stunned. 

Even Eleonora couldn't believe what she was hearing. 

The officer's eyes quickly scanned Leonar's disheveled appearance and casual stance. It was obvious he didn't look anything like a hunter. 

"A hunter, you?" the officer asked incredulously, frowning. "Don't waste my time. If you're a civilian, head to the shelter right now." 

Leonar let out a small laugh. 

"Come on, man. Can't you see I'm totally prepared for this?" Leonar joked, spreading his arms as if showcasing imaginary gear. 

The officer sighed heavily, clearly frustrated. Still, he chose not to argue further and pointed in a direction. 

"Fine, hunter. If you really are one, head to the east sector. That's where the problem is. But I warn you, this isn't something we've dealt with before. We have no idea how to handle it." 

"Oh, yeah?" Leonar asked, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "How bad can it be?" 

The officer met his gaze, his face grim. 

"A portal suddenly appeared, but instead of staying stable like usual, it started spewing monsters. Giant lizards, to be exact. We've never seen anything like it. It's a complete disaster." 

Even Leonar, who didn't follow hunter news closely, knew that monsters usually didn't come out of those places unprovoked. So, without a doubt… 

Maybe Eleonora's warning was coming true? 

But why? 

It hadn't even been two days since he'd made his contract with her for something this drastic to happen with the portals! 

Leonar swallowed hard, hoping things wouldn't escalate any further. 

"Got it," Leonar said, trying to regain his nonchalant attitude. "Do you think they need more hands over there?" 

"Extra help is always needed," the officer replied, though his tone sounded more exhausted than optimistic. "Follow this street, take a left at the next intersection, and keep going until you see the barricade. That's where the hunters are." 

Leonar nodded, patting the officer on the shoulder before walking away. 

"Thanks for the info. See you later!" 

After a few seconds, Eleonora broke the silence with a question laced with skepticism. 

"Do you really think you can do something useful in this situation?" 

Leonar frowned, staring at the ground as he jogged. 

"I guess I'll find out. Didn't you want me to train?" 

To Leonar, killing monsters seemed like the fastest, most effective way to grow stronger. 

Eleonora, somewhat understanding what Leonar was thinking, replied, 

"Sure, but you can't start with this kind of training," she said bluntly. "Your physical condition leaves a lot to be desired, and besides, you specifically told me not to flood this place. That limits our options quite a bit." 

"So, the only thing you can do is unleash a tsunami or something?" Leonar asked, clearly irritated. 

Eleonora clicked her tongue. 

"Don't be ridiculous. Right now, I could do something similar to what I did at the casino—detect a nearby water source and pull water from the ground to do the bare minimum. But considering how open this city is, I'm not sure that method would be very effective…" 

"No, I can't create precise or sharp forms with water right now. That takes more practice and a stronger body—things you, obviously, don't have." 

Leonar sighed in frustration, rubbing his forehead with one hand. 

"Then what do you suggest I do? Just stand around and watch everyone else do all the work?" 

"You didn't listen to me earlier… did you?" Eleonora replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "With the restrictions you've imposed on me, we can't do anything. Absolutely nothing." 

By the time they reached the east sector, the scene in front of them was even more chaotic than before. 

An improvised barricade blocked the way, and behind it, several hunters were fighting against massive, dark-scaled lizards that kept pouring out of a glowing portal. 

Some of the monsters were already dead, but for every one that fell, another emerged from the portal. 

A man in a local authority uniform spotted them approaching and shouted from a distance, 

"Hey, you! What are you doing here? This isn't a place for civilians!" 

Leonar raised a hand in a calming gesture as he walked toward him. 

"Relax… I'm a hunter," Leonar said with his trademark carefree grin. 

The man eyed him suspiciously, clearly unconvinced. 

"A hunter? You don't look like one. Where's your gear? Your ID?" 

Leonar began patting his pockets before pulling out his identifier, showing it labeled him as a D-rank.