Chapter 5 - Underground World

Laying on the soft, furry back of Zephira, Reid`s clothes and hair fluttered as the wind blew on him, contrary to the fast-changing scene around, clouds zooming in and out. It was due to Zephira`s fast flying speed that had reached supersonic, leaving a line of clouds cleared away behind. This only happened due to Zephira blocking the wind by erecting a windshield around herself. And from the outside point of view, Argos was like a large spiral comet passing by.

After taking a nap for several hours, Reid opened his eyes as Zephira`s voice woke him up.

"Master, we`re near. Do you want me to land on the city?" Zephira asked softly.

"No need. Go directly to Great Herculean Jungle." Reid ordered as he looked down.

From above, Reid saw the vast Great Herculean Jungle, a sea of greenery with a touch of blue, brown, yellow, and gray, blending in natural harmony. Below the green sea of leaves was a blue river running through the earth, distributing food to all lives. Uneven grounds, large fissures tangled by thick and long roots of humongous trees. Even if there were no beasts but ordinary animals in this jungle, it would still be different for people to traverse. All extreme sportsmen would definitely love such adventure despite the danger.

Venomous Gray Porcupine loved to eat worms the lived within the rotten woods and create dens in relatively dry places, preferably beneath the roots of old and large trees, and of course, there couldn`t be without any water. After all, water was needed to quench the thirst.

Fluttering down, Zephira dispelled the windshield and revealed her majestic body. All beasts within dozen of kilometers were deterred by her presence alone, which was caused by her thin dragon bloodline.

Reid jumped down from Zephira`s back and wore the protective suit he bought from the Dimensional Store. A streamlined metallic suit appeared on his body and covered his casual clothing, gleaming a murderous crimson luster. He took out the Soul Eater Sword and sighed. "Zephira can you converge your presence? I will not be able to hunt beasts like this. You can also hunt on your own or follow along, but don`t shoot."

"I`ll just follow alongside Master," Zephira answered and shrunk her body into a few meters line small snake with wings.

Reid nodded and moved on to find his target on another place for no beasts stayed where they appeared. They were all scared away by Zephira`s bloodline pressure. But before that, he went to the nearby tree and collected some deep red flowers with a weird scent. Around it was some small beasts that had to lose their lives and dried into a thin corpse. It was the Nerve Paralyzing Roselle.

And with a swing of his sword, Reid cut an arm's length bark and store it in his Storage Ring with the Nerve Paralyzing Roselle. The Black Ent was a plant beast that paired with the Nerve Paralyzing Roselle to catch prey as Black Ent feeds on blood. Reid was not attacked because it fainted due to Zephira`s arrival.

Finishing two quests at once, Reid thought his luck was really good as he found two things at once as soon as he stepped on the Great Herculean Jungle. Making a deep cut at the trunk of the Black Ent, it wiggled and was awakened by the attack. But before it could attack, Reid had already got his hand on the glowing green crystal on its body. By taking it out, the Black Ent stopped moving and became a normal tree.

Ding!

[Iron Level Beast Core found! It can be exchanged for 10 DP. Do you want to exchange?]

Reid frowned as he heard the system notification. "Only 10 DP? Why is it so small? The same as completing an Iron Level Mission."

[Host, it is only an Iron Level. And do you know how vast the Great Herculean Jungle is? Do you know how many Iron Levels there were in the Great Herculean Jungle? Billions! Kill them all and collect their Beast Cores, then you will become a billionaire! Also, you killed it like stepping on an ant. Picked its core like plucking a flower! You did not even break a sweat. Why do you complain?]

Reid smiled awkwardly at the system`s answer.

[Moreover, don`t compare a Beast Core to a Chaos Jewel. They were not on the same level at all. The former was merely a crystallization of life from, while the latter made up the entire universe!]

"I know. I know! Why are you suddenly bursting? Is it Time of the month or is it in your program?" Reid asked as he moved on.

[What time of the month? There is no particularly important event this month and answering rudely in your complaint is within my program.]

Reid almost slipped as he ran. "What kind of program is that?" He inquired. "Also, why is the Soul Eater Sword`s ability did not activated?"

[The Black Ent was not killed by your sword. It died after you plucked its Beast Core. Also, it is a plant-type beast. Their kind does not die from having their hands and feet severed. As long as the Beast Core and other vital parts existed they can regenerate. Unless they run out of energy.]

"It is almost immortal. What a perverted kind of beast. I`ll take note of it." Reid said as he stopped and found pair of car-sized Venomous Gray Porcupines feeding on the carcass of an arthropod that was as large as a van with a tree-like carapace.

The appearance of the Venomous Gray Porcupine was no different from a regular rat, but with a sharp bristled back and huge size.

Walking near the target, Reid lifted his sword and slash it down. The two beasts busy with their meals could not respond at all as they died with their heads severed. The pair of Venomous Gray Porcupine was Iron Level. Another 200 DP.

"Hunting and completing missions take too much time... Selling things are really much faster." Looking at the small beast core, Reid sighed. "I think, I really should consider opening a store."

Reid cut the Venomous Gray Porcupine into pieces and siphoned all its bone marrow into a glass container and head deeper into the jungle.

It was said that at the center of the Great Herculean Jungle there was once a large city. But due to the sudden change of terrain, it was buried underground and became the home for underground beasts.

People called that place, Underground World. Apart from the underground beasts that lived there, one must be vigilant of one's own kind as well. But despite the great danger the existed, many Hunter still went there for fortune due to the discovery of a large mine of Energy Stone and special metal ores.

The entrance to the Underground World was the large gaping holes dug out by a Giant Earth Worm and Giant Ant that lived underground. Some holes were still being used by those beasts, while the abandoned holes were used by Hunters, maintained, and secured by them. They all needed it after all and if the hole disappeared, where would they go to enter the Underground World? Ask a Giant Earth Worm to dig a hole for them or pay an entrance fee to the Giant Ants to let them passed through? Thus, a tacit understanding has been made.

Standing near the hole, Reid jumped in without hesitation as he let the gravity take him deeper. The surrounding quickly turned dark as light could no longer reach where he was. And soon, another light appeared beneath him as he could see that he has come to the end. Easing the gravity around him, he landed on the ground as light as a feather and glanced at the hole where the light was coming.

When he came to the hole, Reid saw a new world.

Stone houses were carved out from the humongous rock formations that supported the underground world like mountain pillars. Beneath was a flowing river, branching into a root-like structure, and from afar, a crushing waterfall could be seen. The water falling for several thousands of miles could crush rocks and bent steel.

The entire underground world was illuminated by the glowing crystals of a variety of colors embedded in the entire underground world like stars at night. Reid looked at the beautiful scenery with appreciation and a sigh. "Nature is really fascinating."

.....

Thousands of miles away, on a certain mountain where several mansions stood, within one of those mansions, a young girl was running in a hurry. She entered a room and shouted at a mature woman with long burgundy hair tied in a bun. A gentle and motherly temperament emanates from her and making anyone subconsciously have a good feeling for her. Trust her, speak all worries to her, like a son or a daughter.

"Mom, mom, mom! Brother Reid! Something happened to Brother Reid!"

"Your brother? What happened to your brother?" Worries appeared on her face as she looked at her dearest daughter. Thinking back at the last time she spoke to her son, her worries deepened.

"Brother Reid became a Hunter! Look at this!" The young girl spoke as she swiped the screen of her smart device and put it in front of her mother.

The woman looked at the screen and read the list of Hunters registered at the Hunter Association and found the familiar face among the long list of Hunters. "It is indeed, your brother! Did he awakened his ability?"

The young girl laughed in glee as she thought her brother would come back. She thought of her brother that doted on her when she was only a child. "Isn`t great, Mom? We can finally let brother come back! I really miss him!"

While the woman was relieved, she also has her worry and the thought of her son doing some dangerous things to awaken his ability. If some awakened his ability naturally or artificially using some external means. If it was the former then, it would be great, but if not then, the people that tricked her son must be prepared to withstand her anger!

"Come with me. Let`s talk to your grandfather about this. They must have known it already."

The young girl nodded and followed behind her mother like a little swan.