Darling

"Jasmin~"

Jasmin remained standing while being called twice by Luke. Gin, on the other hand, formed a faint smile on his face as he first thought it was Fritz, which he knew he couldn't defeat if that happen.

Still, he was glad that it was somebody else, 'Isn't this the guy beside Fritz earlier. Heh, so he is one of his men.'

"Hahahahaha!" Luke laughingly shouted, "What a coincidence! Jasmin, why did you leave me earlier? Aren't we in love with each other but... you dare to betray me?! And hey, is that your man beside you?! Just look at that face! I'm more handsome than him if you look closely, you know!"

As he shouted, his voice sometimes became hoarse but it made Gin become scared at the moment because Luke's voice was just that loud.

'This old man... shut your trap! Why the hell are you shouting in the first place?! Are you really eager to die?!' Gin complained inwardly.

Him being mad mostly for two reasons. Most of it was Luke shouting and the other left was being him lower in terms of handsomeness.

Luke really needs a mirror for himself but Gin was still a little hurt as he really couldn't match Nash's handsomeness. Still, he knew he has looks.

But, this isn't the problem right now as Gin knew that if Luke continued, who knows what might come here because of his loud voice. He needed to lower the risks of him being caught off a horde of monsters, preventing him to move at the side because of that sole reason.

Waiting for something to happen, Gin calm himself and narrowed his eyes at the four on Luke's back, seeing all of them shaking their legs violently in this situation.

On Luke's side, the four only followed him because Fritz said so. At first, everything was going well and Luke didn't do rash movements like shouting.

Then, when everything was going in their favor, Luke fucking shouted when he finally found the person he wanted to find. As if he forgot the consequences if he made that move.

"Come here to me Jasmin and I'll forgive you!" Luke shouted with a wide smile on his face while glancing at Gin after, "That man needs to come with me too! But, first, you'll receive a beating to me! Hahahaha!"

With Luke's continuous shouting, Gin found this guy really dumb. What if a horde of monsters from earlier did come in their place? Although they're the ones who let the monster inside the safe zone, it doesn't mean they formed some sort of bond or partnership.

"Jasmin. Come on now! I'll really forgive you for this sin you made! You can trust me on this, my baby." Luke spoke in a lewd manner as it continued for over a minute now and still continuing.

'Hmm...;

Seeing how Luke is fully focused on Jasmin and completely disregards him, Gin thought that something must've happened to the two but he doesn't care as he let out a small chuckle in his mouth.

He thought of a great idea.

'Just wait old man…Today will be your final day…' Gin promised inwardly as he formed a cold smile on his face.

"Uhm, uncle. What's the plan now?" Jasmin asked nervously, "And, why did you just laugh? Can't you see that a problem is in front of us?"

"Yes, I know a problem is in front of us," Gin answered casually, "Oh! When I give you a sign to turn your face to me, do it ok? After it, we run and don't look back. Only stop when you're going to enter a hole so that I could tell where you are, alright?"

Listening to Gin supposed to be planned, Jasmin tilts her head and just nod, not knowing why the guy beside her is thinking.

Tak!

Luke, with his men at the back, slowly approaches Gin and Jasmin with his expression slowly turned into a frown. In his eyes, he felt Gin was stealing Jasmin which pained his heart greatly.

Thud!

Hearing a loud thud which is greatly different from a person's footsteps, Gin and Jasmin both flinch. They could both hear a stepping sound which seemed to be loud and it continued to move carefully.

'Ahahaha... what are perfect—'

Thud!

As he was almost glad that a monster really did come, he instantly froze and felt shivers on his spine. He now then understand why both he and Jasmin could hear it while Luke wasn't making changes to his expression because... it was on their back!

'Ah… shit! Why would a monster be on our backs?! It's probably the works on my luck, right?! Fuck!' Gin shouted inwardly as he felt the footsteps were definitely on their backs when it increased its steps.

Its large steps is being echoed in his ears.

Tak!

Still, Gin didn't order to run as his plan would work when he shows it to Luke like slapping his face hard, resulting in them just standing.

Step!

Making this bad luck turn into a good one, Gin knew that his little plan would work. Only for Luke though as he is his target right now, at the same time, the footsteps started to get clearer and clearer only for Gin's side.

"Ok, Luke. You won. We surrender." Gin spoke as he raised his hand on the same level of his head, 'It seems they can't hear it for now.'

The five pursuers stopped for a moment as they were greatly surprised hearing Gin's statement. They began to move again with a happy expression on their faces with an unworried heart.

Tak!

"Ohhh, I see that your guy still has a brain, Jasmin. For that..." Luke paused as he replaced his lips reached ear to ear while opening his arms widely, "Come on now baby, let me hug you as a reward."

Jasmin, who still doesn't know what Gin is planning, asks hurriedly in a low voice, "Uhm, uncle...! What is this... Oh, are you leaving me? I'm sorry alright... Please—"

"Shut up, kid." Gin quickly interjected, "This is the plan. Did you still remember to face me? Be attentive about my sign.."

Tak!

After talking to Jasmin, Gin could see Luke closing the distance between them but he needed to remain his expression as he didn't want to expose a monster was on their back. He waited until Luke finally hit a ten-meter distance, talking to Jasmin in a low voice.

"Now…"

Hearing him talking in a low voice, Jasmin turns her face on Gin while tilting her head. The way she tilt her head only added to her cuteness though.

Seeing them moving, the five pursuers stop walking and watch both Gin Jasmin's movements, to see if they will do something that could threaten their lives.

But as they watched their movements, nothing happen, instead, they saw Gin slowly close his distance on Jasmin. After closing his distance, Gin slowly used his available hand to stroke Jasmin's hair gently, giving her a kiss on the forehead after.

'Eh?'

The five were left dumbfounded, especially Luke who froze at the spot, thinking inside his head if what he just witnessed is true.

After a light kiss, Gin glanced at Luke, throwing a grin on his face. Forcefully getting out from Gin's grasp, Jasmin blushed and could feel her heart beating faster.

On the other hand, Luke's face turned distorted as he finally realized that it was real.

Then, the place became silent.

"..."

Alas, that seemed to be so long silence only breaks when three different noise was heard.

"Motherfucker!"

Luke's loud curse.

Screech!

A monster's screech.

"Let's run now, darling!"

Gin's shout.

He intentionally says the word out loud as it would help to make Luke's mind chaotic. And it was working as he saw Luke's face show desperation to catch him. Heck, he even looked like a madman right now.

"Run to the hole Jasmin and don't look back. I'll follow you." Gin spoke in a serious tone as he faced Jasmin.

The face he was making before the facade resurfaced once again, making Jasmin turn serious and do the same. She now then understand what Gin had planned but still, she knew there would be other things to do except that thing, right?

Jasmin gives Gin a nod before running at the hole while bringing the bag of food. A moment later, Gin glanced half of his head at Luke before leaving as he took one last glance at the monster after.

Seeing them leaving, Luke looks at where the hole they entered and felt like his whole world was crushed, disinterested in the monster running to them at the moment.

"Luke... a monster has appeared..." A man beside Luke said shakingly as he watches the big wolf-like monster with fear.

The monster had the same skin as it was burnt just like from the start. But size was large and by just by looking its length can be deduced to approximately four meters

"O-of course we escape. Let's go follow them." Luke stuttered as he ordered the four people with him while taking a glance at the monster.

The monster was really far away and its speed is not that fast probably due to its size. Still, they couldn't let the distance between the monster and him be a hindrance for them to take it slow, thus they quickly run through to the entrance to where Gin had gone through.

But as soon as they're standing at the entrance, all of them drew a surprised expression when they saw a yellow-eyed man stretching the string of his bow widely as the tip of his arrow was pointing at one of Luke's men.

"You're late." Gin smirked and lowered his bow, aiming it at one of Luke's men.

Whoosh!

With the sound of a wind, the arrow pierces through one of Luke's men's legs. Being shot, the man lost balance stumbled. Noticing his right leg can't be moved, he looked at Luke and the other three and begged to help him.

Screech!

But they ignored him as they could only hear the monster's screeches while it closes its distance at this place.

Gin, who is now running after shooting the arrow, glanced at the four and saw them standing in their place like a statue. But, they had the face of someone who wouldn't help their group. It was a face of desperation to survive.

Screech!

"Let's go. You can stay here and die with him or he will just die alone." Luke spoke with a serious tone as he ordered the three who felt happy instead of feeling remorse of leaving a man behind.

"I'm sorry."

"Please, just be eaten."

"Yeah, and why didn't you dodge it in the first place, idiot."

The four loudly say what they wanted to say before they leave the shot man alone.

"No, please! I have a family! Please!" The man begged, trying his luck to see if he could convince the four but he is just ignored. "Can you just please save me once...?"

Tak!

In the eyes of man, he could see the four people's backs slowly fading away as they go deeper into the hole.

"Please! I—!"

Screech!

Before the man could continue, he could hear a screech but it was now near him! He turned his head at the sound saw the monster beside him looking with its big black eyes.

It only took a second before the monster open its big mouth, eating the man in full. It gulped the man in one go before it started to chase its other prey.

Tak!

Gin intentionally stop his tracks as he saw the distance was great. Still, what he just witnessed was utterly disgusting. With the use of his eyes, he saw how the monster gulped the man which he had shot earlier, leading to its death.

But if he didn't do it, that man would just be a problem and make him a problem at the chase.

He just makes his chance higher but a method was needed to do it.

"It's ok Gin. Starting from today, everything I knew will be different." Gin said inwardly as he looked at his shaking hands that didn't stop quivering when he shot the person.

He heard the man's voice begging, mentioning that he had a family and if it's true, he knew the guilt wouldn't fade away.

It was his first time killing a person even though he could see it on Earth every day. It was really a horrifying feeling to do it to himself. He felt throwing up any second and could hear his heart beating faster.

As Gin was about to lose himself, he suddenly heard someone speaking inside his mind.

'Don't worry about it, kiddo. I know how grave killing someone is...' O spoke with its usual monotonous voice, 'But, there will be many more coming. Inside or out, you'll feel yourself being eaten by guilt.'

O paused, 'But don't be. You have to be strong, Gin. Not only yourself but also your mentality. Hey, isn't this a tutorial? A tutorial is a place where it starts training you. You'll acquire lessons and experience here even though it's just a little. Who knows, maybe this tutorial knows that there will be people killed or be killed, so don't mind it.'

Hearing O's voice which sounded on a reassuring side, Gin smiled faintly thanking O inwardly before he started to run again to where Jasmin had just gone.

Entering the hole, Gin continues to run in a straight line for almost a minute now and as soon as he was about to pass another hole, someone called him in a low voice

"Pst, Uncle. Here."

Gin immediately spot where Jasmin is and instantly stop running. Gin quickly goes to where Jasmin is after knowing where she is located.

Gin looked at her and said, "You really do understand me. Anyway, do the same thing but if you saw a monster on your way, hide somewhere and give me some sort of signal."

Jasmin silently listens before narrowing her eyes at Gin's hands and asking, "Uncle, are you ok? Your hands are shaking like crazy."

Hearing her concern, Gin looked at Jasmin for a moment before he formed a smile on his face. He decided to make excuses by saying, "The air feels cold. That's the reason for my hands to shake like this. Anyway, enough chit-chat. Go now."

Jasmin could only nod as an answer before he began to run through, thinking another thing Gin had said, 'It's not even that cold.'

Tak!

While Gin was looking at Jasmin fading away from his sight, he heard another footstep that doesn't belong to him and her and it was near the hole he just entered.

Gin inhaled and began to move, knowing whose footsteps are those and positioning himself that is not farther from the hole.

[Truth Eyes-See Through- has been activated]

Gin then activated his eyes, using its see-through ability to see if Luke will pass the hole, making him shoot his comrades to them. Him now being in a proper position to shoot, he picked up an arrow and nocks it before just waiting.

The footsteps keep getting louder as they move. As he continued to watch them through the walls, he could feel his head start to hurt but he still concentrates to look at Luke's group.

The thing is, the way they move seemed so weird that he formed a frowning expression.

'Hmm... are they just walking? Can't they hear the monster running?' Gin mused inwardly and began to ponder what their reason is.

It only took a few seconds before he come up with a possible conclusion which is most likely true.

'Oh… they didn't know where I went because I just entered another one...?' Gin mused before smiling faintly, 'Hmm, Isn't that good?'

Tak!

Outside the hole, the four people are still finding where Gin had gone to. When they passed each hole, they just reported that Gin wasn't there because he really isn't. After passing another one, they're currently onto another and they started to speak too.

"Luke, I can't see them here."

"Me either."

"Luke, I think they're also not— "

Before the other man could continue, a sound of wind could be heard at the hole he is now standing in.

In a few seconds, an arrow has been shot in his right leg. It pierces through it and balancing himself was hard, resulting in the man stumbling.

"Ughh! Ah fuck!" the man loudly cried in pain, which only attracted the monster that lost them for a moment before it followed the sound of the man who shouted.

"I'm here you pervert geezer!" Gin, who is inside the hole, shouted as he gives look a smirk on his face before running again.

The four were left dumbfounded as all they could do is watch Gin's back, disappearing away from their sight.