Chapter 35. First mission 1.

Lucas' POV

I stood in the elevator that led to the mission hall of the awakening center. 

A few seconds later, an unfamiliar sight greeted me. A large number of awakened loitered about , engaging in all sorts of conversation. 

Some of them looked like they had just returned from being dumped into an apocalyptic world. Their clothes were tattered, bruises evident on various parts of their bodies. Others looked completely normal.

''The harsh realities of missions, either you die, return injured or safely'' I sighed.

This was the reality of this world. There were times where rumors would circulate around about awakened having gone missing for years after they took on certain missions. At other times too, various parties were rumored to have returned with dead bodies of their counterparts.

 It was an unspoken rule that the awakening center would not take responsibility for the death or injury of an individual during a mission. Individuals were free to take on missions of their choice. If a person made a decision to take on a suicide mission, it was to their own detriment.

I quickly ignored the chatter around me and proceeded to a mission board. I stared at various missions on the hologram, one of the missions eventually catching my eye.

[E rank mission; Return with the bodies of 15 E rank diabolic cheetahs

Reward; 5000 credits]

I had decided to take on this mission. Inasmuch as I was desperate to become strong, I was not too simple minded to throw my life away. This was my first mission as a hunter after all. I was an E ranker, who on top of that, lacked real life field experience as a hunter, there was no way I would take on a mission above my rank...

Baby Steps... right?

I proceeded to scan the yes button on the holographic screen with my ID slot AI.

[Access granted, mission accepted and integrated into WHA database... Wishing you the best of luck]

''So this is how the world rankings for mission clearance achievements are determined. The WHA records them in their database and calculate the amount and levels of missions taken on by hunters to determine the rankings, then rewards the top 100 hunters accordingly at the end of the year'' . I mused in understanding, then found a nearby lobby to sit. 

I quickly purchased a dimensional bracelet from one of the stores of the awakening center via online.

''A whooping 3000 student credits are gone, just like that...''. I sighed slightly.

What, don't think was being stingy ... I was not that rich okay... Ahem...

I glanced at the bracelet looking device that manifested before me in wonder. You remember the technicalities of how my updated ID bracelet features quickly allowed me to have access to any artifact I purchased from the online stores as soon as possible right?... Yeah... thank goodness you remember... Too much info dumps will do us all no good after all...

This dimensional bracelet was to house the beasts I would manage to slaughter to fulfill the requirements of the mission. 

Anyway, I finally stood up, and left the awakening center.

...

I glanced at the city now reduced to a small view, quite a long distance away from me, then turned to the large clearing leading towards a vast expanse of a forest before me.

''Halt!!'' One of the men in military uniforms patrolling the border of the beast zone spoke to me in a callous manner from afar as he approached me.

I ignored his cold voice, then glanced at him, replying frivolously ''Anything I can do for you, my good sir?''

He quickly recognized me ''Oh, master Lucas... what is your business here this early Thursday morning at the border of the beast zone?''.

I was surprised about his quick recognition of me for a moment, then I immediately realized I had become more famous than I gave myself credit for.

''I am here for a mission sir...'' I quickly averred.

''Alright, please be careful out there in the beast zone... Your life is more important than the mission. If it becomes too much for you, run'' He affirmed seriously, then allowed me to pass...

As I walked past the military personnel stationed at the border of the beast zone, I could not help but admire their spirit of sacrifice.

These ones were here to patrol for any obvious signs of what was referred to by the United Federation and the World Hunter's Alliance as diabolic beast eruptions.

Diabolic beast eruptions were simply situations where swarms of diabolic beasts would try to invade residential areas, or to be more precise, cities. The military's personnel stationed here were to observe and report any forms of diabolic beast eruptions to the higher ups of the WHA. Before reinforcements would arrive, they would also have to hold off the diabolic beast eruptions for a while... sometimes, even at the cost of their lives.

Depending on the severity of the diabolic beast eruptions, reinforcements could come in the form of the assistance of the guilds , and in more dire situations, the mercenaries and the support of the academies too. The military, the guilds, the non affiliated awakened otherwise known as mercenary awakened , and the awakened departments of the academies across the world all operated under the umbrella of the World Hunters' Alliance after all.

These organizations worked through various methods to curb situations that posed various threats to humanity, and one of these situations, were beast outbreaks.

The other threats were simply crime syndicates and cults of deranged hunters that had emerged in the past and had been strictly dealt with... except, the mysterious and dangerous Dark Cloud Organisation, whose seat of operation at the moment was not even traceable..

Ahem, I almost got carried away again ... but hey.. this was necessary information concerning how the pivotal functionaries of the world operated, so cut me some slack.

The more I approached the forest, the more chilly it became. This was to be expected.

The thick vegetation added more coldness to the already cold weather of the disappearing autumn and approaching winter.

I joked ''Is this the so called training periods those protagonists I read about in novels experience...? Well, it's a good thing I packed enough food for this mission... ''

My stomach growled before I could land my train of thoughts... ''Just what sort of stomach do I have?''

'''''''

boom!... boom!

A middle aged fair skinned man with white hair and an intimidating build, donned in a white bodysuit performed exotic movements. With each stomp of his foot, walls made out of earth would rise from the vast rocky training ground where he stood. One would assume he would use the newly erected earth walls for some intricately profound purpose. However, with a wide grin plastered on his face, his bare hands that looked like steels of iron would smash through the earth walls in rapid successions.

This was Ronald Conrad, a famed A rank hunter in Oslon City and the guild master of the Slyrax Guild.

''Who dares to interrupt me? ..This better be important'' The man's intimidating gaze shifted from the rubbles of rock sprawled on the vast floor to the petite female figure who called on him.

''Guild master Ronald, someone spotted Lucas Grimstone at the border of the diabolic beast zone'' The female secretary stuttered softly, afraid that the anger of the guild master would swallow her whole.

''The suspect of the murder of Carl my beloved disciple finally exposes himself for the slaughter... Send three D rank hunters after him...Tell them to get rid of him in the diabolic beast zone.. They are enough to subjugate an E rank hunter. In the mutated beast zones, all death causes are attributed to beasts after all... His death cannot be traced back to me. There is no way the Sword Blade can justify me or my guild members as the killer... Even if he comes to suspect me, he can only do something against me with valid proof which in this case cannot be obtained, or else, his dignified name will be sullied. The public would blame him as an S rank hegemon of humanity bullying a junior over an assumption that I murdered his disciple''. 

The guild master grinned maliciously, a trace of anger visible in his eyes.

The petite looking female secretary draped in an office wear nodded quickly, turned around and left, leaving the man to resume his unconventional hobby.