Chapter 38: First Order

"Recruits, calm the fuck down! Panic will kill you!"

"Don't go there! Gods damn it!"

"Rhys!"

"...Rhys!"

Rhys knew he was being called by his superior, but the growling and howling of the orthros were loud, visceral. Drowning even the screams of the recruits who were sadly at the back of the line and being eaten alive. There was all sorts of noise, and yet that wasn't the reason why Rhys could not really hear any of it, no.

It was the red orthros that had 5 Gray Hearts floating above its head.

A dog.

He could understand the arachnes as half of their body is human, but the beasts in front of them right now were literal dogs, 2-headed dogs. He hadn't really thought about it since he was busy training his Active Abilities and trying to find a way to become an Explorer…

…but his abilities also work on literal beasts. But to what extent, exactly?

Would it work on a literal spider?

…Would he want it to?

And while Rhys was stuck in his thoughts, Staff Sergeant Millis sprung into action as he fired an arrow at one of the orthros—hitting one of its two heads dead in the eye.

A Red Orthros.

It wasn't particularly a strong monster, listed as a Threat Level 1, the same as the arachnes that Rhys had killed in Old York High. But like the arachnes, their threats usually jump a certain level because of their numbers.

A single red orthros was something even a Commoner untrained in combat could defeat if that person had a weapon. But a pack of red orthros? The chances of surviving becomes 0.

They weren't particularly strong, but they were intelligent enough to work together almost like a hive—but still have the capacity to adapt individually.

Millis, as a trained Commoner soldier, could probably dispatch an entire pack on his own if given enough distance with his bow. But a pack of two dozen wolves? Then he has a problem. But that problem, however, was easily solved by James being there.

He and James could deal with this pack with no problem—but they won't be able to fight them head-on. It was too dangerous, not for them, but for the exhausted and scared recruits who were too petrified in fear to even run for their lives.

And so, Millis devised a… plan.

"Rhys Wilder!"

"Sir...!?" Rhys snapped out from his mild stupor as he stood up straight and looked at Millis.

"Lure the hounds away from the retarded recruits!"

"Millis…?" James, who was still assessing the situation, could not help but knit his eyebrows as he heard Millis's words, "He's just a recruit."

"If he's only going to stand there, then he might as well make himself useful!" Millis let loose another arrow, causing the two-headed wolves to finally become wary of him., "They all signed up for the Underworld Corps knowing we are basically one big suicide squad! He should—"

"Yes, sir."

"What?" And before Millis could finish his short speech, he could not help but almost lose focus on the dogs as Rhys just marched forward.

"Rhys, stop!" James, on the other hand, quickly blocked Rhys's path and stood in front of him while still keeping his sight on the dogs, "You're not even legally part of the Squad yet! You have no obligation to—"

"But I will be," Rhys only glanced at James before walking past him, "I'm… following orders."

A lie, of course. Rhys could care less about the recruits that immediately ran away in the face of danger, leaving them behind to scour and clean for the mess they were creating. Rhys joined the Underworld Corps fully knowing the dangers that came with it.

The Underworld Corps truly is just what everyone was saying it was — a suicide squad.

They were the first to delve into danger, into the unknown. Panicking means death in a place like this.

Rhys has another motive entirely — to try and tame the beast growling at them.

"Following orders… You are going to fit just right in this place, Rhys Wilder," James could really only let out a breath as he repeated Rhys's words. And with a smile of approval growing on his face, he suddenly handed Rhys something.

"What…" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he saw the object in James's hand, "...A pistol?"

"We're not barbarians, Rhys," James forcefully placed the gun in Rhys's hand, "Guns like these are still effective to monsters of that level."

"...What about you, then?"

"Me?" James suddenly kneeled and placed his palms on the ground. And as he lifted them up and stood up, trickles of electricity started flickering across his arms. And there, from the ground, a pair of pistols materialized, "You do not have to worry about me, Recruit."

Weapon Creation — An ability those with the blood of Hephaestus running through their veins.

"..." Rhys squinted his eyes as he stared at the pistols James was carrying, "Can I have another one?"

"I am not a Noble, Rhys Wilder," James chuckled as he started shooting at the dogs, "I can only summon so much before I get into a stroke. W—"

"Enough talking!" Staff Sergeant Millis raised his voice as he loosened another arrow, "Our recruits are getting massacred out there and I can't aim properly because they keep soiling their pants! Rhys, do your—!!!"

And without even waiting for Millis to finish his words, Rhys suddenly ran past him.

"W… wait!" Millis's eyes widened as he saw Rhys's back, "I didn't even tell you how to lure them—Recruit!"

Both James and Millis gritted their teeth as a red orthros suddenly lunged toward Rhys. James was going to aim and fire at the dog, but Rhys, instead of running back and trying to evade… ran toward it.

"Rhys!? W—"

Several loud bangs reverberated in the air as Rhys slammed himself at the lunging orthros. It was the first time he was using a gun, and needed to make sure to get as close as possible so as to not miss — as close as possible.

Not only the pack of dogs but also the panicking recruits turned their attention to the loud banging, only to see Rhys standing up… pushing away the whimpering orthros that was dying on him.

And with a long and deep sigh, he then grabbed the dismembered limb of one of the recruits near his feet and started waving it around at the orthros with 5 Gray Hearts above its head.

"Come," Rhys looked the female orthros in the eyes, "I…

…know you want this."

Unfortunately for Rhys, it wasn't only the female orthros that stepped forward, but ten of them.

"Hm…

…Shit."