31 31: End of battle

As Caleb was inspecting the fearsome, horribly penetrative damage the stone had caused, Miles walked up to him with an ugly expression and Katana in his hand. Caleb flinched, stood a step back, and faced Miles with a vigilant expression.

"Come! I can still throw a hundred of that!"

Of course, he can't. He was just enacting a performance. His taboo energy was already drained and his muscles ached as if being bitten by ants now and then. He couldn't even raise the hand he used to throw due to stiffness. If the fight continued, he would surely lose. However, if he hadn't warned Miles earlier, the latter would have likely suffered severe injury had it him even if he didn't die.

Seeing this, Miles chuckled and gave Caleb a sigh.

"Bastard, don't pretend. I know that attack must have taken a lot on you, too. Look at your right hand, it's trembling. Our body can only take so much, you know. But don't worry, I don't want to anymore, even if you don't hit me, with the move you show, the captain will surely pass you even if you don't want to. That move would become a valuable help in the group's future hunts."

'Oh? Fair enough.'

Thinking of the penetrative power of the stone, Caleb didn't doubt that it could act as a good finisher when hunting beasts. Plus, its speed wasn't something to scoff at. It was almost as fast as a bullet. If not for his early warning to Miles and Miles' instinct, it would have hit him.

'What if one day, I become a grade 2 or even grade 3... Just how powerful would my Streamlined throwing technique become!? Won't it reach the level of sniper!?'

As the terrifying thought rose in his mind, Caleb couldn't help but swallow. That would definitely be fearsome. He would become an equivalent to a mobile sniper! Of course, even if the enemies managed to close distance, he wasn't helpless. His physical strength and melee combat style aren't that weak.

Suddenly, Caleb thought of a scene. The enemy judged that he was a strong sniper at a long distance but weak at melee. Then they tried their best to close the distance to him after getting past the obstacles, only to find out that he was also a monster in the melee battle... He wondered, just how would they react.

"So, how did you do it?"

'Damn you! Why do you keep repeating your question!?'

Caleb was put in a tough spot. How should he respond? It's not that he can say that he got power from another world.

Fortunately, Dunn, his lifesaver, and the other members of the hunting party came to their place.

Fushigiro smiled. The rays of the sun were cooperative as they highlighted his whole being. Calen even had an illusion that was looking at a shiny knight.

'Damn! What kind of effect is that!? Who can tell me!'

"You did a good job, Johan." Fushigiro continued to pat Caleb on his back. Then he shifted his gaze to Miles. "He might not himself why he can do it. However, there's already an answer."

Miles looks at Caleb with suspicion.

"Is captain right? You don't know?"

'Bastard! Do you actually think I would answer honestly? Are you a fool?'

Caleb pretended to cough, then forced a look of confusion on his face.

"I don't know how the captain knew. But he's right. I don't know how, I just instinctively sensed that I could instinctively do it."

A worried expression appeared on Caleb's expression and his eyelids fluttered, as if he felt his doom. "Is there something wrong with me?"

'Huh! Take that! An Oscar-worthy performance, ain't it?'

"Don't worry, nothing is wrong with you." Fushigiro smiled gently. "You're just too gifted."

"Gifted?" Caleb raised his eyebrows to cooperate.

"Yes, didn't expect you're a Manifestor!" Dunn was the one who answered this time. "Johan, you have a good future! Don't despair, one day, you might have a chance to become Destiny!"

Hearing an unfamiliar world, Caleb's eyebrows twitched.

'Manifestor? I'm a Manifestor? What's that? And I didn't know?'

Actually, Caleb knew that his plan was effective. He didn't need to give them a deceptive answer because they already deceived themselves. It's a misunderstanding, but a happy one. Calen doesn't intend to clear up things as it was beneficial to him.

'Yes. Continue to misunderstand you gullible fools!'

Though, inwardly, he actually feels bad. He felt that the members of the hunting party were good fellows and he was the black sheep. Of course, except for Jin, who looks like a damn villain.

"In case you don't know what a Manifestor is, I'll explain it to you," Fushigiro said.

Just like that, Caleb understood what Manifestor was. Just from the word itself, they are the type of people that manifest extraordinary powers only available to destinies. It was an uncanny thing that was coincident with what he displayed.

'Fortunately, I'm in a damn world with superpowers. If not, someone would have already shot me with a tranquilizer and brought me to a lab.'

Then they would surely study him like a damned guinea pig. To unravel his body's secret and why he can exert such power. They would draw his blood and have some mad scientist lead the team to dissect his body.

Of course, that is, if he was in a normal world where powers do not exist. But in a world where powers exist, people would just think that he was one of extraordinary people or a gifted one.

'Really lucky.' Caleb shuddered.

He'd rather die ten times than have his body get dissected alive. What a worrying experience would that be!? Guess that one was still not on the list of his ways of death. And he didn't intend to add that!

After the fight, they make sure that Miles and Caleb are in good condition. Fushigiro announced Caleb's success. Now, he was officially a member of the hunting party.

The members welcomed him warmly. Athena drowned him to her big supple breast, and it almost choked him. Of course, such a death might be the first pleasant death so far if he really died due to it. Even Jin gave him a welcome smile. On the other hand, the bald-caped guy, named Tamasai, just gave him a bored look and didn't say anything.

'Really, a boring guy.' Caleb thought.