70 Class Rumble - Monster Hunter part 4: Chapter 69

"Damn…you took my entire arm off…you bastard."

It hurts…

To have my arm cut off because of my carelessness, it's natural that I would feel pain.

I underestimated the power of its skill…the orc…this bastard…this bastard tricked me.

*Sigh*…I can't believe I got careless.

"Hamil!"

I could hear them scream…I could hear their desperation…

Her desperation…

Despite the fact that we have never talked personally, nor did we form a sense of trust…she called out to me…

For what reason did she have to worry for me?

I'm not her classmate.

Not her friend.

This was the first time we interacted with one another that had a sense of camaraderie…hmm, it feels weird having been called out by the characters of the story.

Still…despite her calling out to me, maybe I can use this…

Her worries…if can act defeated and worn, its possible that she will continue on the book's plot…I can still connect her growth…

I've already ruined the plot as is…I need to force it back together.

This is a chance.

The drones will immediately look my way…and the Orc, I don't think he's finish with me yet…If he continues to use on the skill, he wont have the capacity to control himself at beating down at a meat-shield.

Knowing this, I might as well tank all of his attacks.

I could see the sword, as if in slow motion, it was slowly being raised by the bastard…

It'll fall any moment now…

"My lord!"

Ah…right, she's also here…the girl with the mark and diamond eyes.

I turned my head to meet her…I can tell that she too was genuinely terrified of what was to happen…

'Don't worry, I'll be fine...So don't get close…not yet.'

Thinking these words, I can tell she caught my message…my intention.

The second I looked back to the swords, it had already made it to my shield.

*BUMM!!*

The strike was heavy…

Heavy…

And by the words of its definition, I could barely hold myself from puking out the food I just ate last night.

But still, despite this force…I could manage it…

The left arm he severed was an arm I would use to hold the shield, while the other arm was used to hold the sword or spear…If only I had my other hand intact…no…if only I could use my left hand instead of my right, I could properly hold myself against the bastard…but without it, It feels like each swing he made unto my shield was comparable to that of a 50 kilogram sack filled with rocks dropped straight down at normal person's chest.

It was heavy.

".…" I glared at the Orc, mocking him to only look my way.

And in response, the orc's savage attacks grew even fiercer.

Before I knew it, Martha had already proceeded with her ritual.

I turned my head to where she was and I could see her perform with such desperation, it was quite a scene to look to at.

As she turns to a gift blessed by her god, I could only stare as my gaze softens in the beauty of her transformation.

Like a red rose, slowly burned by its flower tips…the scene of her red hair was mesmerizing…the turning of her white skin to brown, like a chocolate hill…it was beautiful.

Her motivation for her growth was just like in the novel's yet witnessing the growth by her expression alone, I couldn't be truly happy. I was sad to see such a state be encouraged by rage…still, the beauty of her form was like a fiery angel.

'Beautiful…'

Not a second passed after the transformation and she had already fired flame spears at the orc with such precision and power, it was enough that the spear that struck the Orc's mouth tore off like wet paper mache.

The orc was fazed by the attack, and soon it looks to me with a feared and desperate expression.

It had the intention to run away. But before it could run away, another power struck yet again from different direction.

A power that was twice as powerful as the flame spear.

It struck right at the Orc's chest and it threw him down straight at a tree. The force of the arrow was no joke for it to be able to lift off the orc away from my body.

When I look to where that arrow came from, I was bewildered to see the Girl look so pale and furious…her action was as if that arrow was a middle finger to the orc.

To see her in such a state, I was saddened by her expression…but at the same time I was quite proud of her attack.

After that strike, Martha came in with a bombarded amount of flame spears at her attack. The moment she rained it down at the orc, I was given a chance to move again.

I could see that the girl, was still tired from her attack and Martha was busy on taking all of her anger at the orc…this was a chance…a chance to run away.

I know its rude to leave without saying anything but my work is done. I protected the girl and I was able to make Martha grow in her strengths…I had nothing else to do except for my original intent.

If I did stay to talk…I wouldn't be able to. I'm not ready yet to face my people…and I don't have anything to say Martha.

So I activated my skill.

'Light's Reflection'

I blended in with everything around me like a chameleon, picked up my severed arm and soon I made my way out of the area without anyone noticing.

A came to a tree far away from Martha and the Girl…and looked my way to their direction. It was far enough that I could see them with my enhanced sight but not near enough that I could hear them talk.

".…"

I could see Martha and the Girl rest by the Crater…and not long after, I could see a Drone come by their location and it carried the Girl away from the area…it left only Martha to her own.

After that, Martha made her way to the direction opposite to where I was.

I think she still plans to continue on with collecting a few more points for her group. And the direction she was going into was the same direction the two of her mage teammates ran to.

"...Is she planning on finding those two?" I say to myself while I continued to watch from afar.

Not long after, she was gone. And I was left all alone to myself.

When I looked down to my severed arm that I carried, I notice that this was the same arm that was wearing the Digital wristwatch. If I throw this away, It would be possible that I could hide away from the drones…it would be possible that I could hide the thing I was going to do inside this gate…but it would also be possible that I won't be able to gain points inside this gate without it.

'...Doesn't matter.'

Without thinking twice about it, I threw away my arm and simply jumped off from the tall tree. I didn't need the points…what I plan to do since the beginning of this event is teach the bastard a lesson.

I pulled out a healing potion from my ring and poured it down at my left shoulder. Doing this will help with the pain and stop the bleeding.

"Okay…now that feels much better." I said while making my way to the north direction.

If I'm right with my memories, Tyler should be at that direction, hunting down stronger D-rank monsters…eventually, he'll come by another orc guard as an enemy. He won't be able to kill it, instead he'll lose all of his teammates from the orc as he would run away and he'll be left all to his own.

It wasn't written in the novel with this type of detail…but I could only assume that based on the novel, in the results of the entire 2nd event, Martha saw Tyler was standing all alone and injured while he was listening to the revealing of the points. Martha thought that Tyler also ran up against an Orc guard and loses. I took her assumption and added a few more details to my own.

As I continued to walk in the thick forest, the rain suddenly falls even more heavier now and I was suddenly hearing a rumbling noise east of my direction. That rumbling noise was like a giant hungry for its meal…the moment I turned to the east, I found another Orc guard staring at my direction while it's mouth was salivating like a pig.

".…"

The two of us stared at each other for seconds on end…until the Orc finally made a move and dashed it's way to my direction.

".…Bastard."

Without a second thought to it, I brought out Apolo and pointed it at the direction of the Orc guard.

With one pierce…

Darkness envelopes the whole view of the Orc's perspective and soon stops in its tracks as it fell on the ground face first.

With one pierce, I took down the Orc guard…and I left it with a hole in it's head.

I killed my fair share of orc guards back in one of the D-rank gates I frequent. The one thing I always consider when facing a crazed and hungry orc was that, the first one to make a lethal move in the first five seconds wins. This was before I came out of the challenge Gordeseus made me go through. Now that I surpassed that test and grew even more stronger, I could easily kill a Orc guard the same way I can with a regular orc.

"Tsk."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance for the fact that I couldn't get any points from this.

Soon, I made my way to the north once again.

From what I could tell, two hours had already passed inside this Gate, only around an Hour was left until the event was over. I don't have much time left…I needed to hurry.

****TYLER'S POV

On the north side of the map, five kids were in preparation to handle a beast that was found sleeping under a shade of a big tree.

One kid was named Tyler who was preparing himself by wearing one of the sturdiest armor he had in his inventory and drinking a potion that made him twice as strong.

The rest of the kids were found hiding in different areas near the orc, also preparing for their attack.

One was the student who carried a bow and who was charging his arrows while looking down at the direction of the orc.

The second was a large-build student who drank a weird potion that boosted his powers by twice its capacity.

The third was a student who was gripping on his halberd with sweat dripping down on his face.

And the last was a sniper who was 100 meters away from the orc and was preparing a special bullet in attacking the orc.

'It looks like everyone is ready to attack…' thought Tyler as he looked around in the places his team was situated. They all had nervous expressions, but Tyler was certain that they were ready.

So he raised his hand and signaled his sniper to take the first initiative.

*BANG!*

The sniper fired first. From the loud shot it fired, it awoke the beast. The second the Orc opened it's eyes, he was struck right at the head.

It fazed the monster and it created a chance for the team to proceed with their next attack.

The first one to move in combat was the large student who carried with him an axe. He jumped off from one of the tall trees and struck down at the chest of the Orc, but the moment the Axe made contact with the Chest, the student was shock to see that the axe was barely able to slice at the flesh of the Orc.

"!!" he soon felt an immense stare from the orc that came with bloodlust.

Seeing this happen, another student came and attacked the orc. He also came from one of the tall trees and he fired his charged arrow down at the Orc.

The power the arrow had within itself was immense, so at the moment the arrow struck the orc, it created a chance for the large-build student to get away.

And another attacker came in with a halberd. He jumped off from the tree and soon made his way down to attack at the leg joints of the orc. In hopes that he could damage the orc's ability to walk.

*THACK!*

But before he could meet with his intended target, he was meet with a large swing by the orc. The swing itself was powerful and it threw the student down straight at a tree.

'Shit, it looks like they can't even do any proper damage at the beast.' thought Tyler as he watched from on top of the trees.

The orc proceeded to stand from his nap and soon grabbed a club by his side. It was a tall club almost the size as big as the Orc itself. The orc swung it down at the other student who was carrying an axe and soon, he flattened the boy.

Even with the enhance potion, they could not match against the beast.

The sniper tried to assist the situation by firing a few shots at the orc, but the loud discharges of each shot was making it obvious for the orc to dodge the incoming bullets. Its speed was no joke. Despite its large size of about 10 meters, its ability to move was very much like that of a bullet's speed.

It was terrifying.

Soon, the Archer tried to fire another charged arrow but the Orc swung his club and caused a flurry of winds that ruined the shots of the archer. The Orc proceeded to swing his club at all of the trees and started tearing them down one by one while he shouted with such a ear numbing screech.

It caused chaos throughout the field and the shriek itself was very effective as the students showed fearful expressions.

Tyler couldn't watch any further as his men fell one by one. He soon jumped off from the tree and made his way to fight the beast.

One thing to know about Tyler is that he excels in his martial arts. He learned a certain form of fighting style called 'the Predatorial Beast Style'. He learned this from a teacher he meet in one of the slums of the kingdom. Through his efforts, he was able to learn four skills that could rival many weapons of today's era.

[First predator form: Fang-Palm Strike!]

With his palms in the figure of a gnawing fang , he showed off his first skill at the beast. And soon struck it down at the at it's skull.

It shook the Orc's perception and it gave Tyler another chance to attack.

[Second predator form: Ravage-Beast Fury!]

Using this form, he bombarded the orc's face with heavy strikes that could easily be able to crush down boulders.

It proceeded to faze the Orc and it then gave Tyler another chance to attack.

[Third Predator Form: Shredding Willow!]

He used his fingers infused with sharpened mana and sliced down at the face of the Orc.

Blood was starting to gush out of the Orc's face and it irritated the orc.

Tyler thought that he could have another chance to attack but to his surprise, he was suddenly flung across the area by the swing of the orc.

"Gagh!!" he screamed in agony as the club crushed his ribs.

He crashed at a rock about 50 meters away from the orc. Soon he felt the immense stare the Orc was giving him.

"!!"

The orc was too strong, and Tyler blamed his ego for such a mistake.

He tried to stand back up but suddenly he heard the footsteps of the orc making its way to him.

At this part of the story, he would have been struck again by the orc and it would flung him across the rainforest. After that attack, he would have been at critical condition, this would have caught the attention of one of the drones to automatically assist him in his care. The rest of his team would be assisted by the drones as they too got massacred by the orc, almost to the point of death's door. The halberd fellow would be left with broken bones, almost at each possible places. The axe fellow was just the same, the archer got his arm tore off, and the sniper voluntarily quits the event as he ran out of bullets to assist the team.

'Dammit!'

The fact that a D-rank like Tyler thought that he might have a chance against an orc which was a C-rank was a fool's dream and he now knows this fact.

Tyler was consumed by the fear of death that he closed his eyes as orc made his way to him.

Hoping that everything would end with him surviving, he wished for his survival.

But all he got in return was silence.

'...it's quiet...' he was suddenly caught curious as to why suddenly no footsteps were heard.

When he opened his eyes, the orc was gone.

He thought that maybe it was a dream, an illusion…but the damage the orc did to the area was still there.

Trees were down and his team were for some reason found nowhere in sight.

"Where are they?" he asked.

He also noticed that the drones watching the area were also gone.

When he slowly got up from his place, he pulled out a healing potion from his inventory and drank it as fast as he could.

Soon his injuries were starting to mend together and he was healing again.

After a few minutes of healing, he decided to investigate what just happened in the area.

"They're not here." said Tyler as he was getting anxious. He couldn't see his team in the area, not the axe wielder, the bow user or the Halberd fellow.

"Did the orc took them?...that can't be." Tyler tried to presume that the orc probably took the team, but it was impossible since Orc's normally kill on the spot.

"Maybe someone escaped…maybe he's still in his spot." he then thought of the sniper teammate, remembering that he was around east of the area.

When he started making his way there, he suddenly spotted something peculiar in the distance.

"...Is that a drone?" said Tyler in a rather curious tone. When he came near it, he saw traces of damages down at the center of the drone's lenses and battery. The attack was very impressive, seeing as how clean the attack was.

He presumed that the drone must have been attacked from a distance by someone…someone who was an archer. It was impossible to strike a drone down using a sword or a spear since the damage itself didn't reflect those types of weapons but magic was also possible but no traces of mana were found in the drone. It could only be a bow and an arrow.

He stops looking into the drone and continued on his way to the spot where the sniper was, but the moment he got there, no one was present in the area.

All that was left was a gun that was broken in half and a bloodied knife found near the split gun.

Tyler knew that this knife in particular as owned by the sniper and the blood on the knife was red…meaning that whoever took the sniper was also a human.

"Why would someone do this?" he asked himself while he was in deep thought.

Suddenly, something was shot out of nowhere and it struck right down at the ground near Tyler's heel.

"!?"

It was an arrow with a note tied to it.

When he opened the note, all he could see was the letter S written in by blood.

"S?" Tyler was a bit dumbfounded by this message…but soon he figures out that this message was meant for 'South".

It meant that he had to go to the south direction.

The arrow also came from the south direction so it was pretty clear that he was being invited by this mysterious person.

"...fine." he decided that to ease his mind from this stupid event, he had to comply with whoever it was that did this.

So he walked

and he walked…

And after fifteen minutes of walking south, he came across a person that for some reason made him smile from ear to ear. A grinning smile that could make one shudder in disgust.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

He laughed as he saw the culprit for the mystery that just occurred to him…

"So it's you!" said Tyler as he pointed to the boy who was sitting on top of a branch while he could see his teammates unconscious and laying down on the ground.

"..." and the boy in response to Tyler's call out could only stare with a blank expression.

"...So? Is this payback? Hamil!?" shouted Tyler.

"..." the boy named Hamil could only show the same expression of blankness he could in this moment.

"Not talking?…fine. It's obvious why you called out to me." said Tyler.

"Is it?" Hamil spoke in question.

"Revenge! You wanted to avenge the people who I toyed with…the weak insignificant people that you see as friends."

"...I guess you're right." said Hamil in affirmation to Tyler's assumption in Hamil's reason.

"Lets not dawdle then, come at me!" said Tyler as he grips his hands in readying his fighting position.

"..." but Hamil only stayed in place…he stayed seated at the branch while he looks down at the boy who was so eager to fight him.

Tyler was confused…why wasn't Hamil attacking? Why did he not make the first move? Is he looking down on him?

"Are you looking down on me Hamil!?"

"...I am." with a cold tone of voice, Hamil expressed his view towards this pitiful boy.

"...!!" with a furious expression, Tyler could not hold back his anger against Hamil's mockery.

He jumped straight at him with the intention to kill.

[Third Predator Form: SHREDDING WILLOW!!]

With sharp claws that appeared on his arms, he slashed straight down at Hamil.

"Haa!!"

*Swisshhh!!*

He was confident in his speed, his strength, his abilities…he was confident in everything he had to beat this arrogant bastard. So when he slashed down at Hamil's direction, he expected that beyond that moment of him cutting his flesh, he could see the cold gaze be exchange with something shocking.

But nothing was felt…only the feeling of tree fibers going against his claws were felt…no flesh…no blood…nothing but trees.

"!?"

To his realization, he saw the same look…the cold look…and t stood face to face to him at that moment.

"!!" shook and bewildered, he could not believe nor could he understand what just happened.

'How!?'

Since he could not comprehend what happened, he fleeted from the truth and decided to move on with another move.

[First predator form: Fang-Palm Strike!]

When he pushed his palms down to Hamil's direction, he felt it…the rough touch of his skin was there. Surely he could not miss again.

'Take this!'

And to his wishes, the attack connected and it threw Hamil off of the branch and straight down to the ground.

*Boom!*

His smiled could not stop showing unto his face…his fist connected…and he made sure of it that it was no mistake.

He did not waste time and proceeded to move with the flow of his attacks.

[Second predator form: Ravage-Beast Fury!]

He attacked and attacked and attacked with all he had in him.

His smile would never fleet in despair as he was certain of the effectiveness from each of his fist coming down on the very bastard that came to him in challenge.

[Second predator form: Ravage-Beast Fury!]

For minutes, his barrage of attacks never ended.

And when he did, his smile still remained.

"Haa…haa…haa.." he was exhausted from continuously bringing down one of his strongest techniques down of the proclaimed strongest of the C-class.

He could see that his knuckles were bleeding even though in his hands, a protective layer of mana from his armor was covering it and making it harder to injure. It was clear to see that he was giving it his all after the boy before him announced his dual to acclaim strength and proclamation.

"Are you done now? Hamil!" he screamed out to the challenger in suggesting he's victory and the challengers defeat.

"..." but silence was only heard on the other side.

"Hehehe, I must have killed the bastard." said Tyler as he laughed over silence.

For each seconds that came to pass over the silence of the forest, Tyler's ego would continuously climb higher and his grin was ever so wide, as if a joker's face was forming over the bastard.

But suddenly, a voice was heard…

"Have you had your fun, Tyler?"

and in that very voice, it mocked Tyler over one single dialogue.

And suddenly a flash of lightning suddenly drops down to the very place this presumed beaten body was laid.

"!!" to Tyler's surprise, he then steps a few meters back in assurance that he could dodge any upcoming attack.

Fifteen meters.

This was how far he had leap away from Hamil's beaten body.

But even with that distance, nothing was ever safe as of the moment.

From his sweating face to his stiff body, the moment a single sweat dripped down from his cheek, he, for all wonder of question, suddenly felt as if a hole was made in the very left part of his face.

'!!!!!!!!'

An attack was made.

An attack of this caliber made him breed with the sudden urge of cold sweat.

'Wha-' but even before he could finish his bewildered thought of an over exaggerated place of attack, another was felt…

*Thud*

A thud and nothing more was heard…almost as if that thud was but a heartbeat of a beating lightning cloud.

And after that sound came…

"..." he could feel a momentary slew of emptiness right down at his chest…a hole…a hole was left yet again…as if a drill was pushed straight through him.

But that scene was never turned to reality.

How?

As the next sweat that dropped down his face, everything was turned back…no hole was ever made in every inch of his body… not on his face nor on his chest, but what remained was a certainty of fear.

Fear was alive in his heart at that moment.

And it came from the very figure that stood over the dust that scattered over the surrounding area.

A black figure stood…and in his hand, a spear was held.

It resembled a spear but it was to rough to be one shape alone…and it was one that brought another sense of danger to Tyler.

Those eyes that stared down at him…it was like a dark abyss was standing before him…it was the very figure of fear…a shadow that made itself to be a man.

And by his first step forward, no sound was heard…the silence was ever creeping…and only the heartbeat was heard from what was once an egotistical boy and was now nothing but a child that seemed to be looking at the his very nightmare of form.

Shaking in fear for every step the man in black made, Tyler was sure that he could die at any moment…

When the man in black raised his spear, Tyler felt as if his heart was grabbed straight through…and he could hear his heart beat.

*Dub-dub*

With no control over his body but his fear, he pleaded for forgiveness…he kneeled in mercy and he called for mercy.

"...H-Have mercy on me…h-have…have mercy." his voice shaking…ever so pitifully.

As of now, Tyler has seen something he could never surpass…he has seen a monster who embodied both fear and power.

A being that ruled over his entirety through sheer power and fear.

A Ruler in black.

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