Chapter 117: Here he comes.

His gaze also immediately focused on Yuri. "A new A-ranker. It is reassuring to have you," he said. "Name?"

"Hakase Yuri," she replied.

"Hmm, I seem to remember that name..."

"I was somewhat infamous when I was young. I made some mistakes in the scientific field. Must have heard then."

The man thought for a second, nodded, and then looked at everyone. He even smiled amiably at Mark. Mark nodded back.

Bale, Reema, X-Jerk, and Siddique--they were the Neutral Faction. They neither worked for the benefits of the world, nor did they actively promote evil. They were neutral.

"Any news about Hanmo?" X-Jerk asked.

"No," replied the Acid Hunter.

"What a boring and slow bunch." X-Jerk once again covered his eyes with the cloth.

Next to arrive was a black skinned man with short, curly hair and a black beard. He had brown eyes and a tough build. He wore a simple sleeveless t-shirt that showcased his muscles. "Three of you already arrived?" Franklin asked with a grin. "Oh, we even have a new face, and a woman at that. Scientist robes, are you a scientist?"

The man immediately moved to sit beside Yuri but Mark placed his legs on that seat. Franklin frowned but then clicked his tongue and sat himself to another seat.

Mark smiled amiably at him and Franklin scratched the beard on his face.

Franklin.

A-rank Hunter from the Righteous Faction, and a defence-oriented fighter.

Just as Franklin got seated, another person walked into the room and everyone's gaze moved towards her. She had shaded purple hair and watery grey eyes, wearing a green saree to cover her feminine form. There was a sort of meekness to her that made others want to protect her.

She was just a head taller than Yuri. Yamuna Lunar. She was a mass healer. She could heal a city full of ill men in but a blink. One of the three major players from the Righteous Faction.

Hanmo, Yamuna, and Franklin. That was the righteous faction.

"Hanmo hadn't arrived?" asked Yamuna nervously to Franklin.

The man just shook his head.

Biting her nails, she sat down beside Franklin and looked at the map on the table. Then her eyes focused on Yuri and she smiled sadly.

"Sorry, dear. You just became an A-ranker and is already put into all these fighting and such. You didn't even get to enjoy being an A-ranker, did you?"

Yuri sighed. "It's not your fault. But can you tell me what this map on the table is about? Is this the map of the Boss Demon's lair?"

The woman pushed back a strand of purple hair from her side and explained patiently: "It doesn't have a lair by say. The Boss Demon stays in the middle of a forested area inside the Mega Dungeon, mostly just sleeping and using its methods on the dungeon itself to expand its territory." Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Just as they were discussing, another three auras came from the side and Mark tensed slightly. Three people entered the room together and all the Hunters--even the laidback X-Jerk--turned to them with obvious malice on their faces.

Three of them had a similar appearance. Each donned in dark suits, wearing the mask of a devil. All of them had eyes as dark as the abyss, too. One of them was a woman but the other two were men of their middle ages.

"The disgusting faction appears, finally. Did you eat another child for breakfast?" Reema sneered.

The three ignored her remark and sat on three seats separated from all of them. They gave Yuri a passing glance, then ignored her. One of the three placed a scarred hand on the table, fingernails painted black.

"Let the meeting begin," he said with a raspy voice.

Yamuna frowned. "Hanmo is yet to arrive."

Hanmo was their leader, the soul of the Righteous faction. Him not being there was deadly morale blow for them.

"Hanmo?" The women of the dark gang sneered. "I've tried to contact him, too. Even using Hunter means. Do you think he would come?"

As their argument began to get heated, Mark silently listened and had a conversation of his own inside his mind.

"The three smell like corpses," Mark said.

"Cannibalism is already their thing. What is a bit of necrophilia to them?" Reol'ran frowned. "I am not really surprised. When power is handed over to men at random and people who would have never become great on their own get enough power to stand at the top of the world, people like them existing is natural.

I despise such men who would forever remain as insignificant, dying to earthly pleasures with what luck they had."

"These people irk me, too, kinda." Mark said, "I especially hate that woman."

He inspected them.

One of them, the woman, had the ability to make others answer her truthfully no matter what she asked--one couldn't lie to her. One of the men had the ability to control blood, and the other one had the power to run like the wind; fast. If they were a team, the woman would be a support, the blood man the offense, and the runner would be their overall way to keep themselves from being attacked.

All three of them were strong. Yes, they wouldnt be a match against someone like Bale in a face-to-face battle but they could be cunning enemies regardless.

"Do you really think that Hanmo would come now?" sneered the woman, looking at Yamuna with contempt. "I bet he is dead somewhere. Sadly, we couldn't get his corpse."

Yamuna clenched her hands into fists. "I used a method to send Hanmo the message that today will be our final meeting. If he is alive, he will come. Wait for an hour more."

Mark yawned but immediately stifled it and sat straighter.

"Not only Hanmo, who are you guys disrespecting? My brother isn't here yet," he said.

"His grandma basically represents Bale. It's the same thing," said the masked woman dismissively.

Mark sneered at her. "Cooperate if you want to work together."

X-Jerk suddenly stood up, eyes wide, the cloth falling from his face.

Everyone turned to him. They all turned to look at what he was looking at.

The door of the room slowly opened. A man's shadow cast the whole room into darkness, tall and sharp. He put his hands into his pockets.

Strong, cold.

The room fell into silence.

Mark felt his heart thump. A drop of sweat trickled down his nose.

The man walked into the room and sat down on the central chair. He rested his hand against the chair's back, smiling as he looked at the table and then at the time. "Time's up, and Bale is too late. Begin the meeting--Fellow Hunters."

White hair, eyes as cold as ice, and an aura that demanded respect.

"Let the meeting begin," Hanmo said coldly.

'HOW?!'

Hanmo stared at Mark with a passing glance, blue eyes shining like electric sparks.