Chapter 95 Slave Trader

Nathan and Meriel climbed back onto Fang's back and continued their hunt. However, they didn't find any monsters after that.

Nathan wasn't overly eager, as his intention for the day was simply to take a leisurely stroll and put his new skills to the test. After some time had passed, he determined it was best to return to their shelter so that their energy would be restored for their night hunt.

Fang dashed through the snow-covered forest of tall trees, its legs moving at an incredible pace. After a few minutes, they eventually reached their destination - a safe haven from the frigid cold.

Nathan hopped off Fang, and Meriel did the same. He surveyed the area and noted that nothing had changed since their departure - no signs of any attacks. "That's a relief," Nathan said, obviously glad.

Nathan sat near the fireplace, which had gone out, and attempted to light it back up again. He grabbed some wood and kindling, and began to build a small fire. Once he got it started, he placed a pot of soup that Yudan had made earlier on the fire, letting it warm up and simmer.

"Let me take over from here, Mr. Nathan," Meriel offered, stepping forward to assist him.

She worked alongside him in complete quiet, carefully preparing their lunch. Throughout the meal, they continued to enjoy the silence, not uttering a single word until they had finished.

"Mr. Nathan," Meriel spoke after a moment of silence, her voice trembling slightly. "I can't help but feel guilty for putting you in this situation. The forest elves despise me for what we have done to them, and I am deeply ashamed." She looked up at Nathan with a worried expression.

Nathan pondered, feeling a sense of unease when he considered the fact that the forest elves seemed to have a deep-seated hatred towards Meriel.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "I don't fully understand what happened to you, Meriel. However, you are now a part of my team and, as you said, it is my responsibility to lead and protect you."

Meriel shook her head. "This isn't as straightforward as you think." she said.

"You don't need to tell me what kind of problem has happened between you and them," Nathan replied slowly. "But here, in this event, we are facing a different problem. If someone brings their personal problems onto this team, I won't stay silent. I will stand up for my fellow team members."

Meriel looked up, surprised by Nathan's words. She was quiet for a few seconds before finally asking in a hushed voice, "Don't you want to know my identity, Mr. Nathan? Aren't you afraid that I could be a danger to you and the others?"

Nathan paused, carefully considering his reply. "No, actually I don't care about that," he said. "Everyone has their own background, Meriel. Even me, Linda, Muramoto, or Yudan. You don't know my background either, do you? And I don't feel obligated to explain myself to you or anyone else. What if I'm the one who ends up hurting you?"

Meriel was completely taken aback by Nathan's response, unable to utter a single word.

Nathan gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder and smiled, "Save your worries for another time. We are friends regardless of our backgrounds. When the time comes and our pasts bring about a problem in the future, it will be our duty to stand up, confront it and finish it."

Meriel looked into Nathan's eyes and was filled with joy. She couldn't help but chuckle and cover her lips with the back of her hand. "How can you be so wise, Mr. Nathan," she said in awe.

"I feel ashamed," Meriel said softly, her gentle gaze still locked onto Nathan. "I should be able to do more for the team. I'm actually causing more trouble for you."

Nathan smiled warmly at her. "A friend of mine who has been with me for a long time, was in trouble. And it happened because of my actions. However, I'm trying to make peace with that, and will also try to find her and save her," he explained.

Meriel nodded slowly. "Out of my gratitude for you accepting me into this team, I will try to help you find your friend, Mr. Nathan," she said firmly.

Nathan raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin on his face. "Really? Have you decided to follow me even after this challenge is over?"

"I want to follow you," Meriel replied with a gentle smile. "I'm not really sure what I want to do, but I feel the need to do something that deviates from what is expected of me by my tribe."

A beam of light suddenly illuminated the area not far from Nathan, and Luna's figure emerged, floating nearby. With a light chuckle, she addressed him, "Do you want me to spill something to you, Master?"

Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do you know anything, Luna?"

"I think so," she replied, nodding. "Meriel is the daughter of the head of some tribe of dark elves, who are quite well known in the Yunatea. Her name may not be very well known, but she comes from a tribe that is known for engaging in slave trading in Yunatea and New Earth."

"Slave trading," Meriel said quietly.

Nathan stared at the girl silently, unsure of what to say.

Meriel slowly raised her gaze to meet Nathan's. "My tribe, my father is the head of the tribe and we are involved in a lot of slave trading. We have many enemies," she said, her eyes then dropping to the ground. "I was afraid that this would bring trouble to you all. It's my mistake to join this team."

Nathan took a deep breath, relieved that Meriel had finally opened up to him. He had been feeling uneasy ever since he had found out what her tribe did indirectly.

Meriel looked up again, appearing confused. "Did you know this, Mr. Nathan?"

"Uuh...." Nathan hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"Why don't you look surprised?" she continued.

"Well... Actually, I had heard something about it before," he replied with a sigh. "But I don't think it's something that should be a problem." Nathan offered her a reassuring smile. "So don't worry about it anymore, Meriel. You are my friend now," he said.

Meriel was taken aback by Nathan's response; she could not hold back the tears that had been threatening to spill. She quickly wiped them away, her heart filled with gratitude for Nathan's kindness.

Nathan, after that, decided to rest while waiting for Linda and the others to return. When night came, the three of them came back, with their bodies covered in blood and mud but with faces that were full of enthusiasm and happiness, except for Yudan, who looked a bit annoyed.

"Hey everyone, did you have a good time?" Nathan welcomed them.

"Oh yeah, oppa. Man, if only I can take a bath here," Linda replied, her face showing her displeasure at her current state.

"Meriel has prepared some water for you to bathe, inside," Nathan answered casually.

After they had all taken a shower and changed into their clean clothes, they regrouped in front of the shelter near the fireplace. The blizzard had weakened a bit compared to the day before, although it was still snowing that night.

They gathered around the fireplace, waiting for their grilled meat to be served and for the announcement of their scores for the day.

Finally, the time they had been waiting for arrived.

[The results for the second day of the challenge are ready!]

[1. The Kings]

[2. Elite Hunters]

[3. The Shadow Warriors]

[4. Anime Fans]

[5. Forest's Messengers]

[ .. ]

[10. Vensalor]

[Your party is ranked 10th out of 45, with a total of 647 survivors.]

[Every day, ten parties scoring the lowest will be eliminated from the challenge.]

[Only the top ten parties that have achieved the highest scores will proceed to the next round.]

"Yeah!" Linda cheered. "Our team has risen to the tenth rank, even though it's still not quite enough!" she added, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"How many teams and participants have been eliminated?" Muramoto then asked.

"25 teams, with a total of 440 participants." Yudan answered slowly.

"Does that mean...?" Muramoto's voice lowered to a whisper.

Yudan's voice faltered as he said, "I think most of those people didn't survive the blizzard... Maybe... I don't know..."

Muramoto was astounded. "They really let the victims fall?" he asked with a shocked expression. "I mean, so many lives--that's no small matter."

Yudan responded firmly. "It's no use protesting now, Muramoto," he said. "Chief Pascal already informed us of this and gave us the chance to withdraw before the test began."

"I see," Muramoto replied, looking apologetic. He then turned to Nathan. "What are our plans after this, Nathan-san?" he asked.

"Uh!" Nathan exclaimed in surprise. "Well, I guess we'll have to stick with our plan of hunting and surviving. Maybe we should go hunting together, starting tomorrow. Splitting the team into two could lead to potential trouble, so I think it's best we stay together. Additionally, we should also try to find other ways to survive out here, such as building makeshift shelters or igloos. We can't just stay in one place, but instead, we should explore this pocket dimension more thoroughly and look for more monsters if we can."

"Igloos?" Meriel murmured, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"That's an emergency shelter made of blocks of ice, Meriel-chan," Muramoto explained.

Nathan stood up, tapping his knees to signal the end of the meeting. "Alright then, have a good rest everyone," he said. "I'm off to hunt now." He added.

He had decided to hunt in person, with Meriel, now that he had drunk Yudan's cold resistance potion and felt he could be more comfortable without being in his golem body. Nathan walked towards Fang, which was waiting nearby, and Meriel immediately followed after him.