45 Echidna (1)

"... That's a huge response."

The actor looked at the articles of stiff water that dominated the headlines of all kinds of newspapers with an absurd look.

The rain that was sitting in front of her shrugged her shoulders as if it were nothing.

"I threw you a good prey to run."

There has never been a loss of heroism in human history.

Man had such a fantasy of being a hero, and the strong water he showed this time was enough to make him such a hero.

"... Everything you cried at the interview over there was fake, right?"

"Yes."

"Why are you acting like that?"

"Because he's more moved."

The rain drank a cup of coffee on the table and spoke in a heavy tone.

"I could have stayed relatively quiet this time because the stiff water needed attention."

Once the face became known to people in earnest, it did not become much of a nuisance.

If I had something to gain by gaining fame right now, I would have said that I killed a variant monster, but I didn't have anything to gain by becoming famous right now.

'Rather a loss.'

When people's attention increased, they were simply restricted in their movements.

It is quite inconvenient, especially in terms of rainfall, to do anything illegal if it benefits you.

Rain did not want to see unintended damage.

'You won't be able to hide it for long.'

I thought I told you to waste it.

It was inevitable that people would naturally pay attention to him if the rains continued to grow like this.

'That's all you have to think about then.'

If the situation was unavoidable, it would be possible to use the famous tax to make other gains.

Rain put the coffee cup on the table and shifted his gaze toward the next player.

The smoker sighed deeply and asked him.

"So, what really happened inside that gate?"

I didn't think rainfall would hit mutant monsters in the first place.

He was a man who lightly subdued the players to take on the executive role of the Red Rose Guild.

Even if mutant monsters were strong, they wouldn't be able to beat the rain.

"Nothing special happened. The Rigid Water Party first dealt with mutant monsters, and then I defeated them."

"... But is it true that the strong water was attacked by a real variant monster?"

"Yes."

"No matter who saw it, there were traces of people beating themselves up."

"No way, you've got the wrong idea."

Rain replied with an oblique expression on her back.

The next player looked at the rain with a complex expression.

Whenever I talked to her about the rain, I felt frustrated somewhere in my mind.

He was a player with a marvelous talent beyond her expectations.

The problem is that he's not just a 'talented' player.

He was a man who could lightly disregard moral ethics for his own gain.

'Am I raising a tiger cub?'

She shakes her head and speaks with a worrying expression.

"Hmm. First, explain the variant monster in detail."

What she called rainfall today was to get more information about variant monsters.

Rain nodded and explained to her exactly what was going on about Bour.

Of course, Bour did not tell me about the special nature of "union."

"That's how many monsters appeared at Class B Gate..."

The next player wrapped his head in a complex expression.

According to the description of the rains, it was an incredibly powerful monster that appeared at Class B Gate.

'At least Class A or higher.'

It was also an elite monster, not a Class A monster.

It was never easy to think about how there was a power gap between monsters when one grade differed.

'There's been too many strange things going on lately.'

From the sudden vigorous activity of Demon Bridge to variant monsters.

The world, which has been slowly seeking stability for the past five years since the 'Day of Catastrophe', has been shaken once again.

'It turns out that the rainy season is like a time of awakening and something strange is like a time of surge.'

I can't believe it, but the rains just woke up about a month later.

It's the same time that Devil Bridge's activity suddenly became active and monsters that didn't fit the rank at the gate appeared.

'... However, it must be a coincidence.'

The smoker shook his head, staring at the face of the rain.

Rain is getting stronger at an unprecedented rate, but that didn't mean he was associated with Demon Bridge, a mutant monster.

I couldn't cut him down without any evidence.

'And.'

The next player sat in her office chair and watched the rain pour a cup of coffee quietly.

Honestly, I didn't think it was a nice, kind human being.

However, I didn't even think of it as a psychopath where ethics itself doesn't exist, like devils who are doing crazy things offering sacrifices to the living.

'It's not that much garbage.'

At least I wanted to believe that.

'I'm on a boat anyway.'

This has led to rumors that the Red Rose Guild is supporting a rookie named Augang Woo.

Of course, it is not widely known because it is buried in the Hero of Strong Water, but it is known enough to know if you are interested in it a little.

To some extent, it means it has become a recognized alliance to others.

Now, the alliance that made him suspicious will collapse.

"What makes you think that?"

"... Ah. It's nothing."

"I want to ask you something more than that."

"What do you want to ask?"

She curls her head and looks at the rain.

Rain was speaking in a heavy voice.

"Have you ever heard of a fragment of a crack?"

A message thread with a demon.

I wanted to see if she had any information about it.

"No, I've never heard of a fragment of a crack."

"Hmm.... I see."

"What is that?"

"The message thread that reminded me of when I caught a variant monster came out that I killed a fragment of Class B crack."

"Ho."

In his interesting words, the next player also nodded with a glimmer of eyes.

"I'll investigate the fragment of the crack separately."

Rain nodded and spoke.

"And one more thing."

"Tell me."

"When are you going to tell me about the quest?"

"………"

When I heard the word Quest, my face darkened.

The rains spoke in a heavy tone.

"As you may know, we are now a pretty solid ally. But there's one thing between us that hasn't been resolved yet."

"……."

"I've invested this much in you, too, but wouldn't it be hard to refuse my request?"

"Argh."

"Don't worry. I want to keep this alliance as long as it's not ridiculous."

Rain leaned on the back of the chair and spoke with a loud voice.

"So, isn't it time to tell me?"

"Haah."

A deep sigh came out of the mouth of the smoker.

As she continued her troubles, she opened her mouth with the expression that she had no choice.

"There are demons."

"……."

"It's never been clear how big an organization it is or when it has been. They're coming in and moving all of a sudden."

"... So?"

"Crazy people who sacrifice people for their lives to make strange rituals. Our guild is working with the government to track down an organization called Demonic Church."

"Then the quest..."

"I was going to ask you to help me defeat the Devil's Tail later. I don't have the exact evidence yet... but I'm too strong to call it a simple cult."

"……."

Heavy silence sat down.

Rain only understood why the next player was gathering powerful players, even in a crowd.

'I was going to wage an all-out war with Demon Church.'

Given that the government is investigating Devil's Bridge, it is not unusual that one of the large guilds, the Red Rose Guild, noticed their identity.

'Not bad.'

No, it wasn't so bad.

In the first place, there was nothing better if the rains could get the help of a large guild and government from behind the Devil's Church.

Especially if they have the power to be vigilant.

'One thing I don't understand...'

The rain slightly frowned and opened its mouth.

"Then why are you trying to subdue the Devil Church? Is it simply due to moral responsibility?"

"……."

At the sound of his stabbing, the smoker kept his mouth firmly shut.

I could understand the government chasing after the Devil Church.

It's basically an organization that has a duty to protect the safety of its citizens.

But the next song was different.

There was no reason for her not to be a guardian of justice, but to do everything in her power to subdue evil.

It was true, of course, that anyone with a normal ethic could not tolerate their actions.

However, in the case of the second-class, he was the leader in charge of one guild.

I couldn't move the guild with just a 'sense of justice'.

'It's not like I can make a profit.'

In his case, he was able to absorb Magi through the 'ritual' of demonism.

It wasn't like that, so there was no reason to go to war with Demon Church.

"This is not a free service. I promised the government a big reward for defeating the Demon Church."

"Ah, then the reward is for..."

"There's one more reason."

I cut the words of rainfall with a low voice.

An intense life bloomed in her body.

Living to feel like a sticky liquid, not intangible, like twisting a breath.

'You're ignorantly strong.'

Rain shed a short admiration as she felt a frustrating sensation in her life.

It was the first time I felt her strength so close.

'This is the ranker.'

Through the 5th Awakening, stronger rainfall barely ruled the urge to fight her properly.

"Some of our guild members have been sacrificed by them."

"……."

"I can't leave you alone. Never."

She said with a decisive voice, exuding a life like an ice rink.

'I think he was quite precious.'

In her response, the facts were not difficult to guess.

Rain nodded and said in a serious voice.

"Okay. I'll accept the request."

"... Thank you."

"I told you, I'll give you back as much as I got."

Rain said that and turned the topic around.

"What happened to what I asked you before?"

If the reason the smoker called him was to hear information about variant monsters, he came here because he had one item to receive.

"I'm out."

The next player takes out a square card from the drawer and hands it to him.

It said, "Class S Gate Temporary Residence Permit," along with a picture of the face of the rain.

"Just in case, I'll check again. You're not going to hunt there, are you? If that's the case, I can't give you this."

"I kept telling you I wasn't going to hunt."

"... Then why are you trying to enter the S-class gate?"

"I have work to do at that gate."

Rain lightly smiles and receives a Class S gate entry permit from her.

Rain with a pass in his pocket came out of the Red Rose Guild.

He heads to the parking lot and opens his status window.

'I can finally use this.'

The status window shows the nature of his fifth awakening.