"Hey, shouldn't we go to the Chief, the chief might still be alive?" Rya badgered.

It's been like that for a while now and it was vexing, her voice had been hovering about and over.

Was that he too not want to go back and get Whitman? Of course not! This was the person that took him in when no one would, Alec Whitman saw great potential in him, even when no one would, but there was something far more important than going back.

- You have a foe, a foe that is so strong but before you, he is powerless, with a touch from you, he is bound to die.

Every day, Whitman had steeled him up for this moment. There was no way he would fail.

"Hey! You!! Are you deaf?!"

"You are bothering me..." His shoulder heaved. He was containing himself so he wouldn't snap at her.

"Huh? I'm bothering you? Shouldn't we be saving the chief? All our teammates are gone! We are powerless alone."

Eric turned to her and raised his chin with a disgusted look.

"Lady, aren't you supposed to be an S-rank?" He asked with an intimidating thick tone.

The air around him became heavy and quickly tamed Rya's arrogance. She sulk back like a puppy and lowered her head, sweating all over her face.

"S-s-so... w-w-what?"

Despite, how intimidated and scared she was of the face that looked at her, she still managed to reply, wanting desperately to protect her pride.

She was a mage that took great pride in her detection skill, her magic skills weren't bad too. But just now, she was utterly powerless before that monster, everyone was.

"Then act like one and stop bothering me."

Even within the association, Eric was known to be a man of few words and strange rumors were going around about him.

No one had ever confirmed if the rumors were true, but the rumors had earned him the moniker, 'Hunter Killer'

Something about him felt very different the moment he looked down at her. It was as if her body was ticklish but not in a sweet way. To be exact, death was tickling her body and she felt like if she enjoyed it, that would be the end of it.

He turned and walked away and the feeling left her. Her brows creased together immediately as she questioned what the hell that was and who the hell is this guy.

Regardless, she silently followed him from behind henceforth. And they made their way through the forest. They encountered several broke pillars, huts, and broken buildings, almost like ruins that have been overshadowed by the forest.

And the thing that bothered Eric apart from Rya's annoying presence was the fact that they had not come across a single monster since they entered this place.

Whoosh

Eric swung out his sword, diagonally slashing the vines that blocked their path forward.

The path was different and clogged with several vines, it was almost as if they were regrouping as he cut them.

"Would you mind stepping back?" As the tamed puppy that she is, Rya asked puppily.

Eric looked at her from over his shoulders, first with a demeaning gaze but seeing how she was struggling to meet his eyes and still frowning. It was cute. Besides, she is an S-rank magician.

He took a few steps and watch her step forward.

"Take your eyes off me." She complained.

"What would you have me do? Look at the sky?"

"Your gaze is very uncomfortable."

"Don't worry, it's not like I am looking at your ass or anything. There's nothing to look at there."

There's nothing to look at there? As much as she wanted to protect that notion, it would sound like she cared. And she didn't, at least she claimed inwardly.

"What the hell did you mean by there's nothing there? Do you kno–

"Lady, I am not in for this discussion. We might be in a life or death situation and you care about whether it is there or not? Txh! You disgust me." He gibed, spitting on the floor.

There it was again, something about him infuriated her. Was he looking down on her? It vexed her, she wanted to burn him to his death but what is this tension that overwhelmed her?

She wasn't even sure of his rank. She was an S-rank, and she was sure that he wasn't S-rank. And yet it was as if her senses were consistently warning her.

Not being able to protest any further she faced her front gritting her teeth.

"I call on the Krux el'ca of the fiery, let your essence to consume my body with your rage, fill my heart with your warmth, and at the tip of my fingers let your flames burn. Fireball!"

Whooooossh!

In a split second, a large flame ball appeared above them, scorching their surroundings in its heat, the leaves and vines that were closer to the fireball were beginning to burn from its heat.

She swung her magic staff forward and the fireball followed.

Searing everything in its path in the bathing of flames.

'Not bad, I guess she is an S-rank after all.' Eric was impressed with what he saw. The firepower was amazing, the clogging vines were instantly burned to ashes and there was now a clear path that lead to some sort of inner chamber.

They didn't realize it because the whole place was broken and covered the greens: vines and leaves. They were inside a temple, and were a step away from entering the inner chamber, the isolation room where the masters would often go to meditate.

The inner chamber was not looking like an inner chamber since it was covered by greens. The roof was also open, more like it was torn apart.

"It's a dead end..." Eric frowned.

The open chamber was circular and there was no other path that led them anywhere, except up.

"What should we do? Go up?" Rya asked.

But instead of responding, Eric closed his eyes and stayed still for a few moments.

The Rya from before would have made a deal about not being responded to. But with the way she was feeling right now. She couldn't do anything and just stayed still.

"Something is off..." he said, opening his eyes.

"Sorry, what now–historical

His eyes shot wide open as he belatedly noticed a statue, sitting in a cross-legged position with hands in a mediation posture.

"The statue is smiling..." he muttered, he didn't even mean to, his thoughts just slipped out of his mouth.

"Smiling?" Rya followed his gaze with all curiosity and there she saw it too.

A statue of a bald man is embedded in the wall, towards the northern side of the chamber. It was as if he was built with the walls.

But he was smiling, and clearly at them. Something about him also felt real, but none of them could put their fingers around it.

Eric lowered his upper body and legs, with his hand on his sword cautiously observing the statue.

Rya was cautious too but no matter how much she looked at it even though it felt real and undoubtedly was smiling at them.

"It's just a statue in the end." That was how she felt.

"It is surprising that you just said that and you are an S-rank mage known for her detection skills. A rat is more sensitive than you are."

This was an insult and she was getting to the height of what she could condone.

"I will not take more of this insult from you. You and I are nowhere near mates!"

"Deploy a shield." Eric interrupted but with a low tone.

But Rya was angry, she was not being taken seriously by this guy and it was very very vexing.

"Are you even–

"I SAID DEPLOY YOUR GODDAMN SHIELD!!!" He shouted, causing a cold chill to run down her spine. She quickly acted out of impulse caused by fear.

"O thou, the Ae'r that protects all, I offer thee my mana, bless and protect me. Blue Shield!"

Whoom

A patterned semi-transparent shield spread over them–

Fuuuuu

"Grrer...."

It was too late.

Eric's eyes widened as he noticed something amiss–the statue was gone.

His eyes swiftly trailed backward as his whole body tinged with a cold sensation and the pores on his skin rose.

Kang!!

He belatedly used his sword to block the statue's hand that infiltrated them from behind, ignoring the defense of the shied.

"Fucking–

"Listen to me the God of er'la–

Swipe

It was a pity

Before she could complete her incantation, her head was in the hair and the statue's hand was way past her neck. Yet the bastard was still grinning at them.