As I, Ryu, and Emi venture into the academy's forest, unaware of the impending danger, we sense a strange presence in the air. It doesn't take long for us to realize that we are not alone in this hunt. Looking around, we notice dark figures approaching.
"Something's not right," whispers Emi, her eyes fixated on a menacing-looking man cloaked in darkness.
Their leader, a tall man with a thick gray beard, addresses the group with an authoritative voice: "This area is full of permanent dungeons. An easy loot we can't ignore, even if it's academy territory. But if we don't get caught, we can make a lot of money."
Another hunter, with a shady appearance, nods. "Exactly, boss! We've sold many monster cores on the black market and made a tidy sum of money. These trolls and orcs are low-level; we can take them down even with a couple of cannonballs."
"But what if those kids confront us? There are B-rank kids too," asks the shady-looking hunter.
The leader shakes his head. "They stand no chance against us. Even if they have great talent, most of them are low-level. Meanwhile, we are at level 100. We've been hunting for a long time, and this forest is full of permanent dungeons. Even the bosses are low-level; that's why it's a goldmine."
the danger of being tricked by their abilities or poisoned, and they may even ambush us.
Furthermore, even if we encounter highly talented academy students, we can use our magical weapons. The students are forbidden from using technological weapons that combine mana and firearms, which helps them refine their techniques but makes them easy targets for us. We'll crush them like insects."
The hunters find themselves facing the group of students. Their priority is to remain hidden and continue the hunt, but now they have been discovered, and they can't let the students go alive, or they'll have to pay fines.
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Without any warning, the group of adult hunters mercilessly attacks. Their intent is clear: they want to eliminate us to hide their illegal hunting in the academy's forest. They are determined not to let us interfere with their shady plans.
Before we can even prepare to fight, Ryu is struck by a sudden attack from one of the hunters. The pain knocks him down, and I see him trying to get back up, but the wounds slow him down considerably.
"Ryu!" I exclaim, but I don't have time to stop and worry. The situation is critical, and we have to fight for our survival.
I concentrate my mana and call upon Argenius to defend us. His sinister presence fills the air as he confronts the nearest hunters. With a series of dark spells, I summon a shroud of shadows that envelops us, providing some cover.
Emi is swift and acts with agility, dodging the hunters' attacks while using her Aerovolant to unleash powerful gusts of wind to keep the adversaries at bay. Despite the desperate situation, I see a spark of determination in her eyes.
The battle is intense, and the pack of hunters seems endless. They are stronger than we expected, and they caught us off guard. We can't afford to give in. I need to find a way to counter them.
"Ryu, try to recover!" I shout, trying to encourage him as I continue to cast spells against the hunters.
With each attack, my affinity for magic of rank C grows stronger. The color of my skeleton's bones becomes even more intense, and I feel a greater power flowing through me. It's as if the danger is pushing us to the limit, bringing forth hidden resources within us.
But we are not alone in this fight. As we courageously battle, a group of fifth-year academy students suddenly appears. They are led by Luke, the group's leader, and they seem ready to protect us.
"We won't let them harm our juniors!" Luke says firmly as he and his companions prepare for the fight.
Their arrival gives us new hope and strength. We join forces, fighting side by side to repel the hunters. The experience and talent of the fifth-year group are a crucial advantage. The hunters begin to falter, despite their desperate efforts.
Finally, with one last barrage of attacks, we manage to defeat them and drive them away. We are exhausted but grateful for the help we received from our older companions.
"This is an academy hunting zone. How dare these delinquents use it? I'll go inform the professors right away," says Luke.
We thank Luke and his companions with gratitude and return to the academy.