Chapter 23. *Into the Crimson Abyss.*

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The sprawling, chaotic city of Crimson Paradise hits Nix and Roni like a tidal wave. The noise, the movement, and the unsettling sense of danger all press in on them as they trail behind Ron, who moves as if he’s taking a pleasant walk in the park. He weaves effortlessly through the throngs of people, never hesitating, barely glancing back to make sure Nix and Roni are keeping up. But they do, weaving their way through the relentless crowd with wary precision.

Everywhere they look, the world feels alive with a raw, untamed energy. Traders hawk rare creature parts, hunters with bulging muscles and exotic weapons shove through the streets, and sharp eyes seem to watch them from every corner, evaluating their worth or their weakness. Nix’s [Radar Sense] is on high alert, sensing the vibrations of every move, every step, every breath.

“Stay close,” Nix mutters to Roni. She nods without needing to be told. There’s an unspoken understanding between them, here, they’re in enemy territory. And in a place like this, you’re either a predator or prey.

Ron continues to lead them deeper into the city’s heart, and they feel it: the darker, dangerous underbelly of the world of hunters, where a single misstep could mean everything.

Ron’s aimless-seeming walk finally stops at a narrow, secluded alley. Nix and Roni exchange glances but keep silent. In front of them stands a hooded figure, their face completely hidden. No words are exchanged, only a simple nod from Ron, who hands over a bag containing the Thunderback Wyvern’s Crystal Core. The figure slips Ron a heavy pouch of coins in return, and just like that, the exchange is over. Clean. Quick. Dangerous.

Ron weighs the coin pouch in his hand, nodding approvingly, then turns back to Nix and Roni, a glint in his eyes. “Let’s move. Things are about to get interesting.”

Nix doesn’t respond, but his eyes stay locked on Ron. There’s something unsettling about his aloofness, the way he seems both aware and uncaring of the danger around them. They move on, weaving their way back into the dense crowd.

As they push through the ever-thickening crowd in Crimson Paradise, Nix and Roni’s senses are on high alert. It’s a city of opportunity but also of danger, and every face, every movement feels like it hides some unseen threat. Suddenly, a cry rings out from a nearby alleyway, desperation lacing the voice. “Please! No, I need that!”

Nix’s ears perk up, his [Radar Sense] picking up the frenzied vibrations of a struggle.

“What’s going on?” Roni whispers, her eyes darting around the crowded market.

“Trouble,” Nix replies. They quickly, but quietly, slip through the throngs of people, ducking past stalls and hunters until they find the source of the noise.

A young hunter, barely older than themselves, kneels on the ground, shielding his body with his arms. Four older, rougher hunters encircle him like wolves, their predatory smirks flashing as they prod at his body with the ends of their weapons. Their leader, a lanky, scarred man with a jagged tattoo running down his neck, stands over him, swinging a large hunting knife loosely in one hand.

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“Come on, kid,” the leader sneers. “Just give up your gear. It's not personal, it's purely business. Your armor appears strong, and your bow has good value potential. So, are you handing it over, or are we going to have to strip it off your corpse?”

“Please,” the young man gasps, his face bloodied from a fresh wound above his eye. “This is all I have! My armor, my bow, I can’t hunt without it! I’m just a Level 1 Evolver!”

The words fall from his mouth in a desperate plea for mercy, but Nix and Roni wince. That was the mistake. Revealing his evolution level out loud makes him even more vulnerable, a fresh kill among the predators of the city. It’s like offering himself up on a silver platter.

“Level 1, huh?” The leader’s eyes light up with greed. “Then you definitely don’t need this nice gear. You won’t last long anyway.” He yanks the young hunter’s worn but reliable leather armor, tearing it halfway off his shoulder.

The young man struggles, clutching his armor in a futile attempt to keep it. "No, please! It's all I have, please!

The leader’s face twists in disgust and with a brutal shove, he sends the young man crashing against the wall of the alley. His head hits the stone with a sickening crack, and he slumps to the ground, dazed and bleeding. “Quit whining. You’re a hunter, right? Act like it.”

The group descends on him like vultures. One of them rips the armor off his back, another pulls his reinforced gloves from his hands, and a third tears his bow from his grasp, its string snapping as it’s forcibly removed. The young hunter lies there, stripped of his equipment, clutching his stomach and wheezing in pain. It’s not about the COIN in his pocket, it's about his very means to survive.

Roni grips Nix’s arm, her nails digging into his skin. “We need to do something,” she hisses under her breath.

Nix doesn’t respond right away, his eyes darting around the alley. He knows she’s right, it feels wrong to just stand by. But he also knows that jumping into this kind of situation could be a trap; it could make them targets, and right now, they have no backup, no allies, just themselves.

Before they could make a decision, a figure steps out from the shadows, a girl with fiery eyes and a confident stance. Her movements are sharp and fluid, and she radiates strength. She steps between the bullies and the young hunter, her expression fierce and uncompromising.

"Leave him alone," she says, her voice like steel. "Give back what you took, now"

The hooligans pause for a moment, sizing her Equipments up and then starts to laugh. The leader speaks with sneer, "Oh, look at this! We've got a hero coming to save the day. Sorry sweetheart, but you're outnumbered. And don't think for a second we're scared of you."

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The girls eyes narrow. Without hesitation, she moves into a fighting stance, he speed almost too fast to follow. In a flash, quick and powerful strikes from her quickly took down two of the bullies. They fell to the ground, losing consciousness before they reached the dirt. Nix’s and Roni’s eyes widen in shock, the girl is not just skilled; she is dangerous.

The remaining two hooligans tense, exchanging nervous glances. They quickly realize that they might not be able to handle her in a direct fight. But the leader cunning and desperate, makes a snap decision. Instead of attacking the girl directly, he pivots and charges at the young hunter still lying on the ground, the weakest link.

The girl's eyes widen as she sees the leader shift in target. "No!" she shouts, rushing yo intercept him, determined to protect the young hunter further from harm.

But the hooligans are not after a fair fight; they are after a victory. The leader's intent was never to fight the girl head-on; instead, he plans to distract her. As he charges toward the boy, he smirks knowingly, and the girl hesitates for a second. Suddenly, one of the thugs pretending to be unconscious stands up and approaches her swiftly.

The girl notices the movement from the corner of her eye and attempts to respond, but it's already too late. A knife suddenly appears and the hidden thug stabs it deep into her back.

The girl gasps, her strength fading instantly as the blade sinks in. Her eyes widen in shock, and she crumples to her knees, blood quickly seeping through her clothes. "H-how...?" She whispers, her voice trembling with confusion and despair.

The hooligans stand over her, victorious grins on their faces. The leader looks down at the fallen girl and chuckles darkly. "Sorry sweetheart, but you bit off more than you could chew."

She collapses on the fully to the ground, her body going limp as the young hunter she tried to protect scrambles back in horror. "No.. No...! He cries reaching out on the girl's lifeless form, his savior now fallen.

The hooligans unfazed and uncaring , gather up the stolen gears. "Told you kid, " the leader says, shaking his head as he leaves. In this realm of hunters, those who are not strong become easy targets. If you are unable to safeguard your equipment, you are not entitled to own it. He spits at the young man before facing his followers. “Come on, let’s get this stuff appraised. Good leather like this could sell for a fortune, and the girls equipment are really good, too bad we cant wear it.”

The crowd around them begins to disperse, with onlookers either turning away in disinterest or shaking their heads in pity. No one helps him. No one wants to draw that kind of attention.

Nix and Roni are frozen in place, watching the scene unfold. They could have acted. They could've helped. But now they are faced with the harsh, cruel reality of what it means to be a hunter.

We... we couldn't have done anything " Roni mutters, but her voice is wavering, her eyes on the fallen girl.

Nix’s jaw is tight. His hand clenched into fists. But he stood there for a minutes with his eyes closed. Roni held Nix’s left arm attempting to help him calm down. "Let's go," he says the words sounding more like an order than a suggestion. He gently grabs Roni’s hands, pulling her away from the alley, away from the haunting reminder of what kindness can cost everything, even your life.

The lesson is clear, never show vulnerability. Never let your guard down. And above all, never give away anything that could give someone else power over you.

The market grows thicker as Nix and Roni move deeper into Crimson Paradise, but they don’t let their guard down. Eyes are everywhere, some curious, some predatory, all dangerous. But Nix and Roni have learned from the wilderness, from their fight with the wyverns and their trial for survival: you don’t make yourself a target.

Ron maneuvers through the crowd in a ghostly manner, guiding them along a twisted route that appears illogical. It is a complex network of rear paths, secret stairs, and tight corridors before they eventually reach where they need to go. Nix catches sight of the structure before them, and his breath catches in his throat.

The Hunter Base looms over the city like a fortress. Steel-reinforced walls stretch high above them, adorned with the symbol of the red-eyed panther, the insignia of the Hunter Association. The energy around the base is tense and electric, like the eye of a storm, and it pulses with a dangerous rhythm that makes the hair on Nix’s neck stand on end.

Without a word, Ron walks right up to the entrance, where two imposing guards stand watch. He holds out his hand, and instead of presenting any visible ID, his Hunter’s Mark activates, an unseen signal transferring data directly to the guards through the nanotech within his body. The guards barely look at him before they step aside, allowing him to pass.

Nix and Roni follow closely behind, feeling the intensity of the eyes watching them as they step into the base. They know that their own Hunter's Marks have been similarly scanned, silently, without question, and without their active input. The sensation is slightly eerie, but it also speaks to the efficiency and technological prowess of the Hunter Association. As they cross the threshold into the base, they feel the pressure of being truly exposed, like they've stepped into a world where their every action is being evaluated, every movement judged.

The inside of the Hunter Base is a world all its own. The building is massive, a sprawling, multi-level hall filled with hunters of every rank, each busy with their tasks: trading information, collecting bounties, and preparing for missions. The floors hum with activity as groups gather around tables, poring over maps, while others crowd around screens flashing quest details in bright red when a particularly dangerous mission becomes available. The air is filled with a mix of smells, sweat, metal, and the musky scent of rare creatures.

Ron walks ahead of Nix and Roni with his usual nonchalance, leading them toward a sleek, high-tech counter manned by Hunter Association officers. The officer's uniform is black and silver, with the insignia of the red-eyed panther prominently displayed on the chest, a symbol of authority and power.

Without exchanging a word, Ron approaches the officer, his expression blank. The officer doesn’t even ask for his name. The moment Ron’s Hunter’s Mark pulses, all his information appears on a large holographic screen above the counter: his stats, achievements, and status as a Level 5 Evolver. The officer glances over the display, barely hiding a smirk. Despite Ron's power, there’s a sense of disrespect, almost mockery, behind the officer’s eyes.

“Ron Moe’s,” she says formally, but there's a hint of condescension. “Mission complete. You’ve successfully delivered the new hunters to Crimson Paradise as required.” She presses a button on the counter, and a silver card materializes from a slot, Ron’s pass to the next tier. “Your Level 6 authorization has been granted.”

Ron takes the card, examining it briefly, a small satisfied grin on his face. He doesn’t offer a word of thanks or farewell. Instead, he turns on his heel, pockets the card, and walks away without looking back, disappearing into the throng of hunters like a ghost that was never truly there.

Nix and Roni watch him go, feeling a mixture of relief and apprehension. He’d been an unpredictable guide up until now, both an enigma and a constant reminder of how dangerous the world of hunters could be. Now, they were truly on their own amidst the chaos of Crimson Paradise, fully immersed in the life of Class 1 Hunters.

The two of them stand silently for a moment, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of their surroundings. Hunters of all ages and abilities crowd around, veterans arguing over bounties, younger hunters exchanging tips on missions, and a few rogue-looking individuals who cast calculating glances their way. Nix’s instincts scream at him to stay on guard, and he knows Roni is feeling the same.

This is not the wilds they were used to; it’s a different kind of beast, a social jungle where hunters must navigate rivalries, alliances, and danger not just from creatures, but from each other. And with their recent upgrade to Class 1, Nix and Roni know they’re still at the bottom of the hierarchy.

“You ready for this?” Roni whispers, her voice steady despite the tension in the air.

Nix nods, a determined look in his eyes. “Yeah. Ready or not, this is our world now.”

And with that, they take their first steps into the heart of the Hunter Base, ready to navigate the labyrinth of challenges, opportunities, and dangers that await them.