Chapter 2: Rose

Year 2116 of the New Era

Blue Dawn City

Blue Dawn City, with a population of under a million, was one of the smaller cities harboring the remnants of humanity. Within its walls, a single university educated students in subjects like science and biology, adapted from the disciplines taught to teenagers during the Old Era. These modified subjects catered to the evolving body of knowledge that rendered old facts obsolete.

In this new world, sixteen-year-olds faced a critical decision: to join the Hunter Academy, dedicating their lives to hunting dangerous beasts and fighting humanity's enemies, or to continue studying at the University, leading a normal life and working in various fields that supported the city's infrastructure.

For many students, the safer option seemed obvious, but it had drawbacks that some found difficult to accept. Due to the vast number of beasts roaming the wilderness, only hunters could leave the city freely, forcing others to spend their entire lives within the towering walls. Although this confinement had become more common during recent years of peace, some still yearned to explore the world beyond their home.

"Rose Osborne," the University professor called out during one of his lectures, his eyes scanning the attendance list, poised to place a checkmark next to the name of one of his favorite students. She was always engaged in his classes, so he anticipated today would be no different.

Despite his expectations, there was no response to confirm her presence, prompting the professor to look up and search for her himself.

She was nowhere to be found.

"Has anyone seen Miss Osborne?" the professor asked, frowning. "She didn't report her absence to me."

The students shook their heads in denial, showing no interest in responding verbally.

"Did she really skip my lecture?" He muttered under his breath, focusing on her usual seat. Her two friends were also missing.

The professor glanced down at the star mark next to Rose's name and quickly exited the classroom with a troubled expression. As the daughter of Blue Dawn City's president, her safety was critical. He knew his job would be at risk if something were to happen to her.

"I hope she didn't change her mind..."

Meanwhile, on the main street leading to the Northern City Wall, Rose could be seen scolding her friends from a distance. "Guys! Why are you so slow? We'll be late!" She called out, flashing one of the brightest smiles she had ever worn.

Her slightly rosy cheeks, a result of the brief run, and her gleaming teeth captivated many male passersby, but she paid them no attention. Today, Rose could only think of one man.

Aaron Morgan.

Rose had finally made a decision that could alter the course of her life forever, and that man was the sole reason behind it. Just the thought of being able to see him more often filled her with excitement, supplying her with boundless energy.

The exhausted couple that had been dragged along by her finally caught up, gasping for breath and leaning on their knees for support. Their actions suggested they needed a break, but Rose pretended not to notice and grabbed their hands, pulling them along with her.

"Come on! We're so close!" Rose urged them, forcing them to continue their exhausting run. It was the first time they had seen Rose this happy, so as her best friends, they could only support her.

Fortunately, their destination wasn't far. They ran past the bustling Northern Market, where customers bought fresh meat from slain beasts and hunters exchanged goods after successful hunts. Soon, they reached the city's exit gate and stopped.

“Rose… huu— My legs are on fire…” Her male friend, Lucas, announced, his mouth dry and muscles burning like the afternoon sun. Although he was relatively fit, his stamina paled in comparison to the two ladies.

"Oh, stop it, Lucas. It was just a short run," Rose rolled her hazel eyes at him. "How do you expect to become a hunter with such a weak body? You seriously need to work on your stamina."

She scolded him but still walked up to the small stall at the road's corner and exchanged one Low Rank Soul Stone for a cold bottle of water. The merchant quickly measured the size of the cyan crystal she placed on the metal tray and accepted the trade.

The larger the size, the more energy it contained, and the more it could buy. Soul Stones were the New Era's currency used by all cities.

Rose took a small sip, enjoying the cold stream cooling her throat, and passed the water to Lucas. He glanced at her, let go of the metal lantern he used for support, and gulped down half of the bottle in one swift motion. He had never felt so satisfied after drinking plain water.

They only had one bottle, but the thought of splashing water on his clean-shaven face crossed his mind. Fortunately, he restrained himself, avoiding additional scolding. Lucas finally regained his balance as a small amount of energy returned to his body and glanced at the blonde-haired beauty standing next to him.

"Maya, drink some too," he offered, figuring his girlfriend would also want some.

Like the other two, Maya wore her summer uniform, but hers was much looser. Her white shirt was unbuttoned to allow some air to reach her ample breasts, and her skirt was fastened high on her waist. She loved to show off her long, model-like legs, but the University uniform wasn't designed for that.

Few would think that beneath her seductive attire, a straight-A student was hiding, rivaling Rose in academic achievements.

"Thanks," Maya said appreciatively with a gentle smile, casually taking the bottle, ready to share the drink after them. She lifted it to her cherry lips, tilting it so the water could fall into her mouth, but then stopped, seeing a sudden movement in the corner of her eye.

It was Lucas, who decided to sneak behind her and snuggle into her back. He wasn't bothered by her long, wavy hair all over his face. Only when he stopped moving did she finish the bottle in a few gulps, tossing it into a nearby trashcan when she was done.

Maya loved him too much to push him away and merely extended her hand behind, brushing through his short, dark brown hair. She enjoyed its softness, which she always envied in him.

“Your hair feels nice today. Did you use my shampoo?” Maya asked out of the blue, intertwining her fingers with his as he hugged her.

“Mhmm,” Lucas nodded, taking a big whiff with his nose buried in her hair. “Now they smell as good as yours.”

Before Rose could react, they were all over each other, hugging and flattering each other with sugary words. They were not in the least bothered that they stood on the street with dozens of people walking by each minute.

“Aww, you are so sweet~”

“No, you are~”

“My handsome big bear~”

“My little beauty~”

“Ughhh...” Overwhelmed by the sweetness, Rose expressed her utter distaste by walking away, heading towards the Northern Wall Gate without looking back.

"Ha! Rose, wait for us!" The couple burst out laughing and quickly stopped their display of affection to catch up with her. They loved to tease the perpetually single Rose.

She was the only one in their group who still hadn't found a partner, but she hoped that would change soon. Even though Rose acted as if she hated anything romantic, it was just a facade to explain her lack of interest in any guys who courted her.

The truth was, Rose really wanted to find someone to share a romantic connection with, just like Lucas and Maya. Her lack of interest in potential suitors was because she already liked someone else, which prevented her from returning their feelings.

"Why did we come here?" Lucas asked curiously, noticing that their surroundings were filled with older women.

It was common for hunters' wives and partners to gather in front of the gates precisely at noon when the city guards would open them and allow the hunters inside. As a safety measure, the ten-meter-tall gate could only be opened twice a day, with exceptions made for special openings in times of emergencies.

Rose blushed, realizing she hadn't told them about her decision yet, and both her friends noticed the slight change. Maya glanced into her boyfriend's eyes, and he did the same, their eyes gleaming. They were hungry for gossip.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"It's opening!"

Before they could question her further, one of the waiting partners called out from the crowd, alerting everyone. Expectations and hope appeared on many faces. They knew how dangerous a hunter's job was. Naturally, with great dangers came great rewards, so many considered it a worthy trade.

Everyone was excited to meet their loved ones, and Rose was no different, hopping on her heels like a puppy about to receive its favorite treat.

"Wait, don't tell me..." Maya finally figured out what was going on. "...you came here to meet someone?"

"How do I look?" Rose ignored her question, asking her own. She brushed her chestnut hair with her fingers and unbuttoned one button of her shirt. A second later, she decided on a messier look and flipped half of her hair after making a parting on the side.

The couple was puzzled by her reactions, and Maya quickly intervened, grabbing Rose's wrists to stop her.

"You look good, don't worry," Maya assured as she pulled Rose to the side of the road and began fixing the hair Rose had messed up. "What's going on? Since when do you know any hunters?"

As the massive steel doors were still slowly opening, Rose could only give Maya a summary of her relationship with Aaron.

"You know how my dad gets invited to all the events in the city, right? He always takes me with him, and I used to hate it so much since I was bored to death. But that changed when I met a boy at one of those dinner parties who was in a similar position as me. His presence eased my boredom, and I started looking forward to seeing him again," Rose recounted, avoiding their gaze out of guilt.

Lucas and Maya exchanged surprised glances, realizing that Rose had been harboring this secret for quite some time. They never would have guessed this was the reason why she stopped complaining about those formal events.

"Whenever he comes back from hunting, I would often come here to greet him so we could spend more time together," Rose continued, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "He also brings me gifts from his travels, and I keep them all on my nightstand so I can think of him when he is away.”

Maya pulled away, squinting at Rose as if she couldn’t recognize her. “Excuse me, but who are you and what did you do to my best friend? My Rose would never fall for a boy so hard.”

“Hey, I didn’t fall for anyone. I just find him sweet, that’s all,” Rose denied immediately, but then her eyes brightened as the gate fully opened and a stream of hunters began entering the city.

“You are really something to hide such a secret from us,” Maya lamented while pretending to be upset. “Now we know why you never liked the men I introduced to you. Turns out you were already lovey-dovey with someone else all this time.”

“We are not like you two. Our relationship is purely platonic,” Rose countered without turning away from the gate. “Also, I have been wanting to tell you about him for a while, but I was afraid you would ruin our relationship by trying to hasten things between us. I have decided to take things slow, and you are too excessive at times.”

Maya raised her arms in surrender, admitting, “Okay, I might have been a bit extreme with my approach in the past, but it’s all because I wanted you to have someone by your side when we are busy training. Didn’t you say you would hate to be in a long-distance relationship?”

“Who said I plan to be in one?” Rose replied, glancing back with her lips pursed. “I have decided to join the Hunter Academy as well.”

The sudden news came like a thunderbolt, causing both Maya and Lucas to shudder. “What? Since when?”

"I just realized I should follow my heart instead of listening to my dad, who only thinks about himself," Rose explained. "We only have one life, and I don't want to stay in the same city until I die. I want to explore the world, see all the Demonic Races, and fight on the frontlines for the prosperity of humanity."

Maya only smiled at Lucas, both knowing the true reason for Rose's change of heart. "I think you just realized you'd hate to live away from him and decided to break all expectations just to be with him. This is exactly why I decided to become a hunter as well. It's called love, honey."

"Does it matter what the reason is? I just want to spend more time with him," Rose replied with a shrug before hastily looking away to hide her flushed cheeks. She was happy with her decision, and no one would convince her otherwise.

"What about your dad? Did you talk to your parents at all?" Maya questioned with concern. "He'll flip the whole city upside down when he finds out what you're doing."

"It doesn't matter what he says since I'm an adult and can make my own decisions. Even if he tries to stop me, it will already be too late."

Rose scanned the crowd, her heart pounding despite her confident words. Her father had always been controlling, and this was the first time she tried to overrule his authority. Just the thought of his rage made her shiver in fear, but it all vanished as soon as she saw him.

A familiar group of hunters stepped into the city, led by a tall man in a black cloak. The city guards initially blocked their path to conduct the usual identification, but upon seeing the white fox sitting on his shoulder, they immediately stepped aside, nodding their heads in respect.

"He came back..." Rose muttered, her body relaxing with relief. Even though she had faith in Aaron's abilities, the high risk of death for hunters was always a concern, and the sudden cries in the air served as a stark reminder.

Some of the wives seemed to have received the devastating news and broke down in the middle of the street, crying in the arms of their husbands' partners. Rose clenched her fists, silently offering her condolences to the widows before returning to her own concerns. "What? Where did he go?"

Distracted for just a moment, Rose suddenly realized that Aaron had disappeared, the distinctive white fox nowhere to be seen. She looked around in a panic, fearing he had left without noticing her, when a pair of strong hands covered her eyes from behind.

"Are you looking for someone?" a familiar voice asked, amusement evident in his tone.

Rose's heart skipped a beat, recognizing the voice immediately. She tried to turn around, but the hands held her firmly in place. "Aaron, is that you?" she inquired, her voice quivering with excitement.

"Maybe," he teased, letting his hands slide away from her eyes. Rose spun around to find Aaron standing behind her, his sky-blue eyes sparkling with warmth as he looked down at her.

Rose couldn't help but smile, her cheeks flushing as she took in his appearance. He looked as handsome as ever, his face cleanly shaved and his skin flawless. His lips, the ones she often found herself gazing at, appeared soft and inviting, tempting her to lean in and give them a gentle bite. The fact that he had been the one to initiate their sweet interaction made her heart flutter even more.

"I-I didn't think you'd notice me in the crowd," she stammered, trying to regain her composure.

Aaron chuckled softly. "It's not hard to find a beauty like you," he complimented before smoothly switching the topic as he looked back. “Are they your friends?”

Lucas and Maya had been silent this whole time, their mouths wide open in shock since the moment Aaron came over and gestured them to be quiet. Maya finally realized it wasn’t a dream and walked up to link her arms with Rose. “Why didn’t you mention the man you were talking about this whole time was the legendary Aaron Morgan? Were you trying to embarrass us?”

“Legendary?” Aaron repeated with a chuckle. “I’m just a simple man, no legend in my name.”

“No, no, don’t be humble. You are the reason behind the last sixteen years of peace which allowed our city to prosper. You are also the youngest hunter in history to reach the Lord Rank, becoming an idol to many aspiring hunters,” Maya expressed, leaving Aaron no chance to deny it.

There weren’t many people who hadn’t heard of that fateful event where a young boy was brought to the city on the back of a King beast. A lot of people protested Principal Morgan’s action of bringing the wild beast into the city, but over the years, they accepted it was one of the best decisions ever. That day was the last time they had experienced a beast horde heading towards their city, and everyone believed it was because of Aaron. They figured the beasts in the wilderness knew about the King beast’s presence in Blue Dawn City and decided to respect it.

“You can’t argue with my Maya. She is relentless,” Lucas commented playfully and stepped forward with his arm extended for a handshake. “Hi, I’m Luc—”

“I know who you are,” Aaron cut him off unexpectedly. "You are Lucas Bretford, the son of my swordsmanship teacher. He often talks about you whenever we spar. I heard that you are lazy with your training despite having a talent for archery.”

Lucas paled, not expecting his father would discuss his antics with strangers. Before he could even say anything, Aaron turned to Maya and suggested, “You two are coming to the Hunter Academy with the new batch of recruits, right? Bring him for the morning practice and I will make sure he doesn’t slack.”

Maya curved her lips in an evil grin. “Consider it done.”

Aaron nodded in acknowledgment before glancing at the member of his team who was approaching them.

“Boss, are you coming with us to the market? We have a lot of goods to sell this time,” the middle-aged man asked respectfully, causing the trio's eyebrows to raise. It seemed strange for an adult man to treat a teen like Aaron as a superior, but he acted as if it was normal.

“Yes, just give me a second. I’m talking to my peers,” Aaron replied casually and finally returned to Rose. “My mom wanted me to invite you for dinner when I come back. Are you free today?”

Rose had yet to recover from his compliment, but she agreed hurriedly. “Yes, I would love to. I had some matters at the academy anyway, so I can drop by your place right after.”

“Perfect. I've asked Luna to bring your present home. Don’t go inside in case you reach the villa before me,” Aaron instructed before winking at her for goodbye. “I'll get going. See you later.”

That was the moment Rose realized the white fox named Luna wasn’t sitting on his shoulder anymore. They were practically inseparable, yet they split up to make sure her present wasn’t damaged. That alone gave Rose another set of butterflies as she gazed at Aaron’s back.

She watched him join the rest of his group, and the small caravan of five yaks carrying all their goods moved towards the Northern Market. They hadn’t walked far when Maya poked Rose with her elbow. “What are you staying here for? Go after him.”

Rose was taken aback, swiftly denying, “No, no, I can’t. He is with his team now, and I will only disturb them.”

“Would he bring you so many gifts if he considered you a disturbance?” Maya countered, pushing Rose forward. “Go join him, dummy. Just say you are free now and interested in how the market works. I’m sure he will instruct you well.”

Rose didn’t seem convinced, but Maya grabbed her hand and started pulling her, “Do you want me to take you there like a little girl?”

“Fine, I will go,” Rose finally caved in as she jerked her hand away. “But if he rejects me, I’m going to hunt you down.”

“He won’t,” Maya assured confidently and sent Rose a kiss as she ran up to the group. It was clear how much she wanted to follow Aaron but was too afraid to make a mistake. With Maya’s push, she had someone to blame if anything went wrong, which eased her mind.

“I think we should let them develop at their own pace,” Lucas interjected, cuddling into Maya from the side. “I know you want the best for her, but don’t overdo it, alright?”

Maya squinted her grey eyes at him, for a second doubting her skills. She gazed at Rose, who finally reached Aaron and smirked after seeing him eagerly inviting her to follow. “Don’t worry, you are dating the ultimate cupid. After all, I managed to snipe a cutie like you.”

Lucas couldn’t deny without insulting himself, so he gave up, taking her hand with a brewing proposal in his mind. “How about we—”

His words were cut off by Maya as she finished for him, “—follow them and watch how their love blossoms? That’s a brilliant idea! Let’s go!”

Before Lucas could say anything, he was dragged away as he lamented in his mind. Why did he try to help Rose when he couldn’t even help himself?