The Book

An odd sound was being heard from the door. The two statues were the ones that moved their swords out of the way in front of the door so that they wouldn't obstruct the exit.

"Did we pass the test already?"

"Can we go out right now?"

The hunters were relieved since they thought all of the tests had been completed.

But,

Creaaak.

Rumble

The hunters' heads swiftly turned around to look.

The door was gradually closing, and the statue with a weapon was steadily approaching them.

THUD!

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Didn't we pass the test?"

The situation baffled the hunters.

"This is the altar."

The hunters promptly turned their attention to Jarred and listened.

Because he was unable to say the next few words, Jarred bit his lower lip and gazed at the ground.

Joe's gaze turned to Jarred.

"We have to sacrifice someone in order to survive, right?"

Joe was the one who said.

Jarred nodded his head slowly. One of the five survivors had to be offered as a sacrifice.

The expressions on the hunters' faces when they heard it were so horrified and astonished at the same time that they could no longer be described.

"So, who will be the sacrifice?"

Having uncertainties about who would be sacrificed, the hunters exchanged glances with one another.

"I-isn't it clear enough that Mr. Joe w-will be the one w-who will be the s-sacrifice?"

Mike said with a phony smile, raising his brow and his voice stuttered.

"..."

Mike was looked upon with disdain by the hunters.

"W-what the hell are you saying?!"

Mike's behavior had Jarred indignant.

"It's fine; I understand."

Joe had already decided to make the final sacrifice for them. The reason was because of his injury. Even if he lived, his career as a hunter would come to an end, and his life would be useless.

THUD!

THUD!

Creaaaaak.

The door was slowly closing as the statue approached them from behind.

"Keok!"

Due to his inability to help Joe, Jarred—who didn't want to make a sacrifice for him—blamed himself.

"I-I'm sorry."

Mike said to Joe in a low voice and quickly diverted his gaze away.

Mike was the first to climb down and exit the room. He dashed from the room in a hurry.

Poof.

When Mike climbed down from the altar, the ball of fire vanished.

"That b*stard!"

Jarred was quite irate with Mike. He clenched his teeth and cursed him, but Mike had already left and he couldn't hear it.

"..."

Ashley was the second person to leave after Mike. She simply turned around and fled without speaking to them.

Poof.

Jarred rescued the lives of others, but what he received in exchange was far from gratitude or friendship.

THUD!

The statues keep moving in their direction.

Shaine's strength had been depleted by her extreme fatigue, and she was unable to even get up. Her body continued to shake very subtly, and her lips had turned a faint blue.

When she was already at her limit back then, she was experiencing the negative repercussions of expending too much mana.

Jarred supported her by putting his arm around her and walking alongside her.

"You both need to leave right away."

Joe smiled at them after taking off his face mask. He spoke with a resigned tone in his voice. Jarred fixed his gaze on him.

"B-but..."

"You two, with a brighter future ahead of you, should be the ones to survive today; look at me, I only have one arm; I can't keep hunting."

Joe gave them a friendly smile.

"..."

Jarred could only nod his head helplessly. He felt uncomfortable about the situation as a whole.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Joe, and goodbye."

He uttered this in a mournful tone, and tears began to pour from his eyes.

Joe didn't say anything to them other than to smile.

They took a few steps when an unexpected event occurred.

"Huh..?"

THUD!

Jarred flopped down on the floor.

The impact caused Shaine to start to wake up abruptly.

"I apologize, Ms. Shaine."

Joe was taken aback when he saw Jarred fall to the ground.

"Are you all right, Mr. Jarred?"

Joe expressed his concern.

However, as Jarred struggled to stand up, his facial expression began to change. Even his mouth opened wide as his eyes did.

"My legs..I-i can't move my legs.."

The three hunter's facial expressions quickly became more grave.

"Keok."

Jarred felt his chest tighten and realized that they really didn't have any time left now.

Creeeeaaaakk...

THUD!

THUD!

Even now, without pausing for breath, the statues were advancing steadily toward them.

The door was also gradually closing at the same time. The door will be entirely closed in a matter of minutes.

Jarred then spoke up, a determined expression on his face.

"Mr. Joe, please take Ms. Shaine and leave this area."

Jarred begged Joe.

"I told you I'd be the one to stick around."

"Then who is going to assist Ms. Shaine?"

It was nearly impossible for Jarred to take Shaine outside. Joe who was injured and his other arm was severed. He cannot take both of them.

Jarred and Shaine, were unable to stand straight. Joe was the only one who could walk properly and escape through the door on time.

There was the other choice of abandoning Shaine behind, as well. However, Shaine had previously saved his life a number of times, and the reason she was in that condition was that she had attempted to assist him.

Jarred didn't want to live with the shame of having left Shaine behind.

"There isn't much time left; please leave now."

Joe understood what Jarred intended to do and he didn't want to leave Shaine behind. That is why he chose to sacrifice himself.

"..."

Joe's face remained hardened as he assisted Shaine.

She shook her head fiercely as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"No, please don't.."

A smile formed on Jarred's face, prompting Shaine to cry out in anger.

"Shaine, Thank you so much. Goodbye. "

"N-noo!!"

Jarred looked at Joe and signaled to him with a nod. When Joe hit Shaine in the stomach, she passed out. She was carried by Joe over his shoulder.

"Ahh.."

"Thank you for everything; I apologize; I should have been the one who-"

Jarred smiled and shook his head slowly.

Joe swiftly got up and walked away from the altar after bowing to Jarred.

Poof. Poof.

There was only one ball of fire left.

Creaaaaaakkk...

Bang!

Jarred noticed them both leave through the doorway with Shaine unconscious and the door closing almost simultaneously.

THUD!

All of the statues were in front of him.

While sitting uncomfortably, Jarred drew his dull short blade and pointed toward the statue.

"I know it's impossible, but I'll take one of you with me."

Jarred became aware of an unsettling aura emanating from the demon king's statue. He moved his head swiftly to look.

The statue was smiling a sinister, unsettling grin at him, which is what he observed.

Jarred's eyes widened as he was taken aback by what he saw.

"Haa... haa..."

Jarred was so terrified that he gasped as if he was about to pass out.

RUMBLE!

The sculptures encircled him gradually.

Jarred was about to be struck by the statues, which had lifted its sword.

SWIISSH!

At that moment, Jarred heard the harsh comments of the hunters who look down on him flowing from his mind.

"You're too weak!"

"We don't have to worry about you since you're a dead weight."

"Stop wasting resources and hurry up and die!"

"What's your use?"

"Loser!"

"You're so worthless!"

"Rubbish!"

"Bastard!"

"What a piece of s*it!"

"No! I'm not a loser!"

'I just... I just don't want to die..'

Tears welled up in his eyes as he faced his final moments.

He thought about his family. His mother, who was in the hospital, his sister, who was at school, and even Shaine, who was always there for him.

SWISSSHH!

Jarred cried out in cowardice as he was about to be slaughter, then he closed his eyes.

"I don't want to die! Please help me!"

CLASH!

Jarred kept his eyes closed as he waited for the blades to strike him.

"Huh?"

Jarred was perplexed at the time because he was supposed to die at that moment.

He looked up as soon as his eyes opened.

"W-w-w-what is this?"

What he saw was an invisible shield that enveloped him and protected him from the attack.

A mysterious book emerged out of nowhere and floated in front of him.

"Wait a minute! Is that the book Grandma gave me? What is it doing here?"

Once more, Jarred was confused.

Schliff schliff schliff schliff.

The book opened on its own, and a tremendously bright light coming from the book blinded Jarred temporarily.

"Keok!"

He used his arm to cover his eyes, but he was still unable to see what was in front of him.

He had closed his eyes, which he opened gradually as he observed what was going on in front of him.

Time has been stopped.

TING!

He heard a sound and the book vanished in an instant, but a message appeared in front of him.

-Do you want to get stronger?-

"Wait, what's going on?"

Jarred was mystified by what was happening.

"Of course, I want to get stronger."

-Very well said-

-'Secret Quest: The Weak Who Wants to Become Strong' the requirements have been completed.-

"What is this secret quest? I completed the requirements?"

Jarred was unable to understand any of this.

"Wait, what the hell is happening to me? What the hell is this?"

-Congratulation. You have been reawakened-

Jarred immediately lost consciousness at that instant.

***