undefeated

The control room was filled with an oppressive tension. A girl monitored the situation, fingers tapping anxiously on the console. The old man sat stiffly, his sharp eyes fixed on the screen, his hands clenched together in his lap. Celestia stood beside him, her hands pressed together, barely breathing as she watched the unfolding events.

Zera had been inside the cavern for too long. The last they saw, she had unleashed her power, but the two monsters she faced were far beyond her abilities. The humanoid creature had followed her in, and Orin had been swallowed whole. They had no way of knowing what was happening now, only that Zera hadn't come out.

"She finally unlocked her core," Celestia said, her voice laced with both hope and worry. "But she's completely drained, and those monsters are too much for her."

The old man, though tense, spoke with a trace of confidence. "Her armor is Level 3 gear, equipped with an emergency escape system. She won't die in there. But…" He sighed, stroking his beard. "I'm afraid she won't leave without him."

Inside the cavern, the air was thick with the scent of blood and burnt scales. Zera stood between the two monsters, her body aching, her energy nearly spent. The python, though injured, still loomed, its red eyes glowing with hunger. The humanoid beast, encased in jagged crystal armor, watched her with calculating intelligence. She was trapped, her breath shallow, her muscles refusing to move.

Then, without warning, the serpent let out a low, guttural groan. Blood dripped from its mouth, splattering onto the cold stone floor. Its massive body trembled, convulsing violently. Something was happening. Zera's exhausted mind barely had time to process the sight before the snake's stomach suddenly ripped apart from the inside.

Two powerful hands tore through its flesh, splitting it open like a fragile shell. The creature shrieked, its body writhing in agony, but it was already too late. The wound gaped wide, and from within, a figure emerged.

Orin stepped out, his body covered in the serpent's blood, his silver eyes as sharp as ever. His expression was unreadable, his presence overwhelming.

Zera's breath caught in her throat. She blinked, unable to believe what she was seeing. "You're alive?!" Her voice broke, her eyes burning with tears.

Orin exhaled, shaking off the blood from his arms. He barely spared the dying serpent a glance before shifting his focus to the humanoid monster still standing before them. "Hmph," he muttered, his tone dripping with disdain. "Even small insects think they're predators."

His gaze softened briefly as he turned to Zera. She was trembling, not from fear but from sheer relief. For a moment, he simply looked at her, as if confirming she was really there, unharmed. Then, his voice lost its edge. "Why didn't you run instead of chasing the monsters?"

Zera wiped her face quickly, avoiding his eyes. She had no answer, at least, not one she could say out loud.

Orin didn't press her. He already knew. If she hadn't cared, she would have left. Instead, she had thrown herself into a battle she wasn't ready for. This wasn't the shallow loyalty people spoke of. This was real.

He reached out, his large hand resting briefly on her head. "Leave the rest to me," he said, then turned toward the remaining enemy.

The humanoid creature, having witnessed the serpent's brutal end, hesitated. It was intelligent enough to understand what had happened. The prey it had planned to devour had just walked out of a monster's stomach like it was nothing. The air around Orin carried something primal, something terrifying.

But it was too late to run.

The beast roared and lunged, crystal-covered claws slicing through the air. Orin caught its wrist mid-strike. The creature's attack stopped instantly, its entire weight suspended in the air. It let out a choked growl, its eyes widening in disbelief.

Orin's fingers clenched. Bone and crystal cracked under his grip. The monster screeched, struggling to free itself, but Orin gave it no chance. "You should have stayed away," he said, then drove his free hand straight into its armored chest.

His fingers pierced through the crystal plating, crushing the monster's core in a single motion. Its body spasmed violently before going limp. A second later, it collapsed into a lifeless heap at his feet.

Orin pulled his hand back, shaking off the dust and remnants of the shattered core. He moved quickly, storing the monsters' remains in his belt. "My storage is full," he muttered.

Zera had finally regained some of her strength. "I have plenty of space. I'll carry the rest."

Orin nodded. Without another word, they left the cavern and headed back to the base.

The moment they appeared on the screens, the tension in the control room lifted. The old man sighed in relief. "It seems everything has been settled."

Celestia, her eyes gleaming with excitement, added, "It's a huge gain that she finally unblocked her core."

The old man, however, remained deep in thought, stroking his beard.

Back at the base, Orin wasted no time. He deposited the low-tier monsters into the kitchen's storage system, securing unlimited access to food. For someone like him, whose body could digest anything, it was the best reward possible.

After eating his fill, he returned to his training. The weighted suit now reached 4000 kg, pushing his body to the limits. Every movement felt sluggish, but that only fueled his determination.

Zera joined him not long after, though she went directly to the energy training station. She focused on controlling her abilities, refining what she had struggled with in battle. Neither of them spoke, both fully immersed in their training.

Two hours passed before Zera left. Orin, however, wasn't finished.

When he finally removed his weighted suit in his private quarters, he was stunned. His body felt weightless. Moving was effortless. He tested it by dashing forward, and before he even realized it, he had crossed the entire passage leading out of the base in an instant.

The realization sank in, his speed had increased drastically. He had been too focused on strength, but the real gain from the training had been his speed.

As he stepped outside, he was met with an unexpected sight. Rael and Zera were waiting.

Rael grinned. "Oh! Orin, I've been waiting for you."

Zera looked just as eager, clearly excited for her first mission with better power control.

Orin approached, his expression calm. "I was planning to go hunting. Didn't expect to see you here."

Rael adjusted his glasses, his enthusiasm clear. "Yesterday, our team cleared a Level 1 monster pack. At this rate, it'll take us five months to clear the entire map."

With that, Rael assigned Orin and Zera to clear another area together.

----

In dark room behind a huge screen. Orin's photo and states was displayed.

Orin: level 2 hunter.

Kill rewards: 1 million units.

[Mission accepted].