Chapter 44: The Invite and the Plan

The distance between Sir Jack and Hal wasn't much, so Sir Jack quickly got to where he stood.

He stopped in front of him, the weird smile now washed off his face and replaced with a slightly solemn look.

He fixed his gaze on Hal for a few moments, his arms crossed over his chest, not saying anything,, and then suddenly, he said.

"Will you become part of my team Hal?." He asked, the solemn look still carved into his face.

"We would work together, and participate in future raids together." He continued.

"I've seen you fight upfront and know your potential, I think you would be a good addition to my team." He ended, his brown eyes shimmering a strange light.

_Ah, this is totally unexpected. I knew he had seen me fighting, and he was slightly aware of my capabilities, but to think he'd want to add me to his team? Definitely not expected. I thought he had trust issues with me, but now he is personally inviting me to his team, as he forgot all of the weird incidents surrounding me. My re-awakening? My unusual strength?_

_Ah...perhaps he wants to invite me to his team to keep me close and have me under his watch at every possible time, that way he'd be able to learn more about me and finally come to a decision whether to report me to the Organization and put me down.

Hmmm... that's also a possibility, but considering Sir Jack's jovial attitude, I don't think he could be that scheming, even though he has a very strong sense of justice, he doesn't strike me as one who would go through malicious way just to fulfill his plan._

_Now, considering all that, I think it would do no harm if I were to join his team; if anything, I would benefit a lot from him, as I would now have a constant source of hunting, even when the Organization doesn't issue a Gate raid._

_But since it seems like Sir Jack really wants me to join his team, I might as well take advantage of the situation and find a way to break through this bottleneck I've encountered in my growth._

_Just hope he agrees, the condition might be a little bit.._ Hal finished cogitating over the subject and finally gave his answer.

"Ok sir, I'm willing to join." He said with a subtle smile and a pondering face that clearly indicated that although he had accepted the proposal, he still had a condition of his.

"Judging from the look on your face, it is clear you have a condition."

"Yes sir."

"Ok then, let it out." Sir Jack replied, his shimmering eyes having reverted to their usual dull brown colour.

"Well, you see sir..." Hal began

"For you to understand and accept my condition, you first need to have an idea of a particular something and view him from my perspective," Hal said surreptitiously.

"And what is that thing?" Sir Jack asked calmly.

_The presence of my system!_ Hal lampooned in his heart.

"My re-awakening." He said instead in a firm voice.

"Your re-awakening? Hmm." Sir Jack took a hand to his chin, slowly rubbing the scruff of hair there.

"Continue." He said.

"So you see after I re-awakened, I didn't go for the re-evaluation, and because of that, I don't know what my current rank is, although I have a rough idea based on the level of strength I show.

But it's just an idea, I need to confirm it!" He said earnestly and continued.

"Initially I thought I had re-awakened as a B-rank but lately I feel like I might actually be an A-rank and not a B-rank, it's just recently I seem to have hit a wall in my growth, and it seems like I would remain a B-rank, but I know it isn't supposed to be so! I can feel it, there is still room for growth; I just need more time and, most importantly, more materials, that is, more monsters to kill." Hal stopped to look at Sir Jack again and could see that his eyes were shimmering with a very bright light as if he'd seen a long-lost love; although he struggled to keep his face straight, his shining eyes betrayed him.

'This is it, this is it! From all that he said just now, it had helped to slightly confirm my thoughts that he could actually grow in strength!

Even though it is just an A-rank, it is still great! Imagine re-awakening from an E-rank to a B-rank and then going even further to an A-rank, that's never been heard of in the very short history of re-awakeners.'

'And here is the guy, literally re-awakening twice! And if my thoughts are truly correct, that would mean that he could continually increase in strength.

A Hunter who can continually increase in strength! That would be fearful, and because of that, we need to be on guard in case he chooses to become wayward and start destroying humanity.'

'Of course, all this is based on the fact that he becomes wayward and that he truly can increase in strength!'

'Hmm..if that is the case I guess I better recruit him no matter what! So I can watch his steps and know his motives.'

After ruminating over everything in his head and coming to a safe conclusion, Sir Jack decided to hear about Hal's condition and see how he could be of help.

"Ok, I've heard you, how can I be of help then." He asked.

'Well, here comes the hard part.' Hal smirked inwardly.

"By helping me book Gates that will be raided only be me," Hal said with a serious face, then changed the seriousness of both his face and words after seeing Sir Jack's extremely weird reaction.

"Or at least by the both of us." He said with a more jovial tone, a slight smile etched on his face.

"What! Are you out of your mind!" Sir Jack screamed hysterically but soon increased it when Hal continued rather unperturbed.

"I'd love it if they could be at least at the B-rank." He said with a placid smile.

"You can't be serious, do you wanna die? Yes, I know you're strong, but just the both of us, raiding a B-rank Gate? Hell no!" Sir Jack replied rather strongly.

"Well, I'm inclined to tell you my dear Sir Jack, we've already done that," Hal said matter of fact.

"Huh, when?" Sir Jack replied confused.

"Have you forgotten? The Dungeon raid involving Farrell from the Monitoring Division of the Organization?" Hal continued, his smile still remaining on his face.

"Oh, that's true." Sir Jack belatedly remembered now that they had both cleared a B-rank Gate.

'Hmm, now that I think about it, Hal had done most of the job that day, singlehandedly killing five C-ranks Hunter,, including Farrel,l, who was also a B-rank like me!'

'Hump, all the more reason to have him under my nose. He is like a precious gem that mustn't be lost, no matter what!' Sir Jack reasoned.

"Ok then, I'll see what I can do." He said rather unwillingly, but that was all a facade, to prevent Hal from knowing that he was willing to go through with it just so he could have him under his watch.

'Yes!' Hal did a fist-pump in his head, congratulating himself for the success of this small step in his grandiose plan to achieve extraordinary, but kept quite a calm appearance on the outside.

"Ah, good. Thanks for accepting my condition, sir." He said and slightly bowed his head in appreciation.

"Humpf, don't thank me yet; you have to prove you can survive alone in a Dungeon before I decide whether we're going to continue this in the future." Sir Jack scoffed, his hands folded across his chest, and his lips clenched stubbornly, with his head slightly raised.

"No problem sir, I won't disappoint," Hal replied with a firm voice.

By the time they'd finished talking, the other Hunters who were busy packing the loots and crystals of the Dungeon had already finished and were gathered, talking in groups of twos and three, all waiting for the Return Gate to show up, and it didn't take long.

The ground and surrounding of the Dungeon started shaking violently, and after about five minutes it did.

The Return Gate had spawned a few meters away from them and the Hunters had to quickly move towards it to leave the Dungeon.

As they moved towards it, Hal got near Sir Jack and asked.

"How are you going to secure a Gate for two people sir?" He asked rather excitedly.

"You leave that to me, young boy." Sir Jack replied, imitating a smug look.

"Oh k, then, it's all yours, grey head," Hal replied sassily.

"What, did you just call me grayhead?" Sir Jack asked, flabbergasted.

"Well, I'll let it slip." He continued, a soft smile playing on his face.

They got to the Return Gate, and all exited the Dungeon one by one, the blue Gate shimmering and sending ripples across the surface as each Hunter passed through it.