The Hunt for Blood Ores (1)

The knowledgeable tenant's information was accurate. The Zephirres were indeed in dire need of some precious ores, but not just any ordinary ores one can find openly in the market.

Upon the end of the Working Hours, Riize left the town and headed straight towards the agreed gathering point. By now, the streets had long grown deadly silent, as the area was gradually enshrouded in a thin veil of bloody mist.

The once bustling town had emptied fast within just a few hours, with hardly any commoners remaining in the street. This happened because similar to the Demon Realm, the borders welcomed the surge of poisonous demonic miasma on a regular basis.

Riize took in a deep breath, feeling slightly energized by the sudden change of air. The demonic miasma didn't affect demons much, but that's not the same case for the lesser humans and monsters.

Unfortunately for them, heaving in too much of the bloody mist could afflict them with serious diseases, maiming their nerves and taking their lives even. 

Due to this, the borderlands lived by a rigid time system: the Working Hour, Hunting Hour, and Hiding Hour

The Working Hour referred to the time when most of the miasma receded into the abyssal cracks. It was the only time when the weaker humans and monsters could move around freely, the hour lasting for an approximate time of 12 hours.

Next was the Hunting Hour, when the miasma started to reach out to the surrounding area, bringing along the abyssal spawns out of the cracks.

These evil spawns feed on the flesh and blood of the living, a very dangerous existence equipped with sturdy builds and some, with special abilities. However, as deadly as they were, their corpses offer valuable materials free for the capable to retrieve and thus, for some, this was their 8 hours long hunting hour.

Lastly, the Hiding Hour, which spans for the remaining 4 hours, was when the circulating demonic miasma started to get nasty, being able to infect the strongest of the elite humans and even lesser demons.

In this hour, the living would retreat to their respective settlements and hide behind protection barriers, mana-powered magical formations that could stand against the miasma and deflect them away.

Riize reached the gathering point in no time.

As they had agreed to meet up near the massive gates separating the two realms, the area was quite crowded with the presence of active merchants and hunters.

Although packed with people, the Zephirre's hunter squad was easily noticeable from afar, accounting their uniformed black attires that stood out from the mass, and the bronze emblem pin of a ferocious leopard secured on the right of their chest.

In normal times, due to their expected capabilities and importance to each expedition, a guide would be placed in the center – the most secure spot – of every hunting team, becoming the priority of everyone's attention and protection; however, Riize doubted that it'll work the same for her case.

The Zephirre's hunters' gaze didn't look the least welcoming when they first laid their eyes on her incoming cloaked figure, which she credited the cause to her identity as a demon. Nevertheless, it wasn't as if she did plan on trusting her wellbeing to their care.

"Hello, I am the new hired guide, Riize. Please take care of me."

Ignoring the tension, Riize greeted them all with an amicable tone and offered out her hand for formality's sake, to which none but one accepted.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you as well. I'm Ethan and I'm the only newcomer in this squad. This is great! Now that you're here, wouldn't that make the two of us?"

The young man with bright green eyes and short golden-brown curls took her hand, shaking it with great enthusiasm before he continued, "Why don't I… take you to the leader?"

Riize nodded, letting the young man lead her to Gerald. It was a small open stall with tables and chairs scattered around in a casual manner, the seats mostly filled with hunters similarly waiting for the rest of their team to arrive.

"Sir, I've brought the demon guide." Ethan announced with a grin.

Riize blinked, eyeing the young man with raised eyebrows. She had initially thought that the young man had been perhaps left out in the dark about her identity due to his status as a newcomer, therefore the hospitality.

Now that she knew she had misunderstood, Riize couldn't help but grow second thoughts of his motives.

What might the young man be up to? Riize could only put aside her suspicion when Gerald ushered Ethan to leave them alone, planting a sad pout on the young man's expressive face.

Gerald then turned to her, "What are you stoning there for? Sit."

Riize nodded, taking the seat opposite him when Gerald pushed her a pack of cigarettes, offering her out of the blue, "Want one?"

"Thank you, but I'll pass. I don't smoke, Sir." Riize refused him with a polite smile. There seemed to be something amiss here, she just couldn't exactly put a finger on what it was.

Fortunately, Gerald didn't force her. Instead, his other hand moved to push her a yellow-coloured drink, one that made her nearly puke from the memory of its strong nauseating smell. Aside from that,

'Such strong alcohol just before the commence of the trip?'

Riize's eyebrows tightened with doubt.

"Sir, pardon me but alcohol deludes the mind and stirs up recklessness. I'll be advising you to stop for the sake of the expedition's success."

Riize reminded him out of kindness, but the man merely chuckled, seemingly unbothered as he raised his arm to dunk down another glass.

"Oh? I didn't know that you cared so much for our success." Letting out a satisfied burp, Gerald carelessly commented, shooting her a clouded gaze she couldn't quite decipher.

Still, albeit the carelessness of his tone, Riize couldn't help but raise her guards high. As if she was sitting on thorns, she fidgeted on her seat, her thoughts boiling at the agitation.

What was the man implying? Was he drunk? Or…

Her shoulders turned tense.

Slowly as if out of habit, she moved a hand, fingers inching close to the sharp blades under her sleeves when Gerald's laughter cleaved through the heavy air.

"I'm glad, I'm glad." He said whilst sporting a foolish smile, bobbing his head up and down incessantly.

Riize was stunned, the ends of her mouth twitching as her face turned flat. This wasn't a mistake. He's…

"Sir, are you drunk?"

She asked just to make sure and immediately got her answer when the man stayed silent, gazing back at her with crystalized droopy eyes as if saying, 'What do you think?'

Subsequently, her head spun around to look for the rest of the squad standing behind them, noticing their eyes occasionally glancing at her direction before nonchalantly turning away once caught.

It was only the overly-bright and energetic Ethan who had waved his hands at her when their gazes met, his acts colliding with the picture of a certain red-haired retriever.

Riize sighed. At this proximity, they should've noticed the drunk man without any failure and yet, they did nothing? Riize couldn't understand the logic behind their indifference.

This expedition to the Demon realm… Will they still be doing it or not?

Just as she questioned the Zephirre's motives, a light-hearted voice rang out from behind her, breaking the train of her thoughts.