With the help of Alpha, Aki

A can see an indicator in his field of vision, directing him to the location of Defense Point 14. As he followed that indicator, he ended up in front of a building in the middle of a normal opening, where there was a shutter on the wall of that building. He could see the staircase leading to the underground. When he peeked from behind the blinds, the light pointed downward.

"Underground?"

"It seems that the Hachirada scorpion built its nest in the dungeon of the Katsubara ruins."

"I didn't know there was a dungeon in the ruins of Katsubara."

The person leaning against the shutter noticed Akira and immediately operated the control panel next to it, and the shutter creaked open.

Akira thought it was strange and asked the man.

"This shutter is also an old-world object, right? How do you move? ”

"This can be turned on and off with a button, you see. Although, we still need a professional hacker to take control of it. But then again, it's an Old World Relic made using Old World technology, so it's not like having an expert hacker guarantee that you can control the control panel. Since we're on that note, be sure not to mess with the control panel you find underground, in the worst case it could trigger an alarm and the place will soon be flooded with monsters. Come on, I need to close it again quickly. ”

Aki

a The blinds are closed after passing through. The sound of steel shutters echoed in the collision with the ground, reminding him that he was no longer in the wasteland outside.

As he walked down the stairs, he suddenly stopped and saw a large pile of explosives lined up in front of him.

The man before noticed Aquilas's expression and explained.

"Those explosives are just insurance in case something happens. If the monsters underground have pushed us to this point, and it is clear that we can't hold it anymore, then blow up those explosives and stop here. Don't worry, you won't explode. "Step on it, though, don't kick or step on them on purpose, okay?"

Akira stared at the man with a serious face.

"What will happen to us in that case?"

The man laughed like he was joking.

"If you do your job well, then you will either die or quit the underground completely, and if you don't want to be the former, work hard."

Akira sighed and continued walking deeper into the underground where the gathering place was located. The man said it was a joke, but he knew he meant it.

The dungeon is illuminated by lamps installed by the people who descended the mountain before Akira, and after years of twisting in the darkness, it takes on its true appearance. The ruins of dilapidated shops are stacked on top of each other, showing that this was once a prosperous place with a lot of people.

But now it's not people, it's monsters. Dungeons are made up of complex corridors full of monsters, which makes it extremely difficult to explore underground.

The first to explore have already been cleared and installed lighting in some parts of the ground. Although they were able to protect those areas, the underground was still more dangerous compared to the ground above.

When Aki

A Walking down the hallway, which was already safe, Alpha explained the details of the request to him. Although he had heard a simple explanation from her beforehand, he wanted to confirm the duties of the defense team in detail, so he asked Alpha in their small talk.

In this crusade against the Yarada Scorpion, the hunters are mainly divided into three teams: the exploration team, the extermination team, and the defense team.

The exploration team is tasked with exploring the dark dungeon. They must map the underground city and mark the location of any nests they find. The team consists mainly of hunters who are well-versed in information-gathering equipment.

The main task of the exterminator team is simply to hunt monsters. Basically, they have to hunt and exterminate Ya

ata Sco

pio

Nests, expand safe areas, and provide support to exploration and defense teams when needed. It is mainly made up of hunters with excellent combat skills.

As for the defense squad, judging by where Akira was sent, its primary duty seems to be to protect non-critical communications relay stations. When Alpha explains to him, Aki

a Looks happy.

"In that case, then a child like me can do it easily, right? I'm glad I asked. ”

"Akira, of course I don't need to tell you, but be vigilant, okay?"

"I know, I know. I'm glad it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be some kind of super hard request, because the requester even accepted all of my requests. ”

"I really hope so."

Alpha said as if he was hiding something, and Jing's puzzled expression was slightly worried.

“Alpha。 If you're just scaring me to keep me on my toes, can you stop? I'm doing a great job. Or are you expecting something to happen? ”

"If I had to say, I'm guessing it was someone who had the bad luck to get him to encounter two hordes of monsters on the same day, or to be sent to the rescue and then be hit by a bunch of Ya

The ATA scorpion chased after him, or let him run away. Alone in the wasteland for help. ”

Akira lowered her head and said nothing. He knew he was out of luck and understood that Alpha was warning him not to do anything that could worsen the situation.

"I'll try to avoid anything that can only be left to chance."

"Yes, you should. Hopefully, your bad luck won't turn out so badly that I can't make up for it with my support anymore. ”

Akira could only smile bitterly at Alpha, but she smiled teasingly at Akira.

At the intersection of the corridors there is an opening in which lighting and communication relays are installed. 8 boring-looking hunters guard the area. This is Aki

14th defense point of a garrison. One of the hunters noticed Akira coming from the hallway, and he smiled and patted the other hunter on the shoulder.

"That's my understudy, so I'm out."

"Wait!! Isn't this just a kid?!! ”

"Don't worry, it's so easy that they think it's okay to send their kids here, you know? I'll talk about that later. ”

The hunter then smiled mockingly and waved at his hunter friend Mimata. He bypassed Akira and left the defensive point.

Mimata watched jealously as his friend left and continued to surface. After his friend disappeared from his vision, he turned his gaze to Akira. Apparently, he was disappointed by Akira's presence, and instead of even trying to hide it, he asked Akira angrily.

"So, what's your hunter level?"

“20。”

Mimata frowned, with a look of anger and displeasure.

"Another piggyback boy, hehe. Why does this station always give birth? Don't get in my way, okay? ”

Piggyback is a derogatory term used to describe hunters who are supported by other better hunters, borrowing powerful equipment to get high positions. They don't really have the abilities and skills that are appropriate for that level. Most of the young hunters from the Hunter Gang piggyback on the hunters, and the gang as a whole is often ridiculed for letting the young hunters do the same.

He didn't know what that sarcastic phrase meant, but he could always feel the meaning in Mitsuta's tone. Akira also fully understood that he was able to collect all his achievements thanks to Alpha's support, so he ignored it and asked Mita.

"Are you the commander here?"

"There is no one to command here, it's just a random hunter mismatch, and deciding to command someone will only cause a fight. I don't have a plan to take care of you little ones, if you're going to find someone to help you, get along with those kids over there. ”

"Okay."

Crystal turned to look in the direction that Minamata had said this. But he suddenly turned around and walked away, sitting not far from Minamata and the group of people that Minamata had just pointed out, isolating himself from the other hunters.

The other hunters looked at Akira with wide eyes. But he didn't care at all.

"Akira, are you sure you don't want to join that group?"

"Yes. I guess if I go there it will only cause a fight. But Alpha, if you let me go, I'll go. ”

Alpha glanced at the hunters again, turned to Akira and smiled wryly.

"You're right, let's not do that."

The group that Minamata refers to is the Katsuya group.

The hunters at defense point 14 are divided into 3 groups, Mimata Kumi, Katsuya and Aki alone

a。

Katsuyas group by Katsuya, Yumi

a，Ai

i, a man named Rei

A young girl and a girl named Shio

Composition of adult females.

The Mimatas group believed that the Katsuyas group was full of piggybackers because of such a composition. A group of young hunters and an adult hunter, he bets it's an amateur hunter and an old hunter who thinks Shiori is there to watch over the other green hunters. Although, in reality, this is not the case. However, it is understandable that Minamata made such an assumption.

Both the Mimatas group and the Katsuyas group spend their time with silly talk. As time passed, nothing special happened, and their vigilance slowly dissipated. But they also keep their information-gathering devices focused on small-area scanning, so there's minimal chance of a surprise attack.

So far, no one doubts that this is an easy job that even small children can do.

Aki

A is chatting with Alpha to learn. As a child growing up in a slum city, he was illiterate and lacked common sense. In order to learn what it takes to become a successful hunter, he needs to learn the basics first. He still has a lot to learn, so he uses his free time to study.

Alpha suddenly turned his head, and Akira noticed this and followed. He spotted Katsuya and Reina walking towards him.

Rena pulls Katsuya and drags him to Akira's side. Then she looked down at Akira, who was sitting on the ground, and said.

"You, your name?"

"It's Akira."

"Why are you sitting here alone? Come with us. ”

"No thanks, I'm fine here."

Reina frowned.

"Why? Is it to leave you alone here skipping class? ”

"I'm not going to skip school here."

"Don't lie, you've been sitting here quietly doing nothing."

Katsuya and Minamata were at least watching their surroundings, but Akira didn't seem to be monitoring them at all. Or at least, that's how it looks from the outside, so it's understandable that Reyna thinks he's skipping school.

But Akira just replied quickly and casually.

"I've been keeping an eye on the scan results of my info-collecting device. That's why I noticed when you guys came here. ”

More precisely, it's Alpha who is focusing on the scan results, not Akira. Alpha is just to Aki

A smiled, but he ignored it.

Rena is obviously angry, but she is persuaded by Akira's words and decides not to pursue such thoughts anymore, but to find another excuse for Akira to listen to her.

"Akira, what's your hunter level?"

"Level 20."

Rena said her rank, a smug expression.

"I'm 23 years old."

There was a moment of silence between them. Akira's attitude didn't change at all, and she didn't say anything to Reina, and she was upset about it, shouting at Akira.

"Are you listening to me?! I'm level 23! I'm above you, you know!! ”

"So?"

"Don't give me that! I'm above you, so you should listen to what I say!! Stand up and follow me!! ”

"No one has asked me to obey the orders of hunters ranked higher than me, and there is no explanation for the request description, so I have no reason to obey you."

"No reason? This may be true, but!! ”

Rena, who said this, raised her voice.

Katsuya saw Rena in heat and thought it would be bad to let her continue, so he interrupted her.

"Well, uh, what can I say, even though she said so much, she was actually just worried about you. Isn't it safer to be with someone if something bad happens? ”

"I'm not worried about him!! Don't worry at all!! ”

Katsuya didn't actually want to help Ming, he said this to calm down Reina. But in the end, Rena also vented to him.

Akira then said casually.

"I'll take care of myself if there's anything, and when it's critical, you can leave me to die."

Katsu was also taken aback by Akira's words, but wanted to continue talking.

"Even if you say that, it's safer to form a team, right?"

"Leave him alone!! A kid like him, let's die alone!! ”

Rena immediately turned and walked away, and she was even halfway there. Even from the back, it can be seen that her face is pale.

Katsuya actually wants to ask Akira about his relationship with Elena and Sarah. But if he keeps standing there, Reina will be angry with him, and he wants to avoid that. What's more, Akira doesn't seem to be in the mood to speak either. So, he had no choice but to follow Rena back.

Alpha just smiled as Katsuya and Rena walked away.

"Well, they're hilarious, aren't they?"

"You can say it again. I bet they were so boisterous before I came that they even got into an argument with another group of people. ”

The Minamata group looked down on the Katsuya group, and it was evident from their performance. The hunters had already split into two teams when Akira arrived, so he thought it should be after their fight. His guess was correct.

If they were attacked by a group of Yarata scorpions at this moment, it was doubtful whether they would help each other. If they just abandon each other, that's lucky. In the worst-case scenario, they may even "accidentally" shoot at each other.

If it gets worse, Aki

A plans to escape alone. In his contract, he was given the right to do so. In addition to the right to retreat alone, he also has the right to act alone. So to be on the safe side, he wanted to avoid any unnecessary fights.

Akira frowned and sighed.

"Here, I thought I was assigned to a safe place where I could rest assured."

Alpha smiled mischievously.

"Now that you've been assigned here, do your best so you can end today's request as a lucky blow."

"Yes, I know."

Akira muttered that he had forgotten to count himself in his own consideration. But on the contrary, Alpha is well aware that Akira is the biggest threat here and could worsen their situation.

Not to mention the accidental shooting, he did not hesitate to shoot and kill the person who threatened him. In case something goes wrong, he could be the most unstable person in the place. Alpha judges that she needs more observational data to understand Aki

as The principle behind the action.

Alpha had been watching Akira, but she was still smiling as usual, but she had been keeping a close eye on him.

Nothing special happened after that. Akira has no complaints about this, but this is not the case for those who are looking for high pay. As the calm continued, those people began to complain and talk about what they could do to fix the problem.

The Mimatas group began to talk more specifically about their complaints.

"We really don't have anything to do with each other, do we? Nothing happened. I'm willing to bet that those hunters on the Exploration Team are also collecting artifacts while exploring the underground ruins, but now on the Defense Team. ”

"Even if you're looking for ruins, there's only cheap ruins left on the periphery of the ruins, you know?"

"On the surface, it may be so, but I've heard it may not be the case here. There aren't many hunters who come to the dungeon in search of ruins, as it's always full of darkness. I've also heard that the blast blast used by the defense team in the recent Great War opened access to undiscovered areas of the ruins, you know? It seems Ya

ata Sco

pio

The use of a new route connecting undeveloped areas surfaced. ”

"Wait, doesn't that mean the exploration team can give themselves all the ruins of the unexplored area?"

"Yes."

"It's not surprising to find a whole bunch of unexplored relics in an unexplored area. I bet they'll get a good sum of money for the relics they bring back from here. Damn, I should join the exploration team. ”

Mimata hears his friends complaining, and he joins them in the conversation.

"Regarding that, you see, the relics found in this request, it seems that they can't take them home, after all, it is a violation of their contract, and once they are discovered, the chengguan will confiscate their relics and impose a fine. It's also harsh. But then again, they don't leave the relics they find, so what do you think they'll do? ”

"If it were me, I would hide the relics in a safe place where only I could find them."

"Yes, so do I. Anyway, maybe there are some relics of those people hiding around here. So, why not try searching? ”

Mei and his friends looked at each other and smiled greedily.

Just as Minamata and his party were trying to sneak away from the area, Reina saw them and reprimanded.

"Stop! Where do you think you're going?! ”

Mita replied indifferently.

"Where, you ask? I'm just going to patrol the neighborhood. ”

Rena could feel Minata's casual excuses taunting her.

"There's no need to patrol here!! And, that's the work of the exploration team!! Our job is to guard this area!! So don't run around without permission!! That would only cause us trouble, you know!! ”

Rena shouted at the Minamata group, her voice echoing through the depths of the dungeon. But Mida didn't show any concern at all, and he replied.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in a while, there are no monsters coming over anyway, if there is any movement, the people at the headquarters will definitely notify us."

"That's not the problem here!"

Rena yells at Miyora, but they ignore her. None of them seem to be trying to find a middle ground. As their futile argument continued, everyone's attention was focused on them. Suddenly, Mei turns to Akira, who is neither part of his group nor part of Katsuya's group. Then he smiled lightly and asked Akira for his opinion, trying to get Akira involved.

"What do you think?"

All eyes were on Akira. Mimata was looking at him with a look down, and Rena was glaring at him, both of them waiting for his opinion.

Akira, who was suddenly pulled into the topic, thought for a moment before answering.

"If it's just for the bathroom, go back quickly, after all, we don't want you to do it here. If it's too long, I'll assume you've encountered some monsters and ask HQ for confirmation. ”

Aki

a is basically approving what Mimata is going to do. Rena looked surprised and angry, but Minamata smiled triumphantly.

"It's great to have such sensible people. yes, I just went to the bathroom. To be honest, I'm going to collapse in a minute. ”

After saying that, Mei left the area with the group again.

Rena was glaring fiercely at Minata's group, but as they left her sight, she turned her displeasure and intense gaze to the next target of her anger. Then she yelled at Akira as she walked towards him.

"What's that?! Are you on their side?! ”

Akira looked impatient and replied casually.

"I bet they're not going to listen to me anyway, so let them do whatever they want and get them back here quicker. That's all. ”

Ming's tone, as if it had nothing to do with him, led Rena astray, and she immediately became angry.

"Isn't that the problem here?! Are you saying it's really okay to let them do whatever they want?!! ”

"I don't have the right to stop them, if you want to complain, you can report it directly to headquarters. Or do you want to point a gun at them to make them stop? Well, I'm not going to stop you, but I'm not going to get myself involved in it either. ”

What's more, Akira also intends to act alone depending on the situation, so he is not in a position to complain about what they are going to do. Moreover, if there was any important notice in their absence, such as an order to evacuate the headquarters, Akira did not plan to wait for them to return before evacuating. To put it bluntly, he doesn't give a rat ass if they are left to be a monster's meal. Aki

a It is believed that they were fully aware of this fact when they left that place.

So, relatively speaking, Aquilas's status and status here is closer to that of the Meiyou Group than to the Rainas Group.

Rena was still yelling at Akira after that, but he just ignored her. He thought that if he said anything to Rena, it would only make the situation worse.

Rena realizes that there is no point in yelling at Akira all the time, she just glares at him angrily and returns to Katsuya's group.

Akira sighed.

"I guess the only time they don't cause a fight is when they die or something like that happens, right?"

Akira didn't seem to realize that he was also at fault, and Alpha just said to him with a wry smile.

"Some people just don't get along with other people. It could just be that your way of thinking doesn't fit theirs. ”

"I think it must be so."

Akira and Katsuya stood guard in the hall, while Mi and the group left the area to search and then returned a few times.

Rena tries to call HQ in order to stop Mimata, but HQ doesn't take her seriously, believing it's not a crucial thing. Defense Point 14 was not an important location, so the headquarters did not bother to give specific orders.

It didn't take long for Katsuya and his party to realize that Miyou's group didn't leave the hall to rest.

Rena became more irritable with each second. They had to keep their mouths shut in the main hall, while the other group of people did not work seriously and went around looking for relics.

"Katsuya. Why don't we look around for relics too? ”

"Nope."

Katsuya didn't hesitate to answer quickly, but that only made Renas's mood worse. Since it is the order of the team leader Katsuya, as the team leader, she is obliged to obey. She knew that, but the anger she had piled up was eating away at her.

"But why? Why do we stand guard and they don't? ”

"I know how you feel, but hold back. We decided from the beginning that we always move in groups to ensure our safety, remember? And if five out of eight people in this place, if you also count them, that's seven people, leave their posts, I'm sure the headquarters will not be happy about it. They'll give a message to D

a

kam complaints, and was penalized for it. That's why we have to stay here. ”

Rena shut up, she couldn't deny Katsuya's logic. But even that couldn't get rid of her displeasure, and she was obviously a little annoyed. Katsuya, who sensed this, looked at Reina's eyes, and his eyes were full of seriousness and affection.

"But that's not all, I don't want you to do the same thing as those scumbags"

Katsuya kept staring at Rena, looking a little scared, but then relaxed, his expression changing from annoyance to slightly embarrassment.

Rena doesn't admit Katsuya's abilities at first. But after hearing that Katsuya and the others had killed a greedy crocodile with their own power, Rina offered to join their team in person to confirm their abilities. Around the time she joined Team Katsuya, she hadn't yet recognized their abilities, but it didn't take long for her to recognize their true abilities. Since then, she has inexplicably become interested in Katsuya.

Even this request was originally taken by Katsuya, Mina and Airi. But Rena specially brought Shiori to Katsuya's team, and Katsuya gladly welcomed them.

Shiori then gently scolded Rena.

"Your Excellency. Please don't bother Katsuya-sama too much. I don't agree with that either. Remember, I'm here to make sure that Lord Keye and Mirati are safe."

"Okay"

Rena is weak against Shiori. Shio

i is Rei

Servants of the as. She served Reina for a long time, and Reina trusted her. As a request, when Reina leaves home to work as a hunter, Shiori is to serve as Reina's bodyguard. So she decided to give up and stop clinging.

Shioli then continued.

"And I told you before, please don't have unnecessary contact with other people. In addition to monsters, you have a lot of other things to be careful about. Since I'm the only one here designated as your bodyguard, I know it's a bit pathetic, but I can't vouch for your safety. So please don't work with D

a

Other hunters outside of KAM contact. Your fiery nature can easily cause unnecessary battles, so "

Rena thinks it's going to be a lengthy speech, so she interjects to try to stop Shiori.

"I know, I know. But are you overprotective? ”

"My lord, I don't think I need to remind you, we are in the wasteland, this is an extremely dangerous place compared to the area inside the city walls, and the thought that I am overprotective means that you are still too naïve, please understand. Madam. ”

The people of the Eastern District have different opinions about where the wasteland begins, but most people believe that the area outside the city walls is already wasteland. Barren plains, deserts, oceans, skies, ruins, are all described as wastelands, all dangerous places. For some people who have spent their lives inside the walls, everything outside the walls, including the lower town, is considered part of the wasteland.

Despite all the opinions, there is one thing in common: the wasteland is the opposite of the inner wall, and people can live and work in peace. The wasteland is a very dangerous place, and a person's worth is judged by his or her ability to kill monsters and other people.

Rena knew she was in a dangerous wasteland, but her determination was still too naïve.

With Shiori by her side to protect her, and being in the same group as Katsuya and the others, who are cool-headed and have relatively good judgment, while making Rena feel safer, it also makes her less able to recognize the real dangers of the wasteland.

Shiori was well aware of this, but she couldn't put Rena in danger either. So she had no choice but to teach Reina through long lectures.

Although Rena had heard enough of Shioli's tirade, she had no intention of resisting. Rena was actually glad that they were thinking about her safety, but at the same time she was worried that the request would end at this rate and that it was pointless; That's why she's a little anxious.

Rena always has Shiori by her side when she goes out hunting. Not only does she have to deal with other hunters who look down on young hunters, but she also has to take someone to watch over wherever she goes. Because of this, she has a low opinion of Derrankham. Although her Hunter rank rose smoothly, she was the one who doubted her abilities the most than anyone else.

After killing a gluttonous crocodile, Katsuya and his friends prove their mettle, and the other hunters of Dracanum no longer look down on them because they are just children. Although the Yanada Scorpion is not as strong as the greedy crocodile, Rena thinks that if she joins Katsuya's team and contributes to the destruction of the Yanada Scorpion Lair, the other hunters will no longer look down on her.

Since Katsuya and his party were able to kill a greedy crocodile, they were sent by Dramakham to participate in the operation. Headquarters had accepted their team and intended to send them to the extermination squad. But the headquarters, knowing that they were a group of children, decided to assign them to the defense team. Rena was annoyed, she was angry that people were still looking down at them.

Joining the defense team doesn't mean that they have zero chance of encountering monsters, which is why HQ sent hunters to do the job. Thinking that her chance would eventually come, Rena struggled to suppress her anger. But unfortunately, the number 14 defensive point is a very safe position.

[We've been here for a long time.] Those people are leaving here because they don't think that even if they weren't here, nothing would happen. I bet that's why HQ won't tell them to stay here, is there really nothing interesting going on with this request? ]

Rena began to hope that something would happen soon. She had completely forgotten that safety was the number one priority in the wasteland, and she became impatient.

Suddenly, a voice came from a communications repeater installed in that place.

"This is headquarters, Defense Point 14, answer me."

Everyone present quickly gathered around the communicator, and Minamata, who was the closest, replied.

"This is the number 14 defensive point."

"Did you notice anything unusual over there?"

"Nothing, everything is as normal as usual."

"You're number 147, right? It seems that you have been back from a business trip several times, are you sure there is nothing out of the ordinary? ”

"We just go to the bathroom, after all it's dangerous to go alone, it's normal for us not to go and pee at the same time, you know, so don't be so nervous."

Everyone present thinks that Mei and his friends have left their station unnecessarily, so he thinks that's why headquarters is complaining. After saying this excuse, Minamata thought it was time for them to stop leaving, but the next answer from HQ refuted their assumptions.

"I don't care about that, did you encounter any Yanada scorpions when you left the hall? Or at least, have you noticed any Yanoda scorpions nearby? ”

"No, nothing. Can I help you? ”

"Defense Point 15 was attacked by a group of Ya

ata Sco

pio

Occupied. They were able to repel the swarm without injury, but the real problem was the direction the swarm came from. They seem to be coming from somewhere in the area."

"You mean, we have to be careful, because we can be attacked as well?"

"No, we're going to ask you to explore again, take a few people along, and see if this area has changed compared to the previous exploration map. If a new tunnel is discovered, notify the exploration and extinction team immediately. ”

In the undiscovered area connected to the new tunnel, there may be many expensive artifacts waiting to be discovered that have not been touched.

Mei and his friends looked at each other, smiled, and then replied decisively.

"Got it. Well, send someone to explore the area right away. ”

"No, stay there! Shut up and guard this area! I'll bet you're looking for the ruins, not the area. ”

"Of course, we won't."

"Just stay there!!"

Mita smacked her tongue, visibly displeased. Seeing this, Rena sneered.

"At your service."

Minamata turned to look at Katsuya and his party, and then returned to the headquarters in a mocking tone.

"Hmph. So who should we send? There are only children besides us, and there is a hunter who looks after them, you know? ”

Katsuya, Airi, and Reina glared at Mimata, and Yumina seemed to be angered by Mimata's words. Shiori stood quietly beside Reina, and Akira looked unconcerned.

Headquarters staff then responded.

"The 27th should go. You can choose other people, but you can only bring a maximum of two people. It's okay if you want to go alone too. ”

The Mimatas and Katsuyas groups only know the number of people in their groups. So they didn't know who the 27th was, they looked at each other and were confused.

"It's number 27, Roger."

All eyes were on the source of the sound. This is the 27th, and it's Aki

a。

"Akira. They say you can bring two other people, so, who do you want to bring? ”

"No, Alpha, I'll go alone. After all, I don't want to cause any unnecessary fighting. ”

"That's true, but it's dangerous to go alone, you know. Even if you get permission from a person, it doesn't make sense in this case, right? ”

"You can say it again. If I receive such a request again, I need to reconsider my request. ”

Akira grabbed her backpack and left the hall. Leaving there, Aquilas was stunned by the other hunters present, staring at his back. Some were just surprised, some were displeased, but Akira didn't blink and continued to leave there, disappearing into the tunnels.

Mimata came back to her senses and immediately asked the headquarters. He sounded confused.

"Why that boy? Is this some kind of bug or what? You wouldn't mistake number 27 for someone else, would you? ”

"That's right, it's the 27th."

After the headquarters denied Misata's suspicions, this time Katsuya raised the question.

"Is there any particular reason why you chose number 27? If you pick whatever you want, I want you to let us choose. ”

If the headquarters chooses to send people at random, problems may arise later. This was Katsuya's idea, so as the team leader, he asked the headquarters to reconsider his decision.

But the headquarters also denied this.

"No problem, we chose the number 27 because of his record. You can go ahead and choose the other two, though. ”

Gram was also shocked. He remembers a time when he was looked down upon by the people at headquarters and assigned to the defense team instead of the extermination team, and that person was probably the person he was talking to now. But the man sounded like he recognized Akira, who was a young hunter like him, just as he had when he first met Akira.

This time Shiori joined the conversation.

"What do you mean by his record? Katsuya-sama and two of his other friends took out a greedy crocodile on their own. If you're picking based on records, shouldn't you pick them? ”

"Katsuya? Oh, the captain of the drunkard squad, right. Playing against the Yarada Scorpion is not like fighting against the Greedy Crocodile, and you are in a different situation, so according to the records, the 27th is more suitable for this situation. Stop it. "Complaining about every little thing, or D

a

How KAMS works to question the decisions of superiors? ”

Using his formidable influence, Dramakham sent a number of young hunters to meet this request. However, due to the fact that there are many cases in which the hunters sent by Dolancam do not have the ability or skills to handle requests, this staff has a bad impression of Dolancam.

Even after that, he was subordinated to D twice in a row

a

Kam's hunter asks about the decision made by headquarters, which is why he sounds angry and impatient when he answers.

The staff's answer made the hunters present curious about how strong this Akira was. But Mimata wasn't as convinced as he asked.

"What is his record?"

"He was able to evacuate and rescue a group of hunters from a building full of monsters, and was able to fend off a group of Ya who attacked them while evacuating those hunters

ata Sco

pio

s。 In addition, including Ya, who was killed in that building when he saved

ata Sco

pio

s Those hunters and the Yarada scorpions in the group chasing them, on the 27th, killed at least 60 Yarada scorpions, and he did it all alone. The dungeon is like an abandoned building, full of monsters, and he once fought Ya with a group of people

ata Sco

pio

s in this case. I think these are enough reasons to choose him. In contrast, shooting a large greedy crocodile from a distance with the help of outsiders is nowhere near his record. Or is it it? ”

After hearing this explanation, what the other hunters were thinking, Mei muttered again.

"Y-you must be kidding, right?"

"It's intelligence from the hunter's office, at least you understand, it's not a joke, I don't care if you believe it or not, you just stay in that place."

The call from headquarters ended quickly. Mimata, Katsuya and other hunters looked at each other dumbfounded.

Although the shock in Reina's heart had subsided, he still couldn't take Akira out of his mind.

But she's much better than Katsuya, who is somewhat hostile to Akira. And listened to Aki

After as's record, he felt like he was right for Aki

A's assumption is actually correct.

Katsuya is seeking Aki

The power of As, and Aki

a is the one who inspires his competitive spirit. So Rena thought that if she followed Akira, maybe she would be able to gain something. Something that makes her proud of her power, a trigger, an opportunity, an opportunity, anything.

Rena thought so, ignoring the fact that safety in the wasteland was the number one priority, and that it could be dangerous for herself.

"We can send two more people, right?"

Shiori quickly understood the meaning behind Reynas's question.

"Miss?!"

"Then go after him, get ready."

Rena made a decision. Whether it's a decision she makes carelessly, or a decision she knowingly has consequences, she must take full responsibility for her decision. But she's just a naïve girl who doesn't fully understand this.

Not only does the underground tunnel form a labyrinth, but the walls of the tunnel can collapse at any moment, making it easier for anyone exploring it to get lost. Akira used the terminal lent to him to browse the map created by the expedition team, and combined it with the communication relay device, to confirm his location. But of course, the Exploration Team doesn't have such a map. After all, this map was made by them with hard work. This map is very useful for HQ to predict the route used by monsters and decide where to defend points.

But if the scorpions are able to dig holes in the walls and open new tunnels, then what was already safe becomes a dangerous area again. It's just speculation now, but it's enough to make exploring these areas extremely dangerous. And Akira was about to step into this life-threatening area.

Even if he wanted to explore the area, Akira couldn't wander around aimlessly. After walking a short distance from Defense Point 14, he stopped and asked Alpha what to do next.

"What are we going to do? Should we go to Defense Point 15 now? ”

"What's your reason for doing that?"

"If there are scorpions retreating from the 15th defense point, they may be injured and leave some blood or other traces on the way back to where they came from, and if I encounter another group and am overwhelmed, I will"

"It's a good judgment, especially the last reason, it's a good reason."

Alpha was smiling happily at him, but Akira was still feeling a little impatient.

"Alpha, do you also think Defense Point 14 is dangerous?"

"The hunters there are too relaxed, completely divided into two groups, if they are ambushed, I doubt they can fight well, of course, it is more reassuring to go to the people who have fought with that group before."

"Yes, that's right"

Although, as a person who split from the other two groups and basically formed the third faction, he is not qualified to say anything. Akira understood this, but he couldn't help but complain. While he wouldn't say they got along, Akira wanted them to at least try not to get in the way of each other, or even hurt each other like they would shoot each other in the back. He basically didn't want to worry about someone "accidentally" shooting someone else.

"We should be gone soon. As a training to try to explore the area without my support. ”

"Training even in this case, huh?"

"It's because of being in this situation. Of course, I also constantly scan my surroundings as a training for myself. ”

"Your training?"

Akira was surprised, believing that Alpha was the ultimate being and didn't require any training. She just smiled and said something he couldn't ignore.

"That's right. I'm training myself to see how much I can support you, just with your current equipment, and find the most effective way. To be honest, even now, my detection capabilities have been greatly reduced. ”

Akira froze in place. When he came back to his senses, he began to panic. He desperately tried to stay calm, but he just couldn't.

"Y-What do you mean?"

"It takes a long time to explain everything, so I'll just explain to you why. First of all, I can't use the same detection capabilities in dungeons as I do when I'm on the surface. In the dungeon, there are certain materials and facilities. Reduced remnants of my ability to detect, and there's that stuff all over here. ”

"So, how much has your detection ability been affected?"

"That's a secret. But at least, compared to you or other hunters, my detection skills are still very high. In fact, it's quite, very high. But since I can compare it with your detection capabilities, it means that its range and sensitivity have been greatly reduced. ”

Akira thought it would be better if he didn't know the secret. He began to feel fear, which he hadn't felt in a while. He may find a monster waiting for him around the next corner, and he's exploring a strange ruin, which gives him goosebumps. But he immediately gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"It's okay, it's my responsibility to solve it, let's go."

If that's enough to stop him, he won't be able to survive as a hunter. So Akira made up her mind and swung her leg forward.

"Akira. Sorry to bother you, you've already worked it out, but we have some guests. ”

Alpha pointed behind Akira. He looked puzzled, but judging by her reaction, it didn't seem to be an enemy. So he turned around slowly and put down his gun. When he sees who his guests are, he is confused for different reasons.

"That Girl"

He saw Reina and Shiori walking towards him.

Reina and Shiori confirm that it was Akira who turned back at about the same time.

But to be more precise, Akira was a little faster. Shiori noticed this and became wary of him.

Akira couldn't see what was behind him at all. They weren't close enough for him to hear their footsteps. She might have noticed them with a collector, but she didn't expect Akira to have such a good collector. Still, Akira turned around as if he knew exactly where they were. Shio

I just can't think it's just a coincidence.

In the easternmost part of the Eastern Sector, where the front line is located, there are hunters who can sense the gaze or presence of others and can only pinpoint their position from places where common sense or anything else cannot explain. Shio

i thinks Aki

a is one of those people, or at least he possesses a small part of those people's talents. Therefore, it is extremely dangerous to be an enemy of him. As a result, Shiori asks Reina to reconsider her decision.

"Miss, could you please think again?"

"No, if he runs away as soon as he sees us, it will be suspicious. If he misunderstands and thinks it's here to ambush him, that's bad. ”

"We have no reason to ambush him, so if we explain, I'll definitely understand."

"Akira seems to be waiting for us, hurry up."

Reina began to run towards Akira, and Shiori gave up on convincing her and followed her.

Akira thinks that if he leaves Rena and Shiori as soon as possible, it may reduce the problem. But in that unknown ruin, there may be a Hakurada scorpion hiding behind the wreckage scattered around, and Alpha has reduced its detection ability, Akira thinks it's too risky, so he gives up escaping from Reina and Shiori.

And when he saw them, he stopped where he was, and could only wait for them to join. As Rena walked up to him, Akira asked her briefly.

"What's wrong?"

Rena replied in a serious tone.

"I'm here to explore the area."

"I see. I'll explore around that area, so you can explore other areas. ”

"Coming with you."

Akira actually wanted to indirectly reject her offer, but Rena didn't seem to understand, or she understood but ignored it. Unfortunately, he doesn't have enough social experience to discern it. So he turned his gaze to Shioli, as if to reproach her.

"My lord, he doesn't seem to have any intention of teaming up with us, so I think it's best to retreat here."

Reina's face suddenly became solemn. She seemed to say something, but stopped again, sighed, and calmed down, or at least tried to calm herself down. She thought it would be a terrible idea to annoy Akira in this place. Obviously, that's why she's trying to stop herself.

Rena calmed herself down as she continued to try to negotiate with Akira, hoping to go with him.

"Well, go with you, it's useful for you, well, at least Shiori will be useful to you."

"In that case, I can take her, but not you."

"Shiori will only come back if she is not with her."

"If that's true, then you can both go back."

"Okay, whatever you want."

"No thanks, let's go back."

After Akira yelled at them, she just turned around, ignoring Reina and Shiori, and continued exploring. He cautiously walked deeper into the ruins. After a few minutes, he turned around in distraught, and sure enough, he found that Reina and Shiori were still following. Moreover, they kept a fairly close distance from him, as if they were exploring the area with him.

Akira walked over to them, then sighed exasperatedly.

"Is that so? Won't you leave me unless I point a rifle at you and threaten you to leave me alone? ”

Shiori replied quickly with a serious face.

"In that case, I'll do my best to fight back and cause unnecessary losses to both of us, I hope you think twice."

Shiori's eyes were telling her that she was serious. Akira sensed her strong will to protect Rena no matter what, even if she had to sacrifice herself.

Akira is frankly surprised by her strong will, but he doesn't think it's the right place to show such determination, so he glares at Shiori in exasperation.

"If you can get to that point, then you should do everything you can to get this girl back, right?"

"My position is under Mirati, so I have a responsibility to respect Milati's wishes, as long as it is acceptable. The only time I was allowed to ignore Mirati's wishes was when her life was in danger. ”

Akira sighed again and was ripping his hair.

"Alpha, is there anything I can do?"

"No way, let's give up, don't let them bother you too much."

"Why the hell should I bring something that might cause me trouble in the near future?!!"

"Because if you use force to get her back, it's only going to make it worse."

"That's true, but still"

"You can at least use them as bait or shield, and if they get hurt, I'm sure they'll come back on their own. So give up and let them leave you. After all, you can't really point a gun at them. Let them go home, right? ”

"You're right."

Akira gave up and continued to explore the area.

Ignoring Reina and Shiori who were following him, he cautiously continued his exploration and headed for the 15th defensive stronghold. He regularly checks his information-gathering device to see if there are monsters around him. Even though he didn't have a collector, he remembered that he was ambushed by a group of Yarada scorpions the other day. So he did not let his guard down and cautiously continued to move forward.

Of course, if anything was missing, Alpha would have told him, but since the Yada Scorpio might disguise himself in the rubble and wreckage around him, he had to move carefully. Because of this, he moves quite slowly.

"Alpha, now that I think about it, is there anything wrong with the current settings of my info-gathering device?"

"Right here."

"yes, that's what I thought."

"When used in conjunction with an information collector, the optimal settings will vary depending on the surroundings or the gun's sighting device. There are some monsters that specialize in hiding themselves, so you'll need to adjust the information collector to be able to detect those monsters. It is also important to adjust its scanning range. If you make it smaller, the monsters may notice you before you even notice them, but if you make it bigger, its sensitivity will drop and you may get ambushed. So you need to consider all these factors and adjust your settings carefully.

"Anyway, that's not what I can do now, is it? So Alpha, can you help me do it? ”

"Absolutely. Yes, it has been readjusted. But you'll have to do it yourself in the end, okay? ”

Alphas realigned, Aki

As the sensitivity and effectiveness of information acquisition devices have increased exponentially. Because of this, the information displayed on Aquilas's mask suddenly changed.

The signal from Reina and Shiori behind him became clear, and the vague map showing his current location was updated. It even shows and points out discrepancies between the current condition and the map drawn by the exploration team, and even the precise location of the rubble. It uses means such as echolocation to expand its detection range to detect wreckage, rubble, and what's behind corners.

Akira was very surprised.

"Wow, that's changed so much. If I hadn't asked you to readjust, I would have only gotten the previous information, right? ”

"You need to learn to question whether you're showing the right message. Or if it needs to be adjusted. ”

Akira lowered her head.

"I'll do my best."

"Yes, you should."

Alpha replied, smiling at Akira as usual.