"Three cities, including the City of Lemar, have been declared destroyed," the female anchor announced.
"A Red Alert has been issued, and the citizens of Halcyon are advised to move closer to the Royal Capital for their safety," she continued.
"In response to the escalating threat from Zephyr, His Majesty Rewilh Halcyon, King of Halcyon, has granted the Military Rights of the Entire Royal Guild to the Allister Family."
"Asher Von Greville, the leader of Zephyr, has been declared an enemy of all five continents by the High Council," she added.
"The Chairman of the World Association has stated that Zephyr will soon be defeated. However, the emergence of the New Gates has postponed this operation."
"Citizens are urged to evacuate cities near the emerging New Gates."
"We at HALN News..."
The mood in the studio was somber, reflecting a world order that, just a few years ago, was peaceful but now was in turmoil.
The instigator of this chaos was Asher Greville, heir to the now fallen Greville Family.
"First, it was the Garcia Family, and now the Greville Family," a man sighed backstage.
"If the authorities hadn't been so negligent, this guy would be dead by now," a young man added.
"Enough talking, back to work," a woman in her thirties commanded.
The studio buzzed with activity, reporting on numerous pressing matters.
Even the internet was full of people expressing their anxiety; some feared the monsters, while others criticized the World Association and other authorities for failing to eliminate the world's most wanted criminal till now.
World Association Tower,
"I AM TELLING YOU, WE NEED TO KILL ASHER GREVILLE!" an old man in a suit shouted.
"Calm down. Do you think any of us disagree?" another old man replied.
The assembly of World Association executives, lacking the presence of the three SSS Rank Leaders, was fraught with outbursts.
"How can we remain calm in such a situation?" a different old man stood up from his seat.
"What do you suggest? Have you all forgotten why Chairman Osbert and the Vice Chairmen are absent?" a man in his late thirties exclaimed.
<ATTENTION!>
A robotic voice announced, causing everyone to halt and turn towards the entrance of the large room.
<Leonard Tarvian is entering>
The room's atmosphere shifted dramatically as everyone fell silent at the sight of a person with light brown hair and deep blue eyes, bearing a strong resemblance to the Chairman of the World Association.
This was not the only reason for the profound respect and fear accorded to him.
He was Leonard Tarvian, owner of Crowsell Corporation, the world's largest company, and a key figure in the current situation, with most of the young generation of elite families on his side, despite his ties to the World Association.
Leonard Tarvian's mere presence was enough to silence everyone in the room.
Leonard walked up and took Osbert's seat, and no one objected.
"Young Master," Osbert's Assistant began, approaching Leonard with a report on the meeting, but Leonard raised his hand to stop him.
"I understand many here want to stop Zephyr?" Leonard inquired.
A profound silence filled the room.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The sound of Leonard tapping his finger on the table echoed.
"That's good. I too wish to eliminate such threats," Leonard said, smiling.
"We've located some of Zephyr's bases!" an old man announced.
"With enough hunters, I'm confident we can eradicate Zephyr and Asher Greville for good," he declared with conviction.
"But how can we gather enough manpower?" another executive interjected.
They all were careful to keep their voices subdued.
"We can't afford to divide our forces too—"
"I will permit it," Leonard interrupted, changing the expressions of many executives.
"We face larger problems that demand our focus, so I've decided to end Asher Greville once and for all," Leonard declared.
"Dalton Rothschild, the Seat Holder of the Rothschild Family, will handle this, so you can all rest easy," Leonard announced, surprising many.
With all SSS Rank Hunters preoccupied due to the current crisis, the mention of Dalton provided assurance.
The previously tense faces brightened somewhat; with an SSS Rank Hunter involved, they felt confident that Zephyr would be defeated.
"If Lord Dalton is taking charge, our faction will also supp—," an old man started, but Leonard's cold gaze silenced him.
"My team will take care of this. I want all executives to concentrate on other urgent projects," Leonard instructed.
"Ah, as you wish," the old man acquiesced.
Far away, in the secluded Edge of the Lost Land,
"We're heading to Fashia," a man in a white mask declared, removing it.
"Rumors suggest Leonard Tarvian will be traveling there," he added.
"But Sir Tom, are we sure we shouldn't all accompany the Leader? And won't Leonard Tarvian be escorted by many powerful individuals?" the man in the black mask questioned.
Tom burst into loud laughter, then abruptly stopped, stepping forward and tilting his head.
"Have you forgotten who our Leader is?" Tom challenged, intimidating the man in the black mask.
"The Leader of Zephyr, us, whose mere name unsettles the High Council that governs the world," Tom declared.
His eyes fixed intensely on the man before him.
"Gather the men, and instruct them to join Dane and Kai," Tom ordered, and the man bowed and quickly departed.
***
"We have dispatched the S Rank Hunter as you requested. There should be no further delays," the man in the black mask said.
He was on a hologram call with the leader of the Merchant group stationed inside the City of Lemar.
"But will one be enough? I've sent several A Rank Hunters, but none have returned," the Merchant group leader replied, his voice tinged with doubt.
"Do you realize how challenging it is to deploy an S Rank Hunter? Nevertheless, I've sent one. If the threat level exceeds his capacity, he'll simply retreat and report back to us," the masked man responded before ending the call.
The Merchant group leader sighed heavily. "What on earth is happening in that cursed forest!"
The loss of A Rank Hunters was a significant blow, as they were crucial for protection, and now all of them were missing, along with the B Rank Hunters.
In the Forest of Lemar,
"I can't believe they were foolish enough to send just one S Rank Hunter," Dane remarked, visibly annoyed.
"They've already lost 12 A Rank Hunters and numerous B Rank ones. Do they really think a single S Rank Hunter can resolve this?" he questioned.
"He's a scout," Asher interjected, gazing towards the cliff's edge.
"That makes sense. They must be cautious about the potential presence of an SS Rank monster in this forest," Kai deduced, grasping Asher's implication.
"But why would an SS Rank Monster be near this forest, so far from the Lost Land? Does that even make sense?" Dane pondered aloud.
"Does the simultaneous awakening of four calamities make any sense to you?" Kai retorted.
Dane fell silent, scratching his head, realizing the gravity of the situation. The Royal Guild was evidently taking the issues related to the Lost Lands seriously. The awakening of the Calamities increased the likelihood of encountering high-
ranking monsters near the Lost Land's outer areas.
Dane realized that it was because of their action that all the Guilds, especially High Ranking Hunters were being careful with the Lost land.
Even though Halcyon was not in immediate danger, but the chances of encountering a high rank monster that has ventured out of the Lost Lands wasn't zero.
"Is the trap set?" Asher inquired, standing up.
"Yes, we've spread the drug around that area," Kai confirmed, looking over the cliff.
<The moment they lose contact with the S Rank Hunter, the probability of a team full of S Rank Hunters or an SS Rank Hunter arriving will increase.>
"It's alright. We're not planning to wait here for them," Asher said, putting on his mask.
'A month more,' Asher thought to himself.
This was the time he had remaining before he needed to return to the World Academy.
The Trials Ground was about to open, and Asher needed to complete his objectives in Halcyon before then.
Three Days Later,
"Forest of Lemar, huh? Always looks so gloomy," the man said, stretching his arms as he gazed down at the forest from atop the Boundary Wall surrounding the City of Lemar.
"Where to begin?" he mused, squinting his eyes.
His mana spread in the direction he was looking, yet nothing noteworthy captured his attention.
Dash!
Suddenly, he dashed forward, leaping directly into the Forest.
"Hmm?" His attention was drawn to a direction where he sensed traces of mana.
This mana was distinctly human, unlike the rampant mana of a monster, and easily detectable by someone of his caliber.
Within seconds, the man arrived at the edge of a cliff.
"That's quite a drop," he observed, peering over.
"A monster wouldn't choose to fight here; it doesn't add up," he said, touching the ground and examining the surroundings.
There were no signs of a monster, but he was certain of the remnants of hunters and their residual mana.
As an experienced scout, such deductions were second nature to him.
However, no amount of experience can fully prepare one for the unknown.
"*Sniff* Is there something in the air?" he wondered aloud.
His realization came too late. From the moment he entered this area, he was enclosed by a Space Element spell, something unfamiliar to him, even as an S Rank, due to the rarity of Space Element mages.
Instantly, a spear materialized in his hand, his instincts warning him of imminent danger.
Drip!
The sound of a droplet made him look down, only to see a deep red spot forming between his feet.
"Blood?" he questioned, touching his nose, from where the blood originated.
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