The next week felt like a vacation. Leticia and Teresa avoided me like the plague and I couldn’t be happier. The other tenants were confused, but every time those girls ran away when our eyes met — it made me smile. It was nice not being on the bottom for once. I didn’t have to walk around with my head down any longer.

The biggest problem I’d run into was in the Gate. I wasn’t a E Rank anymore, so it wasn’t fair to keep killing E Ranked monsters. I mean, I knew more than anyone the frustration of being left without a kill I could handle. But more than that, E ranked monsters gave so little EXP that it would really just be a waste of my time and only take longer to level up. Sure, I’d accomplish my Daily Task to destroy three energy crystals easily, but it would take over a week to advance to my next level. I didn’t have the patience for that. I couldn’t make the System tell me what a Warrior of Mist was, but I could control leveling up.

As a result, after I did my Daily Task of cultivating for thirty minutes in Fogmire, I ventured out farther into the Gate Vale than I ever did before and looked around the beautiful valley. Huh. This place wasn’t so bad after all. I took out the monsters that I could and evaded the stronger ones using Feather Step. In my week of peace, I advanced to level 13 and was making enough money daily to cover my debts. There wasn’t a lot left over, I still counted pennies, but I slept easier at night.

Life would have been great if it could have continued like that forever. But my luck just didn’t work like that.

*****

I crouched low against a tree and gripped my kidnjal. Four feet away was a level 14 Basan. If it wasn’t for the title over it’s head, I would have thought it was a sickly rooster. There was nothing plump about it’s red feathered body. The green plume on the top of it’s head drooped as badly as it’s tail feathers that nearly touched the ground. I might have felt bad about killing this knee-high bird-monster, if it wasn't for the little blast of blue fire that shot out of its mouth when it clucked. It scratched at the ground with its pale blue feet, the pinky sized claws making considerable scars in the dirt.

I took a breath and cast Mist. A ten-by-ten area of thick fog appeared behind me with the Basan in the middle. The monstrous rooster clucked out a soft-ball sized blue fireball, but didn’t run like I was worried it would. I slipped around the tree and blended into the mist.

I hadn’t gotten any new abilities since I started cultivating fog everyday, but the range had grown from a couple feet wide to the size of a dorm room. Monsters that relied heavily on sight were strongly affected by the mist and it made my sneak attacks more effective. But other monsters didn’t seem phased at all and I was stuck in a tough fight. As for me, it always felt like my senses were dialed up to a ten when I was surrounded by the Mist. So it didn’t matter if it affected the monster or not, when I was against something new, I always prefered to activate it.

The rooster still in my sight, I soundlessly advanced. It clucked. I halted. It looked right at me. It’s mouth opened and blasted fire at me. I didn’t even have time to react before it charged, claws leaving scratches in the ground. I dodged the fire shot, then sidestepped the Basan. The rooster flapped a wing and changed directions midair, wafting the mist around us.

I grimaced and raised my left arm. The monster’s huge claw clamped onto my arm bracer, the talons gouged the plated leather as they tried to sink in. The Basan’s head shot down at mine, beak open to take out my eyes. I blocked it with my kindjal and found myself in an awkward position. The Basan wouldn’t let go of my left arm and my kindjal was wedged in its beak.

“Damn chicken,” I muttered.

It lifted its left foot and clawed at my chest. I released my kindjal and grabbed its leg. Then I swung around and threw the monster into the tree with all I had. Its head smacked against the trunk with a thud and the kindjal fell out of its beak. The grip on my arm loosened enough that I could wrench it off. Never mind the four blue gouges in the steel, that would mend overnight. The Basan recovered and at the same time my short sword appeared back in my hand.

Five minutes later, that annoying bird was dead. I’d never been a country girl, and if collecting eggs was anything like that, I’d never leave the city. I huffed a breath and touched the Drop Item orbs. A cluster of mangled feathers and a blue beak appeared in my Items Bag. I didn’t know what they’d sell for, but I wasn’t expecting much from their appearance. I might have stabbed the energy crystal harder than I needed, but damn, that chicken pissed me off.

I cancelled Mist and sat back against the war-scarred tree to take a break. I’d barely taken a sip of water when the sound of voices reached my ears. Hm. Someone else was nearby. Where they friend or foe?

Okay, that was a stupid question. It seemed like everyone was my foe. But I really was curious about who could be close enough that I could hear them but couldn’t sense. And did they know that I was here? What if they’d seen my mist? Since I was still a melee Hunter on the records, it would cause a commotion if a Hunter saw me use magic and melee. It wouldn’t be worth the trouble until I was strong enough to defend myself against haters or becoming a research object.

I rolled to my feet and walked to where the voices were coming from. At first it seemed there were two, a male and female voice. But the closer I got, I could only hear a female talking. Nonstop. I stepped around a bunch of trees and stopped, staring at a tree nearly as thick as I was tall fallen to the ground. From how the underbrush bent beneath it, it must have happened recently. I turned my head and saw the shredded trunk where the tree had broken from it’s stump. Part of it was a clean break, like it had been sliced with a very sharp blade. The other half of the stump was jagged, like it’d been hit hard with a lot of force, causing it to snap at the cut.

As for what might have hit it, I could only guess. And that guess was the monster lying on the ground on the other side of the tree stump. It looked like a giant white gorilla, but it had four arms. If it was standing, it would have been at least ten feet tall, but lucky for me, it lay dead. Slumped over like a huge ball of flesh and fur, it’s arms bent in odd angles, it’s blank eyes stared at me.

I couldn’t help but compare this monster to the stupid chicken I’d kill. I let out a silent sigh. I had a long way to go still.

“So about the energy crystal,” a coy female voice said from beyond the carcass. “I can have it right?”

The carcass shifted. I nearly jumped out of my skin and took off running. But it just flopped over onto its back. It’s head lolled, connected to the neck by a thread. The shifting carcass revealed a man and woman, the man with his foot hovering in the air like he’d just kicked the monster over. I barely saw them before my System started flashing [DO NOT PROVOKE!] in my vision.

The man — what was his name again? Kesstel? — sighed. “Do what you want.” Then he looked up and his pale blue eyes locked with mine. Unlike all the other Hunters that go into the Gate, his only protection was a steel breastplate and shoulder pads. Under that was a blue and white tunic with a black belt around his waist. His black pants were tucked into black boots. With his straight posture and those fantasy clothes, he looked like a prince.

All I could think was, just how strong was he? I couldn’t help but take a step backward.

The blonde young woman didn’t seem to notice me as she leaned closer to Kesstel, her bust barely contained within her maroon mage robes. Gold and magic stones gleamed against her neck, wrists, and fingers. Seriously, was she in the Gate, or at a red carpet party? She hugged his arm. “You’re the best!”

Kesstel stepped forward, breaking away from her grip without a single glance at her.

I didn’t wait to see if he’d greet me or attack. I swung around and took off as fast as I could. With Feather Step, I shot through the forest like a ghost. I was getting faster with each level I gained, but Kesstel was even faster.

I’d barely run a hundred feet before my wrist was caught and I was towed to a stop. His hand clamped around mine, loose enough that he wasn't squeezing me, but his grip was like a steel trap that I couldn’t get out of.

I twisted around and pushed at his hand. It was like a cotton ball trying to move a hundred pound weight. “Don’t touch me!”

Surprisingly, he let go.

I’d put so much force in pushing his unmoveable hand that I fell back. I gasped and stumbled. I crouched to run again. He stopped me with three words.

“Warrior of Mist.” His voice broke through my panicked mind.

My eyes widened and I looked up into his face. Where had he heard that? How did he know that it applied to me? The System said that it had frozen my Stats and wouldn’t reveal my true rankings to other people. He shouldn’t be able to see my class. What did he want now that he knew it?

It’s funny. His eyes were so piercingly blue, but there was a … detachment in his gaze. As if he was looking at me, but not at me. Like we were worlds apart. Was that how all S Ranking Hunters were? Oh, yes. He was an S. He was obviously suppressing his aura, but I could still feel it.

He folded his arms across his chest and stared at me. “Doesn’t feel good to have your secret shouted out loud, does it?”

Like how I’d voiced his secret. So no one else knew about the Khatharian thing? What did he know about the Warriors of Mist? I’d looked everywhere I could think of. It’s like Warriors of Mist didn’t even exist, except for me. Not even a history of them.

My chin lifted as I pretended that I wasn’t nervous. He might be an S, but I was done with people taking advantage of me. “Where did you hear that term?” Maybe I could go there and find out more.

“Where did you hear mine?” He jerked his chin, sending the ball back into my court.

“... I can’t tell you.” I actually really couldn’t. I mean, I shouldn’t be able to see the red title over his head. The monster red title. God, it was still unnerving to see it over a human. It was something the normal Guide wouldn’t show, and I wasn’t allowed to talk about my System. Nor did I want to give someone else that power over me.

His features were as blank as mine, just as on guard, as he bore holes through me with his gaze. It was clear he wasn’t going to give up his information if I wasn’t going to give up mine.

“Kesstel, what are you doing?” The young woman we’d left behind found us. She huffed for breath. “God, you just took off. You know I hate to run.” She patted her chest and hooked a smile at him. Then she blinked and noticed me. “Oh, hello. I’m Bethany Wilks, A Rank. And you are?” Her words and tone sounded nice, but her smile took on a sharpness. She stepped closer to Kesstel, obviously staking claim.

I just looked at her, completely unimpressed. I’d just gotten away from a psychotic bitch. There was no way I was jumping back into that cesspool. Especially for a guy I didn’t want anything to do with.

A System window opened up, telling me that the government had finished reviewing the monsters I killed during the Gate Surge and the money had been deposited into my account. It took every ounce of will to not react to the number on the screen. Too bad I wouldn’t be keeping any of it.

Another notice popped up right after, telling me that a package came in for me.

I glanced at Kesstel. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off me. He knew what a Warrior of Mist was, but even if I could talk about it with him, I wouldn’t do it with an audience.

I turned and started to walk away.

“I’m not done talking,” he said, but he didn’t grab me again.

“I am,” I tossed over my shoulder and kept walking.