-Vol 4: To The North Pole!-

-Kenshin’s Plight!-

Vera had an ugly face when she thought of facing such a powerful individual. Despite being powerful, she knew where her limits lied. And it was a known fact among the upper-class society that, after level 100 every level up, nearly triples their power.

Having even a single level gap is impossible to cope with, let alone someone beyond your power range. Though she had not met the one who summoned this big monster, she was still sure that the opponent was way out of her league.

The only option was to run. But how would she run in this closed off space? Can she even run? But at the end of the day, she wasn’t someone who would give up that easily, even it means her death, she won’t go down without a fight.

But before she even can make her mind, the hand came down again. This time its target was clearly her.

“Leader Run!!” Kenshin shouted as he tried to pull her. Kenshin’s actions woke her up and when she saw the incoming furry fist, she grabbed Kenshin and ran inside one of the corridors.

BOOM!!!

It broke everything in its path again as it descended unobstructed from the sky. The impact shook everything again.

“This thing! Did it want to bury us or squash us?” Kenshin asked in distress. They were in a real dangerous situation right now. Out of all things, they had to face a semi-ascended monster! It's like meeting the last boss only after clearing the first floor of the dungeon!

But for some time, from the moment this monster’s arrival, Vera was unusually silent, as if she was thinking of something. Although Kenshin had noticed it, he still maintained his silence. He wasn’t that familiar with her to ask about her thoughts.

A few minutes later, they found another stairway and went down another floor.

By now, Kenshin was already sure that there were no living humans in this facility. In a way, their first mission was over. But the problem was they couldn’t leave this facility. It was being guarded by a troublesome monster. Even Vera had also realized that in here there were no more living humans exist anymore, but what can she do?

After reaching their 3rd floor, Kenshin and Vera moved another floor down. They didn’t stop their running. And the monster also didn’t stop punching, it continued to drill holes in the facility with its overpowering strength.

Finally, after a whole half an hour, Vera took a deep breath and stopped running. She looked at Kenshin who had also stopped running due to her. Giving him a strained smile, she started speaking:

“Kenshin, you continue down and hide somewhere. This big facility, I am pretty sure there was another way out of this place. Continue down and search for the control room, I pretty sure there should be some additional maps of this place there. In the meantime, I am going to fight with that thing. After everything clear, immediately go back and inform of the situation to the higher ups. They should know that some dangerous bunchs are lurking in this area.” Vera spoke with conviction, fully prepared to sacrifice herself.

Hearing her words, Kenshin’s eyes widened. He wasn’t a fool, he was sure that if Vera had to fight that thing she would surely die. That thing was way out of her league. The only reason she was doing all this so that he would live and pass on the message to the DCB. But this was a hard gum to chew for Kenshin.

From the beginning, he didn’t believe in heroism. In his heart, he should leave that to fools. Why would you waste your life for unknowns who may or may not remember you in the first place? Unfortunately for him, this female leader of his, Vera, was one of those fools.

Kenshin had a very good impression of this female leader.despite her power, she wasn’t arrogant or condensing. On top of that, she was very easy to get along with. She had also helped him many times and most of all, she had saved his life when it was in danger some time ago.

How can he allow someone to die when he owed a debt of life to that person? Kenshin’s conscience wouldn’t allow it. But he was too weak to help her fight that thing. Forget about being a help, he would be just in her way if he goes with her.

The best course of action was to leave her be.

For the first time in many years, Kenshin felt very helpless. He tightened his knuckles so hard that his nails pierced the skin and blood came out. Biting his lips in anger, he looked at a resolute Vera.

On the other hand, seeing such a Kenshin, she couldn’t help but smile. This Kenshin, he was really a good hunter. He was strong, had talent, but didn’t have useless pride. That didn’t mean he didn’t have pride, it's just that he knew when to show it and when not to.

And for an individual with such a mindset, to hold himself back at this situation, she couldn’t help but admire him for the first time.

Sometimes, it takes courage to be a coward.

“Haha! Why such face? You shouldn’t make that kind of face right now you know!” Vera laughed as she spoke to Kenshin.

“But..!!”

“Haha! We got no other way out here. If there’s another way, I would be the first one to take it, but in this case, there is not any other way. That thing, and whoever summoned it, they wanted to deal with us especially. Unless we both die, they won’t stop this. My strength isn’t enough to guarantee us both the safety.” Vera said with a sad smile.

“But! There should be another way! Why would you give up this quickly? We must find some secret passage. You have already seen the map, and I will use my detecting power to the max, together we can find a way, why should you give up this quickly? Why must you go to the face of death?” Kenshin was getting desperate. He remembered a specific day that marked as the worst day of his life aside from his parent’s death day.

That day too something like this had happened. People gave their lives in front of him, and he was powerless to stop it.

Suddenly his vision swam as the figure of Vera was replaced with a burly middle-aged man and a few others surrounding him and voices rang in his ears.

“Why are you crying Kenshin? Didn’t I say it earlier, a true man must never cry? So, why are you crying? And you dare to call yourself a man? You dare to call yourself a member of this Wolf Gang’s member?”

“Haha, brat! Why don’t you go home and drink some milk? This place now belongs to us true men, brats didn’t have any right to stay! AHahahaha!!”

“Kenshin! If you want to help us, then go and inform everything to the Control office outside and bring some help. We are holding the fort until then!”

“Brat! Go!” slowly the voices faded and Kenshin came to his senses.

“Is it going to happen again?” He gritted his teeth and screamed in his heart. Would he be powerless to stop the same thing from happening again?

This time too, would he only be a bystander and watch the same thing happen again?