Safe

Zhen Qi stood before the Void Gate, glancing left and right. Three Hunters stood behind him, each of them at level rank 2. These were the hunters he had hired using the money that Elandir had given him, supposedly as an apology.

Zhen Qi had learned his lesson, especially now that his skill, Resurrection, was on cooldown. Going alone would surely result in certain death.

"Remember, don't engage in fights. Protect me until we reach my territory, and we'll be safe," he instructed, tightening his grip on the sword and shield in his hands.

The hunter nodded solemnly in acknowledgment.

---

Name: Tyrone

Age: 34

Status: Hunter

Race: Magically Alter Being

Level: Rank 2

Skills: Rune – Water (F), Rune – Shield (E), Rune – Speed (E)

Description: A man who once lived peacefully found himself forced into his current situation due to a certain incident. Now, his only dream is to explore the world and find a purpose in his life.

Danger: 30%

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Name: Mathew

Age: 26

Status: Hunter

Race: Magically Alter Being

Level: Rank 2

Skills: Rune – Water (E), Rune – Speed (E)

Descriptions: A young man, once dreaming of luxury, is compelled to change when his family is lost in a tragic accident. Overcome by guilt, he travels the world in search of a way to revive his family.

Danger: 20%

---

Name: Kelander

Age: 40

Status: Hunter

Race: Magically Alter Being

Skills: Rune – Earth (E), Rune – Defense (E)

Description: An old man, forced to kill his own daughter by a certain group, becomes a wanted man after massacring the group that coerced him. After seeking revenge, he is now overcome by loneliness and seeks a purpose he can bring to the world before his final breath.

Danger: 30%

---

One thing Zhen Qi noticed about the hunters was that they all had tragic backgrounds before becoming hunters. He wasn't sure if this was a trend or a condition for becoming a hunter. According to Kelander, when certain individuals reach an extreme level of negative emotions such as guilt or anger, they are compelled to become hunters by an unknown force. However, this phenomenon isn't universal, and it's just one of the conditions. As for the others, no one knows.

Some hunters believe it's the work of Mother Nature, aiming to bring justice to the world, viewing the hunters as the knights of nature. But others suspect it's the work of demons, curious about what happens when you give a person with nothing to lose immense power.

No one could truly answer such a question definitively, but Zhen Qi was curious and interested. If he could uncover the secrets of how to create hunters, it would greatly boost his strength.

With a solemn expression, he uttered as he entered, "Let's go."

…

A large beast lay beneath the Void Gate, its ears perked as it opened its eyes, only to be greeted by shiny, pointed objects piercing its eyes, causing it to howl in agony.

“Follow me!”

The howl of the large beast caught the attention of other monsters nearby. They turned their heads and spotted three figures running, prompting them to howl in response and give chase to their prey.

"Look out!" Tyrone exclaimed as a humanoid beast resembling a gorilla emerged from the trees, slamming its large form towards them. However, a young hunter quickly countered it as a spear of water emerged from the air, penetrating the gorilla monster. After that, Tyrone chanted, and a barrier surrounded them. He glanced at the young hunter, urging, "Mathew, now!"

The young hunter nodded and chanted, causing a glowing bright light to appear at his feet. The light expanded until it reached the feet of his companions. It was a speed Rune, designed to increase the speed of others and him.

"I can only hold it for 10 seconds!" Mathew reminded.

"Don't worry, we're almost there," Zhen Qi reassured. He could see the protection barrier drawing near.

But not everyone liked their ideas. Some monsters gathered outside the protection barrier, roaring before pouncing on them. The monsters unleashed various skills, but the barrier protected them from projectiles.

Suddenly, a flaming claw projectile slammed into the barrier, causing it to shake. They all turned to look and found it came from the monster that Zhen Qi had stabbed in the eyes before. This monster was the one who had killed Zhen Qi before he entered the world of Aurorith.

“I can’t hold on anymore!” Tyrone exclaimed.

"Let me handle this," Kelander declared. He chanted, and an armor made of Earth appeared around his body, while a hammer materialized in his hand. With the aid of the Rune of Speed, he rushed forward swiftly. The hammer expanded until it reached the size of a normal house. Veins popped out on Kelander's neck and arm as he yelled, swinging the hammer with tremendous force, slamming the monster away. Some were killed, providing them with enough space to escape.

"We're almost there!" Zhen Qi shouted, a smile creeping onto his face. Finally stepping into the safe place, he noticed the large beast and some monsters staring at them angrily. The large beast slammed its claw against the protection barrier, and Zhen Qi couldn't help but smile back at it, provoking even more hatred from the creatures outside.

The large beast continued to roar, enraged that its prey had not only escaped twice but had also stabbed its eyes. Suddenly, it stopped and looked up. After a while, it licked its claw in contemplation before finally leaving the scene.

"Hoh! Seems like we've stirred up quite the hornet's nest," Kelander remarked, looking around. The place reminded him of the cemetery of Styx. It looked creepy, and the smell of death lingered in the air. His gaze fixed on the monsters outside, and he grew curious about why they couldn't enter.

Tyrone's expression remained serious as he scanned the area for any signs of danger. "Let's not get too comfortable. We don't know how long this barrier will hold," he cautioned, his tone tinged with concern.

Meanwhile, Mathew couldn't hide his excitement. "Did you see the size of that hammer Kelander wielded? That was incredible!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with admiration.

“The barrier will disappear tomorrow.” Zhen Qi answer Tyrone concern as he walked toward his altar.

"Forgive my curiosity, but may I inquire about your identity? I've never encountered a sorcerer of such prowess, capable of opening portals to other realms," Kelander inquired.

"Well... I'm not certain if you'll believe me, but considering you're my companion," Zhen Qi turned to face them, speaking slowly. "I am a God." As he uttered those words, a giant skeletal figure emerged from behind him, followed by another towering skeleton.

Upon seeing the two giant skeleton, the three hunters swiftly unsheathed their weapons, readying themselves for combat. Tyrone spat out his words with a mix of surprise and anger, "I didn't expect you to betray us, but I also didn't anticipate being hired by a lunatic!"

"Wait, you seem to have misunderstood something... I don't care if you believe I'm a god or not; that's irrelevant," Zhen Qi clarified, his tone calm yet resolute. "But I want to assure you, I will never betray you. In fact, I have another proposal," he continued.

"If you expect us to submit to you, you are mistaken. We hunters are free spirits; we do as we please. We never submit to anyone," Tyrone declared firmly, his voice reflecting the staunch independence of a seasoned hunter.

"Well..." Zhen Qi mumbled, glancing at the two other hunters before murmuring, "I'm not just some god, but I'm a god of death..."

Tyrone narrowed his eyes, glancing at his fellow hunter and then back at the man standing before them. He understood the implication of those words, and a frustrated tsk escaped his mouth.

"Feel free to stay here as long as you want," Zhen Qi said, leaving those words hanging as he turned towards the altar. Secretly, he hoped they would agree to stay until tomorrow, knowing they could help fend off some monsters when the protection barrier expired.

---

-God of Death Altar- 

Rank: Bronze

Durability: 100/100 

Function: Summon 

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Units Available: Skeleton Soldier, Skeleton Worker, Giant Skeleton 

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Description: The Altar of Death is used to summon the servants of death to aid God in his journey. The altar is the foundation and core. if it is destroyed, God will lose the ability to summon units and will greatly reduce their power.

---

Summoning two Giant Skeletons costs a total of 60 faith. Zhen Qi then summons 10 Skeleton Soldiers to protect his base and altar, which costs 50 faiths in total. Additionally, he summons 20 Skeleton Workers to build a protective wall around his territory, costing him 60 faiths in total. Altogether, these summons total 170 faith, leaving him with only 30 faiths remaining.

The skeleton soldiers wore full armor, rusty and worn, with spears and shields in hand. Meanwhile, the skeleton workers lacked armor but wielded pickaxes and axes for their tasks. As for the giant skeleton, its colossal form loomed over the landscape, its size twice that of the beast that had killed Zhen Qi before.

After organizing everything, Zhen Qi felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He turned to the three hunters, who were observing the skeletons with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

He smile and said.