Duty or fame

The streets were filled with people who had come to greet the members of my most powerful guild in Arcus, the Behemoth. The rift that had been reported earlier was cleared due to their intervention, and everyone was cheering for this new triumph.

There were three of them, considered the strongest hunters in the world according to the latest survey. These two men and one woman were what one could call the high-tier elite, and many young hunters dreamed of reaching their level someday.

They had it all - fame, money, and privileges. In a society where the lives of humans depended on hunters, the more important and strong a hunter was, the more people fawned over them. Though they were meant to serve the population, they were the ones in command. The victorious hunters marched through the crowd, amidst the flashes of photographers and the adoration of the crowd. The two men grinned and raised their hands like celebrities on a red carpet, waving with fake smiles. It was obvious they were forcing themselves to do it. The woman trailing behind walked with her head down, clearly wishing she were somewhere else.

They continued their march until a journalist stopped them to ask questions. "Dear Behemoth Guild members, how do you feel after successfully closing this rift?" the woman asked, handing the microphone to one of the men. His smile immediately faded as he shifted his face.

"A rift? Ah, right... We just saved you again. I hope you are aware of this and that you will agree to the proposed tax increase by the deputy. Help us help you; we are paid with your taxes," the man replied, almost jostling the woman as he walked past, while the other hunter grumbled.

"We risk our lives to save their fucking asses, and all they do is propose a tax increase. Pathetic stinginess," he muttered, as the woman interjected.

"Our current salaries are already outrageous. We earn in a month what five people earn in a year. Asking for even higher salaries is excessive," she spoke, causing the first hunter, presumably the leader, to turn towards her.

"They won't risk their lives like we do. The least they can do is pay," he growled, to which the woman retorted.

"They didn't have the favor of the God Hunter system like we did. We owe them at least that much, considering our privileged skills," she growled, only to be interrupted by the other man's snort.

"Always bringing that up. Shut the fuck up. You should be proud to be part of the elite and enjoy what the common people can't," he sneered. They left the woman brooding in anger, feeling ashamed at what the hunters had become – arrogant bastards taking advantage of privileges given to them unfairly. Their job was to fight monsters and demons.

Sighing, she then heard screams in the distance. Turning to see what was happening, she saw an explosion and people scattering in her direction. She stopped a man who was running and asked him the cause of the commotion. His response left her frowning. Another rift had been detected, and this time it was in the residential areas of Arcus.

With determination, the woman looked at her teammates, hoping they would join her in facing this new threat. However, they casually turned around, continuing on their way.

"Aren't you coming? There's a rift that's been detected," she pleaded, but the men brushed her off.

"We're not the only hunters in Arcus. The guild will send some second-rate bums to handle this... It's not like a higher-ranked monster or a demon will come out of it," one of them yawned, as the woman gritted her teeth. It was their duty, damn it.

She ran towards the rift but then received an urgent message on her system dialog. Opening it, she discovered that this rift was not like the others. The city had seen its fair share of rifts, with the most dangerous being those hosting S-rank monsters. However, this one was particularly feared because it had unleashed not just an S-rank monster, but an SS-rank monster - a dragon. They were not only powerful but also wreaked havoc wherever they went.

Glancing back at her teammates, who were now reading their scorecards, she realized that they had no intention of acknowledging the situation and continued on their way.

"What a bunch of fucking idiots," she muttered, before noticing a young man in hunter gear. His equipment seemed worn and judging by his size, he wasn't a high-ranking hunter.

"What? Hey!" she called out to him, but the boy paid her no attention, running towards the rift.

"Shit, if I don't do something, that fool is going to get killed."