BXBX NOVEL Chapter 58: Standby
"WOOOOF," Wick barked smugly.
George could sense that even Wick was treating him like a joke. He realized that this dog was smarter than average.
And he was correct.
When Reign removed Wick's demonic powers, it returned to a normal state, but it retained its own supernatural abilities.
This enabled the dog to find the clearing, which was saturated with negative energy, forming a natural labyrinth. Wick's keen sense of smell surpassed even Reign's, allowing it to navigate the terrain effectively.
"Did you get what you want?" he asked, thinking that Reign had consumed all the mental hospital patients inside.
"No, this place is useless," Reign shook his head. "You just wasted my time you dimwit," he scolded George before walking towards the truck.
"The next place better be good, or you can forget about rescuing your daughter," Reign added with a cold tone. It was important for George to understand his place, to realize he was nothing more than a tool.
"I... I will," George replied dejectedly. He was not someone who would normally tolerate this kind of treatment, but without Anna, Reign could just kill him whenever he want.
And it wasn't as though Reign was wrong for being angry.
Their agreement was clear: assist him in getting stronger to ultimately rescue Anna.
Poor guy, little did he know that Reign actually benefited greatly from this place, and he was just being manipulated.
'Idiot,' Reign couldn't help but chuckle inwardly after seeing George's defeated expression.
With this, he was confident that George would put more effort into finding better locations for him to farm and gain more levels.
'That's right, you better serve me like your life depends on it. Consider this my payback for all that bullying before,' Reign scoffed. He was a very petty and vengeful person, so he remembered clearly all the wrongs done to him.
"Let's go," Reign ordered , acting like he was getting impatient .
"Please, just a few hours of rest," George pleaded, his eyelids heavy with fatigue.
"Why the hell were you wide awake while I was gone?" Reign scolded.
George, hearing the scolding, walk to the driver's seat with annoyed face. He slid inside and ignited the engine of the truck, the revving of the motor drowning out his whispered curses .
"It's your fault if we get in an accident," George warned as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"You think a car crash could kill me? Ha! You're the one who needs to watch out," Reign replied with a sly smile, his confidence shining through.
"If our truck crashes, I'll just munch you like snack when you kick the bucket to honor your memory," he added casually, then reclined his chair to take a nap.
"You wouldn't actually do that, would you?" George asked, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead, his voice tinged with nervousness.
"I'm a freaking monster, do you think I have morals? Just sitting here with you, I'm fighting the urge to rip your head apart," Reign replied. "Stop talking, I'm going to sleep," he added dismissively.
'You're the reincarnation of evil,' George grumbled in annoyance as he pressed down on the pedal.
***
[Author's Note: There was a typo in the previous chapter regarding the ranking system; this is the corrected version. Each rank is also divided into Beginning, Half step and Peak levels.]
[Example: Anna is a Beginning High Demon Rank.]
>>Unranked
>>Lower
>>Middle
>>High
>>Upper
>>Demon Lords
>>Demon Kings
>>Demon Gods
***
Hunter Association Summit City.
"Sir, it's been two days, since we've lost track of James' team. We think they're already dead," McGaven's assistant spoke with a heavy voice as she placed the files on the table.
McGaven's hand tightened around the file, his brows knitting together as he read the report. The corners of his mouth turned downward, his expression souring at the news.
The team he sent was one of his five, and though they might have been the weakest, they were still important.
The lack of information about them suggested they might already be dead.
"Should we dispatch another team?" The assistant spoke up, noticing his silence.
McGaven contemplated for a moment , this was huge blunder because the mission was not official .
If the head office found out, he would likely face reprimand. At worst, he could be demoted for utilizing personnel on an unauthorized mission.
"Report that they never returned after their last official mission," McGaven responded, a calculated decision to cover their tracks.
The best course of action, in his view, was to conceal the truth by tampering with the files. This was precisely why he hadn't reported James' team returning from their official mission earlier.
When a hunter team completed a mission, they were required to report it to their high-ranking officials. These officials would then relay the information to the branch office to claim the reward for completion.
"Alright," the assistant nodded, turning away. Being his lover, she resolved to carry out his orders without question.
But before she could leave, her phone buzzed with a new text message. Her expression changed as she read the contents.
McGaven saw this and asked" What's the matter?"
"A Peak Upper Demon attacked an entire town… everyone is dead," the assistant replied with stunned expression.
"A peak Upper Demon? Are you sure? What's an Upper Demon doing in our area?" McGaven unconsciously stood up from his desk due to the shock.
This was huge news; a Peak Upper Demon was a very dangerous threat that they wouldn't be able to handle with their current personnel. After all, Summit City was only a Tier 4 City.
"The research team went to investigate, and they found fragments of a Domain, covering the entire town. It was small, but only a Peak Upper Demon could create something that big," the assistant explained further.
"And not just that," she added, her brows furrowing with concern.
"What is it?" George probed.
"The town's location was near where we sent James' team. I think they were killed by the Peak Upper Demon," she concluded, her voice tinged with apprehension.
"No way…so that explains why we lost contact. If it was a Peak Upper Demon, its aura alone would have been enough to kill them," he remarked, sinking into his chair as his knees weakened under the weight of this news.
He knew all too well the power of a Peak Upper Demon.
Its presence alone instilled fear wherever it roamed.
In his entire career as a hunter, he had only encountered one before during a mission. Among the thirty hunters who attempted to kill it, only he survived, solely because he had been lucky enough to be the first to flee.
"What did the head office say? Are they sending a Double Digit?" he asked, his tone filled with urgency.
"No, the message says that we go on standby. The other branches are also dealing with their own issues," she replied.
"Standby? More like we can't do anything," McGaven smiled wryly, his expression revealing his deep understanding of the inner workings of politics within the Hunter Association.