When they emerged on the other side of the portal, the group was greeted by a breathtaking sight. Before them stretched a vast, verdant landscape, dotted with gentle hills and lush forests. The air was pure and fresh, filled with the scents of untamed nature.
Rhéa was the first to break the awed silence. "It's… it's beautiful," she murmured, her eyes scanning the horizon.
"I've never seen anything like it," Thalia added, her voice filled with admiration. "It's like we've been transported to another world."
Akira, seemingly unaffected by the beauty of the place, turned to the group. "We'll set up camp here," he announced firmly. "Start preparations immediately."
After nearly an hour of sustained effort, the camp was finally ready. Tents were pitched around a central area where a campfire had been prepared. Various equipment was neatly arranged, ready for use.
It was then that Hernandez emerged from what looked like a small, makeshift cabin built slightly apart from the main camp. He approached Akira with a determined stride.
"I'm done," he announced.
Akira simply nodded in response. Without a word, he reached into his dimensional pouch. The simple gesture immediately caught Hernandez's attention, whose eyes widened in surprise as Akira began pulling out its contents.
"By all the gods… where did you get all this?" Hernandez exclaimed, stunned by what he saw.
A smile played on Akira's lips as he continued to extract the materials without bothering to answer. The sounds of activity around the camp gradually quieted as the other group members, intrigued by the unfolding scene, approached discreetly to observe.
Hernandez let out an admiring whistle. Piles of precious metals accumulated: adamantine with its characteristic bluish sheen and mithril with a silvery glow so pure it seemed almost ethereal.
When Akira finished laying out the materials, Hernandez spoke, choosing his words carefully. "I don't mean to be rude, but… such a quantity of adamantine and mithril… There's only one place where you could find so much of these precious metals: the Hunters' Association."
"That's exactly where I got them," Akira replied calmly, his face betraying no emotion.
Hernandez's face fell, as if he'd been physically struck. A palpable tension settled in the air as the implications of this revelation began to sink in.
"Are you…" Hernandez paused, his voice trembling, "are you also responsible for the carnage that took place there?"
"Absolutely," Akira replied with the same unsettling calm. "You'd better step back now."
Without waiting for a response, Akira reached into his dimensional pouch again. This time, he pulled out the scales of Belthegus, the demonic dragon whose name alone was enough to make even the bravest tremble. The spectators' eyes widened in horror, and several instinctively stepped back. Only Yumi and Elysia remained unfazed.
The scales emitted an unhealthy aura, but Akira, holding them firmly, released a portion of his energy. A bluish glow emanated from his palms, gradually neutralizing the demonic energy that permeated the scales.
Once the energy was dispelled, Akira approached Hernandez, who hadn't moved, as if frozen by the successive revelations. He handed him the scales.
Snapping out of his stupor, Hernandez accepted them cautiously, his eyes searching Akira's. "What kind of equipment do you want in exchange?"
Akira scratched the back of his head, seeming to think for a moment. "It's better if you see for yourself," he said before reaching out and touching Hernandez's forehead.
A few seconds passed, during which a mental connection seemed to form between the two men. "I see," Hernandez murmured finally, nodding. "Is… what I'm thinking also here?"
Without answering, Akira stepped back several paces, creating a significant distance between himself and the group. With a precise gesture, he erected a protective barrier around himself. "Yumi," he called, "make sure nothing serious happens."
She nodded silently, understanding what was about to happen. The entire group, still reeling from the previous revelations, watched Akira's actions. He sat cross-legged inside the barrier, his face displaying intense concentration.
Taking a deep breath, he withdrew the Heart of Belthegus. The moment the organ was exposed to the open air, a devastating wave of energy surged within the barrier, so powerful that it completely obscured the view from the outside.
The interior of the barrier glowed with a blinding light, blending shades of blood red and abyssal black. The spectators could no longer see what was happening inside, but they could feel the waves of power emanating from the protective structure.
The rest of the group stood frozen with fear. The presence of Belthegus, even contained within a barrier, was enough to resurface traumatic memories for some of them. Thalia unconsciously gripped Rhéa's hand, seeking comfort in the contact.
The minutes dragged on with unbearable slowness. The tension in the air was so thick it was almost tangible. Even the sounds of the surrounding forest seemed to have fallen silent, as if nature itself were holding its breath.
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