Hunter Planet! A planet where warriors begin their journey to level up, known as the sacred ground for warriors.
Demons, a species of devils, had enslaved innocent humans on Hunter Planet for thousands of years. The enmity between Demons and humans had persisted for millennia, with Demons killing humans to increase their powers. But times had changed. Humans had become advanced and started leveling up as well.
Monarch City was a small city in the human territories. At the moment, a large crowd of young boys and girls had gathered at the famous Hunter Academy in Monarch City. These were the warriors of the academy.
Right now, in a large area of the academy, a crowd of warriors had gathered to listen to a lecture by Professor Lue.
"Ten days from now, the annual competition organized by the Hunter Hall will take place. Only Assistant Hunters can participate in this competition. So, those who have been chosen as assistants to an Official Hunter are eligible to take part," Professor Lue announced with a smile in a loud voice to all the warriors.
To completely eradicate Demons from Hunter Planet, powerful leaders from different countries had come together to form a civilization known today as the Hunter Organization.
This organization worked to protect the common people of Hunter Planet from the wrath of Demons and maintain peace.
"Oh, crap, man! The competition is starting in ten days, and a queen like me hasn't even been chosen as an assistant by any Official Hunter yet!"
a girl from the crowd said with disappointment on her face after hearing Professor Lue's announcement.
To participate in the Hunter Hall, a warrior's first position was that of an Official Hunter. Official Hunters were idols to the people, respected by all. Thus, it was everyone's dream to become a part of the Hunter Hall.
To become an Official Hunter, two criteria had to be met: crossing the Star Level and becoming an assistant to an Official Hunter.
"Seriously, becoming an Assistant Hunter is so tough. If we manage to become an assistant to an Official Hunter, society will look at us with respect. But my luck is so bad that I haven't even reached the Star Level yet. I don't know when the day will come when I'll go on missions as an assistant to an Official Hunter," a boy in the crowd said to the boy standing next to him, his voice filled with disappointment.
The boy standing beside him was about eighteen years old and looked quite handsome. His eyes were sharp like an eagle's, and he held a gleaming sword in his hand. His name was Lin Xiu, and he wasn't a warrior of the Hunter Academy. He had sneaked in to listen to Professor Lue's lecture.
Lin Xiu had been stuck at his current level for a long time and couldn't progress beyond the first level. He had hoped Professor Lue would lecture about leveling up, but instead, he was there to announce the competition.
"Professor Lue! I want to know if it's possible to become an Official Hunter without being an assistant to an Official Hunter Warrior?" Lin Xiu suddenly asked Professor Lue, who was lecturing on the stage.
When Professor Lue heard Lin Xiu's question, his attention turned to the boy. "Without becoming an Assistant Hunter, you cannot progress to higher levels because you need the guidance of an expert to cross the Star Level. Additionally, to become an Official Hunter, you must go on a mission with a team of at least two Official Hunters," Professor Lue answered.
This criterion was set so that an Assistant Hunter could understand the dangers an Official Hunter faces.
Professor Lue lectured for about an hour before leaving. After he left, the other warriors of the academy began heading to their respective classes. Meanwhile, Lin Xiu tried to slip out of the academy unnoticed. But before he could exit, three boys blocked his path and surrounded him.
"You sneaked into our academy and listened to our professor's lecture for free. Don't you think you owe us something in return?" one of the three boys said in a heavy voice, glaring at Lin Xiu. His body looked somewhat powerful, and his level was already at the Star Level.
"I didn't know they let beggars into the academy. I heard only the heirs of wealthy families get admission here," Lin Xiu replied with a strange expression on his face.
The Hunter Academy was a prestigious institution where admission required not only talent but also a powerful background. Only those from influential families could join, as they received superior resources from their families, allowing them to level up faster than others.
"How dare you call me a beggar! You're the one sneaking around our academy like a thief, and you have the nerve to call me a beggar?" the boy snapped, enraged by Lin Xiu's words.
"Listen, kid! Do you know that Brother Xue San has already become an assistant to a Hunter Warrior? Now, the entire society respects him. In the upcoming competition, Brother Xue San will make it to the top ten and become an Official Hunter. If you want to live a good life, bow down to him right now," another boy standing next to him said, glaring at Lin Xiu angrily.
When Lin Xiu heard that the boy was already an assistant to an Official Hunter Warrior, he was slightly surprised, though his expression didn't change much.
"How can you feel so proud about being a pet dog to some Hunter Warrior?" Lin Xiu said, looking at Xue San with disdain.
To Lin Xiu, the position of an Assistant Hunter didn't mean much. He always believed that a person's greatest teacher was themselves, as people learn from their own mistakes.
"You bastard! You're calling Xue San a pet dog? Do you know how much hard work it takes to become an Assistant Hunter?" one of the boys standing next to Rohan shouted furiously.
They were barely controlling their anger because they had come to the academy to become Hunter Warriors and protect humanity. If they started beating up a nobody like this kid, what respect would they have left in society?
"Get out of my way!" Lin Xiu ignored their words, pushed them aside, and started walking out of the academy.
"Go to hell!" Seeing Lin Xiu's move, one of the boys couldn't contain his anger and lunged toward him to attack.
"Stop, Zhang Tong! Let that bastard go!" Rohan suddenly stopped him.
"Broth Xue San, he insulted us and you're just letting him walk away?" Zhang Tong said, sounding annoyed.
"I'm an assistant to an Official Hunter Warrior, and I have to maintain a good image in society. If I beat up that lowlife, it'll only tarnish my teacher's reputation. People will say I attacked a weakling out of arrogance. We'll take our revenge, but not openly. We'll deal with him in a way that no one will ever know," Xue San explained to Zhang Tong.
Hearing this, Zhang Tong understood what his friend meant. In society, Assistant Hunters were highly respected, and if they misused their position to harass weaker people, it would bring disgrace to both the assistant and their teacher.
"I need to reach the Star Level as soon as possible, or I won't be able to become an Official Hunter Warrior this year either," Lin Xiu muttered to himself as he walked. He soon arrived at a market bustling with people and various shops. The atmosphere was lively. Though the city was small, it was densely populated.
People were buying daily necessities, while some were selling resources. "I should buy some Energy Pills to help me level up," Lin Xiu thought as he headed toward a shop.
To reach the Star Level, one had to cross the four preceding levels. Lin Xiu was stuck at the first level, not because of any physical deficiency but because he didn't have enough money to buy the resources needed to level up. On top of that, he had no family.
"Excuse me! I need some Energy Pills. Can you give me three?" Lin Xiu asked the shopkeeper at one of the shops.
The shop had various types of pills, but only Energy Pills were useful for leveling up. The other pills were for cleansing the body's cells or strengthening veins, which didn't help with leveling but made the body stronger. However, Lin Xiu didn't need to strengthen his body since it would naturally grow stronger once he leveled up.
"Fifty coins for three Energy Pills!" the shopkeeper replied.
"What?! Fifty coins?!" Lin Xiu was stunned upon hearing the price.
On Hunter Planet, coins were the currency, and small purchases were made with them.
"Yes, kid! That's the price for three Energy Pills," the shopkeeper said, making a strange face and ignoring Lin Xiu's shock.
"But I only have this much," Lin Xiu said, pulling out a few coins from his pocket and showing them to the shopkeeper. He had just three coins in his hand.
The shopkeeper's jaw dropped when he saw the three coins. Was this kid crazy, trying to buy three Energy Pills with just three coins? If he didn't have money, why did he even come here?
"You can barely buy a meal with three coins, and you want three Energy Pills?" the shopkeeper said, sneering.
"Exactly, uncle! Inflation has gone through the roof these days," Lin Xiu replied with a faint smile.
"It's not inflation; you're just a beggar. It's getting late, so stop wasting my time," the shopkeeper said, glaring at Lin Xiu with contempt and gesturing for him to leave. He had thought the boy might be wealthy since his clothes looked clean and expensive, but he turned out to be a beggar in disguise.
"Fine, fine, don't talk too much," Lin Xiu said through gritted teeth, then walked away from the shop.
"I need to find another way to earn money. Working all day only gets me ten or so coins. I need a job that'll earn me thousands of coins in one go," Lin Xiu muttered as he walked. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he fell deep in thought.
"Looks like I have no choice but to take this path. After all, who knows me here?" Lin Xiu said to himself.
He decided to wait for nightfall, as the dangerous and laborious task he was planning could only be done at night. Lin Xiu wandered the market until it grew darker. When the night deepened, he got to work. He carefully observed the people around him. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a girl carrying a tightly clutched black bag.
The girl, about sixteen years old, looked slightly scared. She glanced around as if afraid of something.
"Wait, Lin Xiu, stealing could get you in big trouble. If you get caught, you'll be beaten badly," he thought. But then he added, "This girl looks innocent. I can easily trap her."
Lin Xiu was planning to steal because honest earnings weren't fulfilling his needs. As the girl kept walking, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Seeing the person, she panicked, stepped back, and tightly gripped her black bag.
When Lin Xiu saw her reaction, he realized there must be something valuable in that bag.
"Hello, little girl! Are you going that way? If I were you, I wouldn't go there. There are three thieves waiting for you," Lin Xiu said with a smile.
"There are thieves there?" the girl said, looking in that direction with fearful eyes.
"Yes! If you want to avoid them, take the alley ahead. But if you want, I can escort you through it. The thing is, there may not be thieves in that alley, but there are definitely stray dogs," Lin Xiu said, pointing to a dark, deserted alley where a heavy silence hung, and no one was around.