(Good news! They dropped the charges! My license is returned!)
I've risen against difficult odds and powerful enemies. With my system, I am beginning to think that I am the world's apex hunter. Within a short time period, I went from an E-Rank Hunter to an S-Rank Hunter.
However, despite it all. The world can be cruel, and with no warning, it can remind you that you are merely still a small fish in a very big pond.
This space. I don't know what it was called at first, but with the help of my Necromancer class, I was able to get an answer. My shadow extraction still worked in this dimension, and so did my system, so this world is somewhat tethered to my world.
The Low-Proximity Magnetic Distortion System. It's a device that allows you to cross 'Thresholds', whatever that is. The device is colloquially known as a machine or a door.
The corpse that my new shadow belonged to was just a low-level researcher in charge of taking pictures and measuring the whole complex. The shadow told me what it all knew about Project KV31, an American electrical and dimensional program developed by the Async Research Institute.
I've never heard of such an institute or company.
Also, it was apparently started around the 1980s and only made a big discovery in 1989. The back rooms, as they called it. It was supposedly the ultimate solution for the earth's looming problem of overpopulation and storage.
A machine that allows you to travel to a different dimension. How interesting and exciting. If I had my hands on a machine like that, my imagination would be the limit. I'd travel anywhere.
The shadow also told me that it died around December 2, 1991.
The flow of time was different here for sure. If this person did indeed die almost three decades ago. The corpse would already be a pile of bones instead of advanced decay.
"You have a lot on your mind, huh?" A voice spoke out.
Sigh. It's him.
The one that I couldn't figure out. A man of apparently aristocratic breeding and also a fantasy knight. He wasn't wearing any armor, but he was definitely shining. His hair was red and his eyes blue; he had a handsome face with fair white skin.
He wore a regal white long coat, and it had these purple outlines. Apparently, it was the outfit of the kingdom's royal guard. He had a sheathed sword in his waist, and it was oozing with power; anyone with even a sliver of ambition would have their eyes glued on that sword.
How I wish to have that in my hand.
"Yes, my sword is indeed powerful." The man said, Reinhard van Astrea was his name. I didn't change my expression, I just stared at him, hoping he'd get the hint that I don't want to be bothered right now.
"I see. I'll give you some space."
Goddamned mind reader. I confronted him days ago. He'd anticipate what I would think, basically becoming a yes man of sort. He doesn't disagree with me. At first, I thought we just had some similar ideas, but no, this guy, he can read minds.
I told him to stop.
He apologized for the misunderstanding. He cannot read minds; he's merely an amazing intuitive detective and has an eye for character, so he's able to vaguely know what they're thinking or suggesting.
Horse crap.
There's something unnatural about this guy, and I am not dropping my guard around him. He told me that he has these blessings that allow him to have several cards up his sleeve. I asked him more about it, hoping to gauge this potential threat.
He said he can differentiate between cheese and butter or salt and sugar.
He's either looking down on me or making fun of me. Anyhow, I don't trust those polite smiles. I've seen those same polite smiles, and they were from the people who abandoned me, leaving me to die in that... ergh...
He's also the most powerful here in this room. I've seen what he can do. My nerves twitch within his presence, and so did my shadows. They want to take their chances with this red-haired knight and see if he's really strong.
I ordered them to calm down. For now, he's an ally. I remember what my new shadow whispered to my ears, Beru. "Master, how strong do you think he is?"
"If he's serious, he can be quite the pain. The strategy is not to fight a long battle."
"Would you lose?"
Hmmm... "I'd win."
As for the rest of the party. We have these two normal-looking kids. Kakeru Ryuen and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. Kakeru is an aggressive young man with dyed purple hair and Ayanokoji is a brown-haired hermit.
I have no interest in these two. They're just high schoolers who have bad blood between them. My opinion? Let them punch it out.
Then this Midoriya Izuku. A high schooler with a hero license and several quirks.
A green-haired innocent looking boy but his eyes tell a different story. He's like a wolf hiding amongst sheep; he's experienced with combat. He told us that he came from a world being terrorized by this All For One.
He's strong and powerful for a kid; his strength is that of an S-Class Hunter. How terrifying. That immense amount of power within that teenage body. What a rough life he must live. I can practically see the burden in his eyes.
Then there is this Megumi Fushiguro. He looked like he came back from death multiple times. A gloomy looking kid with black hair and decent looks. With a glance, it's easy to tell that there's nothing special about him; just your average high schooler.
However, he apparently holds the power or possibility to escape this place. A being called Mahoraga that we apparently killed. He can now summon it due to us not having cursed energy when we killed it.
The explanation is long, but to put it simply. We're not considered as people because we're not sorcerers. What a depressing rubric, good thing it's not political.
"I gathered everything that I could, and this is all I could find. I am becoming quite a master with these supply runs." Reinhard van Astrea said and then dumped an enormous amount of food in front of us.
"I have a pair of decent eyes and a nose like a dog, please dig in!" He said as he picked up an instant noodle cup and then tossed it to me.
Ahem. Reinhard cleared in his throat. "It seems I can escape from this place. A boon of my blessing."
"..."
We all gawk at him with a startled expression.