Chapter 80

"Uncles, do you need something from me?"

September 11, 2031.

Day 2 of Hunter Auction.

After successfully completing his chip-earning task, Ayeon stopped in a sparsely populated alley. In front of him were three foreign hunters, including Verde. He knew their purpose.

"You?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the item you stole."

Verde stood in front of Ayeon, looking as if he already knew everything. Ayeon, undaunted, lifted his head and burst out laughing.

"Figures. That's why I told you to keep an eye on your pockets, didn't I?"

"Don't play dumb. Give it back quickly."

"What are you talking about? Do you have any proof that I stole it?"

You don't. The pale pink eyes under the baseball cap curved with an innocent look.

"There's no one else I can think of."

"Hey, uncle. That's just a hunch, not evidence."

Sighing, Ayeon crossed his hands in an X.

"Anyway, it wasn't me. Absolutely not."

Just as he was about to pass by them.

Rrrr— Grr! Grr!

A large dog suddenly appeared, baring its teeth as if ready to tear Ayeon apart.

Two, three, four... The number of large dogs, which were not there a moment ago, began to increase.

'There's a Tamer here.'

Hunters with summoning abilities. Among them, those who handle animals are commonly called Tamers (Tamer).

This could get troublesome if it drags on.

Summoning-type hunters can summon objects ranging from a minimum of ten to several dozen, and at most several thousand, depending on their rank, as long as they have enough mana.

For Ayeon, who specializes in one-on-one combat, they are the ultimate nemesis.

Moreover, there are three of them. Ayeon knew that A-rank Hunter Verde's unique ability was plant manipulation. The other hunter's rank and unique ability were unknown, meaning he couldn't even guess the elemental advantages.

In that case, there was only one action to take. Ayeon turned around.

"Uncles, are those dogs? They're cute, but I'm more of a cat person."

And then.

"…?!"

The girl vanished like smoke.

Verde, flustered, quickly scanned the area. There was no sign of the girl.

Above? No. She had literally 'disappeared.' It was as if she had teleported.

Whether she had fled or just hidden, it didn't matter.

"Chase her."

One of the hunters muttered as if casting a spell. The large dogs scattered around like the trigger had been pulled.

***

'About Ayeon in Class 2. She's a basic living allowance recipient.'

'Her parents died in a Gate accident when she was young, and she grew up in an orphanage until last year, right?'

'Really? A friend in Class 2 said she gives off a strange smell. When she moves, a stench fills the back row, hehe. And she always wears the same socks.'

'There's probably no water at her place.'