Rina took Ryse and Gretel to survey the deserted elementary school. There were janitors and security guards patrolling. The semester break period was a bit colorless, but they could still experience the atmosphere. Modern buildings with an aura of long-term use.

  Erichester Elementary School was a public school with 200 years of history. The Genius Genes program's welfare would send Ryse and Gretel to the best private school without problem. But here had a more relaxed atmosphere. Had memories of Jinyo, Naho, and Rina when they were young.

  Gretel himself said he wanted to study at the school where his mother used to be. Rina herself didn't want to force her son. Because anyway, even if she didn't push Gretel, he never sent bad grades. She took the children to tour classrooms and old places, but changed so much they couldn't remember.

  While walking to tour the school enjoyably, the phone rang.

  Rina had two phones. A personal mobile phone and a phone from headquarters. The metal-style ringtone made her quickly grab it up to her ear immediately.

  "Rina speaking."

  "Officer Rina, this is Elsa from headquarters. Sorry for calling to disturb your day off."

  "Mm. Say what it is."

  "Confirming location. At that time, Officer Rina was in Erichester City, right?"

  "Yes."

  "It's like this. Last night we caught that there was smuggling of biological weapons. Now the transport vehicle had an accident and flipped over. When officers arrived, there was nothing left. The driver himself also disappeared without a trace."

  "Please send information. Both location and time."

  "Yes. Will send to email." Elsa's voice ended. A notification message rang at the mobile phone. Rina hung up to go check the data file. Ruby eyes narrowed after reading halfway through the file.

  Biological weapon project. Modifying human genes to match monster genes. To create ultimate suicide soldiers receiving commands through brain waves. But errors occurred because monster genes resisted human brain wave commands. Instead of disposing them, there was transport to another city for research.

  Very strange. Because the transport vehicle's security system was advanced. Unless someone deliberately released them. There was no way impact force from flipping over would make these biological weapons escape.

  "Average level is 25 to 30. Letting something like this roam in a rural city like this, the villagers around here are pitiable. But contacting a special-rank hunter because of just this matter, isn't it disrespecting me a bit?"

  "Uh, I'm sorry. But that area really doesn't have enough people. If not possible, it's okay. We'll contact other officers or coordinate with private guilds. But if possible, we don't want private parties to know about this matter at all. Officer Rina understands, right?"

  "I'm not saying anything. This job I'll—" Rina hadn't yet agreed when the other phone bounced a message. Normally she'd turn off message sounds to not have notifications. Except for important names she memorized first priority. Rina did something rare. She who was talking with the officer from headquarters ignored Elsa. Opened the mobile phone to check important messages.

  It was a help request message from Jinyo.

  "Ji—"

  "Ah, argh, sorry. Please don't kill me." Elsa screamed at the other end. She shrieked like being mauled by a tiger.

  "Not about you. Sorry, but I'm not free anymore." Rina politely declined. She hung up without caring at all whether Elsa could find another hunter to take this duty instead. Because what was more important was Jinyo who sent a help request message.

  Plus didn't even say what trouble he was in. It made you want to grab and break his neck. Making others flustered but not explaining anything.

  Rina took her children into the car, hurriedly driving from school to the village. On the way, she called Jinyo many times but he wouldn't answer. Her heart was unsettled, not peaceful even for a second. She parked the car at the mansion entrance.

  "If Mother doesn't come, absolutely don't get out of the car."

  "Yes, Mother." Gretel said.

  "I won't get out until Mama Rina comes."

  "Mm. Very good." Rina closed the car door loudly. Grabbed her sword and jumped, lunging. Using only a few minutes, she crossed one mountain to the Garden of the Sword. The first thing she saw when walking to the Garden of the Sword was corpses of Martial Apes lying scattered like mountains. Blood-stained weapons with martial arts technique manual books found from corpses. Were brought to place together to sort for later use.

  Don't know if lucky in unlucky times or not—new hunter weapons. If sold to weapon forging shops, would probably be enough for mansion expenses for several months. Not counting secondhand manuals sold at flea market stalls—people were ready to pay. Had to really thank that Martial Apes came down to find death themselves. Delivered a big windfall to them themselves.

  Naho held a hoe digging holes, humming in good mood. As if stress accumulated for many long days received release. Turned to look at Jinyo who forced his weary body to bring seedlings on cultivation bowls to transplant into water-soaked paddies.

  Rina focused on listening to turbulent breathing sounds. She knew he was injured.

  "What is all this?"

  "Mass suicide festival of mountain apes? Right, Brother Yo?" Naho turned to ask her twin brother.

  "I don't think mountain apes have such a horrifying festival."

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  "Not it but close. Because if they didn't come down the mountain, they'd probably feast on wild fruits until the end of their lifespan."

  "You, why wouldn't you answer the phone? Plus didn't write details either. Don't you know others are worried?"

  "Sorry. At that time I didn't have time. After that, the phone battery died. At the hut, couldn't charge the battery either."

  "Sigh. Never mind. So whose work is this? Did you kill all of them?"

  "No. Brother Yo already killed half." Naho answered. She also wanted to claim credit for killing monsters alone. But thinking that the skinny, weak brother held a sword to kill monsters at higher levels by the hundreds, as a younger sister, she couldn't help but be delighted with his development.

  "Thought I'd die. Good thing it was just apes. If encountered wild boars or wolf packs, no way could trick them. That I put in just ten bombs." Jinyo raised his arm to wipe sweat. When taking strength recovery medicine, he gradually recovered. Don't know if it was because of the skill's specialty that made him get full benefits from absorbing medicine. The weak body returned to move agilely. Dizziness symptoms from blood loss disappeared completely.

  "Bombs... why do you have things like that?" Rina furrowed her brow.

  "Living near Phantom Night Forest is difficult. If not buying bombs to keep in storage—encountering high-level monsters when alone—I'd be in trouble. Plus had to hurry assemble and bury bombs in the ground. Had only one hour. Lucky that apes weren't smart enough. If changed to wolves or wild boars, in a flash they'd smell it out already."

  If changed from Martial Apes to wolf-type beasts with good noses, Jinyo would probably have lost system powers already. Who'd think the system gave such short preparation time? If there was Naho or Rina even one person, he wouldn't have to gamble whether the strategy would work or not.

  "So what next? It's finished, right? I can go back to pick up the children."

  "Still 21 hours left. The system said to protect the land until reaching 24 hours. If I fail, I'll lose system powers. But if successful, the system will upgrade the land."

  "That's good. I'll help another round then."

  "Oh, for Rina, better wait to help when I can't anymore."

  "Why?"

  "Because if Rina acts, I won't get rewards." Jinyo smiled forcedly. He checked notification boxes. Discovered that the system wouldn't give rewards as plant cultivation tickets if he wasn't the one who killed himself. Naho still could compete, but if letting a special-rank hunter act, these pitiful monsters had no chance of even touching this land for sure.

  Jinyo wanted Rina as insurance to help when the paddy field was in danger. The funny thing was, damage the Garden of the Sword received was only 3%. Not from monsters but from Naho who punched until the ground split.

  "Good. I can rest quietly. Excusing myself to pick up the children first." Rina flicked her hair, walking back in the original direction she came. Jinyo forced himself to take seedlings to plant in soil at even distances for every plant. Not yet recovered from exhaustion when the system notified of the next monster batch's arrival.

  It was four-legged hoofed wild beasts. Large bodies but not tall like Martial Apes. Wide nostrils with tusks on both sides piercing fangs. Large ears, big bodies covered in black fur. Had thick fat layers until swords were hard to cut. Their chestnut eyes glowing in the deep forest made Jinyo sigh. Thank heaven for sending them late. Because if Jinyo had to deal with them instead of Martial Apes, probably wouldn't have the fortune to see children's faces again.

  "At ease, Brother Yo?"

  "At ease until wanting to cry already." Jinyo got up to grab sword and sickle. As for Naho, held the copper hoe that even without entering combat mode, she could still use it well. Two siblings looked at the wild boar herd invading the Garden of the Sword together. Naho released intense planar. Jumped, swinging to strike the middle of the crown. The thick, hard skull as a strong point was pierced by metal with tremendous force transferred down.

  Wild boars' levels were higher than Martial Apes. Average at 10 to 12. Their intelligence wasn't high but had strong bodies. Instincts for charging attacks and muscle mass designed for survival in the most brutal forest. Was another form of challenge Jinyo had to face. He picked up the copper axe to hold in his left hand. planar circulated to seal power at the axe edge.

  The copper axe was designed to cleave trees. Medium size. Jinyo used Peach Blossom Dance to create white peach blossoms scattering at them until creating confusion. Wild boars charged through—no way to stop movement with just this obstacle. But it was enough for Jinyo.

  The copper axe was swung, striking. The axe edge bathed in Sword Spirit mysticism slashed, splitting its body. Groaning sounds echoed throughout the Garden of the Sword. Muscles tore, revealing internal organs twitching, about to flow out to see the outside world. An image Jinyo didn't want his precious children to see.

  Jinyo's hands trembled completely. The axe's weight and swinging in an arc required quite high arm strength and physical strength. Jinyo trying to use the axe for the first time, his shoulder almost dislocated. Even without using combat mode, it still had high destructive power.

  This weapon seemed more suitable for his younger sister than him.

  "Arghh, I'll kill it. It must pay. Can't forgive it. Absolutely can't forgive." Daikyo screamed. The left eye covered by eye bandage blocking light and air still throbbed painfully. After sending himself for treatment, the doctor diagnosed permanent eyeball damage. The possibility of seeing again was very low.

  He was disabled. Because of that young man in white!

  After leaving the hospital, the father who almost disowned him used connections to arrange Daikyo's bail. So escaped prison life narrowly. But no matter what, he couldn't let go of resentment. The face, eyes, voice of that man in white were still deeply engraved in his brain. Whether sleeping or waking. If he didn't get revenge, Daikyo would have to live the rest of his life under that demon's shadow.

  "Hey, Daikyo, better not. We already investigated. That guy is Southerncross." Daikyo's gang friend who was bailed out together warned. Still lucky that others just had cracked bones. Broken ribs. No one was blind like Daikyo.

  "Southerncross so what? Just an impoverished noble family. Now they have nothing left, right?"

  "Don't. Unless you want to be enemies with the whole city. Even if Southerncross has fallen to the extreme, but if you do anything to that house, no one will stay neutral for sure."

  "Who cares! Great-grandparents' era stuff. How can you expect me to swallow that the person who made me blind? No way! Even if I have to die, I have to take him to die too." Daikyo ignored objections from gang friends. Twisted the motorcycle out onto the road. He called acquaintances to prepare fuel, guns, and firebombs.

  The Southerncross family estate wasn't hard to find. If born in Erichester, anyone would know where it was. An ancient building made of old wood. Was fuel that caught fire unbelievably easily. Daikyo chose the incident time as late night. To not be suspicious, he drove from lodging since dusk. A vehicle full of gasoline. Weapons and guns the government strictly controlled. If caught possessing firearms, even if his father had connections, couldn't save him from prison.

  Daikyo drove near the village where Jinyo lived already. A pitch-black route without a single streetlight. Something ran in front of him. A large, nimble shadow. Amid darkness and thick fog, fear gripped his trembling heart. Every hair stood on end until when he came to his senses again, the vehicle lost balance and fell.

  Daikyo didn't know what happened. When he tried to get up, his right eye glimpsed a demonic body. Thick gray fur covering. Standing on two legs two meters tall. Elongated nose and mouth. Red eyes reflecting the full moon image. Intense red bloodthirsty planar aura. It slowly lowered its head low, intertwining gazes with Daikyo who had only one eye left.

  "Ah... ah... ah." Daikyo's mouth trembled, unable to speak words. His brain was interfered with by some wave. It burrowed like worms eating his brain.

  "No, please no, please." Daikyo lost body control. His chest was pierced by hands and claws. A fresh heart extracted from chest beating thump-thump. Was a drum rhythm harmonizing with its breathing rhythm.

  Daikyo's eyes widened blankly. The last image he saw in life before death was the heart extracted while still alive. It went into the mouth of that grotesque strange beast. Letting blood clotted in the heart burst out as thick, sweet sauce.

  Daikyo's body was dragged from the area into the forest. After that, no one ever saw him again.