Chapter 2
The pattern was simple...at least one healer in a squad of one B rank, three C rank, two D rank and one E rank for a D rank portal raid, healers all came from the earth realm, B rank squad leader hawk was from the water realm, three C rank members, two of them were from the fire realm and one of them was from the ice realm, two D rank were both from the earth realm but hadn't learned the healing technique and only used their abilities to fight.
And then there was kaizen...E rank, no one knew what realm he came from since he had no magic ability to prove his origins.
The air of the beast realm was completely different from the outside. As they all stepped into the portal with a deep breath, everyone instantly tensed because they knew the battle that was to come.
It was a D rank portal but no one knew exactly what kinda beasts they would find in there. During Portal raids, a team could get unlucky and encounter a different specie of beast that had both human intelligence and magical abilities, which was rare but had happened several times.
So everyone had to be on high alert, which was why no one wanted a death weight. And kaizen knew for sure that the only reason he was allowed to come along was because he could end up becoming a cannon fodder for the rest.
The squad moved deeper into the Beast Realm.
The terrain had shifted slightly, rocky patches, twisted roots, and a fog that crawled across the ground like it had a mind of its own.
"Stay close. Scan every direction." Hawk said in a calm but firm voice.
Kaizen trailed behind as usual, eyes scanning, his muscles tense. No one told him to cover any flank or zone. He just followed.
"Hey, hope you're not planning to disappear once the fighting starts," the same red-haired guy muttered just loud enough for everyone else to hear. "Or are you waiting to clean up scraps again?"
A few chuckled.
Kaizen said nothing. He'd heard worse.
It didn't take long before the first beast showed up. It was a low-level canine-type, black fur, fangs longer than its jaw. The group reacted immediately. Magic surged. A mix of flames and ice clashed with the beast before it even had a chance to lunge. It died before Kaizen moved a muscle.
"Wow. Did you blink, Kaizen? You missed it." The red headed guy taunted again.
More laughter followed.
Kaizen just walked past the body without looking at them. It was obvious they were taunting him on purpose. Afterall, humans liked the feeling of being above others, and they all believed he was below them, so he just let them have the fun.
Another two appeared shortly after. This time, one of the D-rankers handled it with some effort. Kaizen kept his distance. His hand hovered near his dagger, but again, no one asked for help. No one gave him a chance to even land a hit.
Then it got worse.
A beast shot out from the side, fast, and not part of the original group. It caught them off guard and went straight for the healer.
Hawk reacted instantly, slicing it midair with water blades. But in the confusion, one of the D-rankers stumbled and went down hard, twisting his ankle.
"Dammit, focus!" Hawk snapped.
The squad regrouped quickly, but the tone had changed. This portal wasn't going to be smooth.
They kept moving.
After fifteen more minutes, they entered a clearing surrounded by stone pillars and fallen branches. Everyone slowed.
"This feels... wrong," muttered the ice realm user.
He was right.
The next second, a deep growl echoed and six beasts emerged from the shadows. Bigger than the ones earlier. Stronger. Claws dragging across the ground. Eyes glowing.
"Damn it! Defensive formation!" Hawk shouted. A D rank portal wasn't supposed to be having so many powerful beasts attacking at the same time.
The squad spread out, this time tighter, more serious. Kaizen ended up near the edge again, alone.
The fight started.
Magic blasted from every direction. Fire slammed into one beast's side. Water shot through another's leg. Ice froze a third mid-lunge. But the remaining three didn't stop.
One headed straight toward Kaizen.
He drew his dagger.
No time to think. He ducked under the swipe, slashed across its shoulder, then rolled aside before its claws could reach his neck.
But it was fast.
Faster than the others.
It turned with a snarl and lunged again. Kaizen managed to block with the dagger, but the beast's weight sent him crashing to the ground.
His head hit a stone. and he could have sworn he saw stars...his vision blurred for a moment from the impact of the hit.
"Useless!" someone shouted.
Before the beast could finish him off, one of the C-rank fire users blasted it back with a flaming spear.
"Watch yourself, dead weight! We're not here to babysit!"
Kaizen forced himself up, chest heaving. Blood trickled from his temple. He clenched his jaw and got back into position.
The rest of the squad finished off the remaining beasts, bruised, panting, but alive.
"That thing nearly got him killed."
"He's just gonna slow us down. I'm telling you, Hawk, we should've left him out."
Kaizen sat on a nearby rock, pressing a cloth against his bleeding head. His ears rang, but the insults still reached him clearly.
"Can't believe he's still breathing," the red-haired guy muttered, spitting to the side. "We're risking our lives and he's just here stacking injuries. Useless bastard."
One of the other C-rankers chuckled. "He probably thought he was gonna prove something. Sorry, E-rank. Not everyone's cut out to be a Hunter."
Kaizen kept his eyes low, fists clenched.
But Hawk walked over and stood in front of the group.
"Enough."
Everyone fell quiet.
"He's on this mission. I don't care how weak you think he is. You focus on the beasts, not your damn egos."
"But Captain—"
"I said enough." Hawk's tone dropped colder. "No more distractions. If anyone's got energy to waste complaining, I'll mark you for solo cleanup duty on the way out."
No one spoke again.
"Lara, come heal him." Hawk ordered the healer who was standing at the corner. She turned and took one look at kaizen then frowned.
"It's nothing that needs healing, he'll be fine. Besides, I need to preserve my energy just in case we face bigger threats later on."
Yeah right, bullshit. She could just say she doesn't wanna heal the wound cause it's me.
Kaizen thought, his jaw clenching as stood slowly, blood drying on his face. He didn't thank Hawk. He didn't look at anyone. He just tightened the strap on his glove and moved toward the edge of the clearing.