Chapter 32 – Anthony (1/2)

A young girl and an old man were walking around the town. The old man looked friendly and kind with simple robes adorning his body. He used a cane as support because of his crooked back. Long grey hair and a long grey beard showed his experience.

The girl was around 16 years old and had long purple hair bound into a ponytail. She smiled happily as she walked around the town. She was dressed in similar purple robes and was carrying a long wooden staff with a purple jewel, on her back. Everyone was stunned by the beauty she radiated, but they didn't dare get closer for some reason. The people didn't know why they didn't dare. They just didn't.

”It seemed like we found a good seedling in this town, miss. Who would have thought?” the old man commented with a polite smile.

The girl's smile brightened. ”I know, right? That Jonathan had a nice heart and motivation. Maybe he'll manage to repay us in the future. So, what do you think of my idea, teacher?” she asked as she turned to the old man.

The old man laughed slightly. ”It's a good idea,” he nodded. ”Though, they can only be of help if they grow up quickly. That Jonathan should be able to get into the Proxy-Elemental Guilds, and with some luck, he should be able to repay you.” The old man smiled.

Her smile brightened further. ”Alright, so let's quickly go to the next town.” The girl ran excitedly to the exit of the town, and the old man followed helplessly. Even though he seemed to just be walking, he somehow kept up with the young girl.

Just when they left the town gate, the old man stopped, with shocked eyes. ”Miss, wait!” he shouted. The girl stopped and looked back at her teacher, confused. Her teacher looked towards the east of the town, and the girl could see shock and excitement in his eyes.

She gasped in shock. Her teacher never grew excited or shocked, and he always acted stable and friendly. Yet, in this backwater town, he found something that excited him. The girl's emotions riled up in anticipation. This would be fun! ”What is it, teacher?” she asked impatiently.

The old man continued looking to the east. After a while, he turned to the girl with a smile. ”I feel a strong Will-Aura from the east,” he explained.

The girl gasped in shock. ”A Will-Aura? Here? Is someone from the central continent here?” she asked in shock.

The old man shook his head. ”I don't think so. Judging by the power of the Will-Aura, the person should be in the Body Tempering Realm. Yet, they have a Will-Aura. Even more so, their Will-Aura seems stable. This means they have not condensed it just recently,” the old man continued to explain. ”Do you want to take a look, miss?”

The girl excitedly nodded. The man nodded back and began to walk towards the east, right towards the Hunting Guild. The girl eagerly followed.

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Gravis initially didn't care about the hunters blocking his way. He simply continued walking like they were not there. But when they pulled out their weapons, his eyes narrowed, and he released his Will-Aura.

The whole Hunting Guild fell silent, and everyone felt an ominous, cold wind blowing lightly. They felt like a wild beast was stalking them. The hunters in front of Gravis had it even worse. They fell back, and breathing became increasingly more difficult. Cold sweat was pouring down from their whole bodies, and their hands shivered. Due to the shivering, their weapons released a continuous rattling noise.

”Move!” Gravis ordered.

All the hunters moved to the side, except Anthony. He was just as scared as the others, but he stood his ground with courage. Courage didn't mean that one was not afraid, but that one was able to persist even when they felt fear. By withstanding Gravis' Will-Aura, he showed great courage.

”E-Everyone nee-needs missions to-to survive,” he managed to say through chattering teeth.