"Oh, and please be careful. Do not go too excessive. This world is too weak to withstand too much of your power. Do not make this world break apart," Aldrian said before his wives could start their competition.
Sylphia and the others nodded in understanding.
"Then, ladies, happy hunting. You may go now." After Aldrian said that, Sylphia, Baek Jimin, and Angelica shot out at full speed, spreading in different directions as they searched for any devils they could find.
Aldrian stayed in his place, waiting for his wives to finish their race. He then looked at Mason, who seed confused about what he should do, with a faint smile.
"Mister Mason, you can stay here or follow one of my wives to stay safe, or maybe you can move in another direction and hunt those people we call devils. If you can surpass my wives, I will give you a reward as well."
Mason instantly waved both of his hands and shook his head with a stiff smile.
"No, no need, Your Excellency. I am not worthy to compete with Your Excellency's wives. I think I would rather follow one of them and see their greatness," he said.
Aldrian nodded. "I will stay here, so Mister Mason may move on his own."
Right after he said that, they suddenly sensed a strong cold aura sweeping toward them from the horizon. It ca from Baek Jimin's direction. Then, from another direction where Angelica went, a golden light illuminated the entire horizon, followed by a holy aura that surged toward them.
From Sylphia's direction, another aura spread out, and they could see the silhouette of giant dragons on the horizon.
Seeing that, Aldrian smiled. "It looks like they have already started."
Mason gulped and then turned to Aldrian to give a respectful gesture.
"Excuse , Your Excellency," he said before flying toward Baek Jimin's direction.
He had already experienced what awaited beyond the second line of defense, and now he wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of destruction Aldrian's wives would bring upon them.
After the second line of defense, they would have to pass the strong fortresses that guarded this region. Anyone who wanted to explore further into this world from the gate had to pass through these fortresses.
These fortresses were guarded by thousands of troops, with an average rank of B-rank, and each of them was led by at least one SSSS-rank being. With this kind of defense, there was no way for Earth's forces to keep pushing forward after suffering heavy casualties at the second line of defense.
That was why the furthest they could reach in this world was this third line of defense, the fortresses.
They could not simply move through the gaps between the fortresses. Even though the distance between them was wide, passing through would expose them to a pincer attack.
They did not know what kind of forces were waiting beyond the fortresses. If they kept pushing forward and encountered another army ahead, they would not be able to retreat, with the fortress troops blocking their path from behind.
They also could not focus on attacking just one fortress at a ti. If they concentrated their forces on a single fortress, the others would send reinforcents and eventually surround them.
Once again, they would be caught in a pincer attack, trapped in the middle.
The only way to avoid this was to attack all the fortresses at the sa ti, but that would be extrely difficult with the number of hunters already reduced after the second line of defense.
If they wanted to keep pushing forward, then they had to be ready to sacrifice even more of their hunters, sothing that any guild, hunter association, or even the military itself considered too high a price.
They had already tried offering cooperation to so of the otherworlders to clear this gate, but none of them showed any interest in it.
That was why they decided to maintain the status quo with the Land of Blood gate and left this place untouched until they could find a way to clear it.
After flying for a few minutes, Mason finally reached one of the fortresses, and what he saw made his eyes tremble.
A fortress with towering walls and an area wide enough to station thousands of troops. A fortress that filled with defensive chanisms that would require even an SSSS-rank hunter so ti to break through.
Yet at this mont, the entire fortress was already covered in ice.
The cold temperature pierced his skin, forcing him to protect himself with his own energy. Even then, he could still feel the biting chill.
He could see thousands of troops frozen within the ice. They were already dead, yet many of their faces showed no sign that they had realized it. So looked as if they were smiling, others carried mocking expressions, and showed traces of lust.
'In such a short ti, she had already frozen this entire place, and they died without even realizing they were dead,' Mason thought in amazent.
He could no longer see Baek Jimin as she had already flown further ahead. He knew she did not care to check this place after freezing it entirely and was in a hurry to continue the hunt. He could still sense her cold trail and decided to keep following it.
He could already sense another aura sweeping repeatedly toward him from ahead, along with the auras of Aldrian's other wives coming from different directions.
Mason sighed.
'What a monster,' he thought, making sure to keep that opinion to himself so no one could hear it.
----------------------------------
Four hours later, outside the Land of Blood gate.
The press from across the U.S. had already arrived and gathered around the fortress guarding the gate. They had been waiting ever since receiving reports that the otherworlders, who had caused a sensation since they appeared, were attempting to clear one of the most dangerous gates.
This was major news, as the last ti anyone tried to clear this gate was twenty years ago, when the Hunter Association, along with several large guilds, joined forces. They sent more than twenty thousand hunters, accompanied by three SSSS-rank hunters.
However, that attempt ended in failure, with many of them losing their hunters. They even lost several SS-rank hunters, which severely weakened their overall power.
As for otherworlders, none had tried to clear this gate, as they showed no interest in it. Because of that, people did not know how they would fare if they attempted it.
Still, everyone agreed on one thing. To clear this type-one gate, thousands of hunters were required.
So when the press heard that only four otherworlders intended to clear it, they simply could not believe it. They thought those people had gone insane and were seeking their own deaths.
Attempting to clear the gate with only four people… or five, as the press had also learned that the leader of the Hunter Association was accompanying them, was nothing short of suicide.
One of the reporters, a beautiful blonde woman, sat beside a van with her caraman, a man wearing a hat. Their gazes remained fixed on the direction of the fortress. It was obvious they were waiting for Aldrian's group to co out… or not co out.
If all of them died inside, the military would know instantly. Before entering the gate, every hunter was given a device that monitored their life sign. If they died, the device would send a signal.
"I'm really curious what's going on in Leader Mason's mind. Why did he agree to let those otherworlders attempt to clear the Land of Blood gate with only four of them?" the man said.
The woman shook her head.
"I also find it absurd. He should already know how dangerous the Land of Blood gate is, yet he still let them enter. Even he dared to follow them," she sighed. "And it only makes think more about those otherworlders. It feels like there's more than ets the eye."
The man raised his eyebrows.
"Just think about it. We know those otherworlders must be special if Leader Mason personally greeted them. That alone is a big sign. And we also know Leader Mason isn't stupid. If he allowed them to attempt clearing the Land of Blood gate, then there must be sothing that gives him confidence in them," she said as her eyes narrowed.
"Sothing that makes him believe the gate will most likely be cleared this ti."
The man nodded and then looked back at the fortress.
"That makes sense, but if he's confident that the gate could be cleared by four people, then…" He stopped as his thoughts drifted toward one possibility.
He glanced at the woman.
"Do you think they're much stronger than SSSS-rank?" he asked solemnly.
The woman did not answer imdiately as she also looked toward the fortress.
"That is one possibility," she said after a few monts of silence.
The man let out a breath.
"Much stronger than SSSS-rank, huh…" he murmured.
As they continued waiting, a powerful aura suddenly swept toward them from the direction of the fortress.
Their eyes widened as they understood what that ant.
Those otherworlders had co out of the gate!
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