Rangers Endgame

Chapter 87: For Charity

"So how was it fighting Kane Yamato?" Haruki probed, leaning in to hear more clearly over the carriage's rattling.

"Just as you saw," Yakeru replied dismissively, staring out at the scuttling rabids in the distance through the tarp.

"He looked really strong. Man, you gave him a run for his money. That look on his face was priceless!" Kai slapped his armored knee.

Yakeru cringed. "Right.”

"So, would this be your first time in the mid-rim?" Daichi asked Yakeru over the rumbling of their carriage.

"Not exactly." He responded simply, his previous battles with the steel-quilled bear and the Ripper flashing through his head. He glanced over. "But admittedly, this is my first time hunting a Crystal-fanged Weaver, so I'm curious to know their capabilities."

"Oh boy. They're notorious for trapping their victims in their web which turns their skin to crystal. Even after the crystallization process is complete, the victim usually remains conscious. Afterward, the beast will use its fangs to break open the shell to feast on their insides and whatnot. They aren’t very picky eaters so long as they fill their stomachs with viscera, you know?" Kai rambled, unaffected by the gruesome image he painted.

"Easy, Kai," Haruki said as their carriage collided with a small bump. "You're gonna scare the kid."

Yakeru suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the implication that he was still some inexperienced newcomer. He continued watching the passing scenery, a grassy stone expanse of twisting trees and jagged boulders. "Trust me, I've seen worse."

"Oh, do tell." Kai pried.

"Maybe another time."

Sensing that Yakeru had exhausted his social battery, Kai turned to Itsuki, who was sitting across from him, his armor bobbing to the bumpy road. "How about you then? What were your missions like?"

Itsuki smiled politely. "I'm high-ranking just like yourself. I'm sure they were hardly any different from your own experiences."

"Oh, you're probably right. I'm just curious, is all. Your fighting ability at the Skirmish was crazy. You really put the moves on those Fiends!"

"Thanks..." Itsuki accepted the awkward compliment.

While Kai continued talking Itsuki's ears off, Daichi studied Yakeru's armor with an unreadable expression. He'd seen rangers with similar armor before but this was the first time he'd seen a set with little wear and tear.

"That armor of yours," he started. "It's so pristine. I imagine it's relatively new."

Yakeru wasted no effort with a response, only sparing him a side glance to show he was listening.

"You also wore it in the Skirmish, if I remember correctly. I imagine it cost a fortune."

The kid resumed looking forward through the flapping tarp. "I guess."

Daichi chuckled. "Not much of a talker, are you?"

Yakeru spent the past two days riding a carriage to their destination, enduring the excruciatingly unengaging conversations from Daichi and his party. They excitedly pried for more information about the Clan Skirmish while Daichi was more curious about his previous missions.

Yakeru didn't say much about the Skirmish since they obviously saw the broadcast and he only gave Daichi curt answers about his previous adventures. Itsuki didn't mind chatting as much as Yakeru, mostly to maintain a friendly air. The only escape Yakeru had was the solace of his own room they'd rent out whenever they rode through a small village and stayed at an inn.

The third day was when they'd crossed over into mid-rim territory. The mid rim was slightly more congested with monsters compared to the inner rim monsters. However, most of them were harmless so long as they didn't feel threatened.

He wanted to experience more of what the mid rim had to offer but since the Weaver's den was relatively close to the inner rim, he knew he wouldn't get that luxury. Perhaps Itsuki planned this.

The dirt road gradually became more obscured and they'd occasionally have to clear a path to move forward, slaying beasts that stood in their way. Like his first time in the mid-rim there was a noticeable increase in power he saw in the monsters but not only had he grown stronger, he also had strong allies with him.

Since these monsters were around C to low B-tier, Daichi's party hardly had to put in any effort into the little scuffles. Yakeru tried observing their fighting styles but each bout frustratingly ended within a few seconds.

On the fourth day, they were quite a distance away from any human settlement so they set up camp within a clearing, surrounded by towering trees and giant boulders. Daichi pulled out a cubed artifact from his satchel and placed it at the center of camp. Applying pressure to the top, the engraved runes flickered to life before the cube pulsed with a translucent dome. He twisted the top half of the cube, adjusting the dome until it encompassed the entire camp.

"There. Nothing will bother us now." He assured as he sat next to Haruki by the fire he'd built.

There was a hint of curiosity in Yakeru's brown eyes but he knew that if he were to ask about the artifact's function, they'd spiral into a drawn-out explanation. Itsuki watched protectively over Yakeru from another log placed beside his.

"Relax," Haruki told him, noticing how alert he was. "There are no monsters here."

Itsuki turned to him. "Right..."

"Well, he's a high-ranking ranger so he knows what it's like out in the wild. That's what you should expect, dummy." Kai slapped Haruki's back as he rotated a few skewered rabids they'd caught and skinned a day prior over the campfire.

After some time, the meat turned a golden brown and with practiced hands, Kai cut through the meat and sprinkled spices over it before serving everyone a portion.

"Here." He handed Yakeru a skewered rabid as he inspected it. "My old man taught me. It's not exactly his recipe since we're limited on supplies though."

Yakeru bit into it, his eyes sparkling as the tender meat popped with seasoned flavor. "Regardless, it seems your father's teachings more than make up for the limited ingredients."

Kai smiled as the group began eating their dinner, conversation flowing from one topic to the next.

"Anyways, what kind of monsters have you fought, Yakeru?" 

"Nothing that you probably haven't fought before." He responded simply as he bit down on a fruit he'd brought with him.

"Did you guys go on a lot of missions before?" Daichi probed, prodding the fire with a stick, spewing embers into the air.

"We've gone on plenty of missions," Itsuki answered, insinuating that they've been in a party before. He was hoping this would give the impression that they were familiar and looked out for each other on the field.

The rest of the meal was just as Yakeru expected, filled with prying conversation. He pretended to occupy himself by cleaning his sword with a rag but that only sparked new curiosity from the others.

As more stars, gently rippling through the translucent barrier, appeared more frequently in the night sky, the rangers began retiring to their makeshift sleeping areas, consisting of single heaps of dirt for pillows. Since the dome trapped the heat from the campfire, there wasn't a need for blankets.

Yakeru waited about an hour before the uncomfortable sound of snoring from the unconscious Kai overpowered the snapping of wood from their fire. He waited an additional ten minutes to ensure it wouldn't stir the others from their slumber before quietly getting up.

Taking his sword just in case, he stealthily made his way to the edge of the barrier. Placing his hand on the water-like surface, he expected resistance. Instead, it seamlessly slipped through the barrier causing him to stumble forward until his arm disappeared. He grimaced but although he unintentionally made a bit of a ruckus, Kai's obnoxious snoring provided cover for the commotion.

Deciding he was still safe, he passed through the barrier completely. As soon as he reached the other side, however, the world immediately overwhelmed his senses. The nightly air clung to his skin, its cool touch smothering him like a wet blanket. The collection of distant nocturnal monsters roaring and moaning assaulted his ears.

Startled, he was brought to his knees from sensory overload, shielding his ears as he groaned in pain. Eventually, his torment relented when his senses finally adjusted to the abrupt change. He took a few minutes to fully gather himself until the distant monstrous cries faded into the background and he could withstand the slight drop in temperature.

Standing to his feet, he looked back to check if everyone was still fast asleep when his eyes shot open in shock. The camp had vanished, and in its place were dead logs and dry rocks. His surprise quickly turned to curiosity as he cautiously held out a hand where the camp used to be. The fabric of space seemed to ripple and distort as his hand passed harmlessly through where the barrier was, feeling the warmth of the fire on the other side.

'An illusion.' He deduced, pulling his hand out.

After satisfying his mild interest, he turned and began walking. He wasn't sure where but since they were already in a clearing, he didn't go very far. He was still fairly unfamiliar with mid-rim monsters so it'd be unwise to venture far anyway.

He settled for a clear plain behind a large boulder the size of a small house about fifty yards away from camp. Just like he did in Itsuki's wasteland of a backyard, he drew a line through the dirt. Feeling a little ambitious, he moved twenty feet away from the line. After the Clan Skirmish, he'd noticed a slight increase in the distance he could travel when using Blitz Step.

Igniting his lower half, he began his own training. Despite making significant progress over the last month, he felt lacking when placed in the midst of veterans.

An hour passed as he tirelessly worked towards reaching the line, the air around him rupturing from his explosive bursts. It wasn't until he finally submitted to his exhaustion and plopped down that he got the chance to examine the trench he'd carved into the earth.

The line still remained untouched as he was only able to make it about fifteen feet before losing his footing. Perhaps he'd been too eager.

'Still, I managed to tack on an extra four feet of distance though.' He chuckled in satisfaction.

As he rested a while, a sense of foreboding weighed down on him. He rose to his feet, legs still trembling after the exertion of his workout, and scanned the area. However, no matter how much he strained his eyes, the veil of darkness refused to give way.

Unsure of whether it was the gaze of a monster he felt or a person, he rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. The slight shuffling of leaves to his right behind the boulder drew his attention.

"I didn't know I had an audience." He spoke into the darkness, calling out whatever was stalking him.

He fully expected a monster, prowling on the one foolish enough to leave the sanctuary that was his campsite, but instead, a familiar face revealed themself in the faint moonlight.

"Sorry for snooping. That self-infusion ability is just fascinating to see." Daichi wore an apologetic smile.

Yakeru dropped his hand after realizing it was just him, but something started to bug him. It hadn't occurred to him before since he was trying to ignore them. Their overbearing insistence on joining his party. The endless pestering with the intention of prying into his life. Now they were completely comfortable stalking him.

He kicked himself as it was so obvious now. All the red flags led to one thing.

"They're all obsessive fanboys." He muttered under his breath, his face dark with panic and horrific realization.

"Sorry?" Daichi asked, signaling to repeat himself.

Realizing he'd said that out loud, Yakeru amended. "I asked if there was something you needed."

Daichi leaned against the boulder, a relieved expression on his face. "Well, when I woke up to find something for my dry throat, I noticed you were gone. So I went looking for you to make sure you were alright."

Yakeru blinked. "That's it?"

"That's it. Again, sorry if I creeped you out or irritated you. That wasn't my intention." He dipped his head apologetically.

He wasn't wrong but Yakeru didn't have it in him for a blunt response. Not like a certain ice queen he knows.

"Once we finish this mission and collect the reward for charity, we'll be out of your hair."

Yakeru raised an eyebrow. "That's why you adventure? For charity?"

Daichi's eyes widened slightly at the sudden realization, scratching his head awkwardly. "I guess we were so eager to know the one who won the Clan Skirmish against all odds that we never gave you the opportunity to know us."

"It's fine. It's admirable that you guys are involved in charity work. May I ask what kind?" Yakeru asked curiously.

Daichi didn't respond immediately but instead kept his eyes on Yakeru with an unreadable expression. After a few seconds, he spoke. "We're trying to give people a more comfortable future." He answered vaguely.

‘Isn’t that what all charities are for?’ Yakeru asked himself, but before he could question it, Daichi pushed himself from the boulder.

"Goodnight, Yakeru," Daichi said abruptly as he walked away, his form merging with the darkness.