Shinobi From Hell

Chapter 119 - Ignorance Is Bliss

A group of five hunters were fighting the black armadillos at the edge of the central island. Being a group as large as them they were somehow able to cooperate and kill of these beasts without actually being pushed back and falling off the edge and without being sucked dry by the beasts.

Thankfully they cleared out the monsters and came out only with some light injuries. They were probably the only others who were working in the group, thanks to the leader's [Commander] class. It had the [Charisma] skill along with it which helped them in bringing together. 

"We have to find more to kill. Let's split up and report when we find a prey!" The leader, Lewis said. He beckoned three of his men to get moving.

But 'prey' for them had a different meaning. Unlike Klautz they weren't looking for more Armadillos or beasts to kill rather they were looking to kill humans. Lewis was playing to win. Having the commander skill he already had an edge over others when it came to numbers.

[Kills: 40]

True to his order three people split up in different directions, one up ahead, one left while the other right. The other three which included Lewis left behind to recuperate. 

Lewis was a leader who believed that men were more suited to hunting and killing than women. While indeed strength in hell depended on stats and not on gender. But he believes that this kind of work requires a strong will and the resolve to kill which women rarely possess. That is why all five members he had picked were men.

The Commander class was quite different from the Vassal Lord class that Klautz possessed. While his teammates could always betray him. But they will always deem him unworthy to be the better leader. That is why he had to be  careful and at guard at all times.

***

"Tsk," Byron clicked his tongue in annoyance adorned with a pinched expression.

'I should have been the one to stay back. Why should I endanger my life like this?' he thought. He had failed to agree with Lewis' decision of sending him to scout. The island was storming with the giant armadillos and his life was at stake. But Byron chose to follow his orders anyway. He does not want to be thrown away.

Even now he was trying to hide from an armadillo as he passed close to them, not wanting to get caught. Even if one of them found him the whole pack would be storming after! 

"This is not fair!" He complained but there was no one to hear.

He was all alone. His boss, Lewis had sent him on a solo mission while he himself rested and recuperated.

"I don't doubt his skills but how can he force suicide missions like this to me? My life is in danger here,"  He scoffed. Even though he believed that Lewis made good decisions he doesn't want to endanger his life for them. He was a coward.

"If I wasn't so desperate. I would have never followed Lewis's orders!"

Byron always had the option of escaping from the green escape portal but for that he would have to separate himself away from the group and that he wasn't courageous enough to go about it. With an island teeming with man hunters how could he?

That was when…

*Clash*

"Screech!"

He heard the dying scream of a monster. That could lead to only a single conclusion. Someone was hunting them. These armadillos were not the type of monsters to fight amongst themselves at least Byron hadn't seen them fight. They tend to follow the pack!

"Finding prey so soon? Well it was easier than I had expected," He chuckled. Luck was playing weird games on him. A minute ago he had deemed today to be his unlucky day.

He approached closer only to find Klautz and his team surrounded by a score of dead armadillos. Their face and body adorned with blood as their chest heaved up and down as they caught onto their breath. They had just wiped out the entire pack!

"Another team?" He couldn't help but whisper as his eyes bulged out. 

In this stage people standing in groups was quite the anomaly. If at all there had been one the team mates would have been on guard against each other at all times leading to the fall of the group. But Byron didn't know of such things. He had yet to learn about the ins and outs of human nature.

All he knew was that he hadn't seen a group of humans working together in the last two days except for their own of course. 

Byron racked his brain thinking of what he should do. Technically he should report back to Lewis that there was a group here but a rare opportunity like this would probably not come again.

He found a lone Armadillo passing by. The beast hadn't noticed Byron's presence yet. 

Byron's lips arched to a smile. He had decided what would do.  Picking up a rock he chose to throw it at the giant armadillo.

*Screech!" The beast screamed in anger as he turned towards the man. Byron took out his sword for self defence alone. He wasn't actually planning to kill the beast too soon.

The sound of screeching didn't pass unnoticed to Klautz causing him to raise his brows.

"Help!" Byron screamed which now forced Klautz to look at their direction in sheer curiosity.

'Is there another herd nearby?' Klautz thought to himself. But when he fixed his gaze he was disappointed to find only a single armadillo.

Klautz wasn't looking for loners, he was looking for the herds to kill. What gains would the loners bring? He chose to completely ignore the fact that someone was screaming for help.

'If this one is here another pack should be nearby… or is it the part of the pack that we just killed off? Hard to judge… Hmm. Let's look around for now,' he thought.