A group of hunters led by Ling Tian arrived at a lake with a small island. The teleportation gate could be seen standing majestically in the center of the island. They just didn't know how to cross to that place.
"Isn't there a way to get there?"
Wang Yi muttered to herself. She was standing by the lake with Isaac.
"There must be. The previous party managed to cross over to the 2nd Floor. There should be a way."
A man's voice answered, but it was not Isaac. He was Ling Tian. The man approached Wang Yi with a handful of dried meat as his lunch.
"But how? I don't see any traces of the road. There are no bridges or anything to cross."
Ling Tian glanced at Isaac. He bit his lower lip for a moment. "Perhaps Mister Isaac knows how to cross it."
Isaac heard his name being called and quickly turned to the two of them. All this time, his attention was focused on the lake.
After he taught Ling Tian a lesson, the man started to be more polite. He seemed to try to forget the trouble that had occurred between them before.
"We will cross as usual. No need for tools."
Of course, Wang Yi and Ling Tian were surprised to hear that. They didn't know how deep this lake was. Besides, there was the possibility of monsters living underwater.
Wang Yi frowned. "Isn't it dangerous, Brother Isaac? We don't know what's in that lake."
"Right." Ling Tian also chimed in. "Swimming across the lake is not a good idea. Not to mention we use full combat gear."
"Do not be afraid. There's nothing in this lake."
After saying that, without any hesitation Isaac walked past the lake. Ling Tian and Wang Yi were taken aback again. They quickly called Isaac to come back.
"Brother Isaac!"
The other members were also surprised to see Isaac's actions. For them, Isaac's actions were tantamount to suicide.
On the other hand, Isaac looked calm walking across the lake. When he got closer to the island, the water rose around his stomach. Then, the water level gradually decreased when he arrived on the land.
Everyone who saw Isaac's action became boisterous.
Unfortunately, they still looked hesitant despite having seen Isaac cross safely.
"Well, I guess I have to set a good example for my men."
Then, Wang Yi crossed over. Seeing their leader crossing over, the Nine Sky members followed suit. The first person after Wang Yi was Aditya.
It was only when many people had crossed safely that Ling Tian felt sure. He then ordered his members to cross the lake.
'Finally, you believe in me.'
Isaac could tell the lake was safe purely based on his observations. His experience as a Dungeon Master helped him in making judgments.
Along their way to the teleportation gate, Isaac didn't see a single sign of a monster living in the river. He saw many herbivorous monsters drinking in the stream leisurely.
Moreover, along the 1 kilometer radius from the location, there were no monsters attacking them. If no monsters dared to enter this area, it meant that the area around the lake was probably the boss's territory.
However, there was no boss in sight. That meant the boss had been eliminated by the previous raid party.
"You are wonderful, Brother Isaac. You can tell just by looking at the lake at the first glance. It's not wrong to follow your orders."
Wang Yi stood beside Isaac, observing the other members who were still crossing the lake.
However, Isaac showed a displeased expression.
"But, your actions showed otherwise."
Wang Yi looked confused at Isaac's words. "What do you mean, Brother Isaac? I don't understand. After you crossed, I also crossed."
Isaac then looked into Wang Yi's eyes.
"During the battle against the tarantula monsters earlier, why didn't you use the tactics I have taught you?"
Wang Yi now started to understand what the man meant. "I'm sorry, brother, most of them are old members. The member you selected was brought by my sister. They were more used to the Hunter Association's tactics. So I used the old tactic."
Isaac clicked his tongue. "Wang Yi, I taught you to be a leader. Being a leader means having to know how to coordinate your comrades. Don't you realize that your previous decision was at risk of harming all of your men? Even yourself. If there was no Golden Dragon, you would definitely die."
"But…"
"No excuses!"
Wang Yi then lowered her head while biting her lower lip. She contemplated her mistake.
Of course, Isaac did it on purpose. It was not just to make Wang Yi feel guilty; he wanted her to keep remembering her mistakes, so she didn't make the same mistakes again.
Not long after, Ling Tian and his men arrived. The man came over to Isaac with a smile on his face.
"Isaac, it looks like I wasn't wrong. You have extraordinary observational abilities."
Ling Tian's attention then turned to the gloomy-looking Wang Yi.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Isaac replied. "Let's go."
Ling Tian chose to remain silent, even though he knew something had happened. After his unpleasant experience with Isaac, interfering was not the right choice for him. He didn't know where the man had come from. Given his strength, he could have become a powerful and influential person. However, his whereabouts had not been heard until now. It was easy for Ling Tian to conclude that Isaac was hiding his true identity; and Ling Tian wouldn't be surprised, because he also knew someone like Isaac.
Thus, Ling Tian chose not to interfere.
Then, their party moved in towards the teleportation gate and departed for the 2nd Floor.
.
.
.
The sky was overcast, covered by dark clouds; occasionally, flashes of lightning appeared briefly with a roar. Thousands of drops of water continued to fall on the trees heavily.
This was the scene that greeted Isaac, and his party upon exiting the teleportation gate.
"Damn it! Why does it have to rain?!"
The members of the group complained under the pouring rain.
Rain was bad news for them. The equipment they wear became heavier, especially with cloth-based materials. Besides, the sound of rainwater would block their sight and hearing.
This condition was really unfavorable for the hunters.
"Everyone! Follow me! We're looking for shelter!"
Ling Tian exclaimed loudly. Then, he walked through the heavily pouring rain. The other members quickly followed suit.
Without them knowing, in the shadows of the forest, dozens of pairs of eyes pried on them.
They continued walking into the forest. The bushes blocked their path. The popping sound of water droplets and armor resounded.
This time, there was only Ling Tian leading the way. Usually, Wang Yi would go along with him, trying to show his existence as a leader.
However, after receiving criticism, she walked with Isaac and his members in the back. She lowered her ego and prioritized the safety of all members.
Wang Yi learned from her mistakes.
On the way, Isaac suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong, Brother Isaac?"
Wang Yi also stopped in her place, and so did the other members. Isaac didn't answer. He paused and raised one of his hands, asking them to stop talking. They became curious about Isaac's behaviour.
Not long after, Isaac drew his sword. Instantly, all of Nine Sky's members were shocked.
"Prepare for battle. We are being ambushed."
Without asking, they quickly drew out their weapons. Meanwhile, Wang Yi, who understood what she had to do, called out to warn the Golden Dragon members on the vanguard.
"Ling Tian! We are being ambushed!"
Her loud voice cut through the rain until it reached the leader's ears. Hearing that, Ling Tian reflexively drew his sword, while the other members didn't give any response. They just looked at their surroundings in confusion. It took them a split second to process the situation.
When they realized it, it was too late.
"Kuaaagghhh—!"
A scream was heard from one of the members. Their eyes searched for the source of the attack. They saw a human with plain cloth clothes, white hair, and red eyes. He wrestled with one of the members of the Golden Dragon. In his hand, he held a dagger.
The other members were still watching.
"What are you looking at?! Help me!"
It was only when he was begging for help that the other members came to their senses. Unfortunately, they were too late.
The white-haired man had already slit the throat of the poor member.
Instantly, the other members got mad. They quickly stabbed their weapons at the strange man many times. Then, a scream was heard.
Then, another scream sounded.
"Watch out for ambushes! We are being ambushed!"
Dozens of albino humans jumped from the bushes. They appeared in various directions, carrying daggers. The looks on their faces were like wild animals. They attacked the unprepared Golden Dragon members.
At that very moment, the cloudy rainwater flowing over the ground was stained with a blood-red color.
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