Other hunters grew uneasy upon hearing the news. Most of them had never stepped beyond the walls. They were men from the middle-class districts — safe, sheltered, and unaccustomed to what lay beyond.
Twenty hunters were chosen for the expedition, Kael among them. As new recruits on their first mission beyond the walls, their rank was naturally Lower C — the starting point in the hunter hierarchy that rose from Lower C, to Lower B, and then Lower A.
Some would eventually advance to Middle Rank C, but for now, all of them were at the very bottom of the system.
Although more than twenty had been selected initially, several backed out, offering excuse after excuse to avoid the first expedition of their lives.
Kael, however, remained calm. He had already faced the horrors that lurked beyond.
The selected hunters were soon directed toward the armory, located on the east side of the arena — a stone chamber filled with racks of weapons and armor. There, they geared up for departure.
Kael fastened a quilted gambeson over his upper body, reinforced with chainmail across the chest. He wore sturdy trousers, combat leather boots, and bracers that hugged his forearms. A bolt quiver hung at his waist, stocked with thirty bolts, and a steel cap completed his gear.
Fully equipped, he stepped into the open yard, waiting as the others prepared. The first rays of dawn crept over the horizon, casting golden light across the assembled hunters.
Moments later, everyone stood ready.
"Hunters, march!" the officer barked, his voice cutting through the morning air.
Every expedition began before sunrise, when the city still slept. Hunters gathered quietly in the arena's armory, preparing for whatever awaited them beyond the walls.
Before the incident — when creatures first appeared under daylight — no officers had been assigned to their expeditions. But after that day, everything changed.
Now, each squad was led by a commanding officer, accompanied by four cavalrymen and twenty hunters — a formation meant to survive the unknown.
They followed the officers in silence, marching toward the north gate. Kael sensed a familiar presence in the air—but this time, it felt different.
He recalled his past life, when he had been a miner, toiling in the open fields beyond the walls, watching hunters rest under the shade of trees and wagons, their crossbows slung casually by their sides. Back then, he had envied their freedom—their ability to move across the land while he labored under the sun, carrying ores and resources.
Now, the roles had reversed. Kael had become the hunter—the one tasked with protecting the miners.
This position came with a hidden advantage: the freedom to patrol near the jungles, to investigate and scout, for no one could predict from which direction the next danger would strike.
Kael stepped into the wagon alongside the other hunters. Moments later, the heavy gate began to rise with a deep groan, marking the start of their first expedition.
Beyond the walls, the world stretched endlessly into thick jungles. Trees of all kinds lined the path—some tall and broad like ancient guardians, others thin and fragile, their damp bark glistening in the morning light. The fog that usually blanketed the forest had begun to fade, pierced by the rising sun that painted everything in gold.
After twenty minutes of travel, they arrived at the mining site—not vast, but a wide open field dotted with small rocky mounds and glimmering veins of ore. The miners immediately began their work, swinging pickaxes and hauling baskets of stone under the watchful eyes of the guards.
Kael and the other Lower Rank C hunters were assigned to patrol the perimeter and keep watch over the miners. Meanwhile, four cavalrymen were present—three rode out toward the north, south, and west ends of the jungle, while one remained to oversee the expedition.
These cavalry were elite hunters, tasked not only with reinforcing the lower ranks but also with mapping the terrain and gathering information. Their reports would help the kingdom safely expand its mining operations deeper into the wilderness.
Kael moved quietly around the mining grounds, scanning the ore veins with a practiced eye.
"It's definitely iron ore," he muttered under his breath.
Picking up a small piece, he slipped away toward the edge of the woods. Hidden behind a cluster of trees, he summoned the system interface and deposited the raw ore.
[5g of Iron Deposited]
The faint glow faded as he closed the system. He lingered for a while, exploring the nearby wilderness. There were no animals in sight—only the faint buzz of insects breaking the silence.
Returning to the mining site, Kael's mind began to turn. The system had previously refined cow hides, reducing their quantity in exchange for quality. If the same applied to ore, then collecting large amounts of iron could yield high-grade material.
But that presented a problem. Mining resources here belonged to the Marrowing Kingdom, and anyone caught secretly hoarding would face severe punishment. If he suddenly began pocketing ore under the officers' eyes, it would draw unwanted attention.
Kael crossed his arms, watching the miners at work, his gaze distant.
He needed a plan—and a careful one at that.
Kael began surveying the surroundings. A few hunters patrolled the edge of the open field, while near the wagons stood an officer and a cavalryman, keeping guard.
At the center of the field stood the iron wagon. Each time the miners filled their buckets, they carried them over and emptied the ores into the container, slowly filling it to capacity.
It was still morning—plenty of time before evening dispersal. And kael had something cooking in his mind.
He moved casually among the miners, watching as they struck at the rocks. When their pickaxes hit, fragments of ore scattered across the ground. The miners collected most of them into buckets, but small pieces were often left behind, mixed with dirt and rubble.
Kael nudged a few of those pieces with his boot, blending them further among the stones.
His gaze flicked to the officer and cavalry. When they looked away, he bent down, scooped an ore fragment, and slipped it into his bolt quiver.
Bit by bit, he repeated the motion—working with quiet precision until his quiver was filled. Once satisfied, he made his way toward the jungle's edge, slipping behind the cover of thick trees. There, he activated the system and deposited the collected ores.
A faint notification blinked—his storage was full. Any more, and the system would reject it.
[3kg of Iron Deposited]
[Storage Capacity: Max 3kg]
Hours passed, and the sun climbed higher. By afternoon, Kael began refining the ores, investing one shard as fuel.
[Refinement in Progress — Estimated Time: 2 Hours]
The process would run in the background, allowing him to move freely while the system handled the rest. Still, Kael couldn't craft anything until the refinement was complete.