Chapter 26: Hide!

As Aria wrote her name on the paper's surface, she felt magic envelop her physique and intertwine with her mana, creating a gentle mix between the two.

The thing about magic contracts was that the claims written on said agreement would be extremely hard to break, since the paper would contain your mana, which would immortalize the contract unless it was forcefully broken or dissolved.

This was why, Aria didn't need her requests to be fulfilled first. It was because the requests she put in would also be attached to the magic contract and would disable Arin with the right to refuse.

"Please draw blood out and let one droplet fall onto the paper," Arin directed the process patiently.

Aria bit her thumb enough to break the skin and create an opening for her blood to trickle down.

One droplet came out and was absorbed by the paper. Immediately, it created a chain reaction which built up to the series of chains that circled around her.

The circles were chants, each circle contained a complex spell that related to contracts and agreements. It made sense for it to be produced by Jin-kyung, because the woman did have spectacular power in sealing.

It continued going around Aria in a spiralling motion for a minute.

Then, the circle finally contracted and dispersed into nothingness. At the same time, the contract dissolved and materialized into a ball of light that entered Aria through bypassing her chest.

"Is it done?" Aria healed her small wound by imbuing Dianthe's regenerative powers and picked up the other unfilled contract.

"Yes, it is. Welcome to Golden Insignia, Miss Aria," Arin welcomed the other.

"Welcome to the team, Savior-nim!" Jin-kyung followed with the welcome.

Aria stayed still, as her mind simply couldn't accept that she entered a team officially this early. She thought that a solo career would be best for her after what had happened, but after further thoughts, grouping up first would be more beneficial.

She was willing to sacrifice that plan if it meant that she would be guaranteed with stable living conditions.

At least, until she was able to fend for herself.

"One question. Are you the leader of this team?" Aria questioned.

Arin shook her head as a response. "The leader isn't me, but he likes to run around on his own. About the contract, every member is technically allowed to extend a contract offer, but of course, the requirements are there,"

"Then, who is the leader?"

"Hmm... A flashy guy who has a constant, boring golden aura around him. When you see it for the first time, you would certainly be amazed, but after seeing it for hundreds of times... it becomes tacky," Arin winced.

"Big sister, how could you say that to brother!!" Jin-kyung protested, puffing her cheeks in discontentment.

"Now, now. I spoke nothing but the truth,"

Looking at the interactions, Aria didn't feel a shred of a serious team at all. They were laidback and took everything with calmness.

It was almost uncanny. They both had quite the special ability outside of their powers, if you had to say so.

Even though they had just encountered a strong person, they weren't worried at all and were even willing to play tricks.

Jin-kyung, too, was scared and frightened at her discovering their underground work at first, but she acted all chummy now.

It was as if all the fear was eaten away.

They ignored Aria's sketchy background, too.

They dealt with sensitive work, but they were not cautious enough. They called her naive, but aren't they the same, too?

"That aside, I will introduce you to the team and its resources. Are you free today?" Arin picked up her tote bag and held it in her arms.

Aria nodded in acknowledgement.

"Then, would you care to follow me on a trip to the base? It wasn't specifically built for the team, but some of the members like to gather there for certain operations. Jin-kyung finished her mission thanks to you, so she'd have to report the result," Arin extended an invite.

'The base.' Aria grew excited by the thought of seeing how a modern base operated. Would it be different from her time? Of course, it would, but too what extent?

She had spent most of her life holed up in her team's base as the main researcher.

Then, remembering that the team was a small one, she rearranged her thoughts and composed herself with a cough. "Of course, I would like to join you two,"

"Everything's set then!! As your senior, I'll make sure to guide you!"

"Senior? Jin-kyung ah, in just a month or two, I think that the positions are going to be reversed," Arin snickered.

"Ehh?? What do you mean by that! How mean!" Jin-kyung protested.

"Nevermind that, let's hurry to the place. The dungeon was cleared, so Lein's sensors would be disrupted and consider it as a dead gate, right? If we don't report the abnormalities as soon as possible, he'll get mad at you,"

"Uuuuu, that's true.."

Arin stood up, leaving for the counter and handing the man some bills.

"We will go back to the place for a bit. Thank you for the hospitality,"

"Thank you, brother Joon-young!" Jin-kyung also cheerily bid her farewells.

Following the two, Aria bowed curtly.

"Joon-young, keep this place safe as always, alright?" Arin flashed a smile towards the man, who only nodded in return.

Arin opened the door to the cafe and let the two walk out before her. They began their path towards their destination.

On their way there, Aria's thoughts pondered back to the man.

"Was that man a team member too?"

"No, he's a Hunter who refuses to use his powers for creating the cafe. It's a place many Hunters frequently go to, because his drinks are imbued with his power. In order to create the drink you took, his help is needed. His powers allow him to add in magic, even someone else's magic into the liquid,"

'Imbuing magic into liquids..'

'Isn't that basically concoctors? Then, why do they not know of potions?' Aria remembered that back in her first fight, neither one of the group of people understood her words when she mentioned potions.

Even a beginner concoctor would be able to make potions.

"There are people like that?"

People who were given free power would naturally feel inclined to utilizing it for whatever suits them or garner profit towards their way. In this case, Joon-young wanted to create drinks that would aid or even poison another.

"Of course! It's a great asset for some businesses. What, do you think everyone would be willing to risk their lives to fight on the front lines?" Arin said. "..Though, typically Hunters are chosen for a special reason," she added.

'Special reason?' Aria thought inside her head.

Before she was about to ask, Arin's gaze changed. She extended her hand to dispel a sealing spell.

"From here on, please be discreet," Arin warned.

Nodding once, Aria followed the woman closely.

After another minute of walking in narrow paths and intersections, they finally reached a small neighborhood.

Suddenly, a System notification came.

Bringing a frightening message.

[Caution: A fellow <Player> is approaching you.] Aria's heart skipped a beat.

Another <Player>.

If they were something of Yoo Jin's caliber, then Aria was sure that she could wrestle her way out of the dilemma.

However, if the opponent was someone that knew she was a new player, meaning that she would be far weaker, it was a different story. If they were someone who wanted to eliminate a fellow <Player> early. If they were strong.

Aria's mind started to go around in circles.

The other two women noticed Aria's strange, erratic behaviors and got confused.

"Sssh. Don't talk. We're hiding," Aria covered her lips with her index finger, gesturing for them to stop talking.

She dragged the two figures to a corner, squatting to hide temporarily.

Whoever the incoming <Player> might be, she had to hide for the time being. From there, she would see how things go.

[Caution: A fellow <Player> is approaching you.]

Like an annoying alarm, the System continued issuing the notification. It made Aria squirm in distaste.

She wasn't trembling in fear, but her heartbeat pace did quicken. Her skin, too, went cold at the cornered feeling. It was suffocating.

As the footsteps grew nearer and nearer, she closed her eyes. Wild thoughts were running through her mind.

'Would the other <Player> receive the same notifications as well?'

'Why were there so many <Players> in a small area?'

'This is nonsensical.'

She cursed the situation, cursed the one that caused this to happen, cursed their seven generations to fail onward.

Not only that, Jin-kyung made everything worse by raising her voice and talking out loud.

"Wait, if you're worried about the incoming person, then it's probably-"

Aria quickly covered up Jin-kyung's mouth with her palm, her blood pressure raising as she felt her safety be threatened.

<Player> was a foreign term to her, but she was able to tell that they were all composed of special individuals just based on logic.

Although Jin-kyung's voice wasn't that high, the other must've heard it. Aria feared for her life, feared that they would be discovered in an instant and eliminated of all their chances of survival.

Then, the footsteps stopped.

Aria had shut her eyes as tight as she could, so her hearing senses were heightened.

She was able to tell that the other party was approximately a little bit more than five meters from where the trio was now hiding at.

The suspense made it worse. The person, the <Player> stopped in their tracks.

Just then.

A voice entered her ears, making her jolt in surprise.

After discerning the condition, she turned her head towards the other road section and frowned.