As the leader of Boneveil Village, Judith had a goal to improve the lives of the villagers and the village's standing in the world. When such an opportunity came her way, she had no right to refuse.
"Aaaah..." Kreyn yawned as he walked along the stone path. "You weren't joking when you said you wanted to test us, right?"
Judith grinned as the four of them moved eastward, the village already far behind them, its houses lit up with lights.
"Hah, I'm always serious. If you want to work with us, you have to prove that you're worth it. I won't argue that what you did in prison is impressive, but I didn't see it myself. I prefer to believe my eyes rather than my ears."
"Decided to go hunting now?" Daren looked up at the blue moon hidden behind the jagged clouds. "Night isn't the safest time."
Judith chuckled. "Is that coming from a prisoner? Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark. Hahaha, don't worry. I'm strong, I'll save your asses if I have to, but in that case, you can forget about the alliance. I don't work with weaklings."
Liam walked beside them in silence. He just wanted to finish this business and return to their base, in the Dark Hand Prison.
From time to time, Judith glanced at him until she decided to act.
"Hey," she appeared behind him, touching his neck with her long fingers like a bored lioness. "In our parts, you don't often meet someone with such exceptional beauty..."
Liam blushed and looked down. "Thank you..."
She turned to Kreyn.
"What will one night with him cost me? I have a lot to offer."
Liam's face instantly turned red as a tomato. Judith's directness and audacity were beyond his expectations.
"Argh? What the fuck are you talking about? Do you think I'm a pimp?" Kreyn frowned. "If he wants to, he'll do it of his own free will. And stop pestering him, are we going hunting or what?"
"Pfffft!" Judith snorted, rolling her eyes. "Alright, no need to yell. I was just taking the initiative."
"Ha..." Daren exhaled cold air. "Women, dangerous creatures, right, Liam?"
"Shut up! Am I just getting straight to the point? Is that a crime now?!"
Kreyn said nothing as his gaze deepened.
'In my world, something like that would be a crime, but here? Hah, this is just the beginning.'
The main place where the villagers obtained meat and monster materials to sell was the Hard Plain. Well, the Cinder Swamps were a second option, but much less popular for obvious reasons.
The Hard Plain was a spacious area where, among the low grass and protruding rocks, both ordinary animals such as rabbits, bulls, and wolves, as well as monsters, roamed, especially at night.
The animals were attracted by the nutritious plants and flowers growing on the Hard Plain thanks to its rich soil, while the monsters came here for the dense concentration of energy coming from below and remaining in the rocks.
If it weren't for the Hard Plain, things at Boneveil Village would be much worse than they are now.
After a while, they stopped as Judith pointed to a large golem walking toward the glowing rock.
"That one." Judith pointed to the monster. "The Crystal Golem, the First Manifest monster. That's our target. Considering there are four of us, we should be able to handle it."
First Manifest was an unfamiliar term to Kreyn, but as with Laura when she talked about Curses and Blessings, the necessary information appeared in his mind. This time, the electric shock was weaker, soon, he would have to learn everything for himself.
"I see..." Kreyn muttered. "What about its Bridge? Can you understand it from here?"
"Hah, it seems someone doesn't have much experience in hunting. Well, based on its aura, it's just an Initial Bridge, but most likely it will move on to the next stage very soon. Either way, it's just a test of your strength, nothing serious."
Kreyn nodded, staring at the Crystal Golem.
"What about you? Will you fight with us or just watch from the sidelines?"
"Hah, what do you take me for? Of course I'll be with you. Only by participating in the battle will I be able to understand what you are worth."
Daren turned to Judith. "What's your Catalyst Type? I'm sure it's the Arx Type like Kreyn's, right?"
"Almost right." Judith shook her head with a sly smile. "I have a slightly rare one, if I may say so. The Garon Type."
"Garon Type...?" Kreyn blinked.
Unlike last time, the information didn't pop into his head. It wasn't common knowledge in the Great Lands, so he would have to find out more about it on his own.
'This is the fourth Catalyst Type I've heard of,' Kreyn thought. 'But what could the Garon Type show me that I haven't seen before?'
"Alright, let's do this!"
Without hesitation, Judith rushed forward. Daren and Kreyn exchanged glances before following her, while Liam remained a few steps behind. He knew well how to use his abilities and his Catalyst Type.
All of Kreyn's attention was on Judith, not their goal—he wanted to know what would happen when she used her Catalyst.
He didn't have to wait long.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
With a tremor, flames covered Judith's clothes as her Catalyst appeared with a bright flash. Light red armor, with heavy gloves and boots, appeared on Judith while an amber core glowed in the center of her chest.
'Is that Garon Type armor?' Kreyn wondered as Judith leaped off the ground.
Step.
Judith stepped forward as she vanished and reappeared directly behind the Crystal Golem.
The monster, over four meters tall, did not expect such an attack, so it turned its head but did not have time to block.
"Take a piece of rock!" Judith exclaimed as her foot came down like a spear on the Crystal Golem's shoulder.
A stream of flame ran across the stone surface as the Crystal Golem collapsed to one knee. However, that wasn't enough. Judith needed help.
"Alright, now I understand what's going on here."
Kreyn's eyes widened in anticipation as he reached out his hand.
In a purple flash, his long dark sword appeared in his hand as chains extended from the bracelet on his wrist, covering his hand.
"This golem withstood a fiery kick, but what about a nuclear blast?"