[A/N: Sorry guys for the delay, I had to take my time to outline the new volume before writing)

The night passed quickly, and morning arrived just as fast. Marlon was awakened by the kind hotel staff, who presented him with a variety of high-class dishes for breakfast.

Because of the abundance of meals present, he had to invite Ashton over.

Nonetheless, just as the two were relaxing after eating to their fill, commotion erupted from outside, and before they could even understand what was happening, a knock came at the door.

Ashton opened it.

He was greeted by the faces of two worried staff members. Both of them were breathing heavily, having run all the way to inform them of the chaos unfolding.

"A danger zone appeared?" Ashton repeated loudly.

The two nodded quickly and added, "Please come with us to the basement for safety. The danger zone that appeared is unstable, and we fear a break is about to occur."

Ashton's face twisted with worry as he heard what was happening.

Marlon, who had heard the entire commotion, jumped up from his seat with a joyous expression on his face.

Ashton, who had turned to look at him, about to ask if they should join the others in the basement, was surprised to see that he had already changed, put on his signature black hoodie, and even changed his pants to a more casual pair that allowed easy movement.

He was dumbfounded.

"What are you waiting for? Get ready as well. We're going to clear the danger zone before it breaks," Marlon said.

".."

Ashton stared at him blankly.

The two hotel staff at the door were also dumbfounded when they heard the voice from inside the room.

Nonetheless, when they peeked in and saw Marlon speaking, relief washed over their faces at once. They believed he could help prevent the dungeon break.

"You two, make sure everyone is safe. Me and my buddy here will go take care of the situation outside."

Stepping closer to the door, Marlon placed his hand on Ashton's shoulder and said with a warm smile.

The two staff were flustered for a few seconds before nodding and joining the fleeing guests toward the basement.

Ashton was speechless.

For a danger zone to appear and immediately become unstable meant a lot of things, and one of them was that it housed powerful monsters—mini-bosses, to be precise.

Such scenarios were usually taken care of by the Hunter Association. Hence, he was pretty dumbfounded to see Marlon getting ready—even though he trusted in his friend's strength, toying with an unstable danger zone was almost suicide.

"Are you coming or not?"

Marlon asked the same question again, this time with an even stricter tone. Ashton had no other choice but to agree, and the two of them strolled out of the hotel, weaving through the wave of crowds.

The morning sun shone on the once-peaceful street that had turned chaotic due to the appearance of a danger zone in the middle of the road.

The danger zone this time was a dimensional portal, one of the top three common forms of danger zones in Arden.

It was a big one, with a fast-swiveling bright blue vortex that blasted a strong gust of wind across, sending all the small objects flying and even threatening to uproot nearby poles.

Normally, portal-type danger zones were peaceful, almost as peaceful as a field-type one.

With the size and intensity of the portal, traffic came to a sudden halt.

At the moment, discarded cars filled the road, parked in random locations with no drivers inside, their honks mixing with the cries of the fleeing crowd around them.

Nonetheless, at the moment, two figures stepped out of the only hotel in the area.

Marlon, adorning his casual black outfit, turned to stare at the portal with a composed expression, a deep contrast to the panicking Ashton standing beside him.

Seeing the portal and the destruction quickly forming around it, Ashton tried to persuade Marlon once again but was met with the same response.

After observing the portal for a few seconds, Marlon began strolling toward it, and Ashton followed after him.

Nonetheless, as the two of them were a few meters away from entering the portal, a familiar voice called out to them.

"Hey… you two… wait for me!"

They turned to the direction of the voice and spotted Logan sprinting toward them.

"Logan… I thought you said you'd be coming late," Ashton was the first to react.

"That was what I thought, but the meeting with my parents didn't take as much time as I expected, so I ran over to you two immediately after it was over," Logan responded.

He was dressed casually, but Marlon noticed the changes in his demeanor. He spoke loudly, wearing a smile that exuded confidence, which was pretty unusual and rare for someone like him who usually cowered behind others.

It seems possessing a high-rank talent really comes with a confidence boost, Marlon muttered to himself.

Logan ran over to their side, greeted them, and also apologized for not being able to visit longer.

"Save your apology for later, dude. We have something more serious at hand," Marlon responded with a smile.

"Are you two really planning to enter…?"

Looking at the portal, Logan asked.

Ashton heaved a sigh of relief and spoke out, "I know you'll see the absurdity of all this. You've to join me and persuade him."

"Persuade him?" Logan turned to look at Ashton. "Why would I?"

"…"

Ashton stared at Logan, speechless.

Marlon observed the interaction with a grin.

"It would be better for us to clear it before a break occurs. Hunters at the headquarters are really busy this morning, so I don't think the news will get to them on time. Even if it does, the break might have occurred before they arrive," Logan explained.

Stepping forward, he observed the view again.

"Also, it would be a good place for me to finally test out the new skills I have obtained," he concluded.

Ashton could not respond anymore. He quietly joined the two daredevils as they strolled toward the cause of the chaos.

The strong gust of the wind blew against their faces once they arrived.

⚠️ ENTERING DANGER ZONE

Name: ???

Grade: D

-Rank, Terror Level

Recommended Team Level: 61-100

Player Limit: 10

⚠️You cannot enter!

⚠️You cannot enter!

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