CHAPTER 994: RESTLESS (1).

The sound of the ocean brought calm.

A cool wind drifting over the mind. The ultimate form of relaxation.

Jenny let all the air in her lungs leave as she relaxed her tensed muscles.

These days, a feeling of unease had been gnawing at her mind. To combat that, her, alongside Stan, Li and Sue had decided not to stay in Valestorm.

Instead, they had headed to and taken up base at Gwendolyn, which had become the bastion at the shoreline.

Despite it’s strange, eerie nature and look, Gwendolyn had quickly become a symbol of hope for weary Hunters.

A place where they could stock their goods and lay down their weapons for rest, even if it was for a little while.

Along the coastline, the dens of the Mutant Beasts numbered in the hundreds to thousands.

They were of all shape, manner and sizes, with most of them being smaller, but rather insidious beasts to deal with.

Their presence here was crucial not only to protect Gwendolyn, but also to maintain the influx of mana shards as well as materials gotten from the Mutant Beasts into the market.

The mana shards were vital, and so were the other parts; the bones, flesh, hides, teeth, tusks, claws, and tendons of the Mutant Beasts were treasures. It was of course certain, that there would be no wastage of any of these important resources.

Their job was to gather these resources and funnel them into Valestorm. Of course, they would not do this without pay.

Sincenmost hunters already had an abundance of mana shards, they didn’t receive payment that way.

Instead, they received payment on resources.

Crafted weapons and armor from the blacksmiths, special potions from alchemists, and runes ranging from normal, regular runes, to strange and special runes that possessed powerful effects.

And much more.

The blessings provided by the gods were innumerable and as unfathomable as the divinity itself.

That said, the primary reason was obvious. The battle with the Devils had proven that the power of numbers was not absolute.

Coordination, synergy, and the likes were also very important.

However, what mattered the most was individual strength.

On an average, the Devils were more powerful.

They were also supposed to be more coordinated. So why had they lost? What had been the tipping point?

It was still a mystery, perhaps. Maybe there had been an underlying factor affecting the Devils that prevented them from performing at a hundred.

Still, most of them were dead. And the rest has scattered inland, maybe to become a future source of headaches.

For now, there were no Devils in sigh.

The sound of boots crunching down on gritty sand entered Jenny’s ears.

She looked up.

Lunhad a knowing smile in his face as he walked up to her.

Jenny ran her gaze over him and smiled wryly.

Over the past few months, Li had changed a bit.

He no longer had the same somewhat childish, mischievous demeanor.

A layer of stubble already sat on his face. Even more interesting, his muscles were becoming more defined and toned due to the nature of his fighting abilities which required he was at the frontline quite often.

"The last clean up went rather well, I’d say. Looks like we managed to finish early this time."

Jenny nodded, then asked,

"Is Sue okay?"

Li nodded seriously, "She led a team down the north cliffs the day before. She isn’t back yet, but we’ve managed to keep in contact. Hopefully, it all goes smoothly."

Jenny let out a sigh of relief,

"That’s good then."

Li suddenly cleared his throat,

"Then, if that is the case, why not head back to Valestorm? We can handle things here on our own."

Jenny’s eyes narrowed as she snorted,

"What is this? Are you that eager to get rid of me? I bet It is will have a few things to say about that."

Li trembled and his face paled,

"This... We don’t have to go that far, do we?"

Jenny chuckled then waved her hand,

"Just kidding."

Li sighed then folded his arms,

"But really, I think you should head back. Who knows, there might be someone waiting for you." He said as he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

Jenny suddenly froze.

Then she spoke calmly,

"Hm? And who would that be?"

Li shrugged,

"Enough beating around the bush. I’m talking about that guy, Cain."

Li sighed then leaned in,

"I know you aren’t good with this sort of stuff, but hear me out."

His expression turned serious,

"There have been all sorts of unsavory rumors flying around lately about Cain. While not all of them might be true, rumors are planted with but a seed. That guy is definitely a womanizer for sure!"

Seeing that she didn’t say anything, Li instantly grew more confident,

"The best thing to do is to make your move as soon as possible. Quite frankly, I don’t think you are lacking compared to those other girls. You can definitely stand your ground. If that damned bastard Cain knows what’s good for him, he’ll..."

Li noticed something was wrong.

He glanced at Jenny who now had an eeriely calm expression on her face.

However, her brows were also slightly furrowed in contemplation before relaxing for a moment.

Eventually, she shook her head,

"You have things wrong. There’s nothing going on between us."

Li’s eyes narrowed. He wanted to say something, but after staring at her expression, he figured now was not the best time for it.

He let out a sigh and nodded,

"If that’s how you feel, then alright. Moving on..."

His expression turned serious once again,

"There have been multiple instances of the Leviathan being sighted swimming close to the shore lately."

Jenny nodded, "It could be attracted to our presence."

Li nodded, "Maybe. Although I don’t know if that’s a good thing, or a bad thing. I might be a bit eager to battle a titanic sea monster, but I don’t think punching it in the face will do much."