Chapter 189: Meeting The Exploration Team [2.]
A man standing toward the side of the group scoffed.
He was dressed in dark, lightweight armor that seemed designed for mobility rather than brute force. His hair had been dyed green, making him stand out among the others, while a large scar ran diagonally across his cheek, giving his otherwise sharp features a rougher appearance.
"What is there to be impressed about?" he muttered. "He probably used a bunch of magical cosmetic products to maintain a younger appearance."
Another man standing nearby chuckled.
He was completely bald, with a muscular build that made it immediately obvious he wasn’t someone who relied on fancy equipment alone.
"Jealous much?"
The green-haired man scoffed.
"Why would I be jealous? I’m just stating the obvious."
His eyes remained fixed on Kael.
"He looks like some pretty boy who doesn’t know how to fight."
The woman with the wolf cut glanced sideways at him.
"Is that so?"
The green-haired man looked toward her.
She smiled.
"He’s coming over. Why don’t you challenge him?"
She pointed toward Kael and Jonas, who were approaching the group.
"You should be able to teach him a thing or two about fighting since you obviously know better."
The green-haired man’s expression twitched.
He scoffed again, but this time he didn’t say anything.
By then, Kael and Jonas had already arrived.
Jonas stopped before the group and gestured toward Kael.
"Meet your team leader, Kael. He’ll be the one you’ll be listening to during the exploration."
The five Hunters immediately turned their attention toward Kael.
"Okay, Manager Jonas."
Jonas nodded.
"Alright. I’ll leave you guys to get acquainted with one another."
With that, Jonas turned around and walked away.
The moment he left, the group’s attention shifted completely toward Kael.
Kael looked back at them.
There were five people in the group.
Two men.
Three women.
Six people in total once Kael was included.
His gaze swept across them.
Then his eyes activated.
Eye of Judgment.
Information immediately began flowing into his mind.
The first person Kael examined was the green-haired man.
Oswald.
He was the team’s scout.
His class was Rogue, making him particularly suited for stealth, reconnaissance, and surprise attacks. His abilities were relatively average by Kael’s standards, but there was one ability that immediately caught his attention.
Slowstalker.
The ability allowed Oswald to gradually conceal his presence from another person’s senses as long as he remained outside their line of sight for a certain period.
The exact amount of time required depended on the strength of the target.
The stronger the opponent, the longer Oswald needed to remain hidden before the ability could completely conceal his presence.
It was a simple ability.
But it had enormous potential.
If someone knew how to use it properly, they could turn themselves into a great assassin.
Kael shifted his gaze.
The second person was the bald man.
His name was Jeremy.
Jeremy was the team’s primary attacker, possessing a Martial Artist class.
His abilities were considerably above average, but none of them were particularly impressive to Kael.
Kael moved on.
The third person was the woman with the wolf cut.
Her name was Helen.
She was the team’s ranged damage dealer.
Kael carefully examined her abilities.
Once again, nothing particularly caught his attention.
Her abilities were well suited to her role, and she clearly possessed enough strength to perform her duties effectively, but there was nothing that stood out to Kael as extraordinary.
His gaze shifted toward the fourth member.
A woman dressed in an outfit resembling that of a mage.
Her name was Jannie.
She was the team’s support.
Unlike the others, however, Jannie’s importance wasn’t measured by her ability to kill enemies.
Her abilities allowed her to cast powerful buffs and provide group-wide healing, making her one of the most important members of the entire team.
Without someone like her, the team’s ability to sustain itself during a prolonged battle would drop considerably.
Kael continued to the final member.
A woman dressed in durable, high-quality armor.
She was carrying a shield that was almost larger than her entire body.
The shield alone was massive, yet she carried it without showing any signs of difficulty.
She was the team’s tank.
Kael didn’t find it particularly strange that the tank was a woman.
Although tank classes were predominantly occupied by men, there had always been women who walk the path.
She was one of them.
Her name was Rose.
At first glance, Rose didn’t look particularly tanky.
Her physique wasn’t massive, and there was nothing about her appearance that suggested she could withstand overwhelming attacks.
Her ability made up for that.
She possessed an ability that allowed her to increase her mass, weight, and durability without increasing the physical size of her body.
The more attacks she blocked, the more those attributes increased.
And the heavier the attacks she blocked, the greater the increase.
It was an extremely powerful defensive ability.
But it came with a crippling weakness.
The heavier Rose became, the slower she became.
Eventually, the increase in mass would turn her into an incredibly dense wall of flesh that could barely move.
That meant Rose was heavily dependent on her teammates.
If the rest of the team couldn’t properly control the battlefield and prevent enemies from overwhelming her, her greatest strength would eventually become her greatest weakness.
She would become little more than a dense brick wall that enemies could continuously attack until she could no longer defend herself.
Kael finished examining the group.
His expression remained calm.
Overall, they were quite a good team.
Their composition was well balanced.
Oswald provided scouting and stealth.
Jeremy handled close-range combat.
Helen provided ranged damage.
Jannie supplied buffs and healing.
Rose served as the team’s defensive foundation.
With the way they were structured, the group should be capable of dealing with almost any threat below the S Rank.
They might even be able to hold their own against an S Rank threat if they worked together properly.
It was a decent team.
More than decent, actually.
Kael nodded slightly before looking at all five of them.
"Okay."
The group quieted down.
"As you might already know, I am Kael Voss. I’ll be in charge of this exploration team."
Kael glanced across the group.
"Let’s get acquainted. If you have any questions for me, ask."
He had barely finished speaking when Helen immediately raised her hand.
Kael looked toward her.
"Yes, Helen. What’s your question?"
Helen lowered her hand and looked directly at him.
"I heard you’re the youngest S Rank Hunter."
She paused briefly before asking,
"Do you mind answering how old you are?"
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Warning: author’s brain is currently operating at 3 BPS (Braincells Per Second). Recommended fix = one Super Gift.
Do not exceed recommended dose (please exceed the recommended dose).