The three of them fell silent for a moment.
Theo cleared his throat and spoke up first.
’’Do you have another number to call?’’ he asked. ’’Maybe your father’s assistant? Or someone else in your family?’’
Before he had even finished, Iris shook her head.
"No."
She stared at the screen for another second.
CRACK!
Without hesitation or warning, the brand-new phone shattered in her hands.
Fragments fell onto the pavement before she casually tossed what remained into a nearby trash bin.
Both Theo and Jim froze.
"That..." Jim said with wide eyes. "You literally just bought that."
Iris didn’t even look at him.
’’The number I called was a special number,’’ she said quietly. ’’He’d answer it no matter what.’’
Silence fell once more.
’’The only possibilities are that he’s inside a dungeon...’’ she continued. ’’Or something else has happened.’’
Her fingers slowly curled into fists.
’’No matter which one it is, it’s not a good scenario.’’
Theo’s eyes widened slightly.
This was not at all the reaction he’d expected from Iris.
’’If my father is not there,’’ she said, locking eyes with Theo. ’’There’s no one I can say with certainty that’ll protect us.’’
Her words were clear, and Theo understood the meaning behind them right away.
If the plane accident had indeed been caused by her family, they’d come after them once they realized they were still alive.
’’You made a good decision,’’ he said, nodding once. ’’I assume you don’t want to go back right now either then?’’
Iris slowly shook her head.
A faint bitterness appeared on her face as she bit down on her lip.
’’Even if... the worst happened...’’ she said, her voice trembling. ’’My family... is not my friend.’’
Her head slowly moved up, their eyes locking once more.
"I’d be safer staying with you... and finishing the mission. At least then I’ll have enough money to figure out what happened afterward."
Theo quietly studied her for a moment before nodding.
Without hesitation, he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Then that’s what we’ll do," he said. ’’And I’m sure your father will be alright. He’s a strong and smart man.’’
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Iris slowly closed her eyes.
"...Thank you," she whispered.
When Theo finally let go, a faint redness had appeared around her eyes.
She took a slow breath before looking at the two of them once more.
"I’m alright."
Jim stared between the two of them and rubbed the back of his head lightly.
’Man,’ he thought. ’Not having been born into an ultra-rich and powerful family has never felt better.’
The three of them remained standing there for another few moments.
Eventually, Theo looked toward the shopping street again.
"You still need another phone," he said.
Iris glanced at the broken remains lying inside the trash bin before nodding once.
Theo looked toward Jim.
"Would you mind going with her?"
"Of course I don’t," Jim replied immediately. "I’ll also see if I can find a hotel while we’re at it."
Theo nodded, smiling warmly.
’’Thanks.’’
His gaze shifted to the Hunter Association building far in the distance.
’’I’ll go check what’s happening with the bounty mission.’’
Jim followed his gaze and nodded once.
’’You think it’s already been completed?’’
’’Of course not,’’ Theo replied instantly. ’’But I can probably buy some information on the sandstorms and how many people have shown up so far.’’
Jim fell silent for a moment.
’’That makes sense,’’ he finally said. ’’You do that then.’’
After a few more words, they each went off in different directions.
While Jim and Iris went back to the phone store, Theo pulled up his hood and made his way down the street.
As he walked through the bustling streets of Cairo, countless hunters passed by him in both directions.
Some wore heavy armor, while others openly carried weapons on their backs.
’Is something going on here too?’ he thought, raising an eyebrow.
Hunters weren’t just passing through the streets.
Many small groups had gathered outside cafes, restaurants, and hotels, discussing something amongst themselves.
Every now and then, Theo caught a few words.
’’I can’t believe it...’’
’’Wasted all our money on poison-proof equipment...’’
’’It’s already fucking...!’’
His brows gradually furrowed.
’What the hell are they talking about?’ he thought.
The conversations were too fragmented for him to piece together.
Shaking the thought from his mind, he continued toward the Hunter Association.
The massive building only grew larger with each step he took.
Compared to the branch in Santa Barbara, this one was nearly three times the size!
Hunters constantly streamed in and out of its massive entrance, making it feel more like a busy train station than an office.
Theo followed after another hunter and stepped in without hesitation.
’Pff,’ he thought, glancing around. ’It’s packed here.’
’Most seem to be Silver and Gold Core hunters too...’
Long queues stood in front of over a dozen reception desks, while many hunters sat scattered throughout the waiting area.
Just as Theo was about to join the line, something caught his eye.
A massive noticeboard stood in the center of the lobby.
On it hung only a single, large poster with deep red English letters written above it.
EMERGENCY SUBJUGATION REQUEST
Theo’s eyes narrowed for a moment.
As he lowered his gaze, he couldn’t help but freeze in place.
The illustration showed an enormous serpent-like creature, covered in dark scales everywhere except its head, whose scales were a sand-like color.
’The... King Cobra?’ he thought.
Taking a step closer, Theo didn’t doubt it for another second.
It was the creature they’d killed only a few hours ago.
His eyes immediately dropped to the rewards section, filled with curiosity.
REWARD: $185,000,000
Theo stared at the reward for a few seconds, speechless.
’Damn...’ he thought. ’I hadn’t considered that in the slightest.’
No wonder so many hunters had gathered in Cairo.
If news of a B-rank King Cobra attacking a nearby city had spread, virtually every Gold Core hunter within reach would’ve rushed over.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
’’Well,’’ he said. ’’No reason not to claim this reward.’’
With that kind of cash readily available, buying information on Petra wouldn’t be a problem.