Esper Harem in the Apocalypse

Chapter 1009  Crimson Iris

Rudy, still grappling with the surreal events that had unfolded, couldn't help but voice his confusion to the group before him.

"Why are you here in the middle of this forest? What brought you all the way out here?" Rudy inquired, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any clues.

The leader, his expression a mix of determination and concern, responded, "We were urgently dispatched by the hero organization when they sensed a sudden surge of energy from this forest."

As Rudy absorbed this information, the party members exchanged glances, their eyes flickering towards the vast destruction that stretched for miles. The leader sighed, acknowledging, "Looks like we are late."

In an attempt to provide some insight, the second man among them produced a small device. With a sense of authority, he explained, "This device can sense fluctuations in energy. It allows us to detect the presence of monsters and even rank them based on the level of energy picked up."

Rudy's gaze shifted from the device to the remnants of the devastation, realizing that the sudden surge of energy he had experienced might have triggered the hero organization's response. The forest, once a serene landscape, now bore the scars of an otherworldly force that had left a trail of obliteration in its wake.

Rudy watched as the leader of the party, a man with an air of authority, turned on a small device. The second man, presumably the party's technician, studied the readings and reported, "No monsters nearby, and the energy levels have returned to normal."

The leader then turned his attention to Rudy. "What brings you to this forest? Are you a hero as well?"

Rudy contemplated his response carefully. While he possessed newfound abilities, he had no intention of becoming entangled in hero affairs. He shook his head, responding, "No, I'm not a hero. The monsters kidnapped me and brought me to their nest."

Curiosity etched on the leader's face, he probed further, "What happened afterward? How did you manage to survive?"

Rudy, wary of divulging too much information, decided to redirect the conversation by questioning the efficacy of their monster-detection device. "The device can detect monsters, right?"

The second man affirmed, "Yes."

Rudy sought further confirmation, "Can it detect even the slightest fluctuation in energy?"

"Indeed," the second man replied.

Seizing the opportunity, Rudy pressed on, "So how come the device never detected the goblins living in the forest?"

Unbeknownst to the party members, Rudy heard a voice in his head, offering a candid explanation. 'Because killing a goblin won't get us any praise.'

Confused and intrigued, Rudy questioned the voice, "What?"

Witnessing the exchange, Rudy confronted them about the casualties caused by the goblins. "The goblins hunted so many humans. I saw dozens of corpses and skeletons when I was in their nest. How come you never sensed that?"

The leader and the party member exchanged uneasy glances. The second person nervously smiled at Rudy, attempting to explain, "There have always been small fluctuations in energies here and there, making it impossible to pinpoint the cause. We weren't informed about the goblins."

Rudy, unyielding, asserted, "As a hero party, you should have inspected the area. Many people died due to your incompetence." The revelation left the group visibly unsettled, forced to confront the consequences of their neglect in the face of the ongoing threat.

The second man handed the survey device to Rudy, stating, "Take this survey."

Rudy, still uncertain about their intentions, questioned, "What for?"

"So we can report this incident to the hero organization. You will have to fill out the form and answer the questions. If you don't understand something, you can ask me for help."

Rudy hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted the device and started filling out the form. The questions ranged from general details about the incident to specifics about the monsters he encountered. When it came to identifying the type of monster, Rudy selected goblins. A variety of goblin types appeared on the screen, prompting the survey to inquire about which closely resembled the creatures he faced.

After completing the section on regular goblins, the survey shifted to questions about the goblin king. Rudy answered honestly, detailing the characteristics of the formidable creature. Once the survey was done, he handed the device back to the second man, observing the group as they reviewed the information.

The leader scrutinized the survey, his expression turning thoughtful. After a moment, he muttered, "Rank D goblins and Rank A goblin king."

Curious, the leader turned his attention back to Rudy. "What happened to the monsters? And who caused all this... destruction?"

"I don't know," Rudy replied, feigning casualness. "I was too busy running for my life. I was almost caught up in this attack too." Rudy lied casually.

"The energy level the hero organization detected far surpassed the SSS rank monster. It's a special grade monster. This destruction is caused by that same monster," one of the party members deduced.

"Where is it now, though? The device is no longer picking up any energy fluctuations. Does that mean the monster escaped somewhere?" they wondered aloud.

"Doesn't matter. We will find it sooner or later. Special grade monsters are easy to detect, anyway," the leader confidently stated.

The party then formed a circle, heads together, discussing their next move.

"Should we return?"

"Yeah, we already have the report."

"No, wait." The leader interrupted. "Take that guy's picture. We will report that we saved him from a special grade monster and get some fame. Also, add that the monster managed to escape while we were trying to save this guy. That way, we can have all the praise and blame everything on this guy." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Okay. I'll use my special skill and knock him out."

As the party member turned around to execute the plan, they were met with an empty space. Rudy had disappeared without a trace.

"Dammit, where did he go?!" the leader yelled.

"I will look around. He must not have gotten that far," another party member declared, rushing to search for Rudy.

Meanwhile, Rudy had teleported in front of his house.

"Holy shit! It worked!"