Max Stats in the Apocalypse

'Our faces might be different, but our signatures were still noticeable. Even if I wanted to conceal the signature of my magical power, I couldn't because I didn't understand how their detectors worked. They were just existing, and from the memories of the guards, they didn't know how it really operated.'

Roger had seen from the guards' memories of the detectors being dispatched to their guard post without being taught how to use them. They said that it would automatically activate, and alarm the headquarters of the people registered for it.

"Who are you, people?" Roger asked. 

Seeing that there was no need to put their identities as heroes and to leave the site immediately, Roger couldn't help but intimidate the victims of this event. Clara had already explained things to him. As soon as she noticed that these modern bandits were trying to extort and potentially harm them without any way of protecting themselves, Clara immediately attacked them and knocked them out.

"Anyway, you are being careless, Clara. Don't do that again." Roger then shifted back to Clara as he couldn't ignore what she did.

Clara only lowered her head from the guilt and asked for an apology. "I am really sorry. I promise I won't do it again."

Letting out a sigh, Roger ignored how innocent and ignorant Clara was and just returned his attention to the people inside the car.

He leaned against the window of the car and then peeked inside. They were still trembling, and that was probably why they didn't answer, they were scared of them.

Sighing, Roger opened the door and then gave them a path. "Please step outside. We promise we won't hurt you. You just saw earlier that we are just concerned citizens."

The father, being responsible for his daughter, stepped out, but left her inside. And when Roger noticed it, he smiled unconsciously.

"You are a good father," he commented. "But anyway, who are you and what are you doing here?"

The father stood with a palpable sense of anxiety coursing through his veins, and even the smallest movements of his body were noticeable. Roger looked at him with sleepy eyes, waiting for his response.

The father exited the vehicle, leaving his daughter inside. Roger felt it was a fatherly impulse to give him some space thereafter. He was still trembling, but even as he quivered, he was ready to answer Roger's inquiry.

"We are from Louvarde Municipality. I am Magus Dashington, and this is my daughter, Lilia Dashington." With his head down, Magus spoke.

Roger nodded and then came up with the following question. "So, why are you here in this dangerous place? There is no security or nearest agency that you could ask for help from. Are you on a trip?"

Magus nodded. "Yes. We were about to go to Limestone City, but these bandits blocked us."

"I see... Then, have a good trip."

Just when Roger said it, Magus was slightly dumbfounded, lifting his head with obvious confusion on his face. "You are not going to ask us anymore?"

Roger stopped, then smirked. "Why would I? Anyway, be careful with your daughter. There are bastards everywhere. You don't know where they are hiding or even waiting for you."

Roger was about to turn his head, but Magus had thought of something that would lessen the danger he would put on his daughter's life. 

They were traveling together to another city, but they hadn't prepared well enough to hire someone to join them. Magus asked an inquiry, attempting to capitalize on the risk of Roger's uncertain identity.

"Are you a hunter, sir?"

"..." Roger looked at Clara, who was intrigued by the question. Not because of its idea, but because of its intent. Clara could see in Magus's eyes that he was desperate for the safety of his daughter.

Then, Roger turned around again, facing Magus and answering him. "Yes, I am. What about it?"

"Can I hire you to accompany us to the Limestone City? I promise that we will pay you." Magus asked, reluctantly, thinking that Roger might reject him.

Just after that question, Roger thought of an idea.

'Accompany them... It will save us time since they have a vehicle. And since I don't know anything about the geography yet, we should come with them until their destination.'

Roger looked inside of the car for the second time, seeing the girl inside, quivering, even hiding her face from them. And as he saw how desperate Magus was, he let out a sigh and nodded.

"Okay, deal." After that decision, Magus couldn't help but flicker his eyes in joy.

"Thank you very much, sir!"

***

They had passed through different roads safely without any complications. And as Roger was still clueless about how they would be discovered if he used his powers, he carefully looked for any detectors that had a similarity to one on the border. 

He unleashed some of his energy and then looked at every road they had passed. Since shutting his powers, hiding his aura was already easy for him to do. Being detected for a short time wouldn't put him at any risk at all.

Hence, just after seeing that there were no detectors, he was complacent to thinking and had a slight wind of relief. After that, he only focused himself on the road, looking for any possible threats that could harm the father-daughter.

'There were not many detectors. Or should I say that there were no detectors, except for the one at the border? Even though I even said that I still couldn't feel nonchalant over that matter. But, if I learn that having a detector is difficult for them, then it is reasonable that they don't have enough detectors.'

Roger then rested, leaning on the seat. But then, Magus frequently gave a glance to Roger in the rearview mirror, showing some curiosity inside of him.

Clara then noticed Magus's actions, pointing them out in a soft way. "Why are you looking at Roger?"

Magus's eyes went back to the road and he awkwardly smiled. "I am not looking at him, Ma'am."

"Yes, you are." Clara insisted.

"You don't have to worry about it. Just tell us, Magus. Why are you looking at me?" Roger interrupted.

Magus bit his lower lip and then truthfully answered their questions. "I am just curious about where you came from, Ma'am, Sir."

Roger still had his eyes closed, while he expanded his senses little by little on every road they passed, after making sure that there were no detectors.

"You don't have to address us that way. You are our employer, so you should not call us with those words. And a word of caution: it is best not to enquire into our situation. You just wanted to arrive in the Limestone City without complications, right?"

"Y-Yes... I won't ask anymore."

Roger nodded and then brushed them off. He was solely focused on his goal of looking for detectors. But, because he was certain there were none, he opened his eyes and attempted to feel the breeze of relief again.

After a few hours of driving, Clara and Roger took a careful look at the road because they sensed little tremors from the ground. It would be difficult for them to sense the trembling while inside a moving vehicle, but because it was so strong that it even caused Magus to stop driving, Clara and Roger had to step outside.

"Sir, what is happening?" Magus asked.

"Nothing serious. Probably a wild beast?" Roger nonchalantly said, making Magus's eyes widen. "You hired us for this, so just relax inside."

He then looked at Clara and let her stay with them to be sure that nothing would get through their defense. "Stay with them and immediately kill those beasts if they come at you. Just don't overdo it."

Clara nodded after Roger's words and watched him go in the direction where the ruckus was. But, as it was feeling stronger, Roger had thought that this beast might be coming for them. 

Preparing himself, he covered his hands with a small amount of Qi, forming a small image of a sword on his fingers. And just as he expected, they were beasts.

Huge, ugly, rotting wolves have arrived. They were colossal, probably the same height as a normal one-story building, as Roger described, and had a resemblance to the monster that he had encountered back when he arrived in Kluma.

The wolves showed their fangs, stomping on every step they made, causing trembles in the area. They had noticed Roger's presence and were showing their hostile intent towards him.

Without wasting any time, the wolves, equivalent of 10, rushed to him, reeking the foul smell they had at the same time.

Roger's face wrinkled in disgust as he jumped onto them while forgetting the foul smell. And as he jumped high towards them, he swung his Qi sword on his fingers and then slashed through one wolf's neck.

Blood splattered, and the head rolled down, but it didn't stop the gigantic wolves as they still pounced on Roger's position.