Zhu Shi 3

"Zhu Shi, what are you thinking about?"

Agent Kong asked curiously, seemingly noticing I had been lost in thought for quite some time.

"Nothing," I snapped back to reality and shook my head. "Didn't we just mention the topic of frequent strange occurrences? That reminded me of the Doomsday prophecy circulating in Luoshan."

"You mean that... prophecy that the world will be destroyed within ten years, and all life and matter will vanish in the Great Tribulation?" Agent Kong recalled after a two or three-second pause. "That's just fear-mongering. The global situation is indeed a bit strange right now, but to call it the end of the world is a bit of an exaggeration."

Agent Kong's attitude was shared by the vast majority of people in Luoshan, and I thought so too.

The Doomsday prophecy wasn't something that appeared only in the last few years. Throughout history, there have never been a shortage of alarmist prophecies claiming that "the world will end at such-and-such a time." Some predicted the arrival of the King of Terror in 1999 and the destruction of the world; others predicted the world would end in 2012. But now it's already 2023, and all those doomsday moments have proven to be nothing more than "just another ordinary day."

The period of active strange phenomena isn't unprecedented in history. From a long-term perspective, such events pose no greater threat to human civilization than environmental issues like global warming and the melting of polar ice caps.

Those who make prophecies always tend to exaggerate the bad things, whether they are mystics or scientists. Of course, they can't be blamed for it. When a person notices bad signs, it's their responsibility to make those around them take it as seriously as possible.

The problem is, the origin of that "Doomsday prophecy" is unknown. No one knows who started spreading it, and there's no direct evidence to bolster its credibility.

I, on the other hand, am not underestimating the trend of frequent strange phenomena. The grains of sand of an era can become mountains when they fall on an individual. Even if this trend isn't enough to shake everyone's world, it's easy enough to shake mine and the worlds of those around me.

"Whether the world will end in ten years, I don't know. But if I can't complete the job my superiors gave me, my doomsday will arrive in ten days," Agent Kong sighed.

"You mean that search mission?"

Agent Kong often shares his experience investigating strange occurrences with me, which was a great help when I first became a Demon Hunter. So, I wanted to repay him: "If there's anything I can do to help, I can lend my strength."

"No need for that, it's not exactly a pleasant job to talk about." He first shook his head, then complained, "I don't know what kind of genius came up with this idea, making me impersonate a police officer to accuse a girl who looks younger than fourteen of being a serial killer, and then going door-to-door to investigate her whereabouts.

"You know, one of the houses I visited today was Zhuang Cheng's. When I showed him the girl's photo, his expression was as if he was asking if I was dreaming."

"If I remember correctly, that girl is currently the only known survivor who has awakened from Soul Deprivation Syndrome, right?" I racked my brain, searching for any information I had heard. "I remember her name was, was..."

"Her name is 'Maza.' Ma from 'troublesome,' Zao from 'early'." Agent Kong finished my sentence. "It happened yesterday morning. After she woke up in the hospital, she disappeared without a trace."

"I know she's very important. If possible, I'd like to find her too. But is it necessary to go this far? The higher-ups directly accused her of being a serial killer, completely disregarding her human rights." I felt something was very wrong. "And if you need to find someone, why not ask the Public Security Department? They're much better at this than we are in Luoshan."

"For some reason, the higher-ups are extremely anxious. Accusing the girl of being a serial killer was a fait accompli. They are still negotiating with the Public Security Department to confirm this suspicion. But the Public Security Department hasn't agreed yet." As he spoke, Agent Kong sighed. "As for asking the Public Security Department to search... you know, the relationship between Luoshan and the official forces is becoming increasingly tense. Perhaps a full-blown conflict will erupt in the near future."

Many Demon Hunters in Luoshan are arrogant, believing that strength is the primary factor in determining class, and therefore they should be the ruling class. They are out of place in modern society.

Nominally, Luoshan is a "Demon Hunter Department" under the jurisdiction and command of the official forces. In reality, it's nothing like that. To the general public (if they even knew about Luoshan), we are probably just a malevolent, violent organization operating outside of society.

Such a conflict was bound to erupt sooner or later.

Rather, the fact that society has managed to bury this minefield so deeply and develop to this point, I can only ask, "Is this reasonable?"

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore..." Agent Kong took out his tablet. "I've found a combat recording of a Fallen Demon Hunter for you. The official forces have been thinking about how to deal with Demon Hunters using conventional weapons. They found a Fallen Demon Hunter not long ago, before us, and sent a team to confront him. And this is the result."

I took the tablet and began to watch.

The conflict took place in a bamboo forest on the outskirts. A drone captured the entire process from a bird's-eye view.

The bamboo forest in the footage was illuminated by several flares, as bright as day, and a bizarre-looking monster appeared in a corner of the screen.

The monster looked like a demon from an oil painting, with a ferocious goat-like head, a massive body over two meters tall, dark red skin, and no clothing or adornments. Its wrists, ankles, and groin area were covered in black hair.

This demon-like creature was the Fallen Demon Hunter.

Understandably, he wasn't a demon, but a human with the ability to transform.

There was also a well-trained, modern squad in the bamboo forest. They were not only heavily armed but also brought combat vehicles equipped with heavy weaponry.

When the Fallen Demon Hunter appeared brazenly, they immediately raised their weapons and launched a barrage of attacks from different angles. The natural scenery instantly turned into a battlefield, and the hail of bullets and gunfire swept through large swathes of the bamboo forest like a destructive storm, completely engulfing the Fallen Demon Hunter.

But all of it was in vain. The Fallen Demon Hunter didn't even bother to dodge. He assumed a crouched starting position as if no one were there, then shot out like an arrow from a bow, his body becoming a blurred shadow.

The hail of fire was easily torn apart by this terrifying shadow. It wasn't just the firearms and artillery that were ineffective; flamethrowers, sonic weapons, and other special weapons had no effect on him either. The Fallen Demon Hunter moved as if through an empty field, slaughtering indiscriminately in the bamboo forest. The entire scene was like mowing down grass.

This was no longer a battle, merely the Fallen Demon Hunter's one-sided mechanical work.

After a while, the combat recording ended.

"...What do you think?" Agent Kong asked, seemingly calmly.

"It's similar to the information I got when I fought him last time," I stated my conclusion. "He has at least 'Stability' level, and he's a very comprehensive physical enhancement type. He's a top-tier expert among all the Demon Hunters in Luoshan. It's not impossible to defeat him with conventional weapons, but this level of firepower wouldn't be enough."

In novels and comics, physical enhancement abilities often feel quite ordinary, like standard skills for low-level enemies.

However, from a warrior's perspective, "physical enhancement" can be considered a top-tier ability. A strong body means strong attack power, defense, and mobility. Some physical enhancement abilities also increase the user's senses, recovery, and immunity, giving them strong reconnaissance capabilities, higher survival rates, and resistance to poisons and curses.

What about other abilities? Take Flame Manipulation, for example.

The ability to summon flames out of thin air indeed has dazzling visual effects and considerable destructive power. However, it provides no defense for the user, meaning the margin for error in combat is extremely low. A normal person could kill them with a single shot from behind; it offers no mobility, meaning they can only move at normal human speeds. Against fast and agile enemies, they would be at a disadvantage. The saying "speed is king" isn't just a casual remark.

Not to mention the defects in reconnaissance and other aspects. Many flame ability users might even accidentally burn themselves or get caught in an explosion they cause at close range, or suffocate to death due to smoke in their surroundings. Such fatal and injury cases are so numerous that they've been collected in the internal magazine of Luoshan as a collection of dark jokes.

In fact, it's not just flame abilities; many special abilities, due to their "high offense, low defense" nature, make their users less like true Demon Hunters and more like mortals wielding special weapons. And as mortals, they are naturally vulnerable in countless ways.

The amount of water a bucket can hold is always determined by the shortest plank.

A mortal, even one who can stop time, would be as vulnerable as any other mortal when faced with sneak attacks and poison.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the modern combat team in the recording was helpless against the Fallen Demon Hunter. If they were facing those special ability users, who knows how many ways they could have killed them.

"So, what about you?" Agent Kong put away his tablet. "If you were to fight this Fallen Demon Hunter, what are your chances of winning?"

"I can't calculate the exact percentage," I said conservatively. "I can only say that if I were to fight him with my current cultivation, the outcome would be uncertain. It wouldn't be strange if either he or I died."

"Then what if it were a top-tier 'Formation' level Demon Hunter? Or..."

Before Agent Kong could finish speaking, I suddenly sensed a strong magical fluctuation and stood up involuntarily.

I turned my head to look into the distance.

There were two magical fluctuations appearing in the distance, and they were clashing with each other.

I recognized one of them; it was the magical fluctuation of a Fallen Demon Hunter.

The other one was unfamiliar. I felt it was like a blazing flame.

The momentum of the flame instantly overwhelmed the former.