Hunting X Lure

Outside the window, raindrops pattered against the glass.

A strong wind howled past.

A bolt of lightning, like a sharp blade, flashed across the dim sky. Immediately afterward, a deafening clap of thunder boomed across the vast plain.

Kevin gazed silently at the Rain Curtain outside the window.

Looking out the window, you can see villagers coming and going on the streets in the pouring rain.

Normally, on a day like this with such heavy rain, the streets would be deserted. Moreover, this time of day is far too early for the villagers.

Bound by Curse and unable to leave the Village freely, the villagers usually sleep until they naturally wake up.

But today is special; it's "Hunting Day."

After dressing properly, Kevin went downstairs.

Men Qi and the others were already prepared.

"Of all things to do, it has to rain today, how annoying!"

Buhaci looked at the torrential rain outside the door, his tone tinged with annoyance. Fighting in the rain made him feel truly uncomfortable.

Bianluoke was already wearing a raincoat. Gowen asked curiously, "In the Village, are you considered a combatant?"

They had been in the Village for two weeks, but still couldn't tell which villagers were combatants.

After all, apart from the young children, everyone in this Village is Nen user. Those who exude Battle Aura might just be ordinary butchers.

"I guess so, but my main responsibility is reconnaissance."

Bianluoke answered with a smile, even waving his finger as he spoke.

As he moved his fingers, his Nen Aura transformed into bubble-like particles that floated slowly in the air.

"My Nen ability allows me to detect my surroundings by exploding bubbles, even from a distance," Bianluoke explained simply.

Kevin glanced at the bubbles floating in the air and thought that, based on the principle that Nen ability are related to willpower, Bianluoke was likely, as he had previously guessed, filled with longing for the outside world.

Just then, the clear sound of a bell rang out from outside.

It's time to assemble.

"Let's go then, I can't wait to see how you hunt." With that, the group put on their raincoats and stepped into the rain.

Kevin surrounded himself with his Nen Aura, preventing any Raindrop from getting close to him.

"How extravagant!" Men Qi couldn't help but complain as she watched this scene. Kevin glanced at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, "As long as you control your Nen Aura well, the energy consumption is actually negligible."

"Pfft, you think everyone's like you?" Men Qi muttered, deciding not to make a fool of herself.

The group headed west towards the Village.

The entire Village is divided into four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. The Gate is in the north, which is where Kevin and his friends entered the Village.

The south was where the funeral had previously been held.

To the east flows a river called the Wan River, a long stretch of which lies on the edge of the Small Town, serving as an important water source for the Village.

The western side was an open field with two watchtowers built along its edge.

When Kevin and his companions arrived, many villagers had already gathered there. The Village Chief and the Saintess were also among the crowd.

A burly man stood atop the watchtower, looking down at the villagers below. It seemed he would be in charge of the hunt.

Kevin had seen this man a few times in the Village, but they had never spoken.

"This hunt is different from the past. The Festival is in a few months, and it happens to be the end of the year, so we need to stock up on more food this time."

His words were concise and clear. "Everyone, stay alert. I don't want anyone to lose their life in this operation."

"Alright, everyone, get ready."

As soon as the words were spoken, the villagers immediately sprang into action, bustling about in the open space, and soon everyone was in their positions.

As outsiders, Kevin and his companions were unable to coordinate with the villagers for the time being, so they stood at the edge of the area and watched quietly, trying not to disturb them.

"That Saintess seems to be watching you the whole time," Men Qi whispered beside her.

Upon hearing this, Kevin instinctively looked in the direction of Melusina. Melusina noticed Kevin's gaze and smiled and nodded at him.

"She's smiling at you." Men Qi nudged Kevin with her elbow, a look of amused curiosity on her face.

"We met once before at the Library. It was just a polite response. Don't be so nosy," Kevin explained.

As an outsider, it's no surprise that I attracted extra attention from those in the Village who longed for freedom.

Even as Saintess, Melusina was unable to leave the Village and was essentially no different from anyone else.

"What a spineless coward."

Men Qi rolled her eyes at him, looking at him with a disappointed expression.

"It's started," Xiahara reminded him.

The two then turned their attention to the edge of the field.

A villager stood at the edge of the field, his hands slightly raised. It seemed he was activating his Nen ability.

A faint orb of light slowly rose from his hand and floated into the sky. Under his control, the orb crossed the Village's Boundary.

Just as the sphere of light left the Boundary, wisps of Resentment began to appear on it, Kevin saw clearly.

Could it be that creations with Nen ability develop Resentment like this once they leave the Boundary? This Curse seems to have become one with these villagers.

Perhaps because the Curse had lasted for so long, the nature of the Nen Aura within these villagers had been almost completely altered.

Resentment arises whenever the Boundary is crossed, a situation almost as dire as when Kevin first arrived.

As the orb of light flew out, the Resentment gradually spread, and a commotion immediately broke out outside.

The first thing to appear on the battlefield was, as expected, a flying bird. This time it was a large, gray-black bird. Kevin observed it carefully but couldn't identify what kind of bird it was.

In the heavy rain, the large bird swooped down directly toward the floating orb of light.

Seeing this, Kevin and his companions instantly understood. They had previously thought the hunting method involved having a villager walk to the edge of the Village to lure the creatures closer.

But after seeing that Nen ability creations could also produce the same attraction effect, they understood this gentler hunting method.

As the large bird rapidly approached, the two villagers standing on the watchtower quickly raised their hands.

One of the villagers had one hand free, while the other held a crossbow.

"Call out!"

Two crossbow bolts made of Nen Aura shot out like lightning.

The two crossbow bolts have completely different Nen Aura properties; one is a pure Emission Type, while the other is Materialization Type.

That big bird was clearly not very strong.

Two crossbow bolts pierced its wings, and with a painful cry, the large bird plummeted from the sky.

Seeing this, another villager at the edge of the field swung his arm forcefully, and a hook with a rope attached flew out.

The hook deftly circled in the air, precisely catching the large bird's wing, and then, as the bird struggled, dragged it back into the Village.

The surrounding villagers immediately gathered around and quickly dealt with the large bird.

"There are so many Nen user in this Village, both Emission Type and Materialization Type," Gowen remarked, observing the scene.