At the same time, in S City.
The villa district beside Wanbao Auction House.
In the living room, the enormous television screen was also tuned to the Hunter Association's official livestream.
Xu Shan, Yang Lingxia, her second uncle and aunt, and Mai Xiao Wen all sat around the sofa, staring at the screen without blinking.
Their faces were filled with tension and worry.
Because Xu Feng was there.
The livestream switched to footage of Choi Joong-in unleashing his power above Baillutan, incinerating the swarms of flying ants with a sea of fire.
Under normal circumstances, Xu Shan might have excitedly slapped the table and cheered, and his second uncle might have marveled aloud.
But now, they could only stare fixedly at the screen.
They tried to pick out that familiar figure from among the rapidly passing silhouettes dressed in all sorts of hunting gear—even if all they could find was a blurry side view.
Yang Lingxia's face had gone pale. She clasped her hands tightly together, her knuckles turning bluish from the strain.
Her body trembled slightly, and her breathing grew uneven.
In her arms, Little Black was being squeezed tightly without her realizing it.
The wholly black cat seemed to sense its owner's unease.
It didn't struggle, but obediently rubbed its furry head against her arm, purring soothingly in its throat.
Every so often, it even gave a soft "meow, meow," trying to ease everyone's anxiety.
"Good kitty..."
Yang Lingxia looked down at the little creature in her arms. The soft touch of its fur and its dependent little cries seemed to soothe her taut nerves ever so slightly, but the worry in her eyes remained undiminished.
She gently stroked the black cat's sleek fur with her other hand, her lips moving silently as she repeated a prayer only