Refutation

Having successfully hunted the Alpha Ape, Ye Chen informed the villagers of the total annihilation of the mountain guard and led them to recover the remains. After that, Ye Chen did not linger; once he had bid the villagers farewell, he and Heiqi set off on the journey home.

The setting sun clung to the mountains, the dim red glow of the dusk reflecting on Ye Chen's face, adding a touch of melancholy to his expression.

The old horse remained silent, carrying the youth across the vast, boundless snowfield.

The youth was equally silent, his mind constantly replaying the expressions of the Snow Wind Village residents—the faces unable to hide their grief and heartbreak upon hearing the tragedy that Lloyd and his team had all perished, and the pitiful sight of that little girl, shifting from high spirits to stunned silence, finally shedding tears for her father.

Although Ye Chen had only met the villagers once, for some reason, seeing their tears and feeling their sorrow caused his own heart to tighten.

At this moment, he was no longer a cold-blooded hunter tracking prey, but a youth feeling regret for strangers.

On the way back, Ye Chen couldn't help but reflect on the strategies and decisions he had made during the hunt, wondering if there were any details he could have improved to save Lloyd and his group.

However, even though he imagined dozens of different hunting scenarios, imagination was ultimately just imagination, and reality was reality. Time could not be turned back, and those who had already passed away could never be saved.

In the face of the unfathomable Abyss, ordinary people like Lloyd were like reeds; with a mere flick, they would be shattered and destroyed completely.

Only those like Ye Chen, who had made contact with the Auling Labyrinth through a Nightmare and thus gained control of Auling Power, had the strength to struggle against the Abyss. Otherwise, Ye Chen's fate would be no better than that of Lloyd and his group.

"Hoo."

Sitting on the galloping old horse, Ye Chen looked at the increasingly clear silhouette of the church on the mountainside, let out a long breath, and rubbed his weary eyes.

He had hunted a fugitive who had fallen into madness due to a Nightmare in the morning, and in the afternoon, he had hunted a giant ape tainted by the Abyss. The consumption from using Spirit Art in succession, combined with his consciousness being attacked by Abyss Matter several times, had caused a severe mental burden on Ye Chen, leaving him feeling drowsy and his mind blurred.

Heiqi carried the exhausted Ye Chen up the snowy mountain and arrived at the entrance of the Old Church. After Ye Chen gently stroked Heiqi's cheek to show his gratitude, he walked into the Prayer Hall of the church and headed toward the back sitting on the front row of benches.

"Teacher, I have completed the hunt."

Ye Chen forced his heavy eyelids open and reported in a low voice.

But Lyle did not make a sound.

"..."

Seeing that Lyle did not speak, Ye Chen did not speak either, simply standing still in place.

The two immediately fell into a long silence.

Gradually, Ye Chen felt the air in the hall becoming more stifling and intimidating, and the source of all this agitation was Lyle's back.

The youth understood that his teacher was angry again.

Having seen Ye Chen's performance in the Pine Forest and the village today clearly, Lyle naturally understood what unnecessary emotions Ye Chen had displayed during the hunt, and the increasingly scorching atmosphere was enough to represent Lyle's attitude toward this: extremely dissatisfied.

"I have already said it twice: do not let mercy become your bane, yet you have once again done many unnecessary things and spent much unnecessary effort."

After a long while, Lyle finally broke the dead silence, speaking in an icy tone.

However, this time Ye Chen did not choose silence, but gave a firm and decisive reply.

"I was not hindered by any bane during the hunt."

"On the contrary, I believe the intelligence and information they provided helped me a great deal, allowing me to save quite a bit of time and energy."

"Therefore, in this mission, I feel that my approach was not a problem."

Ye Chen's voice was calm and loud, echoing through the spacious Prayer Hall.

This was the first time in his life he had refuted his teacher, insisting on his own point of view.

However, even though it was his first time talking back to Lyle, Ye Chen's expression did not waver at all, appearing full of conviction, his tone showing not the slightest hint of backing down.

On one hand, he believed his actions were beyond doubt and correct.

On the other hand, he also sensed that Lyle seemed to not take the villagers of Cold Wind Village seriously at all, which caused a faint sense of indignation to well up within him, making his fists clench tightly.

"..."

Facing his disciple's first-ever retort, Lyle fell into silence once again.

However, this time the air around him was no longer intimidating; instead, it was like a riverbank after a great flood had receded—calm and pleasant.

"Sigh... is this just human nature..."

After a long while, the middle-aged man shook his head and sighed.

"Ye Chen, if it were possible, I truly wish you could become cold and heartless. Even despicable and shameless would be fine."

When Lyle said this, he did not turn to look at Ye Chen, but stared at the broken statue of the woman in front of him, as if recalling bits and pieces of the past.

"Because, in the world of hunters, the kinder a person is, the easier it is for their heart to waver, and ultimately, the easier it is for them to be devoured and destroyed by the Abyss... or by this labyrinth itself."

"Of all the colleagues I have known, those who were sentimental never lived long. And the reason I have been able to persist for so long is due to the four words: selfish and self-interested."

"Ye Chen, I hope you can always play the role of the hunter and never become the prey."

Lyle's words reached Ye Chen's ears, filled with mystery and sorrow. Ye Chen did not respond, not knowing what else to say.

"Enough, I cannot force you on this matter; you can think about it slowly on your own."

After letting out another long sigh, Lyle immediately shifted to another topic.

"Next, there is another thing I must ask you: when your body made direct contact with the Abyss, did you feel anything unusual in your mind?"

Lyle's sudden question caused Ye Chen's face to freeze, and he subconsciously recalled the scene when the sludge from the Alpha Ape's blood splattered onto his cheek.

"There was only a strange sound echoing in my brain. Other than that, there were no other feelings."

Ye Chen replied, somewhat at a loss for words.

"What kind of voice? What did it say?"

Lyle asked calmly.

"A very eerie and strange voice said it wasn't my enemy, and that I should join them, to devour all things in the world together with them."

As Ye Chen recalled and repeated those bizarre words, his expression involuntarily grew tense.

"Hmm, I understand. If it's only to this extent, you have absolutely no need to worry. This is merely a common tactic the Abyss uses to bewitch people's hearts."

Lyle watched Ye Chen's uneasy face and immediately reminded him in a casual tone, then waved his hand at Ye Chen.

"Alright, let's stop here for today. You can go and rest. We'll talk about the final trial once you've fully recovered."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen nodded and left.

The two consecutive hunts today had already left him unable to stand steadily; at this moment, Ye Chen only wanted to wash up, eat, and then wrap himself in a blanket to get some sleep.

Lyle continued to sit alone in the Prayer Hall, facing the shattered statue, a faint trace of worry flickering within his calm eyes.