Who's the Hunter? / What a Shame

In the eyes of the Armless Union Knight Killer, Bai Ye was like a small boat, swept forward by the crowd, unable to control its own destiny, and looking quite helpless.

Soon, he separated from his assistant, and the two were swept away in different directions by the crowd. Bai Ye himself was completely unaware and continued to move forward, getting further and further away.

His assistant seemed to be trying hard to get back to Bai Ye's side, but he was still unable to resist the power of the crowd. So, the two parted ways and drifted further and further apart.

Platinum Position Centaurea shrugged:

"What a pitiful fellow... He was flawless before, but now he has a perfect opportunity..."

"Platinum Position, shall we make a move?"

"I'll do it. After all, it was Lazurite's personal request. Ah, what a hassle..." Centaurea sighed.

"Well then... to achieve a better result, we'll take care of that assistant." Several Armless Union Assassins revealed malicious smiles and licked their lips. "Anyway, the higher-ups only said we can't mess with VIPs, but they never said we can't go after a guest's assistant."

"... and then you all."

Platinum showed little interest and paid no attention to his subordinates. To be honest, the Armless Union's assassin skills were not as good as before, but this was due to the Armless Union's recent continuous expansion of its manpower.

The newly recruited assassins are of varying skill levels and lack training, making Platinum's job even more demanding. He has to manage, train, and personally participate in battles. There's no more thankless job in Kazimierz than this.

"Ugh, I'm so tired."

Platinum stretched and yawned as the Kuranta girl walked into the night of the Grand Knight Territory, grumbling all the while.

"Oh?"

The Specter blinked and stood still.

The people around me suddenly disappeared.

She was all alone here.

She clearly sensed the malicious gazes emanating from those around her.

It's so boring.

Specter sighed.

It's a pity that the weapons she used to have are all gone, and Skadi also said that fighting humans makes her feel very bad.

The main problem is that if you can't stop yourself, the situation can easily become a complete mess and be difficult to salvage.

After all, Abyssal Hunter never have a concept of stopping or controlling their battles; their enemies are enormous monsters, so there's no need to back down.

The arrows rained down on the Specter like a torrential downpour.

The girl, dressed in a black suit, danced gracefully in the street.

Chapter Twenty-One: Who is the Hunter?

(Bad news, it's Monday again; good news, we only have to work three days this week before the weekend; bad news, it's a work-in-place arrangement, so we have to work on the weekend; good news, the lovely author will be here with you every day!)

Bai Ye got lost in the Grand Knight Territory.

Kawalerielki so large, and many new plots are added every year, that it is indeed easy for an outsider to get lost.

Bai Ye wandered aimlessly through the city streets like a headless fly. Perhaps because he had never encountered anything like this before, the pampered tycoon was completely flustered, neither choosing a taxi nor using the intercity network to search for public transportation options.

He was just running around aimlessly, occasionally trying to contact his assistant via his terminal.

"Unfortunately, your assistant won't be replying to you..."

Miss Platinum said softly.

At this moment, she stood in the distance in the night, Pegasus's vision allowed her to easily see the anxious expression on her target's face.

"So, what will you do next?"

Platinum only hoped that her target would be more obedient and cooperative, so that she wouldn't suffer physical pain and could have an easier time.

"I really don't want to use the methods Old Platinum taught me..."

With a sigh, Platinum looked around, and then she felt that the street in front of her looked somewhat familiar. The moment she saw this scene, something seemed to involuntarily flow out from her memory.

Platinum's hand, gripping the longbow, trembled slightly...

Centaurea was originally just an apprentice of the previous Platinum.

She thought her apprenticeship would be long, until she could stand on her own and become a reliable assassin, but reality turned out to be a cruel joke. On an ordinary rainy night, after she had easily dispatched a knight, Lazurite approached her.

The Armless Union has two Lapis Lazuli Envoys, one male and one female. The male is named Roy, and the female is named Monique —of course, it's uncertain whether these are their real names Centaurea. And this time, the Lazurite who approached her was Roy.

"Little Pegasus, I'm looking for Platinum. Have you seen him?"

"Master has gone on a mission, Lazurite."

"Really? Haha—what kind of mission is it?" Lazurite pressed.

A hint of doubt arose in Platinum's heart, and she shook her head inexplicably:

He didn't tell me.

"Did he tell you that he had any doubts about this target?" Roy's face still wore a frivolous smile, like the most exquisite mask, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

Centaurea shook her head again:

"No, Your Excellency, but I can sense something."

"You're very honest, Pegasus. Well, since you're willing to share Platinum's secret with me, I'll tell you something too. Platinum is dead, he died on his way to defect."

"...!" Platinum's pupils suddenly contracted. Although she knew that her master had developed some feelings for her previous target, she never imagined that her master would give her life to fight against such a behemoth.

"Now that this position has suddenly become vacant, not only me, but also the Dark Iron team and the directors of the Commercial Federation will be very troubled."

"How about this, Pegasus? You be Platinum, okay?"

Platinum will never forget that moment.

[... I didn't understand what happened.]

[The moment I heard that beautiful, even terrifying, sound, the whole world lost its color.]

She stood there, stunned, unsure how to respond.

If the answer is yes, will Roy raise his hand and kill her? If the answer is no, will she also die?

The rest of the story has already been told: Lazurite placed the badge symbolizing Platinum into the girl's hands.

"If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your tacit consent."

"Work hard in your new job, Little Platinum."

"Call--"

Platinum snapped out of her reverie and realized that she had actually been daydreaming during the mission.

Only then did she realize that the memories she had been trying so hard to forget and fade had not been forgotten at all; on the contrary, they had become more and more profound with the passage of time.

"I feel like throwing up... I'd better finish the mission and go back as soon as possible."

Platinum no longer wanted to linger on these familiar streets, after all, the memories here weren't exactly pleasant.

Fortunately, the target was not lost. At this moment, the young man named Bai Ye stood in place, under the dim streetlights, holding a terminal in his hand.

Perhaps it was good fortune in the dark that was looking out for her. Platinum found herself in a secluded alley, the walls of tall buildings separating her from the bustling world outside. There was no one around, and it was as quiet as another world.

I have no idea how that guy managed to escape here so carelessly.

"Looks like luck is on my side today."

Platinum raised his longbow, nocked an arrow, aimed the arrow at the target's head, then slid it downwards, passing through the heart, chest, and legs in sequence, finally aiming at the open ground next to the target.

After all, he's a distinguished guest, Platinum wouldn't be easily injured. If they could have a proper chat, perhaps they could avoid further trouble, which would be better for everyone. Was this attack a warning? Or perhaps a shock?

An ordinary person would likely be terrified at this moment, instinctively fleeing or seeking cover. Platinum, however, can fire a second and a third arrow, cornering his prey. When he has nowhere to retreat and nowhere to escape, his psychological defenses are at their weakest. Reappearing at this point, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him, will make the target obedient.

This method was much gentler than the one Old Platinum had taught her, and it was also the method she preferred.

However, the next moment, Centaurea realized she was wrong.

She was completely wrong.

She saw Bai Ye put down the terminal. Then, he bent down and gently pulled the arrow stuck in the ground.

The man carefully examined the arrowhead and tail, then looked up at where she was now.

Little Platinum's pupils contracted, because she was certain that the person opposite her had spotted her. With her eyesight, she could clearly see the person's slightly open mouth, as if they were saying something.

Instinctively, Platinum drew his bow and nocked an arrow, firing it at the target.

"Ping—"

The arrow struck the target's arm precisely, but bounced off and fell to the ground, even bending the arrowhead.

"Escape!"

Platinum turned to leave, but the intelligence was wrong; the target was not some defenseless scholar at all.

However, as soon as she turned around, she froze in place again.

She didn't know when, but her target, who was far away from her, suddenly appeared behind her, smiling at her.

The girl's heart sank to rock bottom.

A sentence popped into her mind—

Hunters usually appear as prey.

Chapter Twenty-Two: What a pity!

(I love writing; writing makes me happy.)

"Bai Ye, should I hold back?"

"Do as you please, the big fish is with me anyway."

"Good."

Upon putting down the communication terminal, Specter's originally vermilion eyes instantly turned black.

The nun's white hair moved without wind, and she exuded an eerie sense of oppression, as if even the surrounding air had solidified, making it impossible for anyone to move.

This wasn't the simple physical pressure of Bai Ye, but rather a pressure emanating from the spiritual and temperamental level. Even the assassins of the Armless Union were shocked by this murderous aura and dared not meet Specter's gaze.

Similar to the Players, every living Abyssal Hunter has fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They are constantly hunting and fighting. So, when Specter no longer suppresses the dark side in her heart, she enters a frenzied fighting state.

A thick, murderous aura emanated from her body and spread outwards.

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!"

The knights, assassins, and killers of the Armless Union finally realized that the girl's killing intent and aura were extraordinary, and that they alone were no match for her.

As for continuing to use crossbows for long-range suppression?

The arrows stuck in the ground have already provided the answer.

They couldn't hit the target at all.

She easily dodged every arrow, the girl like a perfect dancer, gracefully twirling amidst the dense rain of arrows.

This level of existence is beyond the reach of ordinary ranged attacks. The Knights Killers of the Armless Union even doubted whether the Lapis Lazuli Envoys could stop them.

(Lazurite: You guys overestimate me)

One assassin, still defiant, fired another arrow at Specter while the others chose to retreat.

For some reason, this time, the opponent didn't dodge; he simply turned slightly to the side, letting the arrow hit his arm.

The assassin who fired the arrow was dumbfounded; he never expected his final attempt to succeed.