"Both."
The Patroller scoffed. Seeing Ye Lin's tightly furrowed brow, he said impatiently:
"The Dagger business isn't much trouble for me. They don't know who you are, only which War Zone sent people into that Examination."
"But you shouldn't have killed the Demihumans, and you certainly shouldn't have exposed your ability."
Ye Lin's gaze sharpened. He instantly realized the Patroller meant Devour. Before he could say anything, the Patroller gave him a pitying look:
"I know what you want to say. You think the system can't let them hunt you endlessly, that it has to give you a way out. Worst comes to worst, you'll just kill them."
"Just like the Demihumans, just like the Echo Demon. Besides, you're only Second Tier. They can't pay too steep a price just to kill you. Even if all else fails, you can still escape this round. You can always find a solution."
"But you've underestimated your ability far too much."
The Patroller chuckled, looking at him as though he were already dead:
"Here's a free piece of information. Before the Demihumans died, they sent back everything they knew about you."
"Before, it was like taking out the trash. Sending in just anyone would do. But now..."
The Patroller couldn't be bothered to elaborate and merely sneered.
Everyone froze, suddenly remembering the earlier replacement notification.
Ye Lin's heart sank, and a powerful sense of unease spread through him.
Looking at the pity in the Patroller's eyes, Ye Lin took a deep breath and asked, enunciating every word:
"What price would make you agree to a trade?"
"Can they lock onto us and stop us from solving the problem and leaving? Do you know who they swapped in?"
Faced with Ye Lin, who refused to give up and still wanted to "struggle," the Patroller