Chapter 40: Chapter 37: The Hunters
Baron was racing down the road when he was surrounded by Demon Hunters wearing Iron Thistle Medals. Leading them was a familiar, arrogant, and domineering blond.
Savi sat astride a Ferghana Horse, his face wrapped in an even thicker layer of bandages, which made him look like some kind of resurrected mummy from a fantasy film.
He looked at Baron and sneered. "I told you I’d be back."
As he spoke, the members of the Iron Thorn Gang behind him each took a step forward. In the lead was a giant of a man, about two meters tall, carrying a Giant Axe. Alchemy Circuits crawled across his scruffy, bearded face and his bulging muscles, all of them a vivid green.
Because the Hunter’s Eye concealed the light in their pupils, the Tier of a Silver Demon Hunter was judged by observing their Alchemy Circuits.
Green was the color of Bronze. Savi had brought a Bronze Tier Demon Hunter this time, apparently intending to avenge his earlier humiliation at Baron’s hands.
"Cripple him," Savi ordered the giant.
The giant nodded. His arms, already covered in Alchemy Circuits, began to sheathe themselves in the Secret Silver Hand, an ability unique to the Bronze Tier. A layer of silver spread from his palms over the Alchemy Weapon he held, until the entire Iron Axe gleamed a brilliant silver.
He swung the Giant Axe, the force of the movement kicking up dust from the ground. His rugged face held an exceptionally sharp gaze.
He didn’t underestimate Baron just because he was of a lower Tier. Beating a team from the Iron Thorn Gang led by Savi, then showing up here two days later alive and kicking—that was proof enough this was no ordinary person.
At this thought, his swing with the Giant Axe became more of a conservative, probing attack.
Savi then looked at the followers beside him. "Don’t just stand there! All of you, attack!"
The followers surrounded Baron. Savi then took a metal Crossbow from an Attendant, loaded an Iron Thorn Crossbow Arrow, and took aim at Baron.
The Iron Thorn Gang’s name came from this very arrow, also named the Iron Thorn.
The shaft of the arrow was forged from the finest Snow Pattern Steel. After smelting, this steel required four or five blacksmiths of incredible strength to hammer it continuously in shifts for an entire day to forge it into shape.
An arrow forged this way, if fired from a fully drawn bowstring, could even pierce the Silver Hand of a Bronze Tier Demon Hunter.
Several spikes protruded from the main shaft, and on each one, the top artisans of Fude City had carved fine grooves designed for Bloodletting.
On the arrowhead were fine, intricate patterns—Alchemy Runes branded on by an Alchemist using copper powder.
Its Enchantment effect was to accelerate the blood flow of anyone shot by it.
Savi’s hatred for Baron was truly monstrous. Otherwise, he would never have gone behind his father’s back—the gang’s leader—to not only hire a Bronze Tier Demon Hunter for backup, but also steal this weapon that symbolized the honor of the Iron Thorn Gang.
Baron sensed the threat from the arrowhead. He glanced at the followers surrounding him and the giant leading them.
They were all Black Iron Tier Demon Hunters. Never mind that ordinary blades could barely harm them; in terms of pure combat skill, Baron knew he was their inferior. The last fight had made that painfully clear.
But if he used his current Spiritual Power on Dragon Flame now, he had no idea what he might encounter later at the Baron’s Mansion.
Baron weighed his options and came up with a plan.
The giant brandished his Giant Axe and motioned for the followers to attack first, apparently planning to wear Baron down.
These followers were well-trained. Working in pairs, they launched a coordinated attack on Baron from all four directions.
Baron stood his ground, his gaze cold as he surveyed his surroundings. The edge of his Broken Sword trembled slightly. He took a deep breath... then, like a fisherman diving for pearls, he plunged headfirst beneath the coming onslaught!
His dark figure darted between the points of their blades like a nimble fish. He wasn’t just weaving through them—he was practically dancing!
The Bronze Tier giant’s Hunter’s Eye allowed him to see a much clearer picture than an ordinary Black Iron Hunter could.
The scene unfolded before him as if in slow motion. Every blade, just as it was about to stab or slice the young man, was evaded by the slimmest of margins.
Several times, blades attacked from behind, yet Baron reacted as if he had eyes in the back of his head, either parrying with his broken sword or twisting and rolling his body to minimize the damage.
The giant’s heart went cold. ’The young man’s dodges are hunched and clumsy, but for all their awkwardness, they’re incredibly agile. This isn’t skill... it’s pure instinct!’
"Spread out a little! I can’t get a clear shot with you all bunched up like that!"
Savi yelled from horseback. He lacked the giant’s keen perception; he just had a gut feeling that with so many people in the way, he was likely to miss Baron.
Hearing their master’s command, the followers did as they were told and scattered.
The giant barked, "Don’t!"
But it was too late. In that instant, Baron seized the opportunity. He stomped his foot hard on the ground, kicking up a fog of dust and sand.
The followers were blinded by the dust. As Baron leaped high out of the cloud, a focused Savi seized the chance and pulled the trigger on his Crossbow.
The Iron Thorn bolt shot out, striking the dark figure!
A look of triumph flashed across Savi’s face, but then he watched as "Baron" floated lightly down from the air.
Savi and the giant froze. From their vantage point, and with the giant’s Hunter’s Eye activated, they had seen everything clearly.
It wasn’t the Demon Hunter—it was a black coat!
In the instant the dust had been kicked up, the Demon Hunter had used his coat to draw Savi’s fire... ’So where is he now?’
"Shit!"
The giant’s expression changed. He reacted in a flash, moving to shield Savi.
Just as he expected, the swirling cloud of dust parted as if cleaved in two. In the empty space revealed, the black-clad Demon Hunter held his Broken Sword and lunged toward the giant!
The fleeting glint of the blade and the Demon Hunter’s deathly gaze made the giant’s heart skip a beat.
He immediately swung the Giant Axe at Baron with one hand. A Command Spell appeared on his free hand as he simultaneously sprayed a mist of Forbidden Magic—the Silver Mercury Mist—to block off any retreat.
"You think I’m afraid of you?!"
The giant roared as his Giant Axe came crashing down. The Demon Hunter sidestepped, and the immensely heavy axe smashed a deep crater into the dirt road.
One could only imagine that if this devastating blow had struck a person, they would have been torn to shreds.
But unfortunately for the giant, the Demon Hunter dodged the blow. He landed lightly on the axe head, leaped into the air, and kicked Savi off his horse, snatching the reins from his hands.
BANG! BANG! A few gunshots rang out. The reins held by the stable hands snapped, and the convoy’s horses scattered in terror.
"You dare steal my horse!"
Savi, sitting on the ground covered in dust, roared in a fit of rage, but it was useless. He could only watch helplessly as Baron rode off on his purebred Ferghana Horse—a steed worth nearly 100 Silver Coins.
He then looked at his followers and the horses scattered into the woods and snarled, "What are you staring at? Go and get my horses back!"
It would take time to round up the horses, and by then, Baron would be long gone.
...
Baron pulled on the reins. The black horse snorted a puff of white air and slowed to a stop outside the manor.
Baron dismounted and stroked the black horse’s neck. ’This really is a fine horse,’ he thought. ’A horse like this deserves to run free.’
He unfastened the bridle, loosened the saddle, and retrieved three unused Iron Thorn bolts from the saddlebag that Savi hadn’t had time to load. After tucking them away, he cracked the reins against the horse’s back.
The black Ferghana Horse let out a long neigh, reared up dramatically, then twisted and galloped into the forest.
It kicked up a cloud of dust as it went.
Baron turned back to look at the manor’s tall gate. After a moment of silence, he vaulted over it.
...
Back on the road, the followers had finally managed to round up the lost horses. They re-formed their ranks, planning to head to the nearby town before nightfall.
Savi sat on his horse, gritting his teeth and vowing to get his revenge on that Feinan man next time.
Just then, the giant Demon Hunter riding alongside him suddenly narrowed his eyes and signaled for the convoy to halt.
"What is it?"
Savi didn’t question the giant, but simply asked for the reason.
The giant was an old-timer who had been there when Savi’s father founded the Iron Thorn Gang; he was considered something of an Elder in the organization.
He was powerful and seasoned. And while Savi was used to running wild, he still showed the requisite respect for an Elder Level figure like this.
"No, it’s nothing... Perhaps I was just seeing things..."
The giant gazed down the road, where a Nun in a black robe had appeared at the far end. "I thought I felt a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power a moment ago. I must have been mistaken. It’s just a Nun from the Blood Church."
"Let’s go."
He waved his hand, and the convoy started moving again.
But Savi didn’t move. He watched the Nun’s figure grow clearer, stroking his chin with a predatory look in his eyes.
"This Nun... Hsss, she’s got a nice figure."
"Young Master Savi, let’s go. Nuns are servants of God. We cannot disrespect the divine."
The giant frowned, hearing the implication in Savi’s words.
Savi waved his hand dismissively. "What God? Just a bunch of rotting corpses. Don’t worry, it’s fine. She’s just a Nun. I’m only going to have a little fun..."
The giant’s voice was grim. "It’s getting dark. My current bounty is to follow a Wizard’s divination to find a group of bank robbers. If you intend to waste time on women, Young Master Savi, then we’ll part ways here."
"In that case, Faraday, I’ll see you in Fude City!"
Savi let out a hearty laugh, snatched a whip from a follower, and cracked it hard against his horse’s neck. The steed leaped forward, galloping toward the Nun.
Faraday watched Savi’s retreating figure, his brow deeply furrowed.
’That spoiled brat was coddled by the gang leader his whole life. He’s used to getting away with murder in Fude City, and he’s just as lawless out here in the countryside.’
He had a sinking feeling that the Iron Thorn Gang would be ruined by this wastrel sooner or later.
’Oh well. That’s a problem for the gang leader to worry about.’
Faraday shook his head, sighed, and paid Savi no more mind.
He commandeered a horse from one of the followers, pulled a Wizard-Enchanted Compass from his coat, and saw that its needle had suddenly begun to tremble erratically.
Then the needle stopped. In the blink of an eye, it swung in a full circle and pointed in the complete opposite direction.
Faraday frowned. ’Did I miss them?’
Without a second thought, he cracked his whip and galloped away, heading in the opposite direction from the convoy.
Meanwhile, Savi had reached the Nun and saw her face clearly. She was a beautiful woman, wrapped in a black robe whose hem trailed along the ground.
Beneath her coif was a perfectly oval face. The wind pressed the black robes tight against her body, outlining curves as voluptuous as a Demon’s.
But this demonic body possessed the eyes of an Angel. Her impossibly pure pupils clearly reflected Savi and the men behind him.
She watched the approaching Savi and smiled, a single crimson dot appearing between her eyebrows.
Savi, still on horseback, smiled back. A dark hole appeared between his eyebrows.
Then he toppled from his horse, struggled on the ground for a moment, and died.
The Demon Hunters were thunderstruck.
It wasn’t just Savi’s death. It was the sight of enormous white horns sprouting from the Nun’s smooth forehead as she transformed into a bloodthirsty Blood Demon.
