Chapter 12: The Old Hunter
Hao Gui looked around the shelter, seemingly visiting for the first time, yet his expression remained calm, and he had even brought a bottle of wine for Su Xiao.
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing, simply picking up the Dragon-Slaying Flash from the table.
"This body of mine is a fake. Do you really think I'm stupid? Among the three from the Watch Guild, your blade is the most troublesome. For me, at least, that's the case."
Hao Gui sat down on the chair opposite Su Xiao, placing two large bottles of wine on the table. His gaze shifted to the cylindrical glass bottle nearby.
"So you didn't die."
As soon as Hao Gui spoke, the transparent liquid inside the cylindrical glass bottle rapidly receded. Even though this wasn't Hao Gui's true body, the Bottled Hunter Tiffany didn't want to be too close to him. Even if this was an avatar built from Wraith and Dark Demon flesh, it was still controlled by Hao Gui, and Tiffany's perception was screaming warnings.
"Kukulin, the world we're in is about to be destroyed. I can't figure out the specifics—it gives me a headache—but it seems that once the Dark Prison merges with this place, everything will be fine. Don't tell me you don't know about this. You've already started collecting relics. I've always believed you're harder to deal with than those two old geezers from the Watch Guild. I never wait for death. If we succeed, a third of the Dark Prison's territory goes to you."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't respond, just looked at Hao Gui with a faint smile.
"You... don't care if everything is destroyed?"
Hao Gui was momentarily stunned, then lowered his head, his shoulders trembling.
"Hahahaha!"
Hao Gui suddenly burst into wild laughter, cracking the wine bottles on the table.
"So it's not just me. You're a villain too."
Hao Gui raised his hand, grabbed his own head, and crushed it at a deliberately slow pace.
"I won't let the Dark Prison perish. They all revere me as their king. Next time we meet, we'll settle life and death, my old friend."
With a crack, Hao Gui crushed his own skull. His body slowly turned into white charcoal, eventually dissipating into the air. This bastard called him "old friend" with every breath, yet in battle, every second was spent plotting how to kill Su Xiao.
"Damn it, damn it!"
Baha's shouts came from outside the door. Moments later, Amu and Baha rushed into the shelter.
"Boss, we ran into some guy who's insanely tough. Bubu is tracking him."
Baha stood on Amu's shoulder; both looked battered. Over a dozen short arrows were embedded in Amu's chest, and Baha had a long, heavy throwing knife stuck in each wing. Pulling them out immediately would permanently deduct Stamina attributes and cause weakness. They'd have to wait at least an hour before removing them.
It wasn't just these throwing knives; the short arrows on Amu's chest were the same. Worse, when these weapons were within a certain range of their owner, they formed an invisible life-reflux, absorbing health from Amu and Baha to provide a high recovery effect for the enemy.
If others had their health drained, it might be manageable, but Amu's life force being absorbed was too much for Baha to handle. This "Life Reflux" ability was more effective the more vitality the target had.
When the fight started, Amu was first flash-blinded by some kind of light powder. The next instant, five short arrows were embedded in its chest. Baha, of course, wasn't idle—Spatial Shift + Claw Through the Neck + Claw Throat Slit + Energy Toxin Injection.
After this deadly four-hit combo, the enemy was injured, but three seconds later, their health had been fully restored to 100%.
The combination of various weapons and hunting tools, along with terrifyingly rich combat experience, would have left a team of a dozen Contractors dead on the spot.
[Tip: You have triggered the hidden quest: The Old Hunter's Rest.]
Hidden Quest: The Old Hunter's Rest
Difficulty Level: Lv.68
Quest Info: Kill the Old Hunter Adam.
Time Limit: 5 hours
Quest Reward: 167 World Reputation Points.
Quest Penalty: -10 to all attributes.
...
Seeing this quest info, Su Xiao accepted without much hesitation. A full 167 World Reputation Points was worth the trip. Besides, before the relics were collected, he didn't have much else to do. The relics were crucial.
Su Xiao opened a hidden compartment in the wooden table and took out four potions. These potions were called [Plant Essence Purification Liquid], provided by the Watch Guild. Using one instantly restored 67% of health and accelerated wound healing. Free stuff, no reason not to use it.
Su Xiao told Amu and Baha to stay. Both of them still had the Old Hunter Adam's weapons stuck in them. Getting close to him would only make him harder to deal with.
Tracking Bubu Wang's location, Su Xiao leaped onto the roof of an old apartment building across the street and began bounding between buildings.
Traveling at full speed, Su Xiao didn't take long to leave Sodo City and reach the desolate wilderness. After about half an hour, an ancient castle appeared ahead, with a steam car parked nearby.
Su Xiao slowed his pace. Just as he was about to contact Bubu Wang, he felt something lightly bump his leg. Bubu Wang, who had been blending into the environment, materialized.
"Woof~"
Bubu Wang whimpered and turned its body. Su Xiao saw an arrow in its left buttock—no, both buttocks had arrows, evenly distributed.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang tilted its head, indicating that the Old Hunter Adam was still inside the castle. Su Xiao didn't need the reminder; he had already sensed him.
Su Xiao made a gesture to Bubu Wang, telling it to go far away, at least out of the range affected by the Old Hunter Adam.
At some point, the sky had darkened. A cloud blocked the sun, while the surrounding area remained unaffected, still a clear morning.
Looking at the castle ahead, Su Xiao's Banishment detached from his sleeve, forming a crystal card floating before him. The card's surface was covered in angular, faceted structures.
Su Xiao placed his hand on the crystal card. Cyan Steel Shadow Energy surged from his palm, instantly penetrating the card. Due to Banishment's unique construction, the moment the energy passed through the crystal card, it crystallized.
Boom, boom, boom...
Thousands of crystal spikes slammed into the castle. In an instant, the castle was shattered into rubble.
Debris flew everywhere. The castle was leveled. Black smoke and cold mist spread, causing the surrounding wild grass to wither.
The sound of footsteps on rubble came from within the cold mist. A figure emerged. He wore a black gentleman's hat and a tattered black trench coat, covered in holes and seemingly unwashed for ages. The black color was closer to the night, better for concealment during hunts.
It was the Old Hunter Adam. His eyes were pitch black, and his skin was withered from years of erosion by dark special energy, with faint black showing through beneath the surface.
Click~
The serrated curved blade in the Old Hunter Adam's hand snapped open, still stained with fresh blood. Moreover, the weapon's handle was covered in intricate patterns, greatly enhancing its strength and lethality.
Su Xiao drew his blade and instantly appeared before the Old Hunter Adam.
Clang! A metallic clash rang out. The Old Hunter Adam's serrated curved blade was held horizontally, the serrations on the blade just catching the edge of the Dragon-Slaying Flash.
The Old Hunter Adam executed a spinning back kick, his entire body rotating a full circle. The fatal part wasn't the kick itself, but the blades that unfolded as the hem of his black trench coat lifted.
Swish! A chain of blades from the coat swept past Su Xiao's face. He raised his left arm to shield his eyes.
Bang!
A burst of light exploded, radiating outward in a flash. Su Xiao shielded his eyes with one hand while fully opening his perception.
Clang, clang.
Two swift slashes deflected two incoming throwing knives, sending them spinning high into the air.
As the flash faded, the Old Hunter Adam's left hand reached behind his coat. The coat fluttered as he pulled out a finely crafted crossbow from beneath it. Raising his arm, he aimed at Su Xiao.
Puff, puff, puff...
A rapid series of shots sent over a dozen small crossbow bolts flying toward Su Xiao. The moment they were launched, Su Xiao had already sidestepped.
Hmm~
The Old Hunter Adam had somehow clamped a small bone whistle between his teeth. As he blew it, the crossbow bolts in mid-air all changed direction, homing in on Su Xiao again.
Su Xiao slashed several times, deflecting all the incoming bolts. But the next moment, four longer bolts embedded themselves near him. The tails of the bolts emitted a unique frequency vibration, spreading out as sound waves. Su Xiao didn't sense any danger.
"Ahh!!"
The Old Hunter Adam clutched his head and screamed. The unique frequency vibration didn't affect Su Xiao at all, but instead afflicted the Old Hunter Adam himself.
Were the Old Hunters powerful? Hard to say. If ambushed, they could be killed instantly. But in a direct fight, they used various weapons to compensate for their shortcomings, combined with their nearly terrifying combat experience. For example, the Old Hunter Adam had been hunting for 34 years.
The Old Hunter Adam screamed for nearly two seconds before recovering. By then, the battle was already over.
The Azure Shadow King ability activated. A crystal war scythe formed in Su Xiao's left hand. He was now standing behind the Old Hunter Adam, and the Dragon-Slashing Flash had already pierced through the enemy's heart.
The muscles on Su Xiao's left arm bulged slightly. Whoosh! The crystal war scythe swept through, shattering most of the Old Hunter Adam's body. Only a small piece of his head remained, flying through the air. The black in his eyes rapidly faded.
Su Xiao's long blade turned horizontally, and a hunter's badge, now only two-thirds intact, hung on the blade.
[Tip: You have killed the Old Hunter Adam.]
[You have obtained: Holy Spirit Chest (56%).]
[You have obtained: Dark Execution (This is a special weapon. Hunters cannot use it. It can be given to a Hunter in this world).]
[You have obtained: Hunter Relic Identity Badge (Can be sold for 32 World Reputation Points).]