While Mo Fan ran from the enraged girls, the smart Zhao Manyan, having caught his breath after the intense fight, was discreetly eyeing the ladies' figures and picking his next target.
This time, I wouldn't rat out this playboy, since he was one of the main attackers in the defensive circle and didn't run even when the Queen appeared. So let him enjoy himself—he earned it.
At that moment, a massive blue subdragon at the Commander-in-Chief level smashed through the concert hall roof, and shards of the glass ceiling rained down. The students, who had just relaxed, jumped up like they'd been stung and scattered in all directions, while the former defensive circle members prepared for battle, which pleased me.
When the beast landed, crunching the floor, everyone relaxed, as a stately middle-aged man sat astride the blue subdragon—clearly its summoner, and judging by the badge on his chest, a high-ranking Hunter.
That meant reinforcements had arrived, a bit late but better than nothing, and for the students, the main thing was they weren't new enemies. Following the man on the subdragon, other lower-rank Hunters burst into the hall in various ways—they'd been sent to deal with this catastrophe.
"Where's the Queen?" The fierce blond middle-aged Hunter scanned around with bloodshot eyes.
From his appearance, it was clear he'd fought many monsters, as had the other members of his group. They'd been sent here specifically to deal with the Queen, even at the cost of student casualties, because if the Queen infected more people and then broke through and escaped, it would cause massive problems for the city.
After all, Commander-in-Chief-level parasite monsters already had the ability to infect people en masse, not just one by one like before. Such a problem needed to be nipped in the bud, and I understood the government's order.
In the Green Campus, aside from the anomalous Mo Fan and me, there really was no worthy opponent for the Queen. And even Mo Fan in my world didn't have the Blood Boots and was overall a bit weaker than the original, so he wouldn't cut it either.
Without an opponent, she would've reinfected the entire concert hall and broken through, which, as I'd said, couldn't be allowed. So the government's actions were fully justified.
"I destroyed the queen. The girl she infected is over there." I pointed at the young mommy wrapped in a piece of fabric, who was eyeing the Hunters warily.
"You destroyed her?" He eyed me skeptically, then glanced at the students and the shed monster hides on the floor.
"She didn't kill the Infected because she didn't sense a threat from you—you're not a High-level mage," the Hunter immediately figured out why no one in the hall was grieving. A seasoned pro, plain to see.
"If you think I'm just trying to claim the credit, ask the guys in the hall. And your leader should already have reviewed the camera footage." I nodded toward the subdragon rider holding a tablet.
"The kid's telling the truth—he beat the Queen hand-to-hand," the rider confirmed with a crooked smile and showed the footage on the tablet to the other Hunters.
"Kid, what are you made of to face a superior Chieftain head-on?" The fierce blond eyed me with surprise and scientific curiosity.
"I practice body-enhancing techniques. But my body is only at the lower end of Pack Leader. The Queen is overall weaker than monsters of her level anyway, and she fights on instinct only—nothing dangerous." I smiled carefree at the blond.
"Pah, damn clans hogging all the good stuff. We can only dream of techniques like that. But you're brave enough not to run, and you fight well—experience shows." He eyed me enviously but didn't keep cursing. No point correcting him that I wasn't from a clan—he wouldn't believe it with techniques like mine.
"By the way, when handing out rewards, don't forget the students who held the defensive circle against the Infected while I dealt with the Queen. They helped a lot by not letting them aid her." I downplayed it a bit and praised the students.
I didn't mind, and they might get extra resources for their bravery. Plus, Zhao Manyan could use the fame as one of the defensive circle leaders. And unlike canon, in this life he earned that fame with his own sweat and blood.
To be fair, in canon and my past life he fought too, but against far fewer monsters and definitely not at the tip of a mage group's attack. The blond's growing up.
"You'll get rewards and fame. You prevented a terrible tragedy together—that can't go unrewarded. The death of two and a half thousand mages would've hit the university's and Shanghai's reputation hard." The subdragon rider assured me.
Sigh, familiar face. He seems to work with the Magic Court too. Oh well, his name isn't important to me—he didn't introduce himself.
After telling the Hunters the full story of the incident, including crediting Mo Fan as my source upfront, I was about to approach my girl and check on her when a familiar loli from my past life approached me.
"Oh, what a cute little one—here's a candy." I handed her her favorite lollipop, which she'd never refuse.
The girl, who wanted to say something important, faltered first, and when she was about to unleash a tirade, she saw what I was offering and snatched the lollipop from my hand.
This petite beauty with chestnut hair was Ling Ling. She must be about twelve now, but don't be fooled by her youthful looks. In my past life, she was the brain of our world-saving team. Better not offend her—I wouldn't dare go beyond candy jokes.
"Ahem, I'd like to thank you on behalf of the Clear Sky private Hunter agency. If not for you, we'd have failed our mission, and it would've had dire consequences. I'll transfer half the bounty to your account." Ling Ling pretended nothing happened and delivered her prepared speech. Though it was clear the girl was genuinely grateful.
"Ooo, I don't need money, but I'd use you if you're not against it." I eyed the girl with a hungry gaze.
"...Are you sick? Should I call the police?" Ling Ling gave me a weird look. She wasn't even mad—just curious where a nut like me came from.
"Don't misunderstand—however lovely your body is, your skills matter more to me. I plan to train two girls in the wild for the rest of the school year, and I'd love help from a knowledgeable, experienced Hunter like you." I complimented her and made my pitch.
"You're asking a little girl for help?" Ling Ling eyed me strangely.
"I'm asking a Master Hunter I'm owed, and whether she looks like a little girl or not doesn't matter to me." I grinned predatorily at her.
"So you recognized me, huh? Well, I'll think about your offer if you register as a Hunter with our agency." She boldly lifted her chin.
"I'd love to work with a pro like you." I extended my hand to seal the deal. What, am I dumb enough to refuse protection from a Curse mage like her grandpa?
"Likewise." The girl lingered on my hand a bit—she hadn't expected me to agree right away—but quickly shook it.
How nicely things are falling into place.