"Not a bad fight… it's been a while since I felt this rush," Baili An muttered.
He walked over to the Tang Dao, reaching out with his right hand. A wave of flame evaporated the sticky slime covering the hilt before he drew the blade from the ground.
Removing the crystalline core from the tip, he examined it briefly.
As the heart of the Gluttonous Slime, it contained a massive concentration of pure spirit energy.
It also held the secret behind the Gluttonous Slime's evolutionary ability.
Many organizations had been researching it it was extremely valuable material.
Tucking it away, Baili An was about to leave when the Phantom Crow circling overhead suddenly cawed sharply.
"Are there others approaching?" Baili An glanced up.
"Likely hunters attracted by the commotion. Nothing to worry about," the crow responded.
Ever since the Empire had opened certain low-threat secret realms to the public, the specialized profession of "monster hunters" had gradually taken shape.
These hunters were typically moderately skilled ability users who hunted monsters in public secret realms, collected rare materials, and sold them to specialized companies for profit.
Many independent ability users, unwilling to be constrained and too skilled to struggle in mediocrity, chose this life.
A short distance away, three figures approached Baili An's position.
Two tall, muscular men led the way, followed by a young, striking woman holding a staff.
The woman's sharp eyes scanned the chaotic scene, recognizing the purple residue left behind. Her face shifted slightly.
"That's a fifth-tier monster… a Gluttonous Slime," she murmured.
The two men's eyes widened with greed. One, a buzz-cut young man, whispered excitedly:
"Even a shattered Gluttonous Slime crystal is worth at least a million."
The other, a bald man, was also tempted but visibly more restrained.
"Calm down. He's young, and if he can take down a fifth-tier monster alone, he's definitely not ordinary. Probably the offspring of some ability-wielding family," he reasoned.
"We're three people he can't be stronger than us, can he?" the buzz-cut shot back.
"Besides, our identities with the Holy Spirit Cult are exposed. We've been living like rats under constant disguise. Who's scared of some family brat?"
The young woman licked her lips seductively. "If we pull this off, we'll be living it up for at least two months."
With a two-to-one vote and the lure of over a million, the men made their decision.
"Damn it, let's do it! Fortune favors the bold!"
He charged forward, the other two quickly following.
The woman stayed back a little, while the men spread out, surrounding Baili An.
The buzz-cut raised his sword aggressively. "Hand over the Gluttonous Slime's crystal!"
Despite their threatening demeanor, Baili An was completely unshaken, even slightly amused.
"Not from around here, are you?" Baili An asked casually, his crimson eyes unnervingly calm.
The bald man felt a chill. His sixth sense warned him that this situation was far from simple.
The buzz-cut's anger flared. "I said hand over the crystal. We're all fifth-tier. If you don't want to die, give it up and apologize on your knees!"
Baili An sighed, appearing helpless. "If only you spent a few more days here…"
"Shut up!" the buzz-cut shouted, cutting him off. He swung his sword at Baili An.
The bald man, increasingly uneasy, tried to argue, but even he was startled by his companion's sudden attack.
"Damn it! Kill him!"
The bald man cursed under his breath and drew his sword as well.
At this point, neither side could back down. There was only one way forward.
"Fortune favors the bold. Worst case, we move to another city afterward," Baili An muttered, smiling.
He moved fluidly, evading the two attackers' flanking maneuvers while teasing, "You two seem experienced. This isn't your first time doing this, is it?"
The buzz-cut swung his sword again, irritation evident. "Of course not. We're "
But the young woman's sharp voice interrupted him: "Idiot! Don't reveal your secrets."
"Doesn't matter. He's dead today anyway," the buzz-cut muttered, unconcerned. He attacked again.
The two men were C-tier ability users with enhanced physiques, both at fifth-tier strength.
Yet Baili An effortlessly dodged their attacks, occasionally raising his sword to parry lightly.
"Damn! This sword's useless," the buzz-cut cursed, swinging and missing.
"If my blade weren't lost, you'd already be dead!"
The bald man felt uneasy. Though they seemed dominant, Baili An's movements were always just out of reach, almost like he was toying with them.
"There's a flaw!"
Suddenly, the bald man's pupils constricted while the buzz-cut's eyes lit up. Instinctively, they lunged, aiming their swords straight at Baili An.
The buzz-cut targeted his abdomen, the bald man his heart.
But
"What are you doing?!"
A terrified scream rang out from the young woman.
Both men coughed violently. Baili An's image shimmered, appearing illusory to their eyes.
The buzz-cut's sword had pierced the bald man's body, while the bald man's sword had stabbed the buzz-cut through the heart.
Buzz-cut: "How… is this possible?"
Bald: "Take…the antidote…our swords are poisoned…"
Confused and terrified, they still wanted to survive. But the poison acted too quickly they lacked the strength to even take out the antidote.
They had killed each other.
The young woman turned pale, cold sweat forming on her forehead. Her hands shook as she gripped the staff, staring at Baili An in disbelief.
"How… How is this possible? Is this an illusion? I didn't sense any preparation at all!"
Her gaze fell on Baili An's crimson three-tomoe Sharingan. The calm, unreadable eyes instilled pure fear.
She avoided direct eye contact, her fear growing.
"It's those strange eyes… I couldn't sense his illusions at all! This… this is really bad."
Baili An took two slow steps forward, then began sprinting toward her.
She flinched at the sight, seeing the deadly Tang Dao in his hand. Her courage evaporated completely.
Desperately, she raised her staff and unleashed a flurry of magic in Baili An's direction.
"Don't come any closer!"