Chapter 233: THE HUNT BEGINS
A young man, no older than twenty-six, stood on the branch of a tall tree. A magical tube-shaped artifact was pressed against his right eye, its lenses at both ends glowing faintly.
This was no ordinary tool—it allowed one to see far into the distance, and at night, channeling even a little bit of mana would let the user see through pitch darkness.
"I think... I just saw someone. Didn’t I?" he whispered to himself.
Another man in his thirties was standing below. The whisper should have been lost to the air, but the silence of the forest was absolute. Though he didn’t understand anything, he clearly heard him whispering.
"What is it? Did you see something?" the man below asked in a low voice.
"Yes... I think I did. But then, suddenly... that figure vanished," the lookout above replied.
"Was that figure riding a hor—"
He wanted to ask something, but he couldn’t even finish his words...
Shhk!
A cold sword tip pierced through his back and burst out from his chest.
"Ghhkk—!" Blood sprayed from his lips as his body stiffened. Before he could even react, two hands clasped his head from both sides.
Creak...!
His neck twisted sharply. His eyes dimmed, and his lifeless body dropped with a heavy thud.
The man above flinched at the sound. He looked down in alarm, but something shot upward from the ground before he could cry out.
Thud!
A crushing blow slammed into his chin. His mind blanked.
Bam!
Another strike hammered across his face, sending him spinning down. He crashed with brutal force, half his upper body buried into the dirt.
A moment later, a single foot landed softly on the ground.
It was Logan.
"Is it a hobby of yours? You looked so passionate about killing those two."
A melodious voice echoed in his mind. Audrey’s.
Logan’s eyes stayed cold. "They got what they deserved. I can’t hesitate when it comes to delivering it."
Without another word, his figure blurred. He sprinted forward. He avoided the main road, his steps flowing like a shadow between the trees.
"One in that tree," Audrey warned.
Logan’s gaze sharpened. He blurred toward that tree, bent his knees, and leapt high, soaring upward.
His body aligned with the figure hiding in the branches. His palm opened.
Whoosh!
Five spinning bullets of compressed air erupted from his hand.
Pshhhk!
The man’s skull shattered into fragments before he even realized what was happening. His corpse dropped like a stone, hitting the earth with a sickening crack that left a deep dent in the ground.
Logan didn’t stop. His body blurred again.
1800 meters.
1500 meters.
1400 meters.
He streaked through the night like a phantom, his speed inhuman, his presence ghostly.
"Be careful," Audrey’s voice rang. "Three ahead—inside a trench."
Logan reached behind him in mid-stride. His hand closed around Audrey’s hilt. In one smooth motion, he unsheathed her.
The trench came into view. Three figures crouched inside, starting to turn their heads as if sensing something.
Too late.
Whoosh!
A single downward slash cleaved through the air.
Shhhhk!
All three heads were severed cleanly. They arced upward before tumbling back into the trench.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The forest fell silent again as Logan shot forward. More men waited along the path, but each was dealt with just as swiftly.
It didn’t take long before Logan finally reached the location—a small house standing in the middle of the jungle.
Instead of walking straight in, he hid behind a large boulder the moment the house came into view.
"Can you sense it? How many are inside? And... is my mother there too?" Logan asked, his voice tense.
"Yes," Audrey replied. "Your mother is there. Not many people inside the house. In one room, it’s her... and someone else. He feels strong. Stronger than your Guildmaster, and that man who gave you that ring. There are three more inside, in another room. But....."
She paused.
Logan’s chest tightened. "But what?" he asked hurriedly, catching the unease in her voice.
"There are at least two hundred more. They’re scattered in the forest, waiting."
"What? Two hundred?"
"Yes."
Logan’s mind raced. It wasn’t the strong man inside that worried him. Nor the two hundred men hiding in the jungle. It was his mother.
"If I charge in straight away, they’ll use her against me. What should I do?" His thoughts tangled.
Then Audrey’s voice rang again, calm and steady.
"I can help you. But I have a condition."
"What condition?" Logan asked sharply.
"I have a request. You must fulfill it."
Logan narrowed his eyes. "Unless it means harming an innocent, I will do it. What is it?"
"It’s the opposite actually," Audrey said. "You will be helping innocents. I’ll tell you the details later. For now, just give me your word."
"Done," Logan replied without hesitation.
"Then listen carefully," Audrey’s tone sharpened. "Here’s the plan."
Audrey’s instructions flowed into his mind. Logan’s breathing steadied as he listened, his gaze locked on the small house ahead.
"First, we take out the three in the separate room," Audrey’s voice echoed firmly.
"Once that’s done, you’ll draw out the man in your mother’s room. You must defeat him on your own—I can’t help with that. But the others? I’ll hold them back until you finish with the strongest one. After that, the rest will be yours to handle. In short, everything depends on your strength."
A cold glint flickered in Logan’s eyes. "That will be enough."
________
Inside the house...
Three men sat around a table, facing each other in a dimly lit room.
"Elder Edward, do you think the plan will really work? What if he doesn’t come? And can we even trust that man? Who the hell is he? Even our Sect Master didn’t dare deny his words."
It was Zereth who spoke, his voice low and uneasy.
"Don’t worry," Elder Edward replied calmly. "The plan will succeed. As for that man... even I don’t know who he is. We’ll hear more from the Sect Master later."
Across from them, another gray-haired elder of the Third Eye Sect sat in silence, his expression unreadable.
But just then....
Knock! Knock!
All three heads turned at once.