Chapter 387 - Beginning the Slaughter

An unexpected development caught Cassius off guard.

He had initially thought that the sacred spring water was merely a unique form of life energy, something that could strengthen the body and nourish the mind. However, he never anticipated that drinking a certain amount of sacred spring water to condense a sacred mark would also have an effect on the Qi of a combat artist!

Though he didn't fully understand what was happening, one thing was undeniable—he needed to obtain more sacred spring water.

It wasn't just about restoring his strength; it was also crucial for advancing the Covert Martial Arts fist techniques to a higher level.

Cassius sensed that this sacred mark, born from the sacred spring, would prove immensely valuable, particularly for the Southern Dipper Fist Technique.

After conducting some research and experiments, he finally called for the doctor in the nursing home to express his desire to be discharged.

After a round of check-ups, Cassius was able to leave the room smoothly.

Before walking out of the nursing home, he paused in front of a mirror.

A young man about 1.75 meters tall looked back at him, slender and frail—the typical physique of an illusionist. White Aster had a striking appearance, one could even call it delicate. His slender blue almond-shaped eyes seemed to ripple with the subtle waves of a lake. A straight nose and naturally upturned lips lent his face an air of enigmatic amusement. His features were soft, slightly shadowed.

Notably, a blue aster tattoo below his right ear stood out against his pale skin, giving him a hint of seductive allure.

His shoulder-length hair, a golden shade, now partially covered his earlobes.

White Aster had a handsome face, and it was no wonder he had attracted several female confidantes in the memories left behind. Of course, White Aster wasn't as striking as Cassius, who possessed a refined beauty enhanced by the modifications of the Golem Covert Martial Arts.

Five minutes later, a figure slowly emerged from the nursing home entrance. It was nine in the morning, and the sun was shining brightly.

The summer heat was intense, and the lush greenery along the road appeared even more vibrant, though some leaves showed signs of wilting.

Cassius set off in the direction of the organization's headquarters, according to his memory.

It was the final days of the Hongli Empire, and the walls and buildings on either side reflected the period's style, marked by predominant shades of yellow and blue and a preference for geometric patterns.

Looking around, he noticed the pointed corners of rooftops, or the religious-style symmetrical patterns on doors and windows. On the street, pedestrians in outdated, traditional attire hurried by, with an occasional horse-drawn carriage clattering along.

As he observed his surroundings, Cassius steadily made his way to his destination.

Soon, he reached the heart of the capital's sixth district, a restricted area marked by rows of buildings resembling barracks.

Only those with the Dark Hunter Organization insignia could enter.

Cassius passed through easily, following the main road inward. As he approached the headquarters, the small, yellow-gray tiles gave way to larger floor stones, and the walls on either side grew taller.

A minute later, he crossed through a semi-circular archway.

The scene opened up before him into a clean, orderly fountain plaza, with flower beds, green trees, and red flowers planted throughout.

This was one of the four entry points to the Dark Hunter Organization headquarters.

Apart from this plaza, there was another central square in the headquarters, a hub with several main roads leading to different areas, including the Logistics Department, the Sacred Bath Grand Cathedral, the Weapons Workshop, the Hunter Hall, and the Headquarters Building.

These were the five main buildings, although there were other facilities, such as training rooms within the training camp.

Additionally, the area around the Hunter Hall provided temporary accommodation for Hunters to rest while awaiting assignments or payment. Cassius entered this section of the headquarters first.

He wanted to gain a thorough understanding of the Dark Hunter Organization's internal structure.

Arriving at a building resembling an apartment complex, Cassius took out White Aster's Hunter badge and registered for a room at the reception desk. He then headed straight for the Hunter Hall.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

As soon as he entered, a young man walked toward him. Cassius noticed the man's intense stare and furrowed his brow slightly.

At first, he thought he was in for some random trouble.

But unexpectedly, the young man had a polite demeanor, asking him about his last team mission and the death circumstances of a female Hunter named Sana. What had killed her?

Cassius, finding the questions easy enough to answer, replied one by one.

The young man nodded in thanks, then left the Hunter Hall. He seemed close to the late Hunter Sana, possibly seeking revenge or simply closure. But whatever his intentions, it didn't concern Cassius.

Cassius was here to select some missions.

Soon, he found himself in a large hall. A dozen Hunters stood silently, gazing at a wall covered with sheets of white paper.

Each sheet detailed a mission, its level of danger, and the corresponding reward.

If someone wanted to take on a mission, they would simply pull the paper from the wall and register it at the mission exchange desk. There, a staff member would provide detailed mission intelligence.

Cassius glanced at the left side of the first-floor hall, the area where he had just entered. There was a brass spiral staircase leading upward, clearly connecting to the higher levels of the Mission Hall.

White Aster was a C-rank Hunter and thus was on the first floor, where he shared the space with the lowest-ranking D-rank Hunters who took on the simplest tasks.

C-rank and D-rank Hunters were collectively known as the Black Copper Hunters.

B-rank Hunters were referred to as the White Radiant Hunters.

A-rank Hunters were known as Dark Gold Hunters, a group of only fifteen members, six of whom were special—a team of five Shadow Hunters and one Radiant Hunter.

Cassius speculated, based on past experience, that these so-called Dark Gold Hunters were likely on the level of combat artists. The six Shadow and Radiant Hunters were probably full-fledged combat artists as well.

The ranks became clear as he thought it over.

White Radiant Hunters matched the intermediate and advanced levels of pugilists, while Black Copper Hunters aligned with fistfighters and early-stage pugilists. This was a rough estimation Cassius made based on White Aster's abilities.

While reflecting, Cassius examined the mission content on the wall. Each title was boldly printed as a warning.

"Investigate the Serial Murder Case in Florence's Fourth District!"

"Disappearance of Pedestrians in Florence's First District at Night!"

"Possible Sightings of Dark Creatures in the Third District Sewers..."

Most of these missions concerned supernatural events within the city of Florence, with no mention of other regions. The difficulty seemed low, as the headquarters was located in Florence's sixth district.

Cassius scanned through the tasks, focusing on the rewards at the end of each listing. One unit, half a unit, one unit... Rarely did any mission offer more than two units of sacred spring water, and some didn't include spring water at all, offering money instead.

However, there were exceptions—team-based missions that spanned across ranks. These missions involved forming a small team of Black Copper and White Radiant Hunters.

White Aster's previous mission had been one such case.

Cassius stood motionless, reading each mission one by one, unaffected by the Hunters who came and went around him. He remained still until a young woman entered the hall—Rose, whom he had just recently met.

As a Black Copper Hunter, she couldn't take on any high-paying missions in the Mission Hall. Even with the option to accept up to three tasks at once, the amount of sacred spring water available to Cassius would barely be enough for a taste. He was now deeply interested in the sacred mark.

The sacred mark was a phenomenon that appeared only when the body had absorbed a significant amount of sacred spring water. Each mark on the back of one's hand indicated a considerable intake of spring water.

Therefore, he needed a substantial amount of sacred spring water.

Cassius didn't want to waste time getting tangled up with lower-level Black Copper tasks, so he chose another approach.

Rose was a White Radiant-ranked Hunter, able to take on tasks on the second floor, where the rewards were far more lucrative than on the first. However, Cassius's intention wasn't for Rose to take a solo White Radiant-ranked mission and have him do it in her place. Instead, he wanted Rose to accept a White Radiant-ranked team mission and then recruit members for the team—of which Cassius would be the only member.

In this way, they could maximize efficiency and reap the most generous rewards. Rose would still take her share, but Cassius would receive the rest. If the team mission originally required a squad of nine, that would mean nine shares of sacred spring water as the reward. With just the two of them, Rose would take her portion, leaving eight shares for Cassius. It was mutually beneficial; while it seemed Rose didn't gain much, the assurance of a successful mission was the true reward for her. She wouldn't even need to lift a finger—Cassius would handle everything. This arrangement also meant they could complete tasks at a rapid pace.

Cassius had discussed this plan with Rose an hour earlier.

Naturally, Rose agreed, especially as she was eager to become Cassius's apprentice. Accepting the mission was a small effort on her part.

"Master White Aster, just give me ten minutes," Rose said, placing one hand on the brass railing at the staircase in the Hunter Hall, her bright eyes fixed on Cassius.

"Just call me by my name, go ahead," Cassius replied, ending the conversation while reiterating how he preferred to be addressed. He had noticed that Rose seemed to have an intense fascination with the art of illusions.

Perhaps this was why she showed such enthusiasm and respect toward Cassius, whom she believed to be a master illusionist. He wondered how she would react once she realized his illusions were simple, straightforward applications of Qi.

Seven minutes later, a figure reappeared on the staircase.

Fifteen minutes passed, and Cassius and Rose left the Hunter Hall. They had taken on a lucrative White Radiant-ranked team mission with a reward of twenty units of sacred spring water for an eight-person team.

After deducting Rose's two and a half units, Cassius stood to gain seventeen and a half units if they completed the mission. Compared to the first-floor tasks, this reward was in a different league. One would have to complete dozens of first-floor tasks to match the payout of one from the second floor.

Back at the temporary Hunter residence, Cassius reviewed the details of the White Radiant-ranked team mission. Coincidentally, it was an updated version of White Aster's previous mission.

"The Abandoned Knights' Fortress"

Location: Farr County, Rika City, ten kilometers east of the outskirts.

Timeframe: Within twenty days.

Details: A group of dark creatures with mutated bodies had taken residence in the fortress, including several White Radiant-ranked individuals. They had overpowered a mixed seven-person squad about two weeks prior. It was recommended that any newly-formed Hunter squad for this mission consist entirely of White Radiant-ranked Hunters.

Reward: Twenty units of sacred spring water.

In his room, Cassius recalled the images of White Aster's encounter with these dark creatures. They weren't particularly strong, nor did they possess any strange abilities; they were simply physically resilient. Even without his full strength, Cassius felt he could easily handle them.

Completing missions for the Dark Hunter Organization not only earned Cassius sacred spring water but also granted him life vibration energy, which would help his body recover to the point where he could use Qi. Once he could use Qi, his strength would restore even faster, and soon he'd be back to full combat capability.

Time passed, and it was now midday.

Rose, fully equipped, appeared in the central square of the Dark Hunter Organization. Cassius, however, had brought nothing with him and was bare-handed.

The two wasted no time and immediately took a carriage to Farr County. It was quite close to Florence.

The journey spanned less than sixty kilometers.

Traveling by main road, they'd arrive in just a few hours.

The midday sun blazed intensely. Along a broad, dusty road through the woods, a black carriage rolled away into the distance.

By five in the afternoon, nearing dusk, Cassius and Rose reached the eastern outskirts of Rika City, where an abandoned village once stood. As dark creatures had begun appearing around a year ago, the village had gradually been deserted.

The sky was painted with reddish sunset clouds, and the dying sunlight cast a glow on half of Cassius's face. Tilting his head slightly, he gazed at the ruined fortress perched halfway up the mountain, his pupils flickering with a hint of crimson.

In the real world, Cassius would have had to build up a force of his own to gather intel on dark creatures for hunting and consuming. But in this time-traveled era, the Dark Hunter Organization was an official imperial powerhouse devoted to supernatural forces, particularly targeting dark creatures. Information on them was abundant.

It seemed he'd have his fair share of hunting in the days to come.

Beside him, Rose glanced at the dimming sky and the sun sinking toward the horizon. She turned to Cassius and said, "Master White Aster, the sun is about to set; it'll be dark in less than half an hour. Illusions might be harder to use with limited light. Shall we find a place to rest nearby, or maybe camp out in the abandoned village for the night?"

Such were the limitations of an illusionist, relying heavily on visibility to ensnare opponents in illusions. Sight was the most direct sense, with hearing and smell trailing behind.

Once darkness fell, with vision impaired, opponents wouldn't clearly see the illusionist's movements or illusions, diminishing their impact on the target's mind—even reducing it to nothing.

This was why Rose suggested they wait until daylight.

However, Cassius didn't intend to waste time. His illusions were activated directly by Qi and didn't follow the usual rules of illusionists; light wouldn't affect them.

Besides, dealing with a mere nest of dark creatures wouldn't take until nightfall. Forget half an hour; a few minutes would be enough.

"Stay here. I'll be back shortly..."