Chapter 419 - You Are Definitely The Next Shadow Hunter

On the very first day of the Shadow Hunter competition, a target had already been captured. However, it was unfortunately the wrong one. By sheer accident, Cassius ended up completing Solomon's assignment, which turned out to be a minor blunder.

Still, he had overestimated his own luck. Since fate did not favor him, Cassius had no choice but to follow the original plan. Black Rain Manor possessed black-bait wood that could attract dark creatures, and it seemed like it would lend him a helpful boost.

Cassius had planned to contact Ghost-Man at noon through special channels, but he was delayed by the matter of the invisible assassin. He simply let it go, given that they could meet again in the evening anyway.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Cassius returned to the home of the veteran hunter, Herb. Upon entering the first-floor hall, he saw all the veteran hunters waiting for him in silence. Hearing movement from around the corner, everyone's eyes immediately focused on Cassius.

"It's a pity it turned out not to be that ghoul," Jem said, shaking his head in regret. "Otherwise, you would have finished the assessment by midday of the first day."

"It doesn't matter. After all, we have the strength, and it makes no difference which day we complete it. If we could take down an A-rank dangerous target like the invisible assassin, we can naturally take out the ghoul hiding in the commercial district." Krog spoke in a deep voice. He sounded rather confident.

In other words, he had a great deal of confidence in Cassius's abilities. After all, in the previous sparring sessions between the veteran hunters and Cassius, he had been the main character who experienced Cassius's might firsthand. He knew Cassius's power better than anyone.

For a bona fide Shadow Hunter-level expert to join the contest for a Shadow Hunter spot was akin to an adult bullying a child. If it had not been for the strict and highly significant internal procedures of the Hunters' Association, Cassius could have shown his true ability outright and soared through the hunter ranks long ago.

"Exactly," Kames remarked. "Finishing sooner or later really wouldn't make much difference. Since this is simply a qualification screening, completing first wouldn't guarantee the upper hand. At most, it would just put a bit more pressure on the others."

"In any case, it doesn't matter because you are definitely going to be the next Shadow Hunter." Rudy, who was seated on the sofa holding a cane, spoke in an assured tone.

A few days earlier, he had still been backing Claire the Siren. Now, he had switched to supporting Cassius instead, and had even begun discreetly urging Claire to give up early, saying that the fifth Shadow Hunter's position was undoubtedly decided.

In the first-floor hall, there were six veteran hunters in total, and none of them displayed the slightest hint of worry like the other factions. Instead, they piled snacks on the table, served tea, and chatted in hushed tones. It was as though the race for Shadow Hunter had not even begun.

Their support for Cassius would not waver, not only due to his overwhelming strength but also because he had helped expel the calamity that had been building up in their bodies for many years.

For these veteran hunters who had battled dark creatures for many long years, they could endure physical injuries, yet the madness of the mind was something they found difficult to handle. They despised dark creatures above all else, and having to use sacred spring water for so many years—only to become lost in a mindless beast-like state later in life—was nothing short of insulting.

These veteran hunters would rather die than be turned into dark creatures. Therefore, many older hunters who felt their resolve reach its limit would settle their affairs in advance and then end their own lives personally. They did this to avoid fully succumbing to beast-like madness and transforming into the very thing they hated most.

Yet, Cassius's fist-based physical therapy had undoubtedly solved their issue. The veteran hunters were grateful to him and held him in high respect. They wanted Cassius to become a Shadow Hunter and take up a lofty position in the Association.

That way, that physical treatment might just be able to expand on a larger scale. It could help many more hunters within the Hunters' Association who desperately needed a solution to their bestial transformations, preventing these brave warriors from having no choice but to end their lives.

It could help many more hunters within the Hunters' Association who desperately needed solutions for their beast transformations, preventing these brave warriors from having no choice but to end their lives.

Naturally, until Cassius chose to reveal his physical healing method, the veteran hunters would keep their lips sealed, entirely respecting his wishes. Although they wished for it, they still knew how to prioritize matters.

Time slipped by, and twilight arrived. A tall figure stood on a crescent-shaped balcony, quietly gazing at the lush greenery and white walls below.

This was a single detached house near the Hunters' Association, originally owned by the veteran hunter, Rudy. Over the past few days, Rudy had given it to Cassius, as living in the hunter's apartments all the time had not been very convenient. Cassius was obviously much more at ease in a private space.

A warm breeze brushed through his hair, and the leaves rustled. The red-and-gold sky gradually dimmed, with the sun hiding behind the edge of the clouds.

Cassius turned and went back inside, settling into the sofa in a relaxed posture.

He closed his eyes, allowing the Mark of the Spirit Bearer to take effect. He opened his eyes again, and the world shifted. It was the World of Calamity.

After a brief pause, he departed the Tower of Refuge at once. About twenty minutes later, Cassius met Ghost-Man and Iron Knight in a corner of Ash City.

As soon as they met, he asked Ghost-Man to do something for him. He needed as much black-bait wood as possible, delivered as soon as possible. Florence was situated in the northern part of the Hongli Empire, whereas Black Rain Manor was in the Anta Mountains, in the empire's southeastern region.

In that era, there were no trains, and transportation was far from convenient. A round trip would likely take quite a while. Of course, even without technology to travel, they could still rely on supernatural abilities to cut down the journey. In fact, it would not necessarily be any slower than traveling by rail. Ghost-Man was a top-tier knight-level expert and had plenty of methods and connections of his own.

Their conversation lasted less than five minutes. Afterward, the three of them left Ash City and headed for the southwestern corner of the Pale Lands. A few days ago, they had completed the Graveyard of the Undead mission that had a minimum quota of ten Cataclysmic Spirit level remains.

Although it was the lowest level of mission completion, it still granted a level-up in their Marked-one privileges. Additionally, there was a large amount of Soul Power that had been exchanged. It totaled one thousand units!

Completing a single mission yielded so much Soul Power, even at the minimum level. It went to show just how valuable each mission in the World of Calamity truly was.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Since Cassius had taken the lead in exploring the Graveyard of the Undead, he received six hundred units of Soul Power, while Ghost-Man and Iron Knight each got two hundred.

Soul Power was useful to them, though not exactly rare. Undoubtedly, the most valuable part of the mission reward was the increase in their privileges.

Ghost-Man had once stolen the crystal of the Lord of Calamity and turned it in to the manor. The reward that time had already bestowed enormous benefits on Ghost-Man, and it was a comprehensive reward. It included more mission options, more exchangeable items, expanded services at the manor, access to newly opened secret areas of the manor... and so much more.

Therefore, Ghost-Man and Iron Knight eagerly looked forward to collaborating with Cassius. They wanted to maintain a good relationship and continue working together.

In addition, Cassius had already used up the six hundred units of Soul Power he had acquired. He used it to neutralize the eight hundred units of sacred spring water he had obtained.

The Pale Lands remained just as it always had been, shrouded in drifting ash and sprinkled with snowy flakes. The trio set out for the southwestern corner, searching for a mountain peak shaped like a bull's horn.

That was the lair of the undead, where possibly half of all the undead across the Pale Lands had gathered. Cassius wished to discover the Howling Canyon, not only because it contained Soul Jades that could nurture his Qi, but also because he had always yearned to battle the souls and Qi of combat artists from across the ages after their deaths.

Every sharp sword was born in countless battles, soaked in blood and tempered in flame. Cassius wished to achieve the realm of Holy Fist and knew it required hundreds, thousands, or even countless battles.

And so, during the day, he tracked the ghoul in the real world; by night, he roamed the World of Calamity searching for the Howling Canyon. There were some minor interludes, for instance when he was investigating the ghoul in the real world. He ran into Lion King Soss in an alley where they stared at each other briefly. Both paused for a few seconds, but in the end, they did not fight.

Cassius could sense that Soss seemed far more confident and that his aura had grown noticeably stronger. However, his Qi was somewhat chaotic, and his gaze slightly clouded. Cassius had no idea what he might have done in those two weeks.

Naturally, Cassius had no desire to find out. So what if Soss had royal backing? Even if he boosted his power recklessly, could he possibly reach the level of a Radiant Hunter?

That was impossible. Not to mention... Even a Radiant Hunter might not necessarily be a match for Cassius in his current state.

Once Cassius restored his body to its very peak, that Radiant Hunter would certainly stand no chance.

From Cassius's perception, the current Hunters' Association President, Thunder Prison Deleshart, did not appear to have reached the level of extreme combat artist. Other than that, he didn't know what to expect from the Chief Mechanist.

While that was the situation in the real world, Cassius had also made gains in the World of Calamity. During his search for the Howling Canyon, he encountered a Dead Spirit. After a fierce battle, Cassius's Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist broke through to the eighteenth acupoint. Furthermore, due to their resonance, his Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist also advanced to the eighteenth acupoint. Once again, he drew one step closer to the third stage of his Southern Dipper Force.

Time flew by, and five days had passed since the start of the Shadow Hunter qualification battle. That evening, Cassius received the black-bait wood delivered by Ghost-Man. It was a large piece, at least as thick as a normal person's forearm.

He could not help but be impressed by Ghost-Man's serious and proactive approach. After all, from what Ghost-Man had previously described, only a thumb-sized piece of black-bait wood was needed to lure dark creatures by scent.

However, he now had a piece as thick as a forearm. If he lit this thing, there was no doubt it would draw the ghoul in. Cassius nodded inwardly. Ghost-Man was indeed thoughtful!

It was July 27, around two in the afternoon, and a torrential downpour had just ended. The cool rain had washed away the heat of Florence, flushing dust into the gutters and leaving the air clean and fresh. The sky was such a vivid blue as though it had been scrubbed clear with a washcloth. A few white clouds drifted lazily, blocking the sunlight.

At a single detached house, Cassius withdrew his gaze. He thought it probably would not rain again, so he planned to simply wrap up the mission that night.

As a large city, Florence actually had no shortage of dark creatures. However, they would never set foot in District Seven, District Two, or District One. Those areas respectively housed the headquarters of the Dark Hunter Organization, the Hongli Council, and the Imperial Royal Family. Thus, dark creatures generally operated in the four districts that covered commerce and residential areas.

According to intelligence reports, the ghoul was active in Districts Three and Four, with a few specifically identified high-traffic areas. Cassius planned to fashion the forearm-thick black-bait wood into a torch, carry it around while it burned, and sweep through those locations.

This was effectively a bold and open form of baiting. Anyone daring to approach would have no chance of escape.

Meanwhile, in Florence's residential area of District Five, Soss's investigation had reached a critical stage.

After five days of gathering intelligence and conducting field investigations, he had gradually figured out the target's activity pattern. His dark creature had been operating in District Four and Five, hunting at intervals. Based on the previous hunt, the target was currently in District Five and would move into the bustling night market of District Four either that night or the next to seek its prey. What Soss needed to do was patrol back and forth along several main roads.

That way, there was at least a thirty to fifty percent chance of catching the creature! As for fighting the dark creature, Soss had absolutely no concern. Over the past couple of weeks, he had been wildly consuming sacred spring water, and though it impacted his sanity, it had brought a considerable boost in power. He was certain he would be the first to complete the assessment.

Elsewhere, Solomon the Thorn was also on the move. On the first day of the assessment, his luck had been poor—Cassius had unexpectedly taken out his target first. Hence, Solomon was forced to switch to another mission.

Compared to the invisible assassin, this dark creature was clearly much more cautious. The traces it left behind in several districts were pitiably small, rendering Solomon's Sinful Thorns Secret Technique nearly ineffective.

Helpless, he had no choice but to methodically hunt for clues, slowly narrowing down the areas. Only today had he finally gained some insight: that dark creature was most likely hiding in District Four.

Solomon intended to work harder over the next few days, making use of his rest time as well so that he would not be eliminated without even completing the first stage of the assessment. He had even prepared himself to seek assistance from Zhu Hun. After all, both parties had reasons why Solomon simply had to become a Shadow Hunter.

In the District Three of Florence, Claire stood on a building's balcony, watching a particular area intently. Her progress could be considered the fastest of the four; she had nearly pinned down the exact location of the target. It lay somewhere amid that expanse of buildings ahead.

Now, she just needed to lure the snake out of its hole. Claire planned to wait until nightfall. At that time, the dark creature would move actively and inevitably reveal itself.

All four had their own strengths and strategies. Day turned to night, and at 8 p.m., a waning moon dangled among the branches, half-veiled by the clouds.

The sky was pitch-black, with not a single star to be seen. In the hazy darkness, a figure departed from the headquarters of the Dark Hunter Organization. He had a clear goal and headed straight for Florence's District Four. A dozen or so minutes later, on the streets of Florence's commercial district, the night market was still bustling.

Candles shone brightly, and shops opened one after another. From time to time, delicately framed metal carriages rolled by, coming to a stop in the open space beside the pleasure street. Nighttime was always the hour when the trade of desire was at its liveliest.

In a dark, quiet alley several streets away...

A sturdy figure leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, merging into the shadows. He remained absolutely still, eyes shut. He looked like a human statue with sharp contours and rigid lines.

Suddenly, the man opened his eyes. He glanced at the waning moon obscured by dark clouds overhead, then pulled out a black torch from his coat. He struck the torch's tip along the rough wall with a swift motion. Instantly, flames burst to life.