Chapter 32: The Terrifying Young Hunter

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: The Terrifying Young Hunter

Helai had never felt like this before. Not even when he’d ambushed that tiger all those years ago had he felt such a heart-pounding sensation.

The Crossbow Arrow flew toward him, and it felt as if his life was about to end with it. He was suddenly filled with regret, regretting why he had provoked this kid who looked so harmless. From the way he fired the Crossbow, this kid was definitely a veteran, a terrifying jungle Hunter.

WHOOSH!

Just as Helai thought he was a dead man, he felt no pain—only a sudden coolness on the top of his head, followed by the sound of a Crossbow Arrow striking the wall.

Helai was dazed for a moment. ’I’m... not dead?’

The experience and confidence from his many years as a Hunter kept him from collapsing to the floor.

’Did the kid miss?’ Helai was baffled. He glanced at Vili and saw that he hadn’t said a word; he just stood there silently, putting away his Crossbow.

Next, Helai glanced at the others and noticed Bamos and the Record Officer looking at him with wry smiles. The other Hunters, however, looked utterly shocked.

Helai suddenly remembered the cool sensation on his head and subconsciously reached up to touch it.

"This..."

The moment Helai’s hand touched the top of his head, his arm froze.

A lock of hair from the middle of his forehead was gone, leaving behind a bald patch.

He whipped his head around and saw the severed lock of hair scattered on the floor behind him.

In the blink of an eye, this young Hunter had drawn and fired his Crossbow. He hadn’t even used a standard stance, yet he’d managed to shoot off an entire lock of hair from the top of his head without harming him in the slightest!

A shot like that was even more difficult than killing him outright!

For a moment, Helai didn’t know what to say. His face burned with embarrassment. After hesitating for a few seconds, he obediently returned to his seat, pretending nothing had happened.

"Impressive!"

Bamos roared with laughter, completely disregarding Helai’s feelings. "That shot proves your skill!"

"Write down his name."

Bamos said to the Record Officer behind him.

’This kid is exactly my kind of person—composed, calm, and decisive. And most importantly, he’s young.’ Bamos’s eyes shone with undisguised admiration.

Upon hearing this, Vili gave a slight bow of acknowledgment, then walked to the wall, pulled out the Crossbow Arrow he had just fired, and sat down next to Helai.

Helai pressed his lips together and cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable.

Next, Bamos tested the remaining Hunters. As the assessments continued, more Hunters steadily arrived, including some from other towns who had come specifically for the generous reward.

Bamos worked efficiently, and the evaluations for over twenty Hunters were completed.

Only three or four failed to meet Bamos’s standards, showing signs of trying to bluff their way through, and were politely turned away.

"That makes nineteen people. This number is sufficient. Basically all the well-known Hunters from around Diamond Town have come, so registration for the Bole Forest hunting expedition is now closed."

Bamos addressed the nineteen Hunters who had passed the assessment. "Gentlemen, I know many of you came here for those five Gold Rums. That may be a considerable fortune, but I must also remind you that no hunt is ever one hundred percent safe. It is very possible you could lose your lives for those five Gold Rums. I am giving you one last chance to choose. You still have the right to leave."

No one left. Most of them had been to Bole Forest before and were very familiar with the conditions inside; it was somewhat safer than Morse Forest. Besides, which one of them hadn’t stared death in the face before? Retreat was simply not an option.

"It seems I need to be more specific..."

Bamos felt he ought to be more honest. "This time, our trip into Bole Forest is not just a simple hunt. We’re searching for a dangerous animal, one that may be more terrifying than any beast you’ve encountered in your entire career as a Hunter. The chance of death is far greater than on your usual hunts."

In the crowd, Vili’s eyes narrowed upon hearing this.

’It seems the rumor Sopps told me was true,’ he thought. ’Baron Kels really is looking for a frost-spraying red deer.’

The moment Bamos finished speaking this time, murmurs of discussion and surprise rippled through the crowd.

They had all been to Bole Forest; they should know about any dangerous beasts within it.

"Lord Bamos, can you reveal what animal we are looking for?"

One of the Hunters spoke up, voicing the question on everyone’s mind.

Bamos paused. "You will be told the specific target before the hunt. For now, I can only tell you that it is not native to Bole Forest. It has fled here from somewhere else."

At this, Vili noticed that a few of the older Hunters showed strange expressions.

Having traveled far and wide, they had heard rumors of certain creatures—beings far more ferocious than ordinary prey, some even capable of wielding Supernatural Power. They were not something ordinary people could face.

"I’m out. My apologies, Lord Bamos."

A white-haired old Hunter stepped out from the crowd. He had clearly realized what they were about to face. The old Hunter bowed apologetically to Bamos.

"That is your right."

Bamos replied with a smile, showing no sign of displeasure.

Immediately after, a middle-aged Hunter who was acquainted with the old one hesitated for a moment before also choosing to withdraw. He left the Town Hall with the old Hunter.

Seeing two people leave, some of the remaining Hunters who were still in the dark began to waver.

In the end, a total of four Hunters left the Town Hall.

Of the fifteen Hunters who remained, most did not know what the target was, but they chose to stay for the reward of five Gold Rums. As for those who had guessed the truth, they stayed not only for the generous pay but also out of a desire to face such an animal themselves.

As for Vili, if he hadn’t obtained the Junior Knight’s Squire title, he might have chosen to leave for his own safety. But with his new title, his physical attributes were more than double that of an ordinary person, and he had mastered proficient combat techniques. In addition, he possessed the hunting skills and experience granted by the Junior Hunter title. All of this gave Vili the confidence to protect himself.

He was also very curious to see what a creature that used Supernatural Power looked like, besides Wally. Of course, there was an even more important reason: encountering such an unknown species was a new and challenging trial, and the Title Attribute Panel might grant him a new title for it.