Chapter 120: Angel of Absolute Death

Bloodfang Gang Ruins

Four figures clad in military-grade alloyed armor appeared one after another above the ruins of the Bloodfang Gang’s hideout.

A golden emblem bearing the insignia of Bigwig Corporation was engraved prominently on each of their chests. Their armor gleamed beneath the dim light filtering through the clouds, while the terrifying auras radiating from their bodies left no room for doubt.

All four were Gold-Rank hunters.

They floated high above the ruined facility, surveying the devastation below. The once-abandoned research facility had been reduced to a horrifying scene of destruction. Broken pillars and twisted metal beams lay scattered across the ground, while shattered glass, stained crimson, and mangled pieces of flesh were strewn throughout the surrounding area.

The lingering smell of blood and scorched earth hung heavily in the air.

One of the four descended toward the ruins. After carefully examining the surroundings, he spotted something partially buried beneath the debris. Reaching down, he picked up a demonic hunter badge.

It belonged to none other than the Desolate Troop Leader.

The moment he examined it, his expression changed beneath his mask.

“It’s that trash. He’s dead. Looks like he was killed in a single attack.”

He turned his gaze toward the surrounding destruction, carefully examining the massive craters and the remains of the collapsed structures.

“Judging by the scale of destruction, the person responsible must be at least a Fourth Sequence hunter, just like us.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of the other three figures changed.

That was bad.

Until now, they had treated this assignment as little more than a routine operation. They had assumed that acquiring the package would be a straightforward task, something that could be handled through a few local connections without requiring their direct involvement.

Clearly, they had miscalculated.

The four belonged to one of Bigwig Corporation’s elite teams, specifically assembled to handle the more violent aspects of the corporation’s operations. Their assignments generally involved dealing with troublesome individuals, acquiring valuable targets, and eliminating obstacles that couldn’t be resolved through ordinary business channels.

One month ago, they had received an order to acquire a particular package.

The task had come directly from Professor Monroe, leaving little room for negotiation. Their team leader hadn’t considered it particularly difficult at the time. Rather than personally involving himself in the operation, he had contacted a local thug with sufficient influence to handle the matter.

That thug had been the Desolate Troop Leader.

But now, looking at the ruins beneath them, the team leader realized just how badly things had gone wrong.

The other three members quickly reached the same conclusion.

“Leader, how could you make such a mistake?”

“This was a highest-priority assignment directly issued by Professor Monroe! If we fail, none of us will be able to escape responsibility!”

“Damn it! What exactly were you thinking?”

Their voices carried barely concealed frustration. Although they were Gold-Rank hunters, standing at a level far beyond ordinary Awakened, their position within Bigwig Corporation wasn’t particularly special.

The corporation possessed dozens of elite teams similar to theirs.

And Professor Monroe…

The mere thought of that man’s reaction was enough to make them uneasy.

They knew his temperament well. He wasn’t someone who tolerated failure, especially when it involved an assignment he had personally issued. If they returned empty-handed, their strength and previous achievements might mean absolutely nothing.

Just as their anxiety threatened to turn into an argument, the team leader finally spoke.

He was a stalwart figure clad in black armor with a golden sheen. Unlike the others, he appeared relatively composed, although the tension in his voice betrayed his concern.

“All of you, shut up. Panicking won’t solve anything.”

His gaze swept across the ruins before settling on the distant forest.

“Let’s hurry and track that bastard down. He shouldn’t have gotten too far. If we move quickly, we might still be able to catch up.”

The other three exchanged glances before reluctantly nodding.

There was nothing else they could do.

They had already failed their assignment. If they wanted to survive the consequences, they had to recover the package before Professor Monroe learned what had happened.

Even if it meant risking their lives.

“I finally made it back…”

Jackson slowed his pace as the enormous outer wall protecting the sector came into view.

The towering defensive structure stretched across the horizon, its fortified surface separating the relatively secure human settlement from the dangerous wilderness beyond. For the first time since leaving the abandoned research facility, Jackson allowed himself to ease his movements.

He had pushed himself to the absolute limit throughout the journey, refusing to stop even once to catch his breath. Only after reaching the vicinity of the sector did he finally permit himself to slow down.

To be completely honest, he wasn’t prepared for another battle.

The previous confrontation had drained him considerably. Between using the Golden Brush to alter dozens of status windows, manipulating the Meteor Climbing Stance, and dealing with the Desolate Troop Leader and the Bloodfang Gang, he had already expended a considerable amount of energy.

But exhaustion wasn’t his only concern.

During his escape, Jackson had sensed the mana fluctuations of the approaching reinforcements. Even from a distance, their presence had been terrifying.

Initially, he had suspected they might be Third Sequence Awakened. But the more he thought about it, the less likely that possibility seemed.

Those people were probably Fourth Sequence hunters who had already undergone the First Life Transformation.

And the situation was even worse than he had initially imagined.

There wasn’t just one Fourth Sequence hunter.

There were four.

Jackson’s expression darkened.

Despite reaching the absolute peak of the Third Sequence, he understood the difference between himself and a genuine Fourth Sequence hunter. The First Life Transformation wasn’t simply another increase in attributes. It represented a qualitative change in the strength and nature of an Awakened.

Even with his numerous advantages, fighting four such opponents in his current condition would be nothing short of suicidal.

He wasn’t foolish enough to throw his life away.

His gaze gradually shifted toward the little girl resting in his arms.

Aella.

During the journey back, Jackson had carefully fed her the best vitality elixir that could be safely consumed by someone who hadn’t awakened. Her complexion had improved considerably. The deathly pallor that had covered her face at the abandoned facility had given way to a faint rosy hue, and her breathing had become noticeably steadier.

At least, she no longer looked as though she might collapse at any moment.

Yet Jackson showed no sign of relief.

His expression remained unusually solemn as he stared at the status window floating before him.

Something was wrong.

The improvement in Aella’s physical condition should have been reassuring, but whatever he was seeing in her status window had completely overshadowed that relief.

Jackson’s brows drew together.

“What is this now…?”

He couldn’t help muttering under his breath as he carefully examined every entry in Aella’s status window.

[Name — Aella Von Maximus]

[Age — 10]

[Talent — Death-Fed Colossus]

[Realm — Early First Sequence]

[Spiritual Force — 2.79]

[Mana/Physique — 2.89]

[Current Status — Unconscious, Marked by Angel of Absolute Death]

The moment Jackson read the status window, his mind went completely blank.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the information floating before his eyes, struggling to process what he had just discovered.

Aella was only ten years old.

She hadn’t even reached the age of sixteen, yet she had already awakened her talent and stepped into the Early First Sequence. For an ordinary child, such an achievement would have been extraordinary. Even among families with powerful bloodlines, awakening at such a young age was exceptionally rare.

But that wasn’t what troubled Jackson the most.

Who was this Angel of Absolute Death?

And why had his little sister been marked by such an existence?

The more he examined the status window, the more questions surfaced in his mind. Yet, no matter how carefully he considered the information, he couldn’t find a single satisfactory answer.

There was something else, too.

The dark corruption that had once covered Aella’s arms had begun to recede. Previously, the ominous black substance had spread across both arms, extending from her palms all the way to her shoulders. Now, however, it had gradually withdrawn, leaving most of her arms untouched.

All that remained was a concentrated mass of darkness around her palms.

It was as though the corruption had been drawn back toward a single point.

Jackson couldn’t tell whether this was a sign of improvement or something even more dangerous.

His thoughts became increasingly tangled. Without realizing it, his arms tightened around Aella’s small body, as though he feared that loosening his grip for even a moment might cause her to disappear.

“Death-Fed Colossus… What kind of talent is this?”

For some reason, the name alone gave him an unsettling feeling.

There was something inherently ominous about it, something that didn’t sit right with him. Nevertheless, Jackson focused his attention on the talent, trying to understand what made it so unusual.