Chapter 87: Coldnesss

As someone who had been actively pursued by this group of demonic hunters, Angela knew better than anyone just how formidable they were. These were not ordinary Third Sequence Awakened who relied solely on their numerical advantage to overwhelm their opponents. Each of them possessed considerable strength, and their coordination during the pursuit had made escaping them far more difficult than she had anticipated.

Yet, moments ago, those same hunters had suddenly begun behaving like a bunch of inexperienced rookies. Their movements had grown clumsy, their attacks had lost much of their previous force, and even their reactions had become noticeably sluggish. It was as though someone had abruptly stripped away half their strength without giving them any warning.

The sudden change left Angela thoroughly bewildered.

Unfortunately for her, she had no idea that the same debuff had been added to the status windows of the demonic hunters. If she had been aware of Jackson’s actions, her reaction might have been similar. After all, there was no obvious explanation for what had just happened. One moment, the hunters had been relentlessly pressing their advantage; the next, they were struggling to understand why their own bodies had begun betraying them.

There is something off with her...

Jackson narrowed his eyes as he observed Angela from the corner of his vision.

Although they shared a villa at Golden Radiance Academy, that hardly meant he trusted her. Living under the same roof was one thing. Entrusting someone with his secrets was another, and Jackson had no intention of confusing the two.

Besides, the circumstances surrounding their encounter were suspicious enough on their own.

What was a young woman like Angela doing alone in the middle of the Outer Forest, with seven demonic hunters chasing her? She was the heiress of the Northwind family, one of humanity’s largest weapon manufacturers. Given her background, it was difficult to believe she would venture so deep into monster territory without adequate preparation or a compelling reason.

And then there was the matter of her armor.

Jackson had only recently managed to obtain his own Peak Rank Three full-body armor, and even that had required him to negotiate with Veronica Green Soul. Yet Angela had appeared wearing an equally impressive suit as though possessing such equipment were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Of course, her family background explained some of that disparity. Even so, Jackson had learned long ago that having a reasonable explanation for something did not mean he should stop questioning it.

He had no intention of lowering his guard simply because she happened to be his villa mate.

However, his suspicions went beyond her strange appearance in the forest.

Although he had already expended a considerable amount of spiritual force editing the status windows of five hunters, Jackson still attempted to access Angela’s status window. He wanted to see whether he could uncover anything useful about her abilities, her realm, or perhaps the reason she had attracted the attention of so many demonic hunters.

The moment he tried, however, a powerful backlash struck him.

It was not merely the familiar resistance he encountered when attempting to modify the status window of a powerful opponent. The rejection felt far more profound, as though an invisible force had intervened the instant his ability attempted to reach her.

Jackson’s spiritual force recoiled violently, and he immediately abandoned the attempt before the backlash could worsen.

His expression remained unchanged, but his mind was already racing.

Someone is protecting her existence.

The thought sent a fresh wave of caution through him.

Whatever was shielding Angela, it was powerful enough to interfere with his ability. Jackson could not determine whether it was an effect of her talent, a special item, or something else entirely. He did not even know whether Angela herself was aware of it.

That uncertainty was precisely what made the situation dangerous.

Jackson had built much of his strength around information. By examining an opponent’s status window, he could identify their weaknesses, understand their abilities, and prepare the most effective countermeasures before a fight even began. It was one of the greatest advantages his Golden Brush provided him.

But against someone whose status window he could not access, that advantage disappeared.

He would have to rely on observation, judgment, and his own strength instead.

With these thoughts running through his mind, Jackson’s vigilance rose to its limit. He continued watching Angela from the corner of his eye, carefully noting her movements while making sure not to reveal the suspicions forming in his mind.

Compared to the five demonic hunters standing before him, he was far more wary of this seemingly frail and harmless woman.

At least the hunters had made their intentions clear. They had attacked him without hesitation, giving him every reason to treat them as enemies. Angela, on the other hand, remained an unknown variable, and Jackson had no intention of underestimating something he could not understand.

He wanted to investigate the matter further, but the battlefield offered little opportunity for leisurely speculation.

Shaking his head slightly, Jackson pushed his suspicions aside and turned his attention back to the five demonic hunters. Their confusion was gradually giving way to alarm as they struggled to understand the sudden decline in their strength.

Their movements remained unsteady, and the magical power circulating through their bodies had clearly diminished. Whatever had happened to them, they had not yet found a way to reverse it.

Jackson’s eyes narrowed, and a sharp glint flashed through them.

They’re all at the Third Sequence. I don’t know how long the edits will last, so I need to finish this quickly.

The debuff had given him a substantial advantage, but he was not foolish enough to assume it would last forever. Maintaining the alterations might not require his constant attention, yet he had no reliable way of knowing how long they would remain effective under combat conditions. If the effect disappeared before he could capitalize on it, he would be forced to confront five Third Sequence opponents at their full strength.

That was a risk he had no intention of taking.

After all, there was a difference between being confident in his abilities and deliberately throwing away an advantage simply because he wanted to prolong a fight.

Without wasting another second, Jackson reached for the weapon at his side and drew his combat knife.

A cold gleam flashed across its blade as it emerged from its sheath. Measuring roughly two feet in length, the weapon had been forged from specialized alloys incorporating minerals extracted from deep within an Otherworld Portal. Its surface was unadorned, lacking the elaborate engravings and flashy decorations favored by wealthy Awakened, but its simple appearance concealed a formidable edge.

This was a Rank Two alloyed combat knife, a weapon Jackson had relied on long before obtaining his current armor.

Despite its relatively modest rank, the blade was more than capable of tearing through the flesh and bone of Second Sequence monsters. Against weaker Third Sequence opponents, it could inflict serious injuries as well, provided the wielder possessed sufficient strength and knew where to strike.

Jackson adjusted his grip, feeling the familiar weight settle into his palm.

The demonic hunters were still struggling with their sudden loss of strength. None of them seemed to have realized just how dangerous their predicament had become, and their confusion had left gaps in their formation that had not existed moments earlier.

Jackson intended to make full use of them.

His gaze swept across the five hunters, briefly measuring their positions and the distance separating them. He did not need to defeat all of them through brute force. He only needed to exploit the opening he had created before they could recover.

Tightening his fingers around the knife’s hilt, Jackson prepared to move.

Whoosh!

A sharp whistle tore through the air.

The demonic hunters barely had time to react before a flash of cold steel filled their vision. The blade came at them with terrifying speed, its edge reflecting the faint light filtering through the forest canopy. By the time they realized the armored hunter had moved, it was already too late.

Puchi!

For the briefest instant, the world seemed to fall silent.

Five heads shot into the air, trailing thin arcs of blood that scattered across the surrounding space. Their expressions remained frozen in disbelief, as though their minds had yet to comprehend what had happened. The five headless bodies hung momentarily in the air before gravity finally reclaimed them, their armor clattering as they began to fall toward the forest below.

The entire exchange had happened so quickly that there had been almost no opportunity to resist.

Jackson, however, had no intention of wasting time admiring his handiwork.

Before the bodies could even hit the ground, he moved with practiced efficiency, retrieving the five demonic hunter licenses. Each license contained the treasures its owner had accumulated, and as far as Jackson was concerned, there was no reason to leave such valuable loot behind.

After all, killing his enemies was one thing. Allowing their possessions to go to waste would be an entirely different kind of stupidity.