Inside Fang Hau's Chamber, Fang Hau floated leisurely through the hallway. He wore a calm expression as he flew to meet Zixin. After a short while, he saw the door to the storage room open and Zixin's back. He flew closer and stopped, his feet reforming with the purple mist.
After they were reformed, he walked forward. His steps were slow and steady, with his hands behind his back.
Zixin suddenly opened his eyes and glanced back. Upon the sight of Fang Hau, he stood up and gave him a curious look.
Fang Hau gave him a thorough look from top to bottom, his gaze shifting constantly. He lifted his gaze, meeting Zixin as a faint light flashed across his cyan pupils. He chuckled softly and muttered, "You've grasped the basics of 'Lending' already, huh?"
Zixin ignored Fang Hau's comment, asking plainly, "So, why did you come here?"
Fang Hau tilted his head and replied, his voice returning to its usual calm tone, "Nothing much. I came to inform you that the plan is slowly coming to an end. All these paths that have been paved would all lead to the final step."
Zixin's gaze fell, and he asked, "Is the hunt today?"
Fang Hau nodded and said, "Indeed. I also have to mention that Hope has already taken the cat, and she should return with the incomplete artifact. By then, it'll be your turn to take what you've learned into practice."
Zixin sighed, taking a few steps forward and passing by Fang Hau. Fang Hau gave him a curious look, his eyes filled with uncertainty as he asked, "Did the wolf's will willingly coordinate?"
Zixin nodded and commented internally: That's an unnecessary question coming from him.
Fang Hau fell silent, but a second later, his feet burst into purple mist as he floated inches from the floor. With one last look at Zixin, he floated down the hallway, leaving Zixin alone.
Zixin sighed, muttering to himself, "It's almost done… great."
He clenched his fist but immediately loosened it upon a realization, "But it's not over yet."
He closed his eyes, breathing slowly as he tried to calm himself. His thoughts came to a halt.
He raised his hand, rubbing his eyes and muttering, "I'm tired."
Zixin opened his eyes and slowly headed towards the throne room, where he would be waiting for Hope's return with the artifact.
After a while of walking, he arrived, but upon a glance, he didn't find Fang Hau at all.
"Odd; I would have expected that he would be here of all places. Forget it, it shouldn't matter too much." Zixin muttered to himself before sitting down on one of the thrones and falling asleep.
…
On Vanor's side, he and the rest of the Hunters nearby were eating their breakfast. He ate leisurely while others were stuffing bread in their mouths.
He dipped a slice of bread into his coffee and ate it, smiling lightly. The other Hunters talked amongst each other with smiles and worry across their faces.
Vanor watched from behind, eating alone, with his gaze directed behind the Hunters. His eyes contained his unrivalled determination as he stared off into the distance, waiting for Hope to come.
After a while, he thought to himself: It seems she's already evacuated–good. On that note, I'm uncertain whether Zixin has also evacuated, but considering what I've seen from him, he has also very likely evacuated as well.
After he finished his breakfast, he stood up and heard shouting not far away.
"Nonsense!"
He tilted his head and went to satisfy his curiosity, but after he saw a crowd gathering, he felt disappointed. He shook his head, letting out a sigh.
A short man with light brown hair, wearing simple clothes with a large club attached to his back, shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Wolf Lord is merely a ruse to get us all killed!"
A tall man beside him, wearing all black, nodded, and he added, "Don't you think it's a tad bit too suspicious that no Wolf Lord has ever been recorded before?"
Another Hunter beside them added, "So, why don't you all understand?!"
But no matter what they said, the crowd only shot them with disdainful gazes with a faint hint of disgust. One Hunter even gagged up out of disgust and immediately dashed off.
Vanor rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache from the sheer stupidity that came from the three. He didn't give it much thought as he stepped forward and spoke, "Since you three seem to be full of energy, why not make use of it? Go on and scout it out."
The three each gave each other a look, observing one another as though they were thinking the same thoughts. After exchanging a few looks, they nodded in agreement.
They turned back and started heading up Mount Lorebale. As they walked, the tall one spoke, "Hmph! This guy is too overbearing."
As Vanor walked away, he completely ignored the three as he thought: Those three should be good baits. If they could lure out the wolves, then it wouldn't be hard to understand their formation, but even if they didn't, then at least they'd scouted.
"But even with sacrifice, defeating the Wolf Lord still feels so out of reach." He muttered to himself, falling into deep thought.
He raised his head, looking up at the clear sky and making a rough estimate, "Two hours before dawn."
He shook his head and sat down on a nearby bench. He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, acting as though he was meditating. This was a convenient way of gathering information, since most Hunters believed that he was in deep concentration, but in truth, he was listening carefully to every word spoken.
After a while, he heard someone speak, "Hey, what do you think we should do after the hunt?"
Vanor frowned, opening his eyes and letting out a sigh of annoyance. He glanced briefly at the Hunter who said it and withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself: What right do you have to say that? The Wolf Lord is powerful, and we are weak. Any survivors would be extraordinary, and that wouldn't include individuals like him.
Thankfully, monsters are bound by their homeland. Otherwise, the Land might already be a living hell. Vanor lowered his head as he contemplated.
A few minutes later, he looked around and noticed a few townsfolk. He then recalled the deals they made.
For the success of the hunt, they need living quarters that are close to the mountain; otherwise, travel would take more time than it needs to. That's why Hunters are dealing with the townsfolk. But it wasn't without cost; it's only natural that they have to pay the homeowners.
Equipment was also a necessity, but because most Hunters here were experienced, it wasn't much of a problem because everyone had already prepared on their own.
But one of their main issues was the doctors, or in other words, their injuries. Most of the town doctors were called in, but few accepted, with the rest declining out of fear. As for Hope, their number one doctor, she declined in a heartbeat. It wasn't because she was a bad doctor, but because she heavily relied on her medicine that she made herself. Her refusal angered a majority of the Hunters, but due to Vanor's unknown relationship with her, they kept quiet.
However, she's already planned to ditch everything behind just to save herself, especially because of her connection to Zixin, but… Vanor's thoughts halted as he thought about Hope's fading figure.
He clenched his fist and shook his head, his thoughts continuing: Her life matters more than anything.
He slowly stood up and stretched his hands, walking towards Mount Lorebale. Several Hunters were carrying crates full of supplies that he passed by. After a few more steps, he stopped right in front of the mountain. He looked up, his eyes filled with excitement, his lips curving up for a smile.
…
Under Daisal, within the underground market, Arbane was running in a hurry, carrying the artifact shell. It was a hollow metallic sphere with two holes on either side. With a simple nudge, it looked as though it would start spinning around the hollow center.
Arbane ran and ran, his gaze darting back and forth across the entire market, but found no trace of Hope at all. Sweat poured down his chin, dripping down on the ground and creating a small puddle.
He sat on the ground, breathing heavily as he commented, "Miss Hope isn't nearby. Where could she possibly be?"
He wiped his sweat with his shirt and stood up, only to find a cloaked lady standing before him. Arbane felt a chill run down his spine, his gaze slowly lifting. His eyes widened momentarily at the sight of a white mask.
"Hello." They spoke softly, and a calm feminine voice echoed into Arbane's ear.
He jumped back out of fear of Lady Silk's identity. He bit his lips and quickly composed himself, using all the courage he could muster to speak, "Lady Silk, it's my pleasure to meet you today."
She didn't seem to mind, and she asked, "I saw you running around, as if you were searching for someone. What was that about?"
She reached out into her cloak, pulling out a paper bag. A faint warmth came from it, and the scent of a batch of newly baked bread wafted through the air.
She slowly handed it, and he took it, and said with a faint smile, "Thank you. I was actually looking for Miss Hope. Have you seen her?"
Lady Silk fell silent, shaking her head and replying, "Unfortunately, I haven't."
Arbane fell silent as well, letting a sigh before parting ways with Lady Silk. She watched as Arbane's figure faded and she muttered, holding onto the artifact shell, "So, why was he carrying this?"