"The letter 'K' is the initial of the word Kill. As such, 'K' represents an elite and deadly assassin organization, composed almost entirely of gifted individuals possessing supernatural abilities. Their strength is formidable, their movements shrouded in secrecy, and their missions often stand in direct defiance of the Alliance's authoritarian regime. On occasion, they resort to extreme methods—abducting the families of wealthy tycoons, extorting vast sums, and even assassinating high-ranking officials. Naturally, the Alliance views them as a dire threat and has long issued a global warrant for their capture."
Ivy glanced at Xiao Feng, who had sunk into thought, and continued, "Our mercenary corps once received such a mission too. Capturing a single member of K could earn a handsome bounty from the Alliance. But every member of K is an ability wielder—it's never that simple. What's more, they don't seem to be the villainous group the Alliance portrays them as. From what I've heard, many of them use their wealth to aid the impoverished, feeding the starving and healing the sick. In some places, they're revered as heroes."
Xiao Feng frowned slightly at her words. "Then tell me, Ivy—are they good or evil?"
She pondered for a moment, then replied, "That depends on who you ask. To the Alliance, they are undoubtedly enemies. But to those struggling to survive in the protected zones, they might be saviors. By the way, why are you suddenly asking about them?"
Xiao Feng let out a bitter chuckle. "I encountered a K member today—extraordinarily powerful. Even Kerry, who's a fourth-level ability user, was captured and nearly killed by him."
"Kerry? Who's that?"
"Kerry is the younger brother of Alliance envoy Kelly. She came to me today, begging me to help rescue her brother. I agreed to accompany her—and that's when we ran into the K member. Kelly tried to apprehend him, but I intervened and let him go," Xiao Feng recounted calmly.
Yet Ivy's expression turned strange. "Kelly? Why would she come begging you? Didn't she nearly capture Old White back in Zone 64? Because of her, we had no choice but to flee here!"
"I'm not entirely sure why," Xiao Feng replied. "But after I saved her brother, she swore never to trouble me or Uncle White again. So I let it go."
"Hmm? That sounds a little too convenient. Speak up—what's going on between you and Kelly? As a woman, I trust my instincts, and I'd wager there's something between you two."
"Don't talk nonsense," Xiao Feng muttered awkwardly, but before he could finish, a shadow darted across his vision. He instantly pointed at it. "A beast!"
Raising his rifle, he peered through the thermal scope, locking onto the rapidly moving target.
Ivy snorted, "You can deny it all you want—I'll find out eventually."
Startled, Xiao Feng pulled the trigger—but the shot veered off course.
Ivy's brow furrowed. The miss only confirmed her suspicions.
That night, Xiao Feng was clearly not in the mood for a proper hunt. After slaying merely three G-class beasts, he returned with Ivy to the mercenary camp. By the time they arrived, dawn was already breaking. Exhausted, Xiao Feng collapsed into bed and fell into a deep slumber.
He didn't awaken until hours later, when the hefty Brada shook him roughly.
"Hey! Xiao Feng! Aren't you going to eat?"
Brada held a steaming bowl of lumpy porridge topped with a slab of meat and two crusty loaves of bread.
The sight made Xiao Feng realize how hungry he was. He stretched, washed up quickly, and settled onto his bed to eat.
"I heard you went hunting last night with Ivy. You lucky bastard," Brada teased.
"Heh, jealous much?" Xiao Feng joked.
"Damn right I am! Come on, tell your brother here—how'd you manage to win Ivy over? What's she like?"
Brada's lascivious grin was as greasy as the porridge he held. A man of his size rarely lacked a lustful streak.
Xiao Feng had no intention of entertaining his questions. He stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth and mumbled, "No idea."
Before Brada could press him further, Rice strode in shirtless, the terrifying X-shaped scar across his chest on full display. "You little punk—so you do remember how to come back."
"What, I need permission to return now?" Xiao Feng replied flippantly. He wasn't afraid of Rice—not after having beaten him before.
"Well, well. Two days without seeing you, and you've grown cockier, huh? Tell me—why'd you ditch me that night? We were supposed to go hunting together, and you bailed."
Xiao Feng laughed. That night, he'd gone to confront Kelly. "Something urgent came up. Next time I head out, I'll take you with me. Promise. There's money to be made, and I'm not stingy."
Rice's scowl faded, replaced by a grin. He knew how vital Xiao Feng was to the mercenary corps. With Xiao Feng's uncanny ability to track magical beasts, the group's fortune had soared. "Alright then, next time we go together. There's plenty of time—and beasts—to go around."
While chewing on another bite of bread, Xiao Feng asked, "Are there any powerful beasts nearby—say, E-class or above?"
"E-class? What are you trying to get yourself killed for?"
"Killing G-class beasts is just too slow. Last night I barely made a dent, and Alice is still in the hospital. We need real money—and G-class cores are worth next to nothing. I'd rather take the risk and hunt something that pays off. If I can take down an E-class beast, maybe we'll bag a hundred thousand credits in one go. That'll clear my debt."
Rice let out a whistle. "Didn't think you were such a righteous guy. You've got guts, I'll give you that. As for E-class beasts—yeah, a few have been spotted near Gordo City. But they're smart—once they evolve to that level, they tend to avoid humans."
Xiao Feng's thoughts drifted to the Alpha Direwolf he'd encountered. As beasts grew harder to kill, their value soared—an enticing but perilous tradeoff.