January 25, 2023

"Ten people were killed in a massacre on a train car."

"A group of schoolchildren hiking has been reported missing since early this morning."

"A mass slaughter has occurred in a private residence. The main perpetrator is suspected to be a magical creature called 'witch' that broke into the house."

"A couple was found dead, devoured by a witch after exercising in an open field."

"A plane exploded after being attacked by a category 3 magical creature."

"A cargo ship sank beneath the sea. Over a hundred people drowned."

"A 40-storey apartment building was completely engulfed in flames. The fire was suspected to be caused by a witch's attack. Dozens of innocent lives were incinerated."

The television was turned off.

Death, it is so close to us. Closer even than the veins in our body. It can come to us anywhere, at any time. No matter who you are. No matter where you are. Death will come to you.

All deaths are predetermined. No one can advance their own demise or hasten it. But in this world, there is one symbol of death. That is the Witch.

So, how does this story begin?

Let us start with this young man.

A teenager named Sizhu. A youth with a handsome face, long black hair cascading to his shoulders, left to flow naturally. His eyes, bright green like emeralds. His skin, pale as most of an Asian. Wearing a simple robe, living in a simple hut, Sizhu lived a life in the secluded valley.

It was night. A few hours ago, rain had drenched the valley. The surroundings felt damp. The red mound of earth by the side of the house looked washed out. The remains of the rain made dew settle on the grass. The muddy ground was soggy underfoot.

Nothing special about today. Just a lingering sadness hanging over the atmosphere around the house. Last night, Sizhu's teacher had just passed away. As if mourning, the sky shed its tears. It rained heavily. Sizhu had been silently staring at the mound of earth in front of him for several hours. Without uttering a single word. Just silent. No matter how many thousands of raindrops soaked him. Sizhu remained unmoved.

Don't know what he thinking, until the full moon rise, changing the backdrop of the sky. Finally, Sizhu made a decision.

He will leave.

Turning around, he walked towards the house. When, by some misfortune or any bad luck, something black in the shape of a sphere flew toward Sizhu. A split second before the object hit him, Sizhu swiftly dodged, leaping to the side. The sphere missed its target. Unfortunately, it was not Sizhu who was the main target. It was his hut.

BOOM!

Fire flower erupted wildly, engulfing the wood. The light illuminated the surroundings. Sizhu was thrown several meters back by the explosion. He fell, groaning, and looked around.

From where did this attack come?

Just moments after Sizhu tried to get up, the black object shot toward him again.

BOOM!

Fortunately, this time Sizhu was quicker to dodge. He leaped to the side as far as he could. After examining the previous attack, Sizhu began to discern the origin of the assault. He immediately ran towards the source of the attack. The black balls continued to explode, trying to blow up Sizhu. Agilely, Sizhu evaded all the shots, running zigzag. The attacker began to come into view. Sizhu stared in horror at the most repulsive creature in the world.

The Witch.

Drawing a dagger from his pocket, Sizhu swiftly struck at the Witch in front of him.

CLANG!

His strike was blocked by a large scythe wielded by the Witch with a bird skull face.

The Witch’s form was horrifying, with a skeletal body partially covered with thin flesh, a large black robe with a hood, and large antlers on its head. Even the sound of its breathing was terrifying. A nightmare.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sizhu focused on striking from all angles, searching for an opening to attack. The dagger danced expertly in his hands. He parried blows, dodged, and countered. The Witch skillfully wielded the scythe, adeptly spinning it to attack Sizhu. Sizhu, not to be outdone, parried and struck back. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed repeatedly. The clanging startled the nearby rodents, causing them to scatter in panic, fleeing from the fierce combatants.

The dense forest of trees and underbrushes made it difficult for Sizhu to move freely. He ran away from his enemy, seeking a more advantageous battleground.

The Witch pursued him, flying after his prey. They played a deadly game of cat and mouse through the forest. Occasionally, the Witch shot black spheres at Sizhu. With his sharp senses, Sizhu quickly evaded the attacks, ducking and leaping while running. The spheres struck trees and the ground, igniting fires.

The clouds began to part, revealing the light of the moon. Sizhu finally reached an open field where he could move more freely.

Turning to face his adversary, Sizhu assumed a fighting stance. He gripped his dagger firmly in his right hand, level with his face, while his left hand remained behind him. They stared at each other for a moment.

Why had this Witch appeared and attacked him? Why destroy his teacher’s home? What was the purpose?

There was no time to ponder. Sizhu's gaze sharpened. Regardless of who or what it was, anyone who destroyed his teacher's home would face retribution.

Sizhu began to chant a spell, slicing his own palm to let his blood flow into a pattern. Once the pattern covered the dagger, Sizhu charged at the Witch. His dagger severed the Witch’s left hand.

The Witch roared in fury. It chanted its own spell. A magical circle appeared on the ground with a 15-meter radius. The ground trembled, cracked open, and several animated skulls emerged. The Witch screamed and pointed its scythe at Sizhu.

The skulls surged towards Sizhu, attempting to restrain him. Simultaneously, black spheres shot towards him.

Sizhu's eyes darted, analyzing the attacks. He agilely evaded and slashed at the skulls, leaping and striking. While he avoided the exploding black spheres too.

The skulls seemed endless, persisting even when their heads were severed. The only way to end it was to kill the source.

Sizhu danced around, running through the gaps in the swarm of skulls. He aimed to reach the stationary Witch in the center of the field. With a powerful leap, he struck at the Witch's face with his dagger.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The fierce battle raged on. Both combatants engaged in relentless strikes. The scythe swung, and the dagger slashed. Sizhu’s blade struck flesh, legs, and face, while the Witch's scythe caused its share of injuries. Blood and sparks flew with each blow. They fought desperately, ignoring the pain. As the scythe swing, black flames trailed its path. The blood-written runes on Sizhu’s dagger began to glow brightly. Flames erupted, following every movement of the dagger. The area was consumed by the battle's fiery chaos.

BOOM!

Both were thrown back by the explosion of their combined flames. Their breaths were ragged. It was unclear who would be left standing in the end.

They resumed their stances, gathering their remaining strength. Red flames swirled around Sizhu's dagger. He prepared his final, powerful strike.

The Witch also gathered its power. Black flames enveloped its entire body. This intense battle would conclude with a single blow.

SLASH! BOOM!

It was over. Sizhu had cleaved the Witch’s body in two. The flames quickly dissipated. The Witch’s remains turned to ash, merging with the earth. The large scythe was split as well. Once Sizhu’s attack was complete, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

January 26th, 2023

THE SUN was beginning to climb. Only its light reached the valley, while the sun itself was still hidden. Sizhu’s home lay beneath the mountains, with the eastern horizon blocked by nature’s towering walls, leaving the morning mist lingering in the nearby forest.

Sizhu returned to the ruins of his master’s cottage after last night’s battle. It was a disaster. All that remained were ashes and rubble. Everything his master had left behind was burnt to nothing—except for one thing.

A wooden longstick.

Sizhu stepped forward, picking up the longstick buried amidst the debris. The sight of it brought back precious memories of his time with his master. The moments when his master would discipline him with the longstick, leaving welts on his back. Painful, yet unforgettable moments.

He carefully wiped the staff with reverence, as if it were a priceless treasure. He sighed. It was truly valuable.

There was an inscription on the staff. A single Chinese character.

—旭— —Promise—

Other than the engraving, it looked like an ordinary wooden longstick.

What should I do now?

Sizhu looked up at the sky, hoping his master would answer from above. He was truly lost, with no direction to go.

Smack!

Sizhu slapped his cheeks. Alright, think simple; maybe heading east would be good. His decision was made. Before leaving, he would offer one last prayer for his master.

In front of the grave, Sizhu clapped his hands together and whispered, "Please pray for me, Master. Thank you for these past ten years."

Finished with his prayer, Sizhu took his first steps toward a new life. What fate awaited him ahead?

***

February 28th, 2023

A month had passed since Sizhu left the valley.

Dozens of villages had come and gone, but what had he gained?

Nothing special. Just a side bag and new clothes gifted by the villagers (a reward for slaying a magical beast that had threatened their village). As a bonus, a pair of shoes—he had been wandering barefoot.

Sizhu also tied back his hair to move more freely. He never let go of his master’s staff, cherishing it so much that he even "bathed" it in the river, making it shine.

Now, where was he?

The answer was simple. After a month of heading east with nothing but his body and determination, Sizhu found himself in a village near the Yellow River. He eagerly took in his surroundings, discovering many new things during his travels.

One thing that particularly caught his interest was magic.

Magic. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by it? As we know, there are countless types of magic, but only a few gifted individuals can use it.

Every region has its unique form of magic. For example, in the western lands, they often use small wands to channel magic. So, what was the unique magic of the bamboo curtain land where Sizhu now stood?

Let’s start with the definition of magic. What is magic? What is a spell? An incantation? A summoning? Natural power? Spirits? Curses? Talismans? Or something else entirely?

Yes, all of those could be considered correct. Magic is the art of borrowing the power of the surrounding environment through words, rituals, writings, and incantations.

Let’s give an example. Imagine creating a campfire in ancient times when humans hadn’t yet discovered fire. How would they react to seeing someone create fire? Amazement, right? It was something new to them. They would then begin to learn how to make fire, and soon it would no longer be extraordinary.

The same applies to the world where Sizhu lived. Magic was like the "fire" needed for everyday life, using nature’s power. But "fire" could be used for good or evil. Thus, magic was divided into two categories: dark magic and light magic.

Simply put, all harmful magic that originates from dark sources is called dark magic. Conversely, beneficial magic that comes from light sources is called light magic.

Now, what is a "witch"?

Here’s where the story gets complicated. A dark magic user is called a "witch." Why? Dark magic inevitably corrupts the heart of its user, turning them into something less than human. Worse than monsters, they become greedy for the magic energy within other humans. As a result, dark magic users see humans as food. Terrifying, isn’t it?

In response to witches, humans sought ways to avoid becoming prey and eventually discovered basic magic—reciting spells, writing talismans, and various other methods to defeat these vile beings. A simple example would be reciting a fire spell, causing flames to appear after the spell is completed.

With a weapon to fight back, witches and humans began taking turns as hunter and hunted. Thousands of years have passed, yet the battle continues. Countless human lives have been lost, and countless disasters have been caused by these savage creatures.

To combat this threat, a special organization was formed to hunt witches. This organization is known as the Hunter Agency. Today, across the world, Hunter Agents serve as protectors, hunting witches and safeguarding society.

Even in this age, as knowledge of magic and science continues to grow, easing the lives of the people, the war against witches remains fierce. The world’s civilization slowly begins to rise.

At night, Sizhu wandered through the village. Passing through the market, he watched people cook skillfully. The steam rising from a pot of fried rice made his stomach growl. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough money to buy any. Children played ball in the market streets, joyfully running around. Let the adults scold them; they didn’t care. Until one of the kids accidentally kicked the ball and shattered a window. The kids scattered before the owner could scold them.

Sizhu smirked at the scene. The atmosphere here was vastly different from his former home. In the valley, Sizhu was only made to train, train, and train by his master. Sometimes, his master would take him on hikes to the mountain peaks. That was enjoyable.

“A magical creature of the second category has appeared, devouring the villagers’ livestock. Run before there are more victims!”

A group of people in suits hurriedly ran past, accidentally bumping into Sizhu’s shoulder.

A magical creature?

Sizhu started running, trailing behind the suited group. After ten minutes of running, they arrived at the scene. The strange creature, resembling a wolf with spider legs, was biting a lamb, which was near death.

The suited people immediately drew their firearms, ready for action, awaiting their leader’s command.

Grrr...

The creature growled, sensing danger. It released the lamb it had already torn apart and stood ready.

"Wait!..." the leader shouted.

The wolf continued to growl, its legs tensing as it prepared to pounce. And then...

"Fire!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunshots rang out simultaneously. The wolf agilely dodged, charging forward, leaping toward the nearest suited person.

BLAM!

One of the suited men pulled out a talisman, hurling a fireball from his hand, striking the wolf dead-on.

"Keep shooting at the creature!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets rained down on the wolf. Despite the blood streaming from its body, the wolf sprinted away as fast as it could, fleeing.

"That creature isn’t dead. Chase it down! Before more magical creatures show up." The suited group quickly chased after the wolf.

Sizhu ran ahead, catching up to the wolf. Entering the forest, the suited men followed closely behind. Their leader signaled for them to spread out. Flashlights were turned on, aligned with their pistols. Some used floating orbs of light to illuminate the area.

The wolf Sizhu was chasing disappeared as soon as they entered the forest. Darkness engulfed the surroundings. Sizhu glanced around. The suited men were several meters behind him, their flashlight beams searching every direction for any trace.

Someone noticed something...

The sound of running footsteps circled around them. Hands quickly pointed toward the source of the noise.

Silence.

Nothing. Empty. Not even a trace. The flashlight beams swept back and forth, checking the surroundings again...

"AAAaaa!"

Immediately, the other suited men in the area gathered toward the source of the scream. There was nothing there, only a bloodstain on the ground. Two suited men rushed to investigate. This was strange—where had the person who just screamed gone?

The intense situation sent chills down their spines. The cold of the full moon night added to the eerie atmosphere, with no traces left behind by the person who had just vanished.

Flashlights once again scanned the area, searching for the wounded wolf.

"AAAaaa!"

Someone screamed again. Even though the suited men were only a few meters apart, it was unclear who had suddenly yelled.

"Zhou?"

A nearby suited man noticed that his companion had suddenly vanished, leaving only a bloodstain where he had stood.He grew more cautious.

Sizhu also glanced left and right, checking the remaining suited men. Despite the flashlight beams sweeping the area, none had found the wounded creature.

What was going on?

"AAAaaa!"

This time, two people suddenly disappeared. The remaining suited men started to panic. The creature was nowhere to be seen.

"Everyone, stay calm! Keep a close watch on your surroundings!" The suited leader shouted firmly, accustomed to such situations. But the others were not.

Bloodstains were beginning to appear in multiple spots. One of the suited men found blood dripping from above. When he aimed his flashlight upward...

"AAAHHH!!!"

The wolf-spiders legs perched atop the tree branches, not just one, but an entire pack of them. They attacked the unsuspecting suited men below, ensnaring them in webs and leaving them to dangle from the branches.

In reflex, one of the men fired his gun wildly into the air, but not a single bullet hit its mark. He screamed as a wolf-spider pounced on him, dragging him deeper into the forest.

The other men faced the same fate, desperately trying to shoot the creatures leaping from branch to branch above. One by one, the suited men were attacked and dragged into the forest, their screams and gunshots echoing through the night. Only the leader remained, refusing to give up as he continued to shoot at the approaching wolf-spiders.

His shots were accurate, unlike the others. But it wasn’t just one wolf-spider approaching him—five of them dashed towards him, skillfully avoiding the bullets as they closed in.

Bam!

Sizhu arrived just in time. One of the wolf-spiders was sent flying to the ground. The other four lunged at him. Sizhu calmly spun his wooden longstick, striking one wolf-spider. Bam! He swung the longstick to the right, Bam! Then to the left, Bam! He thrust it forward, Bam! Finally, he spun and struck behind him, Bam! Sizhu stood in front of the leader, protecting him.

The leader, startled by Sizhu's sudden appearance, quickly realized the seriousness of the situation. Only the two of them were left standing.

They worked together, guarding each other's backs.

"I'll leave the rear to you," the leader said, busy firing his gun rapidly.

Sizhu nodded.

Bang! Bang! Bam! Bam!

The eight wolf-spiders grew more furious, their movements becoming quicker. They circled Sizhu and the leader, wearing them down. A battle like this couldn’t last much longer.

"We need to kill them quickly, or we'll be the ones who die." The leader was frantically shooting. Every bullet hit its target, but for every wolf-spider that died, another took its place. Now, only six wolf-spiders remained, surrounding them.

Sizhu grunted in understanding. He knew what he had to do.

He bite into his own palm, tearing it open. His blood mixed with the longstick, creating a magical inscription that crawled along its length, glowing. Sizhu spun the longstick gracefully, the blood glowing brighter. He planted his foot, preparing himself...

He swung the longstick from behind to the side. Bam! One wolf-spider was flung far away. He then brought the longstick down from above. Bam! A wolf-spider’s head was severed. Sizhu spun, thrusting the longstick forward. Bam! Splat! Another wolf-spider was impaled. Three more wolf-spiders lunged at him simultaneously. Sizhu's longstick spun swiftly, decapitating all three wolf-spiders in a single, fluid motion.

The leader was stunned, witnessing the entire battle. All the attacking wolf-spiders had been slain. As Sizhu turned around, the leader could clearly see his face, illuminated by the moonlight—he was just a teenager.

The leader was shocked. "A teenager? What are you doing here, kid? Don’t you know this is a dangerous place?" he asked incredulously. No teenager Sizhu's age should be wandering the forest at night.

Before Sizhu could reply, the leader continued, "Get out of here! This is not a place for a kid like you." He then started walking away from Sizhu, following the trail left by the wolf-spiders.

But Sizhu followed the leader, ignoring his words. After all, he could take care of himself.

After only a few steps, the leader realized Sizhu was trailing him. He began to grow irritated.

"I told you, kid. Leave this forest! It’s dangerous here. You could die at any moment," the leader snapped, baffled by what the boy wanted in such a terrifying place. He glared at Sizhu, hoping to scare him for his own good.

Sizhu just shrugged, indifferent. "I can kill those creatures," he replied calmly and flatly.

The leader felt insulted, not believing a word from the teenager in front of him. It was true the boy was skilled—his talent with the longstick was impressive—but he was still just a kid. No matter how strong he was, carelessness could lead to his death.

"I’m warning you again, kid. Those creatures aren’t something you can take down alone. You could get seriously injured, or worse, killed," the leader said seriously.

Sizhu made a face that said "whatever." Suddenly, he dashed off, leaving the leader behind. Rather than listening to the leader’s lectures all night, it was better to chase down the remaining pack of wolf-spiders. He ran as fast as the wolves themselves.

"Hey, kid! Wait!" the leader shouted, trying to catch up, but Sizhu was already far ahead.

"Why are kids so stubborn these days?" the leader grumbled as he ran.

Tracking the wolf-spiders was easy. Sizhu just had to follow the bloodstains left on the ground. Even in the darkness, his eyes were accustomed to it. Plus, his five senses were sharper than those of an average person.

In less than five minutes, Sizhu found the "nest" where the strange creatures resided. As he approached, a wolf-spider immediately attacked him, charging straight at him. BLAM! One spider was down, its body split in half by the force of Sizhu’s fiery longstick.

When he arrived, Sizhu was warmly greeted by the residents. Dozens of wolf-spiders surrounded him, along with a spider-headed witch with a grotesquely human, incomplete body, and terrifying black claws. She was busy devouring human flesh, possibly the remains of the suited men or other victims.

The witch pointed a clawed finger at Sizhu, hissing something unintelligible. But Sizhu knew it was an order to kill him. Immediately, the dozens of wolf-spiders charged at him like a flood from all directions.

BLAM!

Sizhu’s blazed with fire, spinning it effortlessly, slicing through the bodies of the attacking wolf-spiders. The forest lit up, the fire’s glow terrifying the witch, causing her to stop eating. Her eight eyes watched as the fire consumed her "children." It was like cutting through tofu. In just five seconds, the dozens of spiders had turned to ash, the spinning longstick wielded by Sizhu now almost like an extension of the flames themselves.

Without hesitation, Sizhu made a swift move, thrusting his longstick into the spider-headed witch. He incinerated her, burning her alive. The witch shrieked in agony until her entire body turned to ash, and only then did Sizhu extinguish his fire. It was too easy.

After all the evil creatures had turned to ash, the leader finally arrived, gasping for breath after running to catch up with Sizhu. His breathing was heavy and irregular. He looked exhausted.

"How... did you... run... so fast?" the leader asked, leaning against a tree, trying to catch his breath. He glanced around, seeing all the burned magical creatures and the charred corpse of the witch, reduced to ash. Many spider webs, bones, and even pieces of human flesh stuck to the webs in the trees had been burned by the fire.

It was a horrifying sight.

"Did you do this?" the leader asked after finally catching his breath.

Sizhu gave a small nod.

"Who are you, really?" the leader asked, now with a wary tone. What kind of teenager could wield such powerful fire magic? Who could take down a witch so easily without suffering a single wound? Usually, it took at least five two-star Hunters to kill a single witch capable of controlling magical creatures. Let alone dozens of category two magical creatures.

And this boy had wiped them all out in an instant?

"I'm just an ordinary teenager," Sizhu replied calmly, the magical inscription on his longstick beginning to fade.

After saying that, Sizhu immediately walked away, leaving the leader of suit alone.

***

January 27, 2023

"So, you finally died, old man."

A handsome man with white hair stared blankly at the mound of red earth before him. A wooden gravestone was planted on top of it.

Lao Tzu, the greatest teacher.

The narrow-eyed man smiled thinly, more like a sneer.

"It seems you didn’t just hide from me, old man. You also raised an admirable student.

"Imagine, on the night of your death, I sent an Arch Witch to kill him. But what happened? Your student managed to kill the subordinate I sent. That boy is quite skilled in using magic. Ah, those green eyes of his remind me of something...." The narrow-eyed man tried to remembering something.

"Oh, that family. That unfortunate family. The one with pure magic users. So, all this time, you’ve been raising a monster, old man. Your habits are quite terrible. But I will still remember you. You were the first human to astonish me, old man. I’ll remember you for the next hundred years.

"And that boy... For now, I’ll leave him be. I have bigger goals to pursue. Farewell, old man."

The man snapped his fingers, and with a whoosh, he disappeared. The quiet morning remained until the mysterious man finally left.

***

March 1, 2023

"This is my report, Manager Jianying."

A man with square glasses carefully read through the report. His brow furrowed as he took in the contents.

"What happened in Nanchangtan Village?"

The manager's eyes were sharp, and the suited man who delivered the report grew nervous.

"All the Hunters I assigned to you were severely injured after being attacked by numerous magical creatures when entering the forest. And you're the only one left standing? It’s impossible for you to have hunted the rest without getting hurt. Who saved you there?"

The suited man was at a loss, having failed to provide a more detailed report. He had hoped to receive praise for successfully hunting down a dozen category two magical creatures and their Arch Witch mother on his own. But Manager Jianying was more meticulous than he had thought. Still, the suited man shook his head.

"N-no one, sir." The suited man stammered, cursing himself inwardly. He needed to be convincing somehow to get a promotion.

Manager Jianying continued to stare intently.

"Speak, or I’ll demote you from a two-star Hunter, Wan Chen."

Swallowing hard, Wan Chen quickly responded to avoid demotion.

"A teenage boy helped me exterminate the magical creatures and killed the Arch Witch. He claimed to be just an ordinary teenager. He could even use advanced fire magic and skillfully wielded a longstick." The suited man decided to answer swiftly before his rank was lowered.

Manager Jianying sighed.

"You realize, the media will spread this story. Because you, a two-star Hunter, were unable to defeat a single category two magical creature that was merely preying on villagers’ livestock. And instead, you caused numerous Hunter casualties in the forest. And to top it off, you were saved by a teenage boy coming from nowhere. I wonder how you still have any pride as a Hunter after failing such a simple task." The manager’s words were sharp, cutting deep. He looked at the man before him with disappointment. He sighed once more.

"But I did kill several of those magical creatures, Manager—"

"Silence! Stop talking. Now think about the responsibility you have. Apologize to all the Hunters who were seriously injured because of your poor leadership. Starting today, I’m demoting you to a one-star Hunter again. Now, get out of here." Manager Jianying was visibly furious. Instead of getting a promotion, Wan Chen faced a demotion. The suited man quickly backed out, leaving the office before the manager’s anger boiled over further.

Manager Jianying stared at the report papers. He murmured, "Nanchangtan Village...."

The manager stood up and walked out of the office. He entered the elevator, heading for the rooftop. A helicopter was waiting there, reserved exclusively for five-star Hunters to use at their leisure.

It was a Bell AH-1 Cobra, a combat helicopter armed with heavy machine guns, all enchanted to facilitate warfare against aerial magical creatures.

A pilot was already in position. Manager Jianying boarded and took a seat in the back.

"Zhongwei City, Nanchangtan Village, Fei."

The pilot, named Fei, nodded. "Understood, Manager." He started the engine and took control of the aircraft. The rotors began to spin. The helicopter slowly hovered before departing from the fifty-story modern building in the heart of Beijing.

A little backstory: Fei used to be a top multidriver in the military. One day, Fei was on a mission to destroy a suspected witch’s nest in the highlands of Tibet. He and three air force teams set out in super jets, Shenyang FC-31 Gyrfalcon. The mission initially seemed smooth with no issues. The witch's nest, as reported, was wiped out. Unexpectedly, in an instant, the situation reversed.

All four super jets lost control. The engines malfunctioned inexplicably. The jets plummeted, crashing into the ground. They exploded, leaving only black smoke. The other three teams failed to perform an emergency landing. Only Fei managed to jump out before his jet nosedived. But the worst was yet to come as he touched down.

Though it was daytime, the mountains were freezing. Fei took a moment to rest in a rocky mountain crevice, trying to call for help. But nothing. Hours passed in the crevice. Horrifying monsters with human-like appearances, red skin, broken fangs, pitch-black eyes, sharp claws, wielding all sorts of weapons like spiked clubs, serrated swords, or spiked hammers. These creatures resembled the orcs or goblins seen in films. Panicked, Fei tried to fight off these monsters. But he was outnumbered and outmatched.

And then what happened?

These monsters had a habit of enslaving humans. Not just Fei, but many local villagers were captured and turned into slaves by these savage monsters. Days dragged into weeks, which became months. By the third month of being a slave with inhumane treatment, Fei’s body withered from lack of food. Some even had to kill each other to survive. Whippings, beatings, and the monsters' sexual urges were daily occurrences. And when a human died, they were offered as food to their king; an Arch Witch.

Three months felt like a nightmare. Fei grew sick of living. He began contemplating suicide. Finally, the Hunters found the hideout of these savage monsters.

A large-scale operation was launched, and a fierce battle erupted. The mountain itself trembled from the battle. It turned out the Arch Witch and her troops had been hiding inside the mountain all along.

After hours of fighting...

A Hunter finally managed to decapitate the monster king, the Arch Witch. And the one who wielded the sword was a man in his twenties, with square glasses, wavy brown hair, and a katana still dripping with the Arch Witch’s black blood. This was Manager Jianying, a five-star Hunter from China, Assistant Head of Division. That moment would never leave Fei's mind.

Everyone who survived was saved by him. It was a tragedy that would never be forgotten. To this day, Fei swore loyalty to Manager Jianying for saving his life from that hell. Since Fei was a talented multidriver, he volunteered to be Manager Jianying's personal pilot. Even though he was traumatized by witches, his loyalty to his savior outweighed his trauma.

Three hours of flight. Manager Jianying finally reached his destination, Zhongwei City. Upon arrival, Manager Jianying got into a car heading to Nanchangtan Village, a village near the Yellow River. His purpose for going there was clear—to find the young man his subordinate had mentioned. It was rare to find a young person with such talent in magic and combat. He was intrigued by that.

The day was starting to turn golden. Manager Jianying had reached the village. Without wasting any time, he began asking the locals about Sizhu.

"A teenage boy always carrying a longstick... Oh yes, I saw him." An older man selling food seemed certain.

"Where did you see him?"

"Well, last night, he came back here with his clothes and longstick covered in blood. A young woman brought him here because she was interested in him."

"A young woman? What did she look like?"

"Hmm... She was a young woman with long white hair, wearing a beautiful purple dress, and her face was very pretty, her skin looked very fair. They both bought food here." The older man tried to recall.

Manager Jianying felt familiar with the description. Who was this woman?

"Which direction did they go?"

"Oh yes, they left in a flying black car. Probably headed to the city."

Manager Jianying sighed. He was too late. But it seemed he knew who the beautiful woman was.

"Alright, thank you for the information, sir."

The old man replied with a curt yes. He picked his nose, indifferent. Manager Jianying quickly got back in the car, returning to the city. It seemed he would have to go to headquarters. This was a wasted effort, just tiring.

The car sped off, leaving the village grounds.

Headquarters of the Hunter Agency, Qincheng.

***

Nighttime. The sky was clear, without a single cloud, revealing the beauty of the stars above. Truly, the night sky was the best painting.

Sizhu's green pupils reflected all that beauty. He was lost in thought, recalling the events of the day before....

After finishing his hunt for the spider-legged wolves and their mother, Sizhu returned to the village, searching for food. His stomach growled loudly after all the running and fighting against those terrifying creatures. At least he had some money he found in the pockets of those suited men. Maybe the fried rice he saw earlier could fill his belly. Just thinking about it made his mouth watering.

"You..."

A young woman, beautiful and silent, stood before Sizhu. Reluctantly, Sizhu stopped walking. Their eyes met.

"The strong scent of blood... Ara~ you just killed a witch, didn’t you?" The beautiful woman approached Sizhu, making him nervous. She sniffed Sizhu up and down.

"Uh, excuse me, who are you?" Sizhu tried to back away from the woman, feeling uneasy. Did he really smell that bad? He had washed his clothes in the river just that morning.

The woman smiled, a captivating smile. "Twelve, and one Arch Witch. Ara~ it seems you're quite powerful. Where did you learn to fight?"

Sizhu began to look at the woman more seriously. How could she guess so accurately?

"Who are you?" Sizhu asked, full of caution.

The beautiful woman calmly replied.

"Would you like to work with me?" she asked gently.

"Why should I work for you?" Sizhu retorted. He wasn’t one to trust anyone easily. His teacher had taught he that.

Trust no one until their desires are clear.

The beautiful woman responded softly.

"If you work with me, I will grant all your wishes. How does that sound?"

Sizhu seemed to ponder for a moment.

Wishes...

What do I desire?

The answer was nothing.

Sizhu shook his head in response.

"I don't have any wishes right now," he answered, simply.

The beautiful woman was taken aback.

Eh? This was the first time she had met a teenager as unique as this.

The sound of a rumbling stomach interrupted their conversation. The growling was loud, an unmistakable signal of hunger. Sizhu blushed, embarrassed.

The beautiful woman laughed softly at the sound from Sizhu's stomach, which resembled a grumbling whale.

"Are you hungry?"

Sizhu nodded eagerly.

They took seats at the fried rice stall that Sizhu had spotted earlier. The beautiful woman kindly ordered food for them. They sat across from each other. As soon as the food was served, Sizhu devoured it—occasionally choking—looking like a person who hadn’t eaten for three days (quite literally).

"Ara~ Take your time. You can have as much as you want." The beautiful woman kindly poured water into Sizhu's glass.

Sizhu appreciated it, murmuring softly, "Thank you."

The beautiful woman smiled, a captivating smile. "You're welcome," she replied briefly.

Five minutes, two plates of fried rice, and a bowl of jjampong were gone. Sizhu’s stomach was satisfied. He looked at the beautiful woman across from him, who just sat there smiling as she watched Sizhu eat. Was she not hungry?

"Aren't you going to eat?" Sizhu asked flatly.

The beautiful woman shook her head. "I’m not hungry."

"I don’t want to work. Working is a hassle." Sizhu remained firm in his decision. He could tell the beautiful woman still had hopes.

"Mmm... In that case, I’ll change my offer. Come with me. You don’t have to work or do anything bothersome. All I want is you." The beautiful woman pointed at Sizhu.

"To where?"

"To my place."

For a moment, Sizhu weighed his options. Still thinking.

"I’ll cook delicious food for you every day, how about that?"

At the mention of food, Sizhu nodded eagerly without hesitation.

The beautiful woman smiled, pleased. She extended her hand.

"My name is Luxia, what's yours?"

"Sizhu." He accepted the outstretched hand, shaking it.

Their eyes met. Her purple eyes were like precious gems—deep, dark, and beautiful.

The moment of silence felt strange to Sizhu. Luxia let go of his hand.

"Let’s go, Sizhu."

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

***