Chapter 1 –[ Hunter Agency 01 ]–

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.

***

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