At that moment, both Auriel and Fiona wore troubled expressions. Facing the full force of the Bounty Hunter Team with only the three of them felt overwhelming. Even though they had recently advanced to Tier 1 and honed their skills significantly, this battle was unlike any they had faced before.
Fiona broke the silence, her voice tinged with concern.
"Auriel... looks like we're in for a tough fight."
Auriel's response was cool but focused.
"Do you know anything about the Bounty Hunter Team?"
Fiona hesitated, then lowered her voice.
"Yes... I've heard about them. They have around 300 trained fighters. Their leader, Jimmy, is a Tier 2 professional. There are 30 Tier 1 members too. The rest are all below level 10."
Auriel's heart sank. The sheer numbers weren't just intimidating, they were demoralizing. Even with their new abilities, this would be a brutal challenge.
But then a thought pierced through her fear.
Aaron.
His abilities were wild, unconventional, and often defied expectations. If anyone could turn the tide, it was him. Maybe their odds weren't as hopeless as they seemed.
The crunch of footsteps echoed through the tense air, drawing Auriel and Fiona's eyes to the figure approaching. Relief flooded their expressions the moment they saw Aaron. His presence carried weight, not just of power, but of quiet confidence that calmed the storm within their hearts.
Aaron stopped beside them, his voice steady and composed.
"Auriel, Fiona, take position behind me. Get ready to use Fire Rain and Ice Rain skill when I give the signal."
They nodded, trusting his instincts without question.
He looked at them with firm assurance.
"Don't worry, I'll shield you both. Stay focused. If my plan works, this battle will be over in five minutes."
That promise lit a spark of hope. His calm demeanor, paired with the sheer unpredictability of his techniques, made even impossible odds feel manageable. For Auriel and Fiona, the fear hadn't vanished completely, but standing with Aaron made them believe they might just survive.
At the edge of the Blueish Forest, Aaron's clone, disguised as the scout named Tommy, observed the massive crowd ahead. Nearly three hundred bounty hunters stood armed and restless, yet his expression remained calm and unreadable.
One of them stepped forward and barked, "Hey, Tommy! Where's the target?"
Aaron, still in disguise, replied smoothly, "Follow me. He's nearby. You won't have to wait long."
Then, with a smirk, he added, "He's so arrogant, he's lying on top of a tree... chewing on skewers like we're not even worth his attention."
The bounty hunters instantly bristled at the insult. Murmurs turned into outrage. Several shouted, "Take us there now!"
Their pride had been wounded. To be mocked by the target, even indirectly, was a slap in the face. Among them, Jimmy clenched his fists. As the boss of the hunters, his authority was unquestioned, and now, it has been publicly challenged.
With simmering fury, Jimmy marched toward Tommy. "Then lead the way," he growled. "We'll see how long he keeps eating when he's surrounded."
Jimmy turned slowly to face Cora, his voice cold and commanding.
"Cora," he said, "Don't kill him. Use your skills to cut off his limbs. I want him alive. And I want everyone to see what happens when someone dares to provoke me."
Aaron, still disguised as the scout Tommy, didn't react outwardly. He kept his expression calm, his gaze fixed ahead. But inside, one name echoed in his mind, Cora. If Jimmy trusted her with such a cruel task, her skills were clearly worth noting. Aaron made a mental note: he'd need to learn more about her abilities soon enough.
Meanwhile, Jimmy's reputation preceded him. As a Tier 2 Beast Hunter, he was already powerful, but he had pushed himself to the peak of Tier 2. Even without a beast companion, he was far beyond what a Tier 1 could handle. His body and instincts had been sharpened through countless battles.
One of his most feared traits was his ability to sense danger. His passive skill, Beast Intuition, allowed him to detect hidden bloodlust, malicious intentions, and subtle threats before they became real. Even a slight twitch of hostility wouldn't escape his notice.
Jimmy's combat style was deeply tied to beasts. Most of his techniques had been designed for coordination with his beast, Stormback Vyral, a rare and loyal companion who once shielded Jimmy during the advancement trial of tier 3. Vyral's death had struck a blow to Jimmy's strength. Without a beast, his combat style was incomplete, and his full potential was locked away.
Adding to his frustration was the price of a new companion. As a Beast Hunter, he couldn't simply bond with any creature. The beast had to be of rare grade or higher, and even the weakest among them were sold for no less than 50,000 gold coins, an impossible price for most hunters.
Despite the setback, Jimmy was still a force to reckon with. His body was at least ten times stronger than a standard Tier 1 fighter. His reflexes, strength, and awareness remained lethal, but his beastless state made him vulnerable in ways that seasoned warriors could exploit.
Aaron's second clone, lying on a tall tree branch as bait, scanned the massive crowd below, over three hundred seasoned bounty hunters.
His eyes widened briefly in surprise. He had expected a response… but not their full force. Still, he masked his worry with a smirk, pretending to be unfazed.
He straightened up and shouted down confidently, "Who's the leader of the Bounty Hunter Team?"
Before anyone could answer, a cold voice cut through the air like ice. "Cora. Do it."
From the crowd, a woman stepped forward, elegant, deadly, and focused. As she raised her fingers, Aaron felt a surge of energy. A hidden kunai, tucked inside his robe, was pulled out by invisible force and hovered in midair.
His heart skipped. That ability… she was the one. The woman who had killed this body's previous owner. Now she wanted to finish the job.
Instinct kicked in. The clone leapt, springing from tree to tree as kunai shot toward him with eerie precision. Mid-air, he formed a hand seal and exhaled a fireball, nearly two meters wide, straight at the center of the enemy group.