When the man stepped in front of him, blocking his way, Kurei felt his breathing finally smooth out again. The suffocating killing intent radiating from Kiryu Setsuna had been stopped, as if it had slammed into an iron wall.
He snapped back to his senses at once, realizing he might have run into an absolute monster of a big shot.
"Two thousand! That's everything I've earned this run!"
If he managed to complete his objectives in this mission world, he would receive 2,000 Endcoin. He was using it to buy his life.
As long as the green hills remained, there would be no worry about firewood. As long as he stayed alive and returned to the Space safely, he could always find a way to make up for the losses in the next world.
The Kengan world was far too dangerous. If he survived today, once he obtained his return qualification, he would leave immediately without hesitation.
"Two thousand, huh? That's a bit little, but I guess it still counts as extra income…"
Kurosaki Rei turned his head to look at Kiryu Setsuna.
"I came here to hunt monsters in the first place."
"Boss, be careful! That thing is on him—he's different from before!"
As Kurei retreated, he used a recovery item and shouted his warning. Setsuna had already locked onto them. If the big shot couldn't beat him, Kurei would still end up dead.
Kurosaki Rei grinned, revealing a mouthful of chilling white teeth.
"Isn't that even better?"
"Was it you?"
At that moment, Kiryu Setsuna spoke. His expression was twisted.
"Was it you who killed my god?!"
"Doesn't look like there's much reason left in you." Kurosaki Rei narrowed his eyes slightly.
"But I'm curious—why are you hunting him down?"
"And who…"
"…gave you the information?"
Yes. This was the biggest doubt in his mind.
Kiryu Setsuna wanting to avenge Ohma made perfect sense—but how had he been able to track down Explorers so accurately?
So far, among the other fighters in the original storyline, aside from Bando Yohei—whom Kurosaki Rei had personally killed—no one else had died. Yet Kiryu Setsuna's nightly hunting targets were all Explorers.
This was no coincidence. Someone had to be guiding him.
An Explorer's identity wasn't easy to discern. To the natives of this world, everyone looked like a normal fighter. The only ones capable of distinguishing Explorers from natives were people from the Space.
The Explorers were already struggling just to deal with the Kengan matches of this world. They didn't have the strength to win the tournament in the first place, so there was no reason for them to deliberately eliminate other Explorers.
Therefore, it could be deduced that the one providing Kiryu Setsuna with information about Explorers—guiding or luring him into hunting them—was a Violator.
This wasn't good news for Kurosaki Rei.
The silver lining, however, was that the Violator hadn't yet taken the Seed from Kiryu Setsuna.
Whether it was because they wanted to continue using him for a while longer, or because they lacked the confidence to kill Kiryu Setsuna themselves, that was what had led to the current situation.
"It was god—god's guidance!"
Kiryu Setsuna was utterly deranged, clutching his chest as his body reacted obscenely.
"God told me the suspects. I'll eliminate them one by one. Then god will return and grant me the most beautiful death."
"Looks like there's no point talking anymore."
Kurosaki Rei stepped forward. "I'll just cut you down first."
This wasn't some sparring match.
Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Kiryu Setsuna was not weak. Under the influence of the Seed, his attributes were even comparable to Kurosaki Rei's, and his techniques ranked among the top-tier fighters.
If this were just a bout, Kurosaki Rei wouldn't use a weapon, much less release it.
But he was here to kill.
Purple-black mist began to coil. Vine-like chains wrapped around Kurosaki Rei's right arm. The pitch-black blade swallowed the moonlight, reflecting nothing but death.
Kurosaki Rei went all out. His killing intent instantly overwhelmed Kiryu Setsuna's madness. When he activated Flash Step, he was like a fired cannonball—a hunting tiger unleashed.
Kiryu Setsuna used his legs to perform Fox Shadow Style: Rakshasa's Palm, attempting to move in that strange manner to confuse Kurosaki Rei.
But the blade still descended—precisely, flawlessly—right along his path of movement.
The next instant, the jet-black edge cleaved through the night sky, sending a beast's head flying.
Kurosaki Rei came to a stop. Before Kurei's stunned gaze, he flicked his blade to shake off the blood.
"Pretty tough, huh? You still managed to use Indestructible at that moment."
He glanced at Kiryu Setsuna's corpse as a notification echoed beside his ear.
[Pioneer has killed the Holder of the Origin Seed. Please use the container issued by the Space for storage. Mission rewards will be distributed after return.]
Hearing the prompt, Kurosaki Rei checked his storage space and found that an additional transparent, capsule-like container had appeared.
He took it out and discovered that its grade was listed as a string of question marks. No details were provided.
He crouched down and tentatively placed the capsule on Setsuna's corpse. Almost immediately, a soft emerald-green glow rose from the body. A Seed—its exact shape indistinct—flew out and entered the container.
After the Origin Seed was stored, the inside of the container turned completely green, obscuring the Seed itself and making it impossible to observe.
Kurosaki Rei was very curious. He had assumed that killing Kiryu Setsuna would cause the Origin Seed to automatically transfer to him. Instead, it required a special container issued by the Space—and it wasn't even directly given to him.
After some thought, he figured the Terminus Space probably wouldn't shortchange a Pioneer on their reward. So he put the container away for now.
"Boss… no, Lord Prison Demon, you really… really are level 7?"
Kurei's shocked voice came from behind him. Standing beside Setsuna's corpse, everything felt unreal, like a dream.
What had he just seen?
A freak who had become invincible after obtaining the Origin Seed—killed in one strike by Lord Prison Demon?
"More or less,"
Kurosaki Rei replied casually, continuing to search Setsuna's body. Unfortunately, he found no new clues. He could only ask Group Leader Erioh and Chairman Katahara to investigate later.
He stood up and looked at Kurei, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Pay up."
Kurei's expression stiffened.
"B-Boss, I don't have any money on me right now…"
The smile slowly vanished from Kurosaki Rei's face.
"Are you playing me?"
Kurei felt as if he'd fallen into an icy abyss. That calm killing intent was ten times more oppressive than what Setsuna had radiated earlier.
He hurriedly shook his head.
"No, no, I'd never dare trick you! But people like us—who would bring that much money with them before coming here?"
"Is two thousand really that much?"
Kurosaki Rei looked genuinely puzzled. In his first mission world, he'd only earned 3,500 Endcoin himself—and that was because he hadn't chosen the 10,000 reward. He truly felt that 2,000 wasn't a big sum.
The Explorer in front of him looked to be level five or six, having gone through several worlds. And yet he couldn't even come up with 2,000 Endcoin?
Kurei's expression turned strange. As expected of a big shot…
"To you, Boss, of course it's not much. But I'm not qualified to save money before coming here. I can sign a contract with you—once I return, I'll transfer it to you."
"And what if you die?"
Kurosaki Rei frowned. "Wouldn't that mean I get nothing?"
This deal suddenly felt like a bad bargain. Sure enough, debtors had all the leverage. If he wanted this 2,000 Endcoin, he'd have to make sure this guy didn't die afterward.
"Boss, don't worry. I'll be able to return very soon—no delays. My survival abilities are pretty decent."
Kurei spoke quickly, terrified that the vicious man in front of him might lose patience and cut him down as well.
He'd been around the Space for several worlds and knew that those who survived tended to become more and more abnormal. As for those who were abnormal to begin with—they often did quite well. He'd heard that high-level Explorers were all a bit unhinged.
In his eyes, Kurosaki Rei was exactly that type—someone who had been abnormal even before entering the Space. His decisiveness when killing, without the slightest hesitation, was chilling.
Kurosaki Rei glanced at the fragments of the shattered shield not far away.
"Then sign the contract. Stay alive."
Soon, under Kurosaki Rei's lead, the contract was established. He also added an extra clause forbidding Kurei from revealing the news that Kurosaki Rei had obtained the Origin Seed.
Even though Kurosaki Rei believed the Violator could probably figure out who killed Kiryu Setsuna with enough time, he still wanted to lie low for a while. He couldn't afford to scare off his prey too early.
After Kurei left, Kurosaki Rei took out his phone.
"Hello, Sister Sayaka? It's me. The hunt here is over. Please take care of the cleanup."
With that, he left the alley, heading toward Kiryu Setsuna's residence to conduct a search.
⭐ Want more? Read chapters early on Patreon ⭐
https://www.patreon.com/VoidInk08
Advance chapters are finished-all that's left is to unlock them.
BONUS CHAPTER SYSTEM 10 reviews → Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones → Bonus Chapter
🔥The stronger your support, the faster the story moves.