Memories, Blood, and a Hunter’s Resolve

“When I was little, your father Viktor, a few other friends from the orphanage, and I didn’t have much pocket money. Our daily expenses were mostly covered by the church orphanage…”

“When someone’s birthday came around, we would all pool our money to buy a small cake, light the candles, and sneak out of school during evening study hall. In a small restaurant nearby, we’d gather around the birthday person, sing them ‘Happy Birthday,’ and urge them to make a wish…”

Ming Yu recalled these memories as she walked, her tone calm and composed.

So many years had passed that many people and events had blurred, leaving only a few vivid scenes floating in her mind.

Upon hearing the name “Viktor,” Nightingale paused slightly.

One matter had been weighing heavily on her mind. She desperately wanted to ask about her father’s situation and to understand what Ming Yu’s silent thought of ‘at least I’m still alive’ from yesterday truly meant.

Even though she had mentally prepared for the worst, Nightingale still harbored a sliver of hope, wishing that things weren’t as she feared.

“Sister Ming Yu, my father… could you tell me more about him?”

Nightingale reined in her emotions, striving to prevent Ming Yu from noticing the slight tremor in her voice.

Ming Yu nodded, her gaze drifting into the distance.

“Back in school, there were these idle little cliques who enjoyed bullying others… They didn’t like me and gave me a nickname, always asking what brand of plastic bag I was, implying I was ‘full of myself’ or could ‘hold so much’…”

“As a friend, Viktor was very loyal. He would aggressively step forward to defend me, and then…”

“And then?”

Nightingale pressed, her curiosity piqued, feeling as if a kitten were scratching at her heart.

Ming Yu let out a wry laugh.

“And then, we both got beaten up.”

“From then on, I became extremely dedicated to physical training. Every day, I’d do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run…”

“After enduring this for a while, I felt terrifyingly strong. So, Viktor and I went back to settle the score, intending to teach them a lesson, and then…”

“And then?” Nightingale’s interest was clearly piqued.

“This time, they couldn’t catch me, and I kept taunting them… So, only Viktor got beaten up.”

“…”

Though it sounded like a nightmare for her father, Nightingale couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her lips.

‘Father doesn’t seem very clever,’ she thought.

“Sister Ming Yu, is there more?” Nightingale asked expectantly.

“Hmm, I don’t remember much, I’ll have to think carefully.”

Ming Yu continued to chat idly with Nightingale about the past, digging through her dusty memories for moments worth remembering.

The night wind lingered in the streets and alleys, gently stirring their hair.

****

Upon reaching their destination, Ming Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

The nearby streetscape had completely transformed. The small restaurant from her memories had been replaced by a training institution.

Well, that was to be expected, given that over a decade had passed.

Just then, Nightingale suddenly tugged at her sleeve.

Ming Yu turned around, noticing that Nightingale’s complexion was rather pale.

“What’s wrong? Are you very hungry? Then we won’t go back just yet; we’ll have dinner here…”

“Sister Ming Yu, did you hear a sound…?”

“A sound? What kind of sound?” Ming Yu asked, puzzled.

Nightingale clutched Luna tighter in her arms, her mind uneasy.

It was Luna. It was Luna who heard the sound.

No, not just a sound, but a smell too… the smell of blood.

“Sister Ming Yu, I heard a strange sound, and I smelled blood…” Nightingale said anxiously.

Hearing this, Ming Yu furrowed her brow.

This was no grey zone; who would dare to act here? Were they not afraid of attracting the Enforcers?

The Enforcers rarely bothered with crimes outside the established order, but they would never tolerate serious incidents occurring within security zones.

Those individuals were not to be trifled with; even the most powerful gangs had to steer clear of the Enforcers.

Ming Yu gazed deeply at Nightingale, astonished by her extraordinary perception. Simultaneously, she retrieved the smallest genetic stimulant syringe from her waist pouch.

Injecting it, she felt a surge of enhancement.

Her senses sharpened.

In an instant, Ming Yu’s sensory acuity was elevated by several magnitudes, accompanied by a terrifying surge of power coursing through her entire body.

The faint scent of blood lingering in the air stung her nostrils.

“Little Nightingale, stay close to me.”

Ming Yu cautioned her gravely. After Nightingale nodded in affirmation, she turned back, gripping the girl’s hand tightly, and carefully discerned the direction of the scent’s origin.

Rounding the training institution, as they passed through the narrow, dark alley between two buildings, the pungent odor suddenly intensified.

Ming Yu ventured deeper, kicking aside obstructing debris, and her gaze locked onto a travel case.

Although her enhanced senses told her no one was nearby, she still shielded Nightingale behind her, her expression grim as she stepped forward and unzipped the case.

A horrifying, foul stench abruptly surged forth.

Ming Yu’s expression shifted slightly. She immediately turned and covered Nightingale’s mouth and nose.

“Hold your breath.”

With that, she scooped up the girl and in a few swift steps, flashed back to the alley entrance.

After setting Nightingale down, Ming Yu looked at the girl’s vacant eyes, feeling a strange sense of relief.

What was inside was not something a child should ever see.

Ming Yu pulled out her earpiece and dialed the Enforcer’s dedicated communication line.

“Hello, I’d like to report a crime…”

****

For the city’s Enforcers, every homicide occurring within a security zone received significant attention from management.

This was despite the fact that Enforcers were more adept at suppressing riots than solving cases.

However, this time, after receiving the report, the criminal investigation department used optical stealth electronic eyes to directly observe the entire incident before the lower-level Enforcers had even secured the scene.

Four perpetrators, one victim.

All five were students from the church school.

At that very moment, evening study hall at the school hadn’t even ended when the four students who committed the murder were forcibly taken away.

From the report to the apprehension of the culprits, the entire process took no more than thirty to forty minutes.

As the one who reported the crime, Ming Yu had the right to inquire about the case’s progress. She attempted to get information from an Enforcer, only to receive a perfunctory response.

“Hey, it’s nothing major. Just a few hot-headed kids accidentally killed a child from the orphanage.”

Watching the low-ranking Enforcer wave his hand dismissively, Ming Yu instantly understood what would happen next.

The children whose parents lacked influence would be exploited for their labor, serving Pharos for life, while the ones with powerful parents would merely pay a hefty sum and spend some time behind bars before walking free.

Because the victim was from the church orphanage.

Ming Yu smiled with a sense of resignation.

‘Accidentally’? ‘Accidentally’ kill someone and stuff them into a travel case?

She felt a dull ache in her chest, as if a suffocating gloom had settled there, impossible to dispel.

Just then, Nightingale, who had been silent for a long time, tugged at her sleeve again.

“Sister Ming Yu, I don’t want to go to school…”

“…”

“Please…”

“…Alright, we won’t go.”

Ming Yu gently ruffled Nightingale’s hair, then raised her hand to press her communication earpiece, dialing the Hunter Association’s dedicated customer service line.

“Good evening, esteemed S-rank Hunter!”

An AI-synthesized female voice sounded in her ear.

“Connect me to the Sixteenth District branch. Find someone in charge to speak with me.”

“Connecting you now… beep-beep!“

– Who is it this late at night… What the?! An S-rank?! Ah, my apologies, I lost my composure… Hello, I’m Raymond, Vice-President of the Sixteenth District. How may I be of assistance? –

The gruff, deep male voice gradually grew tense.

Hearing this, Ming Yu lowered her voice, speaking coldly:

“A homicide occurred tonight. I need you to investigate the full details at the Enforcer Bureau for me, then send me the information on all involved parties and their families.”

– Ah? The Enforcer Bureau? This… is this homicide connected to you? Or rather… – His back felt a chill, and he quickly pressed for more information.

“I wasn’t the one who killed them this time.”

– Oh, oh, that’s good, that’s good… –

On the other end of the line, Raymond had just let out a breath of relief when he quickly realized something was amiss.

‘What did she mean, “I wasn’t the one this time”?’