The Hunter’s Trap and a Displaced Timepiece

“Did you truly believe I couldn’t see what was behind me?” The blue-haired youth’s gaze turned chilling, as if harboring something utterly unacceptable.

Behind him, Xiang Ke was slumped on the ground, clutching her shot abdomen, gasping for breath. She had clearly lost all capacity to fight.

Liu Zhengxuan, at this moment, no longer exuded the approachable demeanor he had presented at their first meeting. From head to toe, he radiated a profound disregard for human life.

Cold-bloodedness was the hallmark of a truly seasoned player; they would commit all manner of heinous acts for their own benefit. In this regard, Liu Zhengxuan was undeniably qualified.

“When… when did you realize?” Xiang Ke gritted her teeth, her face twitching with pain as she forced out the words.

“Why, I knew from the very beginning,” the blue-haired youth replied with a hint of disdain, reloading his gun. “I would never allow a dangerous element to linger behind me.”

By now, Xiang Ke understood that her earlier threats had been utterly ineffective, perhaps even dragging her into a far more precarious situation.

‘What a miscalculation,’ she thought, a self-deprecating curve to her lips. She had known from their very first encounter that this man wouldn’t be an easy opponent. She understood that her repeated meetings with the blue-haired youth had been akin to playing with fire, yet she had clung to a sliver of hope, believing he wouldn’t truly act recklessly.

Her failure to make a decisive move when it mattered had led to her current predicament.

‘If only I had killed this man sooner, would things have turned out differently?’

Alas… Xiang Ke knew she couldn’t. Her primary talent, Resistance, was largely passive and severely lacked offensive power. Her secondary talent, Binding, was similarly limited; though active, it was only effective at restricting enemy movement and possessed no destructive capabilities.

Xiang Ke’s talents were invaluable in a team setting, but her weaknesses became glaringly obvious when she was alone.

The immense energy drain from using her talents would leave her temporarily incapacitated. Even if an enemy was restrained, she herself would be in no better state.

Now, however, there was no hope of survival anyway. Xiang Ke steeled her heart, casting aside all concerns about consumption. She activated both of her major talents simultaneously, gambling on a slim chance of living.

To be reborn in madness… or to face death.

An immense pressure instantly bore down on Liu Zhengxuan. His expression froze, and his steps suddenly faltered.

‘A perfect opportunity!’

A sharp glint flashed in Gu Changqing’s eyes as he suddenly surged forward, lunging at the blue-haired youth.

He hadn’t been idly standing by this whole time. When the gunshot rang out, he had initially thought it was aimed at him, only to realize the bullet was meant for Xiang Ke behind the blue-haired youth, causing him a moment of stunned surprise.

He quickly recovered, and without time to weigh the pros and cons, he instinctively charged to interrupt the blue-haired youth’s actions.

At this moment, everyone was on the rooftop. The exit was in another direction, leaving no retreat. Gu Changqing’s immediate thought was to prevent the blue-haired youth from getting another shot off, subconsciously choosing the most advantageous course of action.

This flurry of internal thought, long yet short, transpired in mere seconds. The actions of both men began almost simultaneously, and Liu Zhengxuan appeared to be cornered.

Then, he smiled. A smile utterly devoid of reason.

Gu Changqing, putting himself in Liu Zhengxuan’s shoes, believed he would absolutely be unable to smile in such a situation.

Just then, Gu Changqing witnessed the blue-haired youth’s figure shatter in the moonlight, dissolving into fragments like a broken mirror.

Xiang Ke immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, her aura visibly weakening. The backlash from her talents being forcibly broken exacerbated her already dire condition.

‘What happened?’ His pupils constricted, and a chilling sense of crisis, making his hair stand on end, surged through him, compelling him to instinctively turn his head.

“Don’t move.”

Liu Zhengxuan’s voice echoed in his ear, a cold gun barrel pressed against Gu Changqing’s neck, like Death’s fatal kiss.

Suddenly, he understood.

“You really are a Hunter!”

Only a Hunter could possess such an extraordinary talent. The system’s listed additional talent, named Relative Displacement, also perfectly matched the blue-haired youth’s earlier description.

As for Xiang Ke, she had already fallen into a deep coma due to blood loss and the forceful use of her talents. Barring any miracles, she would not awaken.

Although it was unclear why the blue-haired youth hadn’t displayed the full stat enhancement mentioned by the system, that was no longer a relevant concern.

“Something like that,” the blue-haired youth replied, raising an eyebrow, not denying it.

“However, Miss Xia over there, haven’t you watched enough by now?”

These words were directed towards the stairwell, and from there, a girl in a white dress emerged.

The newcomer was Xiang Qi, who had been there for a while. Now that she had been called out, she no longer bothered to hide, stepping out openly.

“It seems I’ve arrived at an inconvenient time.” The girl’s voice was exceptionally pleasant, much like her demeanor—serene and tranquil, like an orchid in a secluded valley.

The blue-haired youth smiled at her, his eyes revealing a certain desire, an extremely aggressive gaze that made Xiang Qi particularly uncomfortable. Although her body had transformed into a girl’s, she subconsciously still regarded herself as a boy. Being stared at with such a ‘gay-gay’ look by this person made her skin crawl.

‘Your companion is with me.’

Though no sound escaped his lips, their subtle movement clearly conveyed this message.

In the next instant, a gunshot rang out.

****

Let’s rewind a little and see what happened to Miss Xiang after she left her room.

“Sure enough, no one’s here.”

The living room had once again become empty, with not a soul in sight.

Xiang Qi had anticipated this situation, but one thing still dampened her mood.

Originally, there should have been a wall clock in the center of the living room, from which everyone had learned the time.

But now, the clock was gone.

‘Who did it?’ The girl tilted her head, a suspicion already forming in her mind. Time was crucial information for her, and being unable to ascertain it would significantly hinder her actions, potentially leading to unforeseen accidents.

‘It could only be that guy, truly cautious.’ Xiang Qi pouted. ‘Well, if it’s gone, it’s gone. It’s probably not the third day yet.’

Not being able to tell the time was indeed a significant inconvenience. At this moment, Xiang Qi believed it was around eleven o’clock, still some distance from midnight.

Don’t ask why; it was simply a woman’s intuition.