The Calculated Reckoning and an Unexpected Encounter

Ming Yu had not anticipated this.

She was certain she had no prior connection with her fellow hunters, nor had there been any conflict during their journey. There was no logical reason for her to be betrayed.

Considering this, someone must have orchestrated the attack.

Few people knew her, and even fewer had a grudge against her. The answer, therefore, seemed imminent.

Following this line of thought, Ming Yu immediately suspected Fujiwara Tachima. That man certainly had ample motive.

However, according to the White-feathered Sea Eagle, the penetrating wound in her abdomen had been caused by a blue beam of light.

Undoubtedly, it was a blue laser.

If Xingtian had truly ambushed her, it could only have been acting under orders from someone else. Ming Yu and Xingtian had barely exchanged a few words, a mere fleeting acquaintance at best. There was no possibility of animosity between them.

And the person behind Xingtian…

‘The Association Chairman?’

‘I’m not familiar with that person either.’

Pondering the dilemma, Ming Yu suddenly conceived a perfect solution.

‘Regardless of who was behind this mischief, upon returning, I’ll simply point the finger at the Fujiwara family. I’ll find an excuse to eliminate them first, preventing any further complications.’

‘If I’m right, it will be settling old scores.’

‘And if I’m wrong…’

‘Then I’ll just be wrong.’

Ming Yu couldn’t help but purse her lips, finding her idea surprisingly plausible.

She recalled how, in the past, lacking sufficient confidence and power, she had to rack her brains to mitigate risks. Now, however, she found herself less inclined to deep thought, a sign of her growing complacency.

This recent misfortune had served as a stark warning.

As Ming Yu listened to the White-feathered Sea Eagle’s tale, she rummaged through the fallen soldiers’ supplies, quickly discovering canned goods, drinking water, and compressed biscuits.

The food reserves from several individuals were swiftly consumed, barely enough to line her stomach.

Given the direct correlation between food intake and cellular energy demands, her physical strength had undergone a qualitative leap, and her appetite had naturally soared far beyond its previous levels. Previously, the rations of several adult men would have lasted for days; now, they weren’t even enough for a single meal.

Meanwhile, the White-feathered Sea Eagle’s narrative devolved into a litany of complaints about its journey, offering no further valuable information.

Delivered in an adorable loli voice, such grievances would typically charm compassionate listeners. However, Ming Yu found its incessant rambling tiresome.

“Enough.”

With that, she cast a dismissive glance at the White-feathered Sea Eagle. A flicker of impatience crossed her emotionless, blood-red eyes, causing the creature to immediately fall silent, frozen in fear.

After a brief respite, Ming Yu casually picked up two kinetic firearms. Guided by the soldiers’ intelligence and the White-feathered Sea Eagle’s directions, she began to stride deeper into the dense forest.

Regardless, her immediate priorities were to sate her hunger, acquire a boat, and ideally, find a more suitable weapon.

While she knew how to pull the trigger of a kinetic rifle, she was far from proficient, though she could manage. Firing a shot merely required pulling the trigger, but aiming involved a multitude of considerations. If the target was too distant, without the aid of weapon attachments for aiming, she would likely miss.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘I only need to treat the kinetic firearm as I would a thermal cutting blade. By closing the distance to within seven paces and pressing the muzzle against an opponent’s vital points, all aiming difficulties will vanish.’

‘It presents no real challenge.’

****

Falling Star Archipelago, Wanderer’s Camp.

Situated on the outskirts of the archipelago, the camp housed a large influx of newly arrived wanderers.

Unarmed, these wanderers had to sell their cheap labor, engaging in manual tasks to earn food rations from the main city.

However, stranded beast hunters like Ming Yu were clearly an exception.

The trouble Ming Yu had anticipated did not materialize. No impudent individuals dared to mock her, wasting her time or entangling her further with the camp.

The guards at the camp’s entrance saw Ming Yu. Aside from their wide-eyed stares, they made no other unusual moves.

More precisely, they dared not make any unusual moves. This was due to the two guns Ming Yu carried.

Firearms were strictly contraband within the camp; even the gate guards were not permitted to carry weapons. Only soldiers from the main city were authorized to possess them.

Most people in the camp, even those initially captivated by Ming Yu’s appearance, swiftly retreated without exception upon seeing her blood-stained clothes and the two kinetic firearms in her hands, fearing any involvement.

Just then, several shouts grew louder, approaching from a distance.

“Where are the guards? Damn it! Come help me catch that little thief!”

“You brat, don’t let me get my hands on you! Or you’ll get what’s coming to you!”

“Stop! No one can save you today!”

Between two buildings, a nimble, agile shadow darted out of an alley, clutching several loaves of black bread and fleeing in a panic.

Turning onto the main road, the small figure seemed disoriented. Her steps faltered, she stumbled, and after scrambling to regain balance, she tumbled to the ground, rolling twice.

Just as she braced herself for capture and an inevitable beating, she squeezed her eyes shut, curling tightly into a ball. One hand clutched the black bread to her chest, while the other instinctively shielded her neck.

The anticipated blows never came.

After a moment, Anna cautiously opened her eyes, spotting a strangely shaped long boot.

Her gaze traveled up the boot, tracing the curves of legs accentuated by a form-fitting combat suit, past the rising slope of a chest, and finally fixed on a face too exquisite for words.

Above that, terrifying, blood-red pupils completely filled Anna’s vision, making her swallow hard and freeze on the spot.

Those crimson eyes shifted down an inch, meeting her gaze directly.

“Am I… going to die…?”

For some reason, this chilling delusion enveloped her mind.

Anna struggled to scream, her mouth agape, gasping desperately for air, yet her vocal cords refused to produce even a whisper. It was only then, from the corner of her eye, that she noticed the kinetic firearms nearby. Her face paled dramatically, and her bloodless lips quivered, attempting to explain, but no sound escaped.

‘Are they from the main city…?’

Her heart trembled.

Concurrently, several burly men exchanged hesitant glances. None dared to approach, yet they were unwilling to let the small child escape, so they lingered nearby, observing.

Ming Yu glanced at the kinetic firearms in her hands. They certainly looked menacing, proving quite effective at intimidating others. Little did they know, her truly terrifying weapon lay quietly in her waist pouch, appearing utterly harmless on the surface.

Ming Yu easily sensed the frequent gazes from the burly men, but perceiving no malicious intent, she paid them little heed, merely casually pointing the muzzle of her gun in their direction.

“Do they look good?”