The Ultimate Hunter’s Fall

On the modified hunting speedboats, crew members, sailors, and sea beast hunters were all engrossed in their own tasks, their hurried footsteps echoing across the deck. Only the very front of the deck remained conspicuously empty.

Molly leaned against the railing, stifling a yawn. With her index finger, she idly twirled a strand of deep blue hair that brushed her cheek. Her icy blue eyes drifted left and right, scanning the nearby waters with an air of profound boredom.

A standard, form-fitting combat suit accentuated her alluring curves, yet these were tantalizingly obscured by the flowing duster she wore. This interplay of revelation and concealment drew many curious glances from the Dresa civilians.

She had grown accustomed to such gazes since childhood.

‘No need to bother with mere ants,’ she thought, a dismissive curl to her lips. Beneath her youthful and radiant countenance lay a terrifying power, capable of confronting colossal beasts. A subtle hint of disdain flickered across her exquisite features.

Initially, Molly hadn’t wanted to take this job. However, these ships carried not only ordinary civilians but also numerous wealthy merchants disguised among them, bringing almost their entire fortunes.

The remuneration they offered was simply too substantial. Just a few more such contracts, and Molly would no longer have to worry about her freedom. Financial independence would be within reach.

‘It’s all that old geezer’s fault,’ she grumbled internally. ‘If I weren’t still concerned about my father’s well-being, I would have already left to live a carefree life. Who would bother with such a tedious and boring job?’

This vast ocean, it turned out, was nowhere near as thrilling as she had imagined.

To date, Molly had risen from an E-rank to an S-rank hunter, sustaining barely a few superficial injuries along the way. Her journey had been a near flawless, speedrun-like ascent, earning her the moniker ‘Ultimate Hunter’.

Had she not been on a mission when Dresa was attacked, Molly would have truly relished the chance to personally confront the so-called Kraken, the North Sea Colossus.

Alas, for reasons unknown, she always seemed to just miss it.

Molly sighed, retrieving a piece of gummy candy from her pocket. She popped it into her mouth, chewing contentedly.

Mid-chew, she suddenly swallowed it whole. Her expression shifted, and her right hand instinctively reached for the metal hilt at her waist.

Concurrently, a piercing, ear-splitting alarm blared to life.

–Sea beast attack!

–All passengers, please evacuate the deck immediately and proceed to the cabins!

–Repeat, sea beast attack…

The moment the alarm ceased, the ship’s deck erupted into utter chaos.

Some passengers scurried frantically toward the cabins, desperate to avoid danger, while others remained unconcerned, leaning against the railings, still admiring the seascape. The formidable strength of the sea beast hunters had instilled in them an immense sense of confidence.

Yet, strangely, despite the alarm blaring for a considerable time, no trace of a sea beast could be seen near the heavy cruiser, let alone the hunting speedboats.

Just as the sea beast hunters looked on, bewildered, Molly’s gaze sharpened, fixing coldly on the ocean surface beneath her.

A faint, expanding shadow solidified, then burst forth from the water.

Hiss—

A colossal serpent’s head, resembling a high-speed locomotive, bore down on Molly. Its golden eyes blazed with intense light, its target clear as it opened its gaping, blood-red maw.

The terrifying fangs sliced through the metal railing, aiming directly for the S-rank hunter clutching the metal rod.

Boom—

Carrying an immense, crushing momentum, the serpent’s head nearly tore through the deck. Yet, its fangs failed to connect with their intended target.

Furthermore, in a flash of lightning-fast movement, a crack appeared on one of its incredibly hard fangs, prompting the giant serpent to let out a mournful, furious hiss.

Molly retreated several steps, exhaling softly. The disdain in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by surprise and solemnity.

In her hand, from the tip of a metal hilt engraved with strange spiral patterns, a pale blue beam of light shot forth, solidifying into a three-foot-long energy blade.

This variable-frequency laser knife was a treasured heirloom in Molly’s family. She had heard her father recount its illustrious history countless times. Even back when human civilization first expanded and the Aquamarine United Nations dominated the world, this very blade had already drunk deep of the blood of countless alien races.

Moreover, most fortunately, Molly’s family possessed the preserved technology to repair the laser knife. Without this blade, her path as a hunter would never have been so effortless.

‘How can this be… phew, the blue laser can’t cut through it?’

Molly stared intensely at the golden eyes that seemed eager to devour her, and then she adjusted the laser’s frequency up a notch.

In an instant, the pale blue beam dissolved into shimmering motes of light, replaced by a deep purple ultraviolet laser that maintained its three-foot length. The profound dark purple exuded an air of nobility, appearing more restrained in its presence, yet its deterrent power was clearly superior to the blue laser.

Simultaneously, at the edge of the heavy cruiser’s deck, the bolder spectators began to chatter excitedly.

–Look, the ‘Ultimate Hunter’ is getting serious!

–How did her knife change color so quickly? Is the pressure that intense?

–Maybe she just doesn’t want to waste any more time?

In their eyes, the moment Molly’s energy blade shifted from blue to purple signaled the imminent end of the battle. The invincible ‘Ultimate Hunter’ had never once been defeated by a sea beast. This truth had long been a shared understanding among them.

Facing the colossal serpent’s head, Molly did not believe she would lose to an S-rank sea beast. At most, she would find it slightly troublesome, unable to achieve an instant kill.

However…

Jörmungaṇḍr appeared utterly uninterested in the humans on the other ships. Only when facing Molly did it excitedly flick its serpentine tongue and split its terrifying, ferocious maw.

It possessed a habit of toying with its prey, but once it grew bored, it was time to sate its hunger. A casual flick of its tail would first capsize the speedboat, then it would devise a way to drag the troublesome prey into the deep sea, shifting the battlefield into its own domain.

Undoubtedly, Jörmungaṇḍr’s intelligence far surpassed that of an ordinary S-rank sea beast.

The confrontation between fangs and energy blade grew increasingly fierce. This battle was beyond the scope of A-rank hunters. The surviving hunters could only join the spectators, silently cheering on the ‘Ultimate Hunter’.

Despite this, the ‘Ultimate Hunter’ was clearly at a disadvantage.

An uneasy feeling began to spread through the crowd. They had never conceived of the ‘Ultimate Hunter’ being defeated, nor had they ever considered the consequences of such a defeat.

Finally, the colossal serpent found its opportunity. A powerful tail whip struck Molly, sending her flying.

At some point, a speedboat, stained with a hint of blood, had appeared nearby, conveniently catching Molly as she crashed onto its deck.

Witnessing the ‘Ultimate Hunter’ in such dire straits, the commotion among the crowd intensified. Fear and despair began to seep deep into their hearts.

–It’s over, everything is finished…

–What kind of monster is this? To defeat even the ‘Ultimate Hunter’…

–No, no, no, don’t, don’t come any closer…

–…

Their undefeated legend had fallen.

Molly struggled to prop herself up. The metal hilt from her hand clattered onto the deck, and the energy blade it had projected quietly extinguished. A mouthful of fresh blood immediately gushed out.

As the metal hilt rolled to the edge of a long boot, a pale hand reached down and picked it up, holding it before blood-red eyes for a moment of inspection.

Hiss—

An eerie, drawn-out hiss sounded, growing closer as the colossal serpent’s head emerged from the sea, slowly advancing.

Ming Yu subtly lifted her gaze, her crimson eyes meeting the unyielding golden pupils of the beast.