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Sunset Forest-Shadowacre Swamp

Northwest of the Redpine Region, a group of five wolf-men reached the eastern outskirts of Sunset Forest and gazed at the dark swampy land in the distance.

“Shadowacre Swamp is just ahead of us. If everything is going according to plan, Marquis Delarosa’s daughters should not have passed Shadowacre Swamp yet,” Black Crow stated while surveilling the region ahead.

“However, we don’t have much time before they do. This is our last chance to complete the mission, so don’t f*ck it up.”

“Everyone remembers the plan?” Black Crow stared at the group and sought their confirmation.

“Of course. Not exactly a difficult plan to remember,” Poison Claw casually shrugged before recalling, “Incite the monsters in the swamp and make them attack Marquis Delarosa’s daughter’s group.”

“It would be great if the swamp monsters could finish them off. That way, we won’t have to take the risk of exposing ourselves,” Poison Claw added.

“For something like that to happen, we would have to incite the lord of the swamp at the very least,” Silver Horn calmly stated.

“However, that would also put us in danger, not to mention we don’t exactly know where the lord of the swamp is dwelling. It’s good enough that we can make use of the other monsters in the swamp. They are mostly rank 2 monsters.”

“Anyway, we don’t have a lot of time. Bring the Raging Blood Potion and monster meat over here. We need to prepare the scene before our targets arrive,” Silver Horn urged.

Shortly after, Blood Knife hurled the heavy carcass of a Forest Boar over while dragging a barrel of crimson solution in the other.

“The Rank 1 Raging Blood Potion was hastily made without a proper cauldron and fire source. Would it even be effective on rank 2 monsters?” Blood Knife nonchalantly asked.

“Even cheap alcohol can get a man drunk as long as there is enough of it. We’ve prepared quite a bit of the Raging Blood Potion, so you don’t have to worry about that, Blood Knife,” Black Crow reassured.

Rustle…

The leaves in the forest suddenly rustled unnaturally before the whole wolf-men group’s expression changed in an instant.

“Enem—”

Before Black Crow could finish alerting the group, numerous shadows descended from the trees above and suppressed the entire group in an instance.

Black Crow and the other group members all had their limbs immobilized, and their heads pressed into the ground tightly, making it difficult for them to utter a word.

Nevertheless, Black Crow forced himself to look up at their assailants from the corner of his eyes. After catching one of their faces under the hoods, his expression froze.

“Silver Hawk,” Black Crow uttered through the gaps in his gritted teeth.

When the other Peak C-rank hunters in the group heard the name, their expressions also froze in shock.

“Silver Hawk, the B-rank hunter in the organization? What the hell are you doing?! We work for the same organization!” Blood Knife forcefully uttered with anger.

“What are we doing? That is what we should be asking you guys! What the hell is a group of Peak C-rank hunters from the organization doing in a B-rank restricted zone?” Silver Hawk coolly interrogated.

Black Crow and his team found themselves outmatched in both numbers and strength as Silver Hawk’s group of thirteen B-rank hunters kept them suppressed.

“We are going after our mission’s targets. Shadowacre Swamp is the ideal place to eliminate them without exposing our traces,” Silver Horn explained with difficulty.

“The mission’s target?” Silver Hawk glanced at Silver Horn with narrowed eyes before they flickered with a sharp glint. “So you lots are the fools who f*cked up and ruined the organization’s big plans in the Black Rose Kingdom. I should just cut you all down right here, you useless sons of b*tches.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Silver Hawk! Just because you are all B-rankers doesn’t mean you can bully us like this! We haven’t f*cked up yet! So stop interfering with our work!” Blood Knife spat angrily.

“Haven’t f*cked up yet?” Silver Hawk muttered with a cold glint.

Silver Hawk quickly released his hold on Black Crow and crouched in front of Blood Knife before pulling his hair up for their eyes to meet.

“You think a mere C-ranker like you can treat us, B-rankers, like idiots? If you haven’t f*cked up your mission yet, then where the hell is the rest of your team?” Silver Hawk interrogated coldly before adding, “Because of your f*ck up, everyone has to flee and hide from the kingdom’s pursuit now.”

“What the hell are you talking about!” Blood Knife’s anger boiled like Black Crow and the others.

“Do you think our team members are missing because we failed an assassination attempt on our targets?! That wasn’t it! We were attacked by a pack of Rank 2 Dark Hellhounds and even a Rank 3 because that crazy Lord B*tch from Blackmoon City incited them!”

“Then why don’t you tell me why the Lord of Blackmoon City incited the Dark Hellhounds in the Blackmoon Region in the first place?”

“How the f*ck would I know what’s wrong with that crazy b*tch? Maybe someone pissed on her ancestor’s grave or something! And what the hell do you mean by everyone has to flee and hide from the kingdom’s pursuit?! What the hell is going on?!” Blood Knife questioned with boiling rage as much as he was confused like everyone else.

Silver Hawk studied Black Crow’s group’s expressions before turning to his own group members for confirmation.

After receiving their nods, Silver Hawk muttered with a frown, “Seems like you lot truly don’t know what’s going on.”

“Nevertheless, your group will still be held accountable for the current mess. News of our organization accepting the commission to assassinate Marquis Delarosa’s daughters had already been leaked. It may have been a trap from the start. The branch in Blackmoon City has already been destroyed. And it won’t be long before the other branches in the kingdom are purged as well.

“Anyway, we need to hide in the depths of Red Goblin Mountains if we want to survive through this storm,” Silver Hawk stated.

Black Crow and his group regained freedom of their movements before Blood Knife asked, “Why Red Goblin Mountains?”

“However, it’s not just the perfect place to seek refuge. If the witches and their minions dare to come looking for us in the depths of the Red Goblin Mountains, it will become their grave.”

When Blood Knife heard that, his eyes glowed with excitement.

“I like the sound of that,” Blood Knife commented.

“Hmph!” Silver Hawk snorted with disdain as he looked at Blood Knife’s uncontrolled lust for witch blood. “If you want to follow us, get rid of the beast carcass and barrel. We don’t need to bring anything that would slow us down.”

“What about our mission targets?” Black Crow asked with a frown.

“Give it up. I can understand what your plan was, and I can say with certainty that it’s not going to work. It’s a sh*tty plan,” Silver Hawk disparaged before adding, “Do you even know who is escorting your mission targets?”

“Isn’t it just a Rank 2 Aura Master and a lousy group of new recruits from the Steelguard Escort Group?” Black Crow raised his eyebrow with a frown.

“Heh, if it was just them, then your plan might have succeeded,” Silver Hawk snickered with contempt and said, “You pieces of trash truly don’t know anything. What the hell were you even doing with your time?”

“The Lord of Redpine City sent her strongest Senior Witch and elite retainers to escort Marquis Delarosa’s daughters to the next city. Even if we joined you, we wouldn’t have succeeded—not without taking heavy losses on our side, that is.”

After Black Crow and his group listened to Silver Hawk’s derision, their lips twitched. However, they didn’t argue back.

If they hadn’t wasted so much time waiting for their mission targets on Hobgoblin’s Road, they could have easily learned the strength of the mission targets’ escort beforehand.

Alas, they were outwitted by their mission targets.

“Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time here on you pieces of trash. Come if you want to come. Stay if you want to stay. My team won’t be waiting for you lots to keep up,” Silver Hawk suddenly stated before informing his group of B-rank hunters, “We’re moving.”

Shortly after, the group of B-rank hunters followed Silver Hawk into the Sunset Forest without further delay, using the forest’s cover to make their way to the Red Goblin Mountains.

“Let us go too. They’re a bunch of bastards, but they were absolutely right. Although I don’t know how the f*ck the Blackmoon City Branch was destroyed, we have to stick with Silver Hawk’s group for a higher chance of survival,” Black Crow stated.

Silver Horn and the others in the group nodded and shortly disappeared with Black Crow into the depths of Sunset Forest, following Silver Hawk’s group’s trail, even if they disliked them.

“Goddammit,” the silent Poison Claw uttered with frustration as he dusted off the dirt on his clothes. Then he wondered, “Just what the hell happened for the Blackmoon City Branch to be destroyed anyway?”

“We’re just as clueless as you are. Perhaps, Silver Hawk and his men will know more about it,” Silver Horn guessed before adding, “My best bet is that it had something to do with why that crazy b*tch lord incited the Dark Hellhounds.”

“Sigh! We haven’t done sh*t, and we are already getting all the blame,” Blood Knife spat with frustration before swearing, “If I find out which mother f*cker was behind all this, I’ll make sure he dies horribly!”